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- TIME 100 Most Influential: 3 Indians Included | April 17 Current Affairs
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1. 3 Indians included in TIME 100 list
On April 15, the world’s prestigious TIME magazine released the TIME 100 Most Influential list of 2026.
- In this list, Sundar Pichai, Ranbir Kapoor and Chef Vikas Khanna have been included among the most influential people in the world. Sundar Pichai has been included in the list for his contribution in Artificial Intelligence and Technology. Ranbir Kapoor has been included for acting. Vikas Khanna has been featured for representing the culture of India.
- Apart from Xi Jinping, the list also includes US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
- Along with this, Nepal’s PM Balen Shah and Bangladesh’s leader Tariq Rahman have also been included in the list.
- TIME magazine releases this list every year, in which the 100 most influential people from entertainment, technology, finance, sports, activism and academic sectors are included.
- Earlier, actor Shahrukh Khan, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, PM Narendra Modi and Mahatma Gandhi have also been included in TIME magazine’s TIME100 list.
- TIME is a 103 year old global magazine. TIME reaches more than 120 million people worldwide.
2. Vaishali Rameshbabu wins FIDE Women’s 2026 title
On 15 April, chess player Vaishali Rameshbabu won the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026.
- By winning the final round played at Cap St. George Hotel and Resort in Cyprus, Vaishali has become the first Indian chess player to win the Candidates Tournament.
- Vaishali defeated senior Russian player Katerina Lagno in the final round.
- 24-year-old Vaishali will now challenge current world champion Xu Wenjun of China in the World Championship.
- Vaishali won the Under-12 World Youth Championship in 2012, Under-14 in 2015 and Women Grandmaster (WGM) in 2016, now called International Master (IM) title.
- Earlier, D Gukesh of India had challenged Ding Liren of China. Then Gukesh became the second player from India to win the Candidates Tournament.
- Five-time world champion Vishwanathan Anand won the Candidates Tournament for the first time in 1995.
- The Candidates Tournament is considered the most important event in the world of chess, because it decides who will be the next challenger to the World Champion.
- The Candidates Tournament is also called the semi-finals of the World Championship.
- The Candidates Tournament winner gets a chance to play directly with the World Champion. This is the biggest qualifying tournament of chess.
- The Candidates Tournament takes place every two years and the winner challenges the World Champion.
- Now the winner of the open category will face D Gukesh of India, while in the women’s category, she will face Xu Wenjun of China.
Vaishali started playing chess at the age of 6.
3. Commerce Ministry launches new digital platform for business
On April 15, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has launched a new digital platform for the Commerce Department.
- The aim of the new platform is to make all business related information easily available to the people.
- This initiative will strengthen e-governance and improve services for international trade stakeholders.
- According to the Commerce Ministry, the newly launched website is modern and user friendly.
- The platform fully follows the Digital Brand Identity Manual 3.0 as well as the guidelines for Government of India websites.
- This platform has been designed to provide business-related resources to exporters-importers and other stakeholders with better transparency.
- Apart from the website, the Ministry has also launched a 2-language mobile app, available on both Android and iPhone.
- This app can be accessed offline. Besides, it also has the facility of GPS (navigation).
- According to the ministry, this initiative is to advance India’s vision of e-governance and will bring transparency in foreign business.
4. Bilateral military exercises begin between India and Uzbekistan
On April 15, the seventh edition of India-Uzbekistan bilateral military exercise ‘Dustlik’ began in Namangan, Uzbekistan. Dustlik means ‘friendship’.
- The objective of the bilateral military exercise is to increase coordination and mutual cooperation between the Indian Army and the Uzbekistan Army.
- The two armies will also work to neutralize illegal armed groups in the bilateral military exercise.
- 60 soldiers are involved in this exercise, of which 45 will be from Mehar Regiment and 15 from the Indian Air Force.
- This bilateral military exercise is organized every year. Its previous edition was held in Pune, India in the year 2025.
- Exercise Dustlik will further strengthen defense cooperation, cordiality and mutual trust between the two armies.
- Major General Saidov Oybek Azadovich, Commander of the Eastern Military District of Uzbekistan, attended the ceremony as the chief guest of the opening ceremony.
This bilateral military exercise will continue till April 25.
5. FIU-IND and PFRDA signed MoU
On April 16, the Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND) and the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) signed an MoU on Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Funding (AML/CFT).
- This MoU was signed by FIU-IND Director Amit Mohan Govil and PFRDA member Randeep Singh Jagpal.
- PFRDA Chairman Shivasubramaniam Raman was also present during the signing of this MoU.
- The objective of this MoU is to provide outreach and training to both FIU-IND and PFRDA agencies as regulated or reporting entities.
- This MoU is to upgrade anti-money laundering and combat funding for terrorism.
- In this MoU, suspicious transactions will have to be detected through training. Under the MoU, both FIU-IND and PFRDA agencies will provide finance related intelligence to each other on regular basis.
- In this MoU, the risks and vulnerabilities of money laundering and support for terrorism will be assessed.
- Under this MoU, one nodal officer will be appointed, who will coordinate and interact with both the agencies from time to time.
- Along with this, the nodal officer will exchange Foreign Information (FIU) for terror funding and financial transactions.
Financial Intelligence Unit-India FIU-IND
- FIU-IND is a central national agency. Which monitors any kind of suspicious financial transactions like money laundering and terror funding.
Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority
- Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority i.e. PFRDA is a statutory body established under the Act 2013, which works for the National Pension System and Atal Pension Scheme.
In this MoU, the risks and vulnerabilities of money laundering and support for terrorism will be assessed.
today’s history
- In 1799 the British launched the siege of Srirangapatna against Tipu Sultan.
- In 1975, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the first Vice President of India and the second President of the country, died.
- In 1983, India placed its second Rohini satellite in Earth’s orbit using the SLV-3 rocket.
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