• The International Day for Monuments and Sites, also known as World Heritage Day, is observed on April 18.
• The day was first celebrated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1983.
• The aim is to promote awareness about the cultural heritage and diversity on the planet.
• The theme for World Heritage Day 2024 is ‘Discover and Experience Diversity.’

HISTORY OF WORLD HERITAGE DAY:

• The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) proposed to UNESCO in 1982 that 18 April be designated as World Heritage Day. This idea was supported by UNESCO in its 22nd conference held in 1983.
• This day was organized for the first time in 1983.

• Bushahr Boxing Club in Rampur of Shimla district is set to organize an international-level pro-boxing championship in Rampur in October.
• Apart from local boxers, boxers from Russia and the Philippines will also participate in the event.

• The Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) stadium has become the first BCCI-accredited venue to install a state-of-the-art ‘hybrid pitch.
• The Netherlands-based ‘SISGrass’, a part of the SIS Pitches group of companies, has been roped in for the first-ever hybrid pitch installation.

• World Hemophilia Day is a global healthcare event observed on April 17 every year.
• This worldwide event is organised by the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH).
• The theme for World Hemophilia Day 2024 is “Equitable access for all: recognizing all bleeding disorders”.

HISTORY

• World Haemophilia Day was first celebrated on the 17th of April 1989. It marks the birthday of Frank Schnabel, the founder of the World Federation of Haemophilia (WFH).
• What is Hemophilia?
• Hemophilia is an inherited bleeding disorder in which the blood does not clot properly, leading to spontaneous bleeding as well as bleeding following injuries or surgery. This happens due to a lack of or low levels of proteins called clotting factors that help stop bleeding.

• The Five Wisden Cricketers of the Year have been announced in the 2024 edition of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, with Mitchell Starc, Usman Khawaja, Ash Gardner, Harry Brook and Mark Wood this year’s award winners.
• Travis Head (Australia) has picked up the Wisden Trophy.
• Hayley Matthews (West Indies) has been named the Leading T20 Cricketer in the world.
• Wisden’s Leading women Cricketer in the World –Nat Sciver-Brunt, becoming the first England player to be named.
• Men’s Leading Cricketer in the World – Australia’s captain Pat Cummins

ABOUT THE AWARD:

• The Wisden Cricketers of the Year are cricketers selected for the honor by the annual publication Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, based primarily on their “influence on the previous English season.
• The award began in 1889.

• Indian wrestlers finished the Asian Wrestling Championships 2024 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan with nine medals – four silvers and five bronze.
• Indian medal winners:
  • Udit (men’s 57kg) – silver medal
  • Radhika (women’s 68kg) – silver medal
  • Anju (women’s 53kg) – silver medal
  • Harshita (women’s 72kg) – silver medal
  • Abhimanyou (men’s 70kg) – bronze medal
  • Vicky (men’s 97kg) – bronze medal
  • Shivanee Pawar (women’s 50kg) – bronze medal
  • Antim (women’s 65kg) – bronze medal
  • Manisha (women’s 62kg) – bronze medal

• Sachidananda Mohanty has been appointed as a member of the University Grants Commission (UGC) for three Years.
• He is a former Professor and Head of the Department of English, University of Hyderabad and former Vice­ Chancellor of Central University of Odisha.
• He was a member of India’s Education Commission to the UNESCO and Governing Board member of Auroville Foundation.

ABOUT UGC:

• The University Grants Commission (UGC) was established by an Act of Parliament in 1956 to coordinate, determine, and maintain standards of teaching, examination, and research in university education.
• Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar is the current Chairman of UGC.
• Deepak Kumar Srivastava is the current Vice-Chairman of UGC.

• The government has set a target of producing 170 million tonnes of coal from captive and commercial coal blocks in the country during the financial year 2024-25. This target is 26 percent more than the 116 metric tons produced in 2023-24.
• For Coal India Limited, the target of coal production from the mines of Coal India Limited in 2024-25 has been set at one billion tonnes.
• The coal sector in India was nationalized under the Coal Mines (Nationalization) Act, 1973. The Indian government-owned Coal India Limited and its subsidiaries had a monopoly on coal production in India, but later allowed private sector participation.

COAL PRODUCTION IN INDIA-

• India has the fourth largest coal reserves in the world. It is estimated to be around 02 billion tonnes.
• The top five states in terms of total coal reserves in India are:
• Jharkhand
• Odisha
• Chhattisgarh
• West Bengal
• Madhya Pradesh

• It has been celebrated on 25th January every year since 2011 to mark the formation of ECI.
• 2024 theme – ‘Nothing Like Voting,I Vote for Sure’

• As a progressive initiative, ECI for the first time in a Lok Sabha election, has provided the facility of home voting for elderly citizens above 85 years of age and Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) with a 40% benchmark disability.
• The initiative will help in ensuring an equitable, approachable and inclusive electoral process.
• This initiative marks a significant stride towards ensuring inclusivity and accessibility of the electoral process and in bolstering democratic participation.
• There are over 81 lakhs 85+ aged voters and 90 lakhs + PwD voters registered across the country.

OTHER STEPS TAKEN BY ECI:

Systematic Voter’s Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) :

• The primary goal is to build a truly participative democracy in India by encouraging all eligible citizens to vote and make an informed decision during the elections.

VOTER VERIFIED PAPER AUDIT TRAIL (VVPAT)

• VVPAT is an independent system attached with EVM that allows the voters to verify that their votes are cast as intended.
• When a vote is cast, a slip is printed containing the serial number, name and symbol of the candidate and remains exposed through a transparent window for 7 seconds.
• Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail with EVM was used for the first time in the by-election to Noksen Assembly Constituency of Nagaland in 2013.

cVIGIL App:

• cVIGIL is a mobile application developed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to enable citizens to report violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during elections.