Navigate

  • Current Affairs 3rd April 2019

    Updated : 03-Apr-2019

    Current Affairs 3rd April 2019 - Important Points

    • India retains ICC Test Championship mace
    • World Autism Awareness Day 2019 celebrated
    • Japan's new imperial era 'Reiwa'
    • NCR districts switch to Euro-VI fuels
    • Algerian President to resign after 20 years
    • US, South Korea hold talks on denuclearization

    Current Affairs 3rd April 2019 - Details

    India retains ICC Test Championship mace

    India have continued as the ICC Test Championship Mace & secured the purse of USD 1 million for a 3rd successive year on April 1st, 2019. India secured this prize after finishing at the top of the MRF Tyres International Cricket Council Test Team Rankings on the cut-off date of April 1st, while New Zealand have ensured 2nd place.

    ICC chief executive Manu Sawhney acknowledged the Indian team while repeating the reputation of Test cricket & looking forward to the begin of the International Cricket Council World Test Championship later this year.

    Major Highlights

    New Zealand ended with 2nd after series victory over Bangladesh; South Africa & Australia finish 3rd & 4th, respectively.

    The Kane Williamson, with the satisfaction of seeing their captain receive the International Cricket Council Spirit of Cricket prize for 2018, earned USD 500000 after finishing with 108 points, 8 behind India.

    South Africa, who had finished 2nd the earlier 2 times, will now get a monetary reward of USD 200000 for finishing 3rd with 105 points.

    Australia who edged out England on decimal points at 104 points received USD 100000.

    Afghanistan with 2 matches, 1 win, 1 loss with 25 points & Ireland with 2 matches, 2 losses and no points, will qualify for a full ranking following playing six more matches each.

    World Autism Awareness Day 2019 celebrated

    The World Autism Awareness Day was celebrated worldwide on April 2nd, 2019 with an objective to encourage the Member States of the UN to take measures to spread awareness about autism internationally.
    The theme of World Autism Awareness Day 2018 was ‘Assistive Technologies, Active Participation’.
    For people suffering from autism, the access to inexpensive assistive technologies is a must to empower them to exercise their basic human rights & thus contribute to the empathetic of the Sustainable Development Goals.

    Assistive technology can help them take part on an equal basis with others.

    About the Day

    The day was announced by the UN General Assembly through the resolution 62/139. 

    The resolution to declare World Autism Awareness Day was sanctioned in the United Nations Council on November 1st, 2007.

    It was in 2008 when the United Nations General Assembly universally announced 2nd April as World Autism Awareness Day.

    World Autism Day is also 1 of the only 4 official health-specific United Nations Days.

    Japan's new imperial era 'Reiwa'

    Japan on April 1st, 2019 announced “Reiwa” as the name of its new imperial era that will begin on May 1st, 2019 once the new Crown Prince Naruhito arises the Chrysanthemum Throne. 

    Crown Prince Naruhito will succeed his father Emperor Akihito, who will relinquish the empire on April 30th, 2019, putting an end to 3 decades long “Heisei” era.

    The new era will be the 248th in the history of Japan and the declaration regarding the same was done by Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga.

     Era name “Reiwa”

    The era name “Reiwa” is drawn from the 7th century poetry collection ‘Manyoshu’. The name is composed of the 2 characters ‘Rei’ & ‘Wa’ that denotes ‘order’ & ‘peace’, respectively.

    It is likely to be the 1st time that the Japanese era name ‘gengo’ has been drawn from a Japanese document, portraying a break from more than 1300 years old custom of selecting the name from Chinese classics.

    4 modern eras

    There have been 4 era names in Japan’s modern period:

    1. Meiji from 1868-1912.
    2. Taisho from 1912-1926.
    3. Showa from 1926-1989.
    4. Heisei from 1989-till now.

    Criteria

    The era titles prerequisite to meet strict criteria, should be easy to read & write. The name should be unique and not utilised commonly/previously for an era name.

    The era name also normally doesn't begin with the initials of the earlier modern eras- M, T, S or H.

