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- VP CP Radhakrishnan Visit Sri Lanka First Time | April 20 Current Affairs
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Know today’s major current affairs, which are important for students preparing for government jobs…
NATIONAL
1. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung visits India
On April 19, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung came on a state visit to India. Today President Lee met PM Modi.
- President Lee and PM Modi discussed issues like shipbuilding trade, business, investment, artificial intelligence, semi-conductors.
- President Lee will also talk about cultural exchange and regional issues during the visit.
- Along with this, President Lee had met Foreign Minister S Jaishankar on the first day. Lee also met President Murmu during the visit.
- The visit is to further strengthen existing cooperation and pursue expansion into new and emerging areas.
- First Lady Kim Hye Kyung and a high level delegation have also come to India along with President Lee Jae Myung.
- Earlier in July 2018, President Moon Jae-in visited India.
This is the first visit of President Jae Myung Lee to India.
International
2. Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan reached Sri Lanka on a 2-day visit
On April 19, Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan reached Colombo, Sri Lanka on a two-day visit.
- This is the first visit of any Vice President of India to Sri Lanka.
- On the first day of the visit, Vice President Radhakrishnan met Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
- Vice President Radhakrishnan will also hold a meeting with PM Harini Amarasuriya during the visit.
- Radhakrishnan will also hold discussions with representatives of the Indian diaspora.
- According to the Ministry of External Affairs, this visit is part of the Vision Ocean and Neighborhood First Policy between India and Sri Lanka.
- This visit of Vice President Radhakrishnan is to connect India and Sri Lanka and further strengthen many old relations.
- There have been civilizational relations between India and Sri Lanka for more than 2,500 years.
- Sectors like trade, defence, corporation, business development, connectivity, education cultural energy are included between India and Sri Lanka.
- Recently India had sent 38 metric tons of petroleum to Sri Lanka.
This is the first visit of any Vice President of India to Sri Lanka.
3. The first Petroglyph Conservation Park will be built in the country.
On April 18, the foundation stone of the country’s first Petroglyph Conservation Park to preserve the ancient heritage of Ladakh was laid. This park will be built on the banks of Indus river in Leh.
- Lieutenant Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena laid the foundation stone for Petroglyph Conservation.
- Petroglyphs are prehistoric pictures and symbols carved into the surface of stones.
- There are about 400 such sites in Ladakh, where these rock paintings have been found.
- Due to tourism and rapid construction work, a decision has been taken to preserve this heritage.
- Petroglyphs located along the Indus and Zanskar rivers are more risky.
- These rock paintings will be preserved in this park and will also be displayed for tourists.
- The Department of Archives, Archeology and Museums and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) signed MoU for heritage conservation.
- The petroglyphs of Ladakh are from different periods, which are believed to be 2,000 to 5,000 years old.
- Some of the earliest paintings are dated to the Bronze Age (2nd to 3rd millennium BC), while later paintings are dated to the early Tibetan era, 8th to 10th century AD.
- Petroglyphs also occur in Africa, Siberia, Scandinavia, Australia, and southwestern North America.
- The oldest petroglyphs are believed to be at Murujuga, Western Australia, which are 40,000–50,000 years old.
- The oldest petroglyphs and prehistoric paintings in India are found mainly in Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh, which are about 30,000 years old.
The park will house petroglyphs collected from vulnerable and isolated places in Ladakh.
DEATH
4. Senior BJP leader Balbir Punj passes away
On April 18, senior BJP leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Punj passed away. He was 76 years old.
- Punj started his career with journalism. In the year 1971, he started working with The Motherland newspaper.
- In 1990, Punj entered active politics and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.
- Punj was a Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh for the first time from 2000 to 2006 and from Odisha for the second time from 2008 to 2014.
- Punj was also the National Secretary of BJP, in-charge of Punjab, Gujarat, Kerala and Himachal Pradesh and a member of the National Executive.
- In 2013, he was made the National Vice President of Punjab BJP. However, he never contested elections in Punjab.
- Punj wrote many books in his career, of which ‘Ayodhya Se Samvad’ is one of his most popular books.
- In this book he has explained the history of Ayodhya dispute in a simple way.
Balbir Punj joined Financial Express in 1974. His works were published in many magazines and newspapers.
SPORTS
5. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar’s tenure extended by one year
On April 19, BCCI has extended the tenure of Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar by one year. Now he will remain in this post till the ODI World Cup to be held in 2027.
- According to BCCI, Agarkar’s tenure has been renewed, not extended. He will remain on the post for the fourth year on the basis of his performance.
- According to BCCI rules, the selector can hold the post for a maximum of four years.
- The BCCI Board had made Agarkar the Chief Selector for two years in 2023.
- Agarkar has already got a one-year extension in 2025, now his tenure is being renewed till 2027.
- In this way, Agarkar will remain the Chief Selector for a total of four years.
- During Ajit Agarkar’s tenure, between October 2023 and March 2026, the Indian teams selected by him made it to the finals of four ICC tournaments.
- Of these, India won three titles. Two T20 World Cups in 2024 and 2026 and ICC Champions Trophy in 2025.
- Apart from this, Team India also reached the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup, where it had to face defeat at the hands of Australia.
MISCELLANEOUS
6. Approval of two multi-tracking railway projects worth Rs 24,815 crore
On April 18, the Union Cabinet approved two multi-tracking railway projects worth Rs 24,815 crore.
- These projects will cover 15 districts of Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. Due to which the existing Indian Railway network will be increased by approximately 601 km.
- The project includes construction of Ghaziabad-Sitapur 3rd and 4th lines and Rajahmundry (Nidadavolu)-Visakhapatnam (Duvvada) 3rd and 4th lines.
- The Ghaziabad-Sitapur project will have an estimated cost of ₹14,926 crore. In this, a track of 403 km will be prepared i.e. a distance of 403 km will be covered.
- The Rajahmundry (Nidadavolu)-Visakhapatnam (Duvvada) project will cost ₹9,889 crore and cover a distance of 198 km.
- Six new stations will also be developed in the Ghaziabad-Sitapur project. This includes New Hapur, New Moradabad, New Rampur, New Bareilly, New Shahjahanpur and New Sitapur.
- With the completion of this project, 36 million tonnes of additional freight will be transported every year. This will reduce logistics costs by Rs 2,877 crore annually.
- The Rajahmundry (Nidadavolu)-Visakhapatnam (Duvvada) project has a time frame of five years and also includes a 4.3 km long rail bridge over the Godavari river.
The project is also part of the Howrah-Chennai high-density network and connects major ports including Kakinada, Machilipatnam and Gangavaram.
today’s history
- In 1889, German dictator Adolf Hitler was born in Austria.
- Marie Curie discovered radium in 1902.
- In 2011, ISRO successfully launched 3 satellites into space through PSLV.
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