Current Affairs in Short: 13 April 2022

IAF, IIT Madras sign MoU for developmental projects

• The Indian Air Force and IIT Madras signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on April 13, 2022 for various developmental projects to support the requirements of the IAF. 
• The MoU was signed by Air Commodore S Bahuja, Command Engineering Officer (Systems) and others at Air Force Station, Tughlakabad, Delhi.

US likely to announce USD 750 million new military aid for Ukraine

• The United States is likely to announce a new military aid package for Ukraine worth USD 750 million. 
• Under the new aid package, the US is set to expand the scope of weapons it is providing to Ukraine and is looking to transfer a range of sophisticated equipment including armoured Humvees.
• The new aid package follows the USD 1.7 billion of assistance provided to Ukraine by the US earlier after Russia launched its military operation on February 24.
• The preliminary plans include sending coastal defence drones and protective suits to safeguard personnel in the event of a chemical, biological or nuclear attack. It is though not certain that all these items will be included in the final package.

WTO downgrades global GDP growth forecast in 2022 to 2.8 percent

• The World Trade Organization (WTO) has downgraded its forecast for global GDP growth in Financial Year 2022 to 2.8 percent from the previously predicted 4.1 percent.
• The world GDP is expected to grow by 2.8% in 2022, down by 1.3 percentage points from the previous forecast, as per WTO report. 
• The report stated that the global GDP growth should pick up to 3.2 percent in 2023, close to the average rate of 3.0% between 2010 and 2019.
• The decline in the GDP of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), excluding Ukraine, will be 7.9 percent with regional imports expected to drop 12 percent as a result. The CIS exports are not predicted to be affected by the crisis in Ukraine, as per WTO.

Over 1000 Ukrainian soldiers surrendered in Mariupol, says Russian Defence Ministry

• The Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement on April 13, 2022 that over a thousand Ukrainian soldiers surrendered in Mariupol, a strategic port city in Eastern Ukraine. 
• A total of 1026 Ukrainian servicemen of the 36th Marine Brigade voluntarily laid down their arms, as per the Russian Ministry. Mariupol has been under siege by Russian troops for over a month. 

Nykaa CEO Falguni Nayar wins EY Entrepreneur of the Year award

• Nykaa Founder and CEO Falguni Nayar won the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award on April 12, 2022. 
• She will now represent India at the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Award, which is scheduled to be held on June 9, 2022.
• Biocon Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar Shaw had won the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Award last year. 

UIDAI, ISRO ink pact for technical collaboration

• The Unique Identification Authority Of India has signed an agreement with the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) for a technical collaboration. The UIDAI issues the Aadhaar card. 
• The NRSC will be developing ‘Bhuvan-Aadhar’ portal that will provide information and locations of the Aadhaar centres across India.
• The portal will also provide a facility to search the relevant Aadhaar centres by location, based on residents’ requirements.

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