    Importance

    The imperial era term is utilised in government & business papers, newspapers, calendars & coins. It is the way Japanese count years, although usage of the Western calendar is becoming much widespread now-a-days. Elders often utilised it to classify their generations.

    NCR districts switch to Euro-VI fuels

    The supply of ultra-clean Euro-VI grade fuel which is also known as Bharat Stage-VI grade fuel, commenced in cities adjoining the National Capital Region on April 1st, 2019. 
    Several cities in the 12 neighbouring districts of Rajasthan & UP including Agra stepped forward to the cleaner fuel.

    The Bharat Stage-VI grade fuel, both petrol & diesel containing 10 ppm, is being distributed in Alwar, Bharatpur, Karauli & Dholpur in Rajasthan & Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Baghpat, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Shamli & Agra in UP.
    However, the distribution to Gurugram & Faridabad, which were to get Euro-VI grade fuel from April 1st, have been on hold. 

    The Bharat Stage-VI grade fuel will be rolled out across India from April 2020. The Supreme Court on October 24th, 2018 governed that no Bharat Stage-IV vehicle shall be traded across the nation with effect from April 1st, 2020.

    Delhi became 1st city to roll-out BS-VI fuel

    Delhi in April 2018 became the 1st city in the nation to roll-out ultra-clean Bharat Stage-VI grade fuel, both petrol & diesel.

    Transition from Euro-IV grade to Euro-VI grade

    India had in 2015 finalised to leapfrog to Euro-VI emission guidelines compliant petrol & diesel from April 2020, from the Euro-IV grade currently. These guidelines are grounded on similar guidelines in Europe called Euro-4 & Euro-6.

    One of the major differences between BS-IV & BS-VI fuel is the presence of sulphur. The Bharat Stage-VI fuel is supposed to diminish the amount of sulphur released from 50 ppm to 10 parts per million.
    Moreover, the emission of nitrogen oxides from diesel & petrol engines is also supposed to minimise by nearly 70% & 25% respectively.

    Algerian President to resign after 20 years

    Algeria's President Abdelaziz Bouteflika declared on April 1st, 2019 that he will resign from his post before his mandate perishes on April 28th, 2019. The initiative follows mass objections by the residents of the nation who called for the 82 years old to step down after almost 20 years in office.
    The ailing leader informed that he will take steps to make sure state institutions continue to work during the transition period.

    Key Highlights

    Bouteflika had come under extreme pressure to stand down since he finalised to pursue a 5th term despite rarely being seen in public following suffering a stroke in 2013.

    The Algerian leader informed last month he would pull out of the race & suspended April elections, in initiatives that angered activists who saw it as a ploy to extend his 2 decades in power.

    Faced with massive street objections across the North African nation, a succession of veteran Bouteflika loyalists deserted the president.

    On April 2nd,  the nation’s armed forces chief of staff General Ahmed Gaid Salah, said the president should either resign/be announced medically incompetent to govern by parliament using its constitutional supremacies.

    A significant coalition ally, the National Rally for Democracy led by recently sacked PM Ahmed Ouyahia also called for Bouteflika's resignation with the objective of smoothing the period of transition.

    US, South Korea hold talks on denuclearization

    The Acting Secretary of Defence of the USA, Patrick Shanahan met South Korean Minister of National Defence Jeong Kyeong-doo in Washington on April 1st, 2019 to deliberate denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.

    As per to a statement published by the Pentagon, during their meeting, both Shanahan & Jeong aimed on the continuing diplomatic efforts to attain a full denuclearization & peace in the Korean Peninsula.

    Important Highlights

    The 2 defence chiefs vowed to remain an unwavering combined readiness posture.
    They also promised to enhance co-ordination & co-operation in various areas together with data sharing on topics regarding the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

    Jeong's visit comes a month after the second summit between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea leader Kim Jong Un & United States President Donald Trump in late February in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi, which ended without a treaty.

    South Korean President Moon Jae-in is planned to visit Washington next week. Moon has promised to make efforts to benefit resume denuclearization negotiations between North Korea & the United States.