• Sports

Rasikh: 2nd cricketer from J&K to play in IPL

• Rasikh Salam Dar has become second ever cricketer from Jammu & Kashmir to play in Indian Premier League.
• He made his debut for Mumbai Indians in the tournament.
• Parvez Rasool is the first player from Jammu and Kashmir to play in the Indian Premier League.

• Sports

Praful Patel elected as FIFA Council member

• All India Football Federation president Praful Patel was elected as a FIFA Council member on 6 April 2019.
• He is the first Indian to enter the prestigious council in a landmark development.
• He was one of the eight candidates vying for the spot in the election which was held during the 29th AFC (Asian Football Confederations) Congress in Malaysia.

• Appointments

New Bombay HC CJ to take oath on 7 April

• Justice Pradeep Nandrajog will be sworn-in as the new Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court on 7 April 2019.
• Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao will administer the oath of office to the Chief Justice-designate.
• Nandrajog was previously the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court.
• He will succeed outgoing Chief Justice Naresh Patil, who retires on April 6.

• Appointments

Vikram Kirloskar is CII’s new chief

• Vikram Kirloskar, CMD of Kirloskar Systems Ltd., and Vice-Chairman of Toyota Kirloskar Motor has assumed office as president of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for 2019-20.
• Uday Kotak, founder and MD & CEO of Kotak Mahindra Bank, is the President-Designate of CII for 2019-20.
• V. Narendran, CEO & MD of Tata Steel Limited, takes over as CII Vice-President for 2019-20.

• Important Days

Int day of sports development: 6 April

• International Day of Sport for Development and Peace is observed on 6 April.
• The adoption of this Day signifies the increasing recognition by the UN of the positive influence that sport can have on the advancement of human rights, and social and economic development.
• This date commemorates the inauguration, in 1896, of the first Olympic games of the modern era, in Athens (Greece).

• Science and Tech

Scientist discovers ‘death-switch’ in plants

• Chinese scientists have discovered a possible “death switch” mechanism in the plant’s immune system that triggers infected cells to self-destruct.
• This will limit the spread of the disease and keeping other parts of the plant healthy.
• Scientists said the discovery provides clues to cell death control and immunity for plants.

• Science and Tech

Japan’s probe drops explosive on asteroid

• Japan’s space agency has said its Hayabusa2 spacecraft released an explosive onto an asteroid to make a crater on its surface.
• It will also collect underground samples to find possible clues to the origin of the solar system.
• The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said that Hayabusa2 dropped a “small carry-on impactor” made of copper onto the asteroid and safely evacuated and remained intact

• Obituaries

Noted Tamil scholar Chellappan dies

• Noted Tamil Scholar and orator Silamboli Su. Chellappan died on 6 April 2019.
• His discourses on the Tamil epic Silapathikaram were very popular.
• He has written Silamboli, Silapathikara Sinthanaigal, Sanga Ilakiya Thaen and other books.
• The State Government and Tamil fora awarded him in recognition of his contribution to Tamil literature and language.

• States

Chennai Central railway station renamed

• The Chennai Central railway station has been renamed as Dr. MG Ramachandran Chennai Central railway station.
• MG Ramachandran is the former state chief minister and founder of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
• The no-objection certificate was issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs for renaming the railway station.

• Agreements

Treaty signed between India and Brazil

• India and Brazil have sealed a treaty for repatriation of convicted prisoners so that they can serve their remaining jail term in their own country.
• The Instruments of Ratification by India and Brazil were exchanged on January 24, 2019.
• A sentenced person will be transferred under this agreement only on the conditions that the sentenced person is a national of the receiving state.

• Agreements

Indian Navy signs MoU with CSIR

• The Indian Navy and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) inked an MoU on 5 April 2019.
• The MoU provides undertake joint research and development of advanced technologies for the Indian Navy.
• It would facilitate joint R&D activities in diverse fields of Mechanical, Electronics, Communication, Computer Science, Propulsion systems, Metallurgy and Nanotechnology.