Daily Current Affairs Notes for 17 April 2023

World Hemophilia Day 2023

Every year on April 17th, World Hemophilia Day is observed to commemorate the birth anniversary of Frank Schnabel, the founder of the World Federation of Hemophilia. The aim of this day is to increase awareness and disseminate information about hemophilia and other bleeding disorders. Hemophilia is a rare medical condition in which the blood doesn't clot properly due to the absence of certain clotting factors, leading to prolonged bleeding that can be risky and even life-threatening in certain circumstances.

World Hemophilia Day 2023: Theme

The theme of World Hemophilia Day in 2023 is “Access for All: Partnership, Policy, Progress – Engaging Governments to Integrate Inherited Bleeding Disorders into National Policy”. This theme emphasizes the importance of collaboration and partnership among different stakeholders, including governments, in ensuring that individuals with hemophilia and other inherited bleeding disorders have access to proper care and treatment. It also highlights the need to integrate these disorders into national policies to enhance their diagnosis, treatment, and management.

World Hemophilia Day: History

Every year on April 17, World Hemophilia Day is celebrated to commemorate the birthday of Frank Schnabel, the founder of the World Federation of Hemophilia. The World Federation encourages individuals worldwide to wear red in solidarity with those impacted by hemophilia. Initially, the goal of celebrating World Hemophilia Day in 1989 was to advocate for better diagnosis and accessible care for those with hemophilia. This occasion aims to raise awareness among individuals and caregivers about hemophilia and other blood-related disorders.

What is Hemophilia?

Hemophilia is an uncommon medical condition where the blood is incapable of clotting correctly because of a shortage of specific clotting factors. This leads to prolonged bleeding, which can pose a life-threatening risk in some cases. Although there is no known cure for this disorder, available treatments can help control and manage the condition.

What causes Hemophilia?

Whenever an individual suffers from bleeding, whether it's internal or external, the body responds by collecting blood cells to create a clot, stopping the bleeding. This process involves the interaction of blood proteins with platelet-like cells. However, when there is a shortage of clotting factors, hemophilia can develop. Hemophilia can either be congenital (present from birth) or acquired (developed later in life).

Symptoms

The primary indication of hemophilia is abnormal or excessive bleeding or bruising, but the symptoms can vary among individuals. The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) lists the following as potential signs of hemophilia:

• Bleeding from the gums or mouth
• Frequent nosebleeds
• Bleeding into the joints
• Bleeding after circumcision
• Bloody stools
• Blood in urine
• Bleeding after injections or vaccinations.

Femina Miss India 2023

Nandini Gupta from Rajasthan was crowned Femina Miss India World 2023 at a grand ceremony held recently, making her the winner of the 59th edition of the beauty pageant. The first runner-up was Shreya Poonja from Delhi, and the second runner-up was Thounaojam Strela Luwang from Manipur. The event featured dazzling performances by Kartik Aaryan and Ananya Panday, and was hosted by Manish Paul and Bhumi Pednaker. Nandini will represent India at the 71st Miss World pageant, which will take place in the United Arab Emirates.

Who is Nandini Gupta?

Nandini Gupta, who was recently crowned Femina Miss India World 2023, is a 19-year-old from Kota, a major coaching hub in India for engineering and medical entrance exams. She holds a degree in Business Management. As per the Miss India organization, Nandini considers Ratan Tata to be the most influential person in her life, and she is inspired by actor and former Miss World Priyanka Chopra.

Based on provisional data from the Ministry of Commerce, trade between India and the United States has increased by 7.65% to reach $128.55 billion in the fiscal year 2022-23, establishing the United States as India's largest trading partner. This represents an increase from $119.5 billion in the previous year and $80.51 billion in 2020-21, indicating a growing economic relationship between the two nations.

Increase in import is more than that of exports:

According to the data, India's exports to the United States rose by 2.81% to $78.31 billion in the fiscal year 2022-23, up from $76.18 billion in 2021-22. Meanwhile, imports from the US increased by approximately 16% to $50.24 billion.

India-China Trade:

In contrast, India's bilateral trade with China has decreased by about 1.5% and reached $113.83 billion in 2022-23, as compared to $115.42 billion in the previous year.

India's exports to China decreased by around 28% to $15.32 billion in the fiscal year 2022-23, while imports from China increased by 4.16% to $98.51 billion. This has resulted in a wider trade deficit of $83.2 billion compared to $72.91 billion in the previous fiscal year.

India-US: Increasing Economic Ties:

Experts predict that the upward trend of bilateral trade between India and the United States will persist, as both countries are committed to bolstering their economic relations. India's exports of products such as pharmaceuticals, engineering, gems, and jewelry are said to be propelling the country's shipments to the US.

India had a trade surplus of $28 billion with the US in 2022-23, making it one of the few countries with which India has a trade surplus.

Top Trading Partners of India:

Based on the data, it can be observed that China was India's primary trading partner from 2013-14 to 2017-18 and then in 2020-21. Before China, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was India's most significant trading partner. Currently, in 2022-23, the UAE occupies the third spot as India's largest trading partner with a trade volume of $76.16 billion, followed by Saudi Arabia ($52.72 billion) and Singapore ($35.55 billion).