National News
Indian Oil Hands Over Green Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus to Indian Army
- Indian Oil has handed over a cutting-edge green hydrogen fuel cell bus to the Indian Army in a ceremony at the National War Memorial, India Gate, New Delhi.
- The event was attended by Army Chief General Manoj Pande and Indian Oil Chairman S M Vaidya.
- This initiative is aimed at promoting hydrogen and fuel cell technology for heavy-duty e-mobility, positioning the Indian Army as a leader in evaluating sustainable transportation solutions.
- General Manoj Pande emphasized the Army’s commitment to adopting innovative technologies that enhance operational capabilities and ensure environmental sustainability.
Indian oil:
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Head: Shrikant Madhav Vaidya
Jyoti Ratre Becomes India’s Oldest Woman to Conquer Mount Everest
- Jyoti Ratre, an entrepreneur and fitness enthusiast from Madhya Pradesh, has etched her name in history by becoming the oldest Indian woman to conquer Mount Everest.
- Ratre’s triumphant ascent to the summit of the world’s highest peak comes precisely six years after Sangeeta Bahl, at the age of 53, earned the title of ‘India’s oldest woman to climb Mount Everest’ on May 19, 2018.
Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences to Launches PRAGATI-2024
- The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Ayush, is hosting “Pharma Research in AyurGyan and Techno Innovation (PRAGATI-2024)” at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.
- This interactive meeting focuses on exploring research opportunities and fostering collaboration between CCRAS and the Ayurveda drug industry.
- The program will be inaugurated by Secretary Ministry of Ayush Rajesh Kotecha.
- The objectives of PRAGATI-2024 include utilizing research outcomes and technologies developed by CCRAS, establishing robust networks for collaborative research in quality control, drug standardization, product development, and validation.
Economy news
NSO predicted India’s GDP grew by 5.9% in Q4 of FY24
- The National Statistical Office (NSO) has projected the FY24 growth rate at 7.6 per cent, implicitly assuming 5.9 per cent growth in the fourth quarter of FY24.
- During the first three quarters of FY24, the economy grew 8.2 per cent, 8.1 per cent, and 8.4 per cent, respectively.
Bank news
RBI Imposes Rs 3.1 Lakh Penalty on Hero FinCorp for Fair Practices Code Violation
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a penalty of Rs 3.1 lakh on Hero FinCorp Limited due to non-compliance with certain provisions of the fair practices code.
- This penalty is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and does not affect the validity of any transactions or agreements the company has with its customers.
Statutory Inspection: The RBI conducted a statutory inspection of Hero FinCorp with reference to its financial position as of March 31, 2023. This inspection revealed instances of non-compliance with RBI directives.
Supervisory Findings and Notice: Following the inspection, supervisory findings indicated non-compliance with RBI directions. Correspondence was exchanged, and a notice was issued to Hero FinCorp, advising the company to explain why a penalty should not be imposed for its failure to comply with these directions.
RBI:
- Founded: 1 April 1935
- Headquarters: Mumbai
- Governor: Shaktikanta Das
Hero fincorp:
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Founded: 1991
- CEO: Abhimanyu Munjal
Maldives to Introduce India’s RuPay Service to Strengthen Economy
- The Maldives is set to introduce India’s RuPay payment system, a move expected to strengthen the Maldivian Rufiyaa.
- Although no specific launch date has been announced, this initiative is seen as a step towards enhancing the country’s financial stability.
- RuPay, created by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), is India’s leading card payment network.
- It is widely accepted across ATMs, point-of-sale (POS) devices, and online platforms in India.
- Currently, RuPay is also accepted in several countries, including Bhutan, Nepal, Mauritius, UAE, and Singapore.
Maldives:
- Capital: Male
- Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa
- President: Mohamed Muizzu
Award news
All We Imagine as Light Gets Cannes Grand Prix Award for Payal Kapadia
- Payal Kapadia’s directed film All We Imagine as Light made history at the 77th Cannes Film when it ‘ won the Grand Prix prize in the feature film segment.
- Payal Kapadia became the first Indian to win the Grand Prix award at the Cannes Film Festival.
- Another Indian Cinematographer, Santosh Sivan, became the first Asian to win the prestigious Pierre Angénieux Tribute Award at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
Four Awards for the Indian’s at the 77th Cannes Film Festival 2024
This year, India has bagged four awards at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival 2024.
- Chidanand Naik bagged the first prize for India. His short film “Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know” won a prize in the La Cinef section.
- Actress Anasuya Sengupta created history at the Cannes Film Festival by winning the Best Actress award in the Un Certain Regard segment for her film Shameless.
- Payal Kapadia’s directed film ‘All We Imagine as Light’ won the Grand Prix award.
- Santosh Sivan won the award the prestigious Pierre Angénieux Tribute Award at the 77th Cannes Film Festival for Cinematograph
NHPC Honoured with ‘The Economic Times HR World Future Ready Organization Award 2024-25’
- NHPC, India’s premier hydropower company, has been bestowed with the prestigious ‘The Economic Times HR World Future Ready Organization Award 2024-25’.
- This coveted recognition highlights NHPC’s unwavering commitment to fostering a future-ready workforce and its strategic approach to human resource management.
Holistic Approach to Employee Development
The award acknowledges NHPC’s comprehensive efforts in upskilling employees, implementing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) interventions, promoting Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) initiatives, and embracing constant technological upgradations. These initiatives, coupled with effective employee engagement processes and robust corporate governance strategies, have positioned NHPC as a trusted brand among all its stakeholders.
NHