Important Dates & Festivities - Current Affairs for April, 2016

The 2016 World Day for Safety and Health at Work was observed on 28th April 2016 with the theme Workplace Stress: A Collective Challenge. ILO celebrates World Day for Safety and Health at Work to raise awareness of safety in the workplace.

• It has been occurring since 2003 every year and focuses on specific areas
• 28th April has also been associated with World’s TU movement’s commemoration of victims of occupational accidents and diseases
• It is also celebrated as International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee has extended his greetings and felicitations to the King, Government and people of the Netherlands on the eve of their King’s Day (April 27, 2016).
Willem-Alexander is the King of the Netherlands. Mukherjee has extended his greetings and felicitations to the Government and people of the Republic of Sierra Leone on the eve of their National Day (April 27, 2016 as well).His Excellency Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, is the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone.

• Republic of Togo also celebrated its national day on this day. His Excellency Mr. Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe is the President of the Republic of Togo.
• The President of India, also extended his greetings and felicitations to the Government and people of the Republic of South Africa on the eve of the Freedom Day of South Africa (April 27, 2016) and send a message to His Excellency Mr. Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma, the President of the Republic of South Africa,

The World Intellectual Property Day 2016 was observed on 26th April with the theme Digital Creativity: Culture Reimagined

• WIPO works with numerous agencies to hold events and promote activities on WIPO day
• This year’s theme studies the future of culture in the digital age in terms of how to create, access and finance it.

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee has extended his greetings and felicitations to the Government and people of the United Republic of Tanzania on the eve of their Union Day (April 26, 2016).

• Dr. John Pombe Magufuli is the President of the United Republic of Tanzania,
• India and Tanzania have strong bilateral relations

On April 25th people across the globe take part in a wide range of activities to mark World Malaria Day.

• The Day is an international observance commemorated every year on 25 April and recognizes global efforts to control malaria.
• Globally, 3.3 billion people in 106 countries are at risk of malaria. WMD is one of eight official global public health campaigns currently marked by the World Health Organization (WHO), along with World Health Day, World Blood Donor Day, World Immunization Week, World Tuberculosis Day, World No Tobacco Day, World Hepatitis Day and World AIDS Day.
• The theme for 2016 is “End Malaria For Good”.

President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee has put a message across to Manipur government on the occasion of Khongjom day.

• The government of Manipur brought out a special issue of Manipur Today to commemorate this day on April 23, 2016
• This day in 1891 marks the date when the battle for Manipur’s freedom was fought after it remained the last princely state in India to come under British rule
• The sacrifices made by Manipur’s patriots are remembered on this day.

The event also marked the Gramoday Se Bharat Uday Abhigyan beginning on the 125th birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar on April 14th 2016.

• Facilities and services in rural areas should be at par with the cities
• Panchayati Reps should use their tenure to work towards serving people
• The PM also encouraged Panchayats to think beyond budgets and focus on Jan Suvidha.

World Book and Copyright Day is an annual event on April 23, organised by UNESCO to promote reading, publishing and copyright. In the UK, the day is celebrated on the first Thursday in March. World Book Day was celebrated in 1995 for the first time by UNESCO.

• It is on April 23rd 1616 that Cervantes, Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega died.
• This date also marks the birth or death of other well known authors like Josep Pia and Vladimir Nabokov.
• Wroclaw, Poland has been selected as the World Book Capital this year.

Three day international yoga fest ended on a celebratory note and was the start of the International Day of Yoga 2016 celebrations. More than 170 nations sponsored the resolution on International Yoga Day in the UNGA.

The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi released two books namely: ‘The Change Makers’ and ‘Transforming India’ on the occasion of Civil Services Day on April 21.

• Another book ‘Recreating Excellence’, which details the replication of the Prime Minister’s awarded initiatives last year, was released by the Union Railway Minister Shri Suresh Prabhu and Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).
• A Book on Citations of the Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in implementation of four Priority Programmes presented here today has also been issued by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG).

President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee extended greetings to the people of the Republic of Zimbabwe on their independence day, April 18, 2016. The current president of the Republic of Zimbabwe is Robert Gabriel Mugabe.

Diplomats, senior officials from the United Nations, government officials from India and students gathered at a special event to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar at the UN headquarters in New York on April 14, 2016.

• This is the first such commemoration at UN HQ
• Panellists included Stan Kachnowsky from Colombia University, Anupama Rao, an associate professor at Colombia University, and Christopher Queen, a lecturer Harvard University.
• The Gram Uday Se Bharat Uday programme is being launched as a tribute to Ambedkar and will include public welfare schemes for the upliftment of common man and poor people.
• This Abhiyan is being observed all over the country with national launching by PM Modi from Mhow in MP.

The PM, President and Vice President greeted people on the following festivals marking the onset of harvest season on April 12, 2016:

• Vaisakhi
• Vishu
• Puthandu
• Masadi
• Vaishkhadi
• Bahag Bihu

On 8th April, the new year was celebrated across communities as the onset of the New Year

• Cheti Chand
• Gudi Padwa
• Ugadi
• Navreh
• Saljibu Cheiraoba

Celebrating World Health Day, Health Minister launches several new e and m health initiatives. Health Minister Shri J.P. And launched the Swasth Bharat Mobile Application and ANM Online Application/ANMOL allowing ANMs to enter and update data for beneficiaries of jurisdiction. This will ensure prompt entry and updation of data and improvement in data quality.

• Health Minister also launched the E-RaktKosh initiative which is an integrated Blood Bank Management Information System conceptualised and developed by stakeholders
• This web based mechanism is interconnecting acquisition. validation, storage and circulation of live data
• Another mobile app called India Fights Dengue was also launched

Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti inaugurated Water Film Festival at Water Expo-2016 in New Delhi on April 6, 2016.

• Festival was organized by WAPCOS
• Ms. Bharti said that films could be a medium of awareness for people.

The World Health week has commenced from 5th April and is being held to commemorate the World Health Day on April 7th 2016. Ministry will also launch numerous health initiatives including those on TB, diabetes and communicable as well as non communicable diseases.

International Day of Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action was observed on April 4, 2016.

• Theme of the year 2016 was Mine Action is Humanitarian Action. The day aims to advance the goal of a world free of threat of mines and explosive war remnants. Mine action saves lives and this day is a powerful reminder of that.

President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee extended greetings to the republic of Senegal on their national day celebrations on April 4, 2016

• The current president of Senegal is Macky Sall
• The two countries have cooperated in areas of trade and international development
• Senegal recently took part in the Third India-Africa Forum Summit held recently in New Delhi.
• Senegal is known for its colonial French heritage
• Dakar, the capital of Senegal is the westernmost point in Africa.

World Autism Awareness Day 2016 was celebrated on 2nd April 2016. The 2016 theme for the day was Autism. The 2030 Agenda is inclusion and neurodiversity. World Autism Day 2016 was celebrated across the world by member states of the UN to take measures about raising awareness about children with autism throughout the world.

• It was designated by the UNGA resolution 62/139
• World Autism Awareness Day was passed in Council on 1st November 2007 and adopted on 18th December 2007
• World Autism Day was one of 4 official health specific UN days; this year’s observance will involve 2030 and reflect on new SDGs and improving life for people with autism.