• Shoolini University has been ranked the No.1 private university and fifth overall in the country in the Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University rankings 2024.
• The university also topped in the parameters for international outlook among all universities, including public sector universities in the country, and was ranked second in research quality.

• The Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University Rankings 2024 have been released, providing valuable insights into the performance of universities across Asia.
• THE Asia University Rankings use 18 performance indicators to reflect the attributes of institutions.
• The 2024 ranking includes 739 universities from 31 territories.
• With 119 universities Japan remained the most-represented nation this year.
• India followed with 91 institutions.
• A total of 98 universities joined the ranking since last year.

TOP 10 INDIAN UNIVERSITIES IN THE LIST ARE

• Indian Institute of Science (IISc): 32nd Rank
• Anna University: 119th Rank
• Mahatma Gandhi University: 134th Rank
• Jamia Millia Islamia: 148th Rank
• Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences: 150th Rank
• Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines) Dhanbad: 152nd Rank
• Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati: 158th Rank
• Bharathiar University: 160th Rank
• International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad: 162nd Rank
• Indian Institute of Technology, Patna: 163rd Rank

ASIA’S TOP 5 UNIVERSITIES:

• Tsinghua University – China
• Peking University – China
• National University of Singapore – Singapore
• Nanyang Technological University – Singapore
• The University of Tokyo – Japan

• Zimbabwe has introduced a new gold-backed currency called ZiG – the name stands for “Zimbabwe Gold”.
• It is the latest attempt to stabilise an economy that has lurched from crisis to crisis for the past 25 years.
• The ZiG replaces a Zimbabwean dollar, the RTGS, that had lost three-quarters of its value so far this year.
• Zimbabweans have 21 days to exchange old, inflation-hit notes for the new currency.
• The new ZiG banknotes come in denominations of between 1 and 200.
• The US dollar, which accounts for 85% of transactions, will remain legal tender and most people are likely to continue to prefer this.
• Coins will also be introduced to overcome the shortage of US coins, which has seen people receive change in sweets, small chocolates and pens.
• The ZiG is the sixth currency Zimbabwe has used since the spectacular 2009 collapse of the Zimbabwe dollar amid hyperinflation of 5 billion percent, one of the world’s worst currency crashes to date.

• The Department of Public Enterprise has granted “Navratna” status to the National Fertilizers Ltd, IREDA and HUDCO.
• The Indian government accords the Navratna status to top-tier public sector undertakings (PSUs) and these organisations are authorised to undertake substantial investments of up to ₹1,000 crore without needing approval from the Centre.
• These companies have the liberty to invest up to 30% of their net worth within a year, as long as it stays below ₹1,000 crore. They can also engage in joint ventures, form alliances, and establish subsidiaries abroad.

ABOUT INDIAN RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT AGENCY (IREDA)

• It is a Non-Banking Financial Institution (NBFC) – promotes, develops and extends financial assistance for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency/Conservation Projects.
• It is a Public Limited Government Company established in 1987.
• under the administrative control of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
• As on March 2024, GoI held 75% stake in

ABOUT HUDCO:

• HUDCO was incorporated as “The Housing and Urban Development Finance Corporation Private Limited” on April 25, 1970, as a private limited company under the Companies Act, 1956.

ABOUT NFL:

• National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) is an Indian central public sector undertaking and the largest government-owned-Urea fertilizer-producer in India. It is a Navratna company, with the Government of India owning a majority stake.
• Incorporated in 1974, NFL comes under the administrative control of the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, and is the second largest producer of the key fertiliser urea in India. NFL has five gas-based ammonia-urea plants viz Nangal and Bathinda in Punjab, Panipat in Haryana and two at Vijaipur (Madhya Pradesh).

• The Centre has given sanction to Adani’s Vizhinjam Port in Kerala to operate as a transshipment port.
• This will be India’s first full-fledged deepwater transshipment port.
• Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) started the international transshipment project in Vizhinjam, Kerala in December 2015.
• A transshipment port is a crucial hub where cargo is transferred from one big vessel to several smaller ones before they reach the final port of discharge. It will now help India in its ambition to become a manufacturing hub.
• The initial goal was to complete the ₹7,700 crore deepwater seaport project in four years by 2019. It is now expected to start operations in this financial year. The project seeks a share in the Indian cargo totalling more than a million containers which are transshipped annually through foreign ports, such as those in Colombo in Sri Lanka.
• Container volumes are measured in twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). One TEU is roughly equal to a standard size container.
• Its capacity in the first phase is to be one million TEUs. Another 6.2 million TEUs will be added in subsequent phases. It is estimated that nearly 75% of India’s transshipment cargo is handled at ports outside the country. Ports in Colombo, Singapore and Klang handle about 85% of this cargo.

• Indian teams swept both the men’s and women’s team championships in the sixth Asian carrom championships in Maldives.
• The men beat Maldives 3-0 in the final, while the women beat Sri Lanka by the same margin.

• The Embassy of Israel in India, in collaboration with the Million Miyawaki Foundation, has officially joined the ‘Million Miyawaki’ project, a community-led initiative aimed at improving air quality in Indian cities through mass afforestation in tight urban spaces
• Under this project, efforts are made at planting a million trees in Delhi-NCR
• Focus on creating forest-like Miyawaki plantations.
• Miyawaki Method was named after Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, this method involves planting two to four different types of indigenous trees within every square metre.
• The methodology was developed in the 1970s, with the basic objective to densify green cover within a small parcel of land.

• World Press Freedom Day is observed annually on 3rd May.
• The day is commemorated to highlight the significance of press freedom globally and to recognise the challenges encountered by journalists.
• The day also pays tribute to all the journalists who have lost their lives.
• World Press Freedom Day was first declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993.
• This declaration came after a recommendation made in 1991 at the twenty-sixth General Conference session of UNESCO.
• The year will mark the 31st anniversary of World Press Freedom Day.
• On 2 – 4 May, the Government of Chile and UNESCO will host the 31st World Press Freedom Day Conference in Santiago.
• The theme for World Press Freedom Day 2024 is ‘A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of the Environmental Crisis.’

• India will host the BWF World Junior Championships 2025 at the National Centre of Excellence in
• The 2025 edition in India will mark the return of the BWF Junior World Championships to the country for the first time since 2008 when Pune hosted the event.
• The team as well as individual events will be held at the National Centre of Excellence, which was inaugurated by the Badminton Association of India (BAI) last year. It boasts 16 badminton courts, a 4,000 square feet gymnasium, a hostel for players and a dedicated 2,000 square feet physiotherapy centre.
• The next edition of the BWF Thomas & Uber Cup Finals will head in Horsens, Denmark.

• The Indian Air Force (IAF) has successfully carried out a test firing of a new version of an air-launched medium-range ballistic missile that is capable of hitting targets at a distance exceeding 250 km.
• The missile, also referred to as ROCKS or Crystal Maze 2, originated from Israel and underwent a test launch from a Su-30 MKI fighter jet in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands last week.
• The missile boasts a strike range of over 250 km and is capable of targeting enemy long-range radar and air defence systems.