1 Rajasthan government will invest Rs 100 crore in Maharana Pratap Tourist Circuit
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has announced that the state government will develop Maharana Pratap Tourist Circuit with an investment of Rs 100 crore . The Chief Minister made this announcement while inaugurating the Maharana Pratap Jayanti celebrations in Udaipur on June 8, 2023. The 484th birthday of Maharana Pratap of Mewar was celebrated on June 9, 2024 (according to the Hindu calendar) . Bhajan Lal Sharma’s government had allocated Rs 100 crore for the development of Maharana Pratap Tourist Circuit in its first budget. Under the Maharana Pratap Tourist Circuit, places associated with the life of Maharana Pratap of Mewar will be developed. Places like Udaipur, Chavand, Haldighati, Gogunda, Kumbhalgarh, Dewaar, Chapali and Chittorgarh will be developed as part of the project.
2 Portfolios announced for new Union Council of Ministers
The division of departments of the ministers of the Modi government has been done. Union Minister Rajnath Singh has been given the Ministry of Defense again. Shri Amit Shah will continue to be the Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation. Nitin Gadkari has also retained the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. J P Prakash Nadda has been allotted the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been given the charge of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Nirmala Sitharaman has been allotted the Ministry of Finance and Corporate Affairs, while Dr. S Jaishankar has been given the charge of the Ministry of External Affairs again, Rashtrapati Bhavan said in a press release. Ashwini Vaishnav has been allotted the Ministry of Railways as well as the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
3 Prem Singh Tamang became the Chief Minister of Sikkim
On June 10, Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) leader Prem Singh Tamang took oath as the Chief Minister of Sikkim . State Governor Laxman Acharya administered the oath to him and cabinet ministers at Pawjor Stadium in the capital Gangtok. Prem Singh Tamang has been winning the Sikkim Assembly elections for five consecutive times since 1994. He served as a minister in the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) government till 2009. In 2014, Prem Singh formed the SKM party after not getting a ministerial post. SKM won 31 seats out of 32 seats in the state. The opposition SDF got only one seat.
4 Sub-Lieutenant Anamika became the first woman helicopter pilot
On June 8, a passing out parade was held at INS Rajali in Arakkonam , Tamil Nadu . In this, Sub Lieutenant Anamika B Rajeev was given the graduation degree of helicopter pilot . Anamika has become the first female helicopter pilot of the Navy . Rajesh Pendhakar awarded ‘ Golden Wings ‘ to 24 officers of Basic Helicopter Conversion Course (BHCC). Anamika B Rajeev was also awarded ‘Golden Wings’. Anamika will get permission to fly helicopters like Sea Kings, AHL Dhruv, Chetak and MH-60R Seahawks . These pilots have received the degree after 22 weeks of training in the Navy’s air squadron. The pilots will be deployed in various front-line operating units of the Navy.
5 Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog presents AIM- ICDK Water Challenge 4.0 and Innovation for You- SDG Entrepreneurs of India
Atal Innovation Mission , NITI Aayog (AIM) has announced the launch of two key initiatives aimed at promoting innovation and sustainability in India : ‘ AIM – ICDK Water Challenge 4.0 ’ and the fifth edition of the ‘ Innovation for You ’ booklet, which highlights India’s SDG entrepreneurs. The Royal Danish Embassy in India in collaboration with Innovation Centre Denmark (ICDK) presented the fourth edition of the AIM Open Innovation Water Challenge. This initiative is a cornerstone of the India-Denmark bilateral Green Strategic Partnership, which seeks to solve critical water-related challenges through innovative solutions. The selected teams will form the Indian group that will participate in the global Next Generation Digital Action programme and connect with young talent from leading universities and innovation centres across 9 countries (India, Denmark, Ghana, Kenya, Korea, Tanzania, South Africa, Colombia and Mexico).
6 ISRO releases stunning images of the Sun captured by Aditya L1 satellite
Indian Space Research Organisation-ISRO has released stunning images of the Sun captured by the Aditya L1 satellite during a major geomagnetic storm in May. Two remote sensing payloads, Solar Ultra Violet Imaging Telescope and Visible Emission Line Coronagraph , along with other payloads, captured these images from the Lagrange point in space . ISRO says these images will help astronomers study solar flares, their energy distribution, sunspots, broad waves and long-term solar variations. These images can be viewed on ISRO’s website.
