1 Third and final launch of launch vehicle ‘Pushpak’ completed: ISRO
Indian Space Research Organization-ISRO has said that the third and final launch experiment of the reusable launch vehicle, Pushpak , was successfully completed . This experiment was conducted at the Aeronautical Test Range , Chitradurga , Karnataka . This will reduce the launch cost and will help in advancing the space research program in future. Inertial sensor, radar altimeter, flush air data system, pseudolight system and navigator navigation technology have been used in Pushpak.
2 The Ministry of Education constituted a high-level committee of experts to ensure transparent, smooth and fair conduct of examinations
The Union Ministry of Education has constituted a high-level expert committee to ensure transparent, smooth and fair conduct of examinations of the National Testing Agency (NTA) . The seven-member committee, headed by former ISRO chairman Dr K Radhakrishnan, has been tasked with recommending improvements in the examination process of the NTA. The committee will enhance the efficiency of the examination process and prevent irregularities, improve data security protocols and review the structure and functioning of the agency. The committee will evaluate the existing process and make suggestions for improvement, as well as define clear roles and responsibilities within the NTA. The committee will also assess the current grievance redressal mechanism and propose necessary improvements. The committee has been asked to submit its report within two months. The members of the committee include former Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences Delhi , Professor BJ Rao, Vice Chancellor of Hyderabad Central University, former Professor Ramamurthy K. of IIT Madras and Professor Aditya, Dean at IIT Delhi.
3 NTA Director General Subodh Kumar Singh removed from his post amid controversy over NEET exam results
Amid the controversy over the NEET exam results, National Examination Agency (NTA) Director General Subodh Kumar Singh has been removed from his post. Pradeep Singh Kharola, Chairman and Managing Director of the Indian Trade Promotion Organization, has been given the additional charge of NTA Director General.
4 Military College of Telecommunication Engineering and Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research (SAMEER) signed MoU
The Military College of Telecommunication Engineering and Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research (SAMEER), a research and development laboratory under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in wireless technology for the Indian Army . This initiative is a major milestone in strengthening the technological capabilities of the Indian Army.
5 As a tribute to the heroes of the Kargil war, the Indian Army opened the Khalubar War Memorial in Ladakh for tourists
As a tribute to the heroes of the Kargil war, the Indian Army has opened the Khalubar War Memorial in Ladakh for visitors. The country is going to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas on July 26 this year and the inauguration ceremony is part of the pre-Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrations of the ‘ Forever in Operations ‘ division. Located in the famous Aryan Valley, the memorial commemorates the bravery and sacrifice of the soldiers who fought to recapture the valley. During the Kargil War, the enemy forces had captured the Khalubar Valley located near the border. The area was recaptured due to the heroic efforts of Indian soldiers including Captain Manoj Pandey . The courageous acts of these brave soldiers are immortalized in the Khalubar War Memorial. Local men and women also played a vital role in this battle.
6 IPBES awarded the 2024 Blue Planet Prize
Recently, the Blue Planet Prize for the year 2024 was won by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services ( IPBES ) . The other winner of this award is Robert Costanza of the Institute for Global Prosperity, University College London , who has been honored for his contribution to the field of ecological economics . IPBES is honored as ” the leading global authority on the state of knowledge and science related to biodiversity, ecosystem services and nature’s contribution to people “. It was started in the year 1992 during the Rio Earth Summit . This award is given annually by the Asahi Glass Foundation of Japan for outstanding achievements in scientific research and its application, which has helped in solving global environmental problems. For this, two winners are selected every year and 500,000 US dollars are given as a prize.
7 Muslim League Jammu and Kashmir (Masrat Alam group) and Tehreek-e-Hurriyat banned for 5 years
The tribunal constituted under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act-UAPA today confirmed the Centre’s decision to ban Muslim League Jammu and Kashmir (Masrat Alam faction) and Tehreek-e-Hurriyat , Jammu and Kashmir for five years . Delhi High Court judge Sachin Dutta was the sole member of the tribunal. The tribunal was to assess the sufficient grounds for banning these groups. Both the groups were declared unlawful for five years under UAPA in December last year for being involved in anti-national and separatist activities in the Union Territory.
8 Foreign direct investment in India to fall by 43% in 2023, ranked 15th in the world: UNCTAD
According to a report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) , foreign direct investment (FDI) in India has declined by 43 percent in 2023 compared to 2022. The report also said that total FDI in the world has declined by 2% in 2023 compared to 2022. FDI inflows have declined in India, China, France, Australia, United States among the top 20 FDI recipient countries in the world . According to the report, international project finance, important for infrastructure development, has declined by 23 percent compared to 2022. Cross-border mergers and acquisitions of companies have declined by 46 percent. Mergers and acquisitions are an important source of FDI for developing countries like India. Foreign direct investment in developing countries fell by 7 percent to $867 billion. FDI in developing Asia fell by 8 percent to $621 billion. There was a rare decline in foreign direct investment in China. FDI also declined in India, West Asia and Central Asia.
9 Sreeja Akula becomes the first Indian to win the women’s singles title of the World Table Tennis Contender Championship
India’s Sreeja Akula became the first Indian player to win the singles title in WTT Contender . Sreeja, who has qualified for the Paris Olympics, defeated China ‘s Ding Yijie 4-1 in the final. Sreeja won a total of two gold medals in this tournament . Sreeja has also become the first Indian to reach the women’s singles final of the World Table Tennis Contender Championship. Sreeja made it to the finals of both the women’s singles and doubles categories of the competition held in Lagos, Nigeria. In the first singles semi-final, she defeated her compatriot Sutirtha Mukherjee 3-2. In the second semi-final, China’s Ding Yijie defeated India’s Aika Mukherjee. In the women’s doubles semi-final, the pair of Sreeja and Archana defeated the pair of Aika Mukherjee and Sutirtha Mukherjee 3-0. Sreeja along with Archana Kamath also won the second gold medal in the women’s doubles category by defeating compatriots Diya Chitale and Yashaswini Ghorpade 3-0 (11-9, 11-6, 12-10). India also won the gold medal in the men’s doubles category.
10 Olympic Day 2024
23 June is celebrated as Olympic Day across the world . Olympic Day is a global celebration of sports and being active. The day celebrates the founding of the International Olympic Committee in Paris, France in 1884 and the revival of the modern Olympic Games. The 33rd Summer Olympics will be held in Paris, France from 26 July to 11 August 2024. The theme of this year’s International Olympic Day is Let’s Move and Celebrate . Olympic Day was established in 1948 and is celebrated every year on 23 June to promote sports and physical activities globally.
