1. *The Delhi Metro is undertaking conversion of its remaining fleet of 6-coach trains into 8- coach trains by adding 120 additional coaches* on the Red (Line-1 i.e. Rithala to Shaheed Sthal New Bus Adda), Yellow (Line-2 i.e. HUDA City Centre to Samaypur Badli) and Blue Line (Line-3/4 i.e. Dwarka Sec-21 to Noida Electronic City/Vaishali) of the Delhi Metro network.
2. *In Maharashtra Section 144 would be imposed in the state during daytime between 7 AM and 8 PM Night curfew between 8 PM and 7 AM.* The Maharashtra Cabinet has decided against imposing a full lockdown in the state. However, as cases soar beyond peak pandemic numbers and the situation in the state remains ‘grim’, several more curbs are likely to be put in place soon.
3. The state government has announced a weekend lockdown from 8 pm on Friday to 7 am on Monday. Apart from the weekend lockdown, strict restrictions will be in force from Monday 8 pm onwards.
4. *India 2015 contestant and model Diksha Singh who is making her debut in politics by contesting the upcoming Uttar Pradesh panchayat elections filed her nominations from Jaunpur on Sunday (Aptil 4, 2021).* Diksha Singh, a Miss India runner up, was nominated for the post of Zilla Panchayat member on Sunday.
5. Forest fires in Uttarakhand flared up over the past day prompting the Centre to rush two helicopters to the state on Sunday to bring the situation under control.
6. *A group of an estimated 400 Maoists, armed with Light Machine Guns, had ambushed security forces deployed for a special operation, killing at least 22 personnel and injuring 30 others* , besides decamping with over a dozen sophisticated arms, officials said on Sunday.
7. *Bodies of 17 jawans recovered from encounter site in Chhattisgarh; toll mounts to 22.* 18 jawans were missing after five security personnel were killed on Saturday in a fierce gunbattle with Naxals.
8. The Union home minister condoled the death of the security personnel in the encounter and said their valour will never be forgotten. The government will continue its fight against the enemies of peace and progress, he added. President Ram Nath Kovind expressed deep anguish over the death of the security personnel.
9. *Actor-turned- politician Jaya Bachchan is likely to visit West Bengal on Monday (April 4) to campaign for Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidates for the ongoing assembly elections.*
10. *South Indian Superstar Rajnikanth announced that he would be honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award which he dedicates award to ‘bus driver’, friend who pushed the star to opt for acting.* He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government of India, as well as several others including Raj Bahadur, the bus driver who would inform him of acting auditions during his days as a bus conductor.
11. Bollywood star Akshay Kumar took to Twitter to announce that he has tested positive for Covid-19. The actor joins the long list of stars who tested positive recently, including Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor among others.
12. Veteran Bollywood actor Shashikala Om Prakash Saigal, breathed her last at her residence on Sunday (April 4) at the age of 88.
13. *All educational institutions, including schools, colleges and universities, will remain closed up to April15 in Himachal Pradesh as precautionary measure given the Covid-19 situation in the state.*
*✈INTERNATIONAL NEWS*
1. *PM Modi is expected to visit France in May during his visit to Europe for the Indian EU summit.* PM Modi will be in Portugal for the India EU summit on May 8, and France will be part of it. The Prime Minister had last visited France in 2019, when French President Emmanuel Macron had invited him for the G7 summit in Biarritz.
2. *India will receive another 8 to 9 Rafale jets from France by mid-May* , with some expected later this month, completing the first squadron of the fighters in the Indian Air Force (IAF),
*