7 Maharashtra: Chief Minister Eknath Shinde inaugurated the second phase of Mumbai’s coastal road
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde inaugurates second phase of Mumbai’s coastal road from Marine Drive to Haji AliMr Shinde said the northbound road of the Dharamveer Swaraj Rakshak Chhatrapati Sambhaji Mumbai Coastal Road will be opened for traffic from Tuesday. He said commuters would be able to cover the 6.25 km distance in 9 to 10 minutes, as against the present time’s 40-50 minutes. In the first phase, the southbound road between Worli and Marine Drive was opened for vehicular movement in March this year. The road will remain open between 7 am and 11 pm throughout the week.
8 Peru and Slovakia sign Artemis Accords for peaceful lunar exploration
Peru and Slovakia signed NASA ‘s Artemis Accords on May 30 , making them the latest in a fast-growing number of countries to join the US-led pact on the safe exploration of space . The two countries signed the agreement at NASA’s Washington headquarters but in separate ceremonies, with Peru adding its name to the agreement first on May 30, followed by Slovakia. Peru became the 41st country to do so and Slovakia the 42nd.
9 IIT Kanpur started UDAAN program
The Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur launched the UAV/UAS/Drone Acceleration and Networking (UDAAN) program to promote drone startups in India . The launch is a part of a partnership between SIIC and the Drone Federation of India. Udaan aims to empower emerging drone enterprises by providing them access to state-of-the-art facilities, expert advice, financial support and tailored business development guidance, thereby promoting rapid business growth.
10 Israel extended the ban on Al Jazeera
On 9 June, Israel extended the ban on Qatar ‘s media house Al Jazeera for 45 days. The Israeli government had banned Al Jazeera on 5 May due to displeasure over its reporting on the Hamas war . Israel’s Communication Ministry said that Al Jazeera’s telecasting and websites will remain banned on cable and satellite companies. The Israeli government’s cabinet cited threat from Al Jazeera’s telecasting. Israel accused Al Jazeera of being Qatar’s mouthpiece. Israeli police raided Al Jazeera’s office, in which many items including cameras were seized. Al Jazeera was started on 15 November 2006, whose headquarters is in Doha, Qatar.
11 Bill Gates unveils the “Source Code”
Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates is set to launch his highly anticipated autobiography, “ Source Code: My Beginnings .” The book is set to hit shelves on February 4, 2025, and the literary endeavor promises to provide an intimate glimpse into what helped shape the life and experiences of one of the world’s most influential tech pioneers.
12 RBI increased the limit of bulk deposits from Rs 2 crore to Rs 3 crore
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced raising the limit of bulk term deposits from the existing Rs 2 crore to Rs 3 crore . Bulk term deposits offer slightly higher interest rates than retail term deposits as banks offer different rates as part of their cash management process. Now single rupee term deposits up to Rs 2 crore with scheduled commercial banks (excluding regional rural banks) and small finance banks (SFBs) will be part of retail term deposits.
13 Pooja Tomar became UFC champion
On June 8, India’s Pooja Tomar became the first Indian fighter to win the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) . In America, Pooja defeated Brazil’s Rayano dos Santos in her debut fight. Pooja won 30-27, 27-30 and 29-28 in the 52 kg weight category. 30-year-old Pooja has become the first Indian mixed martial arts (MMA) player to win the UFC. Pooja Tomar is known as ‘Cyclone’ in the UFC. Pooja signed with the UFC in October 2023. She also represented the country in the World Championship of Wushu. Pooja has been a five-time national champion in Wushu.
14 World Accreditation Day 2024: June 9
World Accreditation Day is celebrated every year on 9 June . World Accreditation Day is established by the joint efforts of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) . Accreditation plays a vital role in supporting the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). World Accreditation Day aims to meet objectives such as increasing business and addressing environmental, health and safety concerns. It also improves the general overall quality of production in an economy. The theme of World Accreditation Day 2024 is “Accreditation: Empowering Tomorrow and Shaping the Future”.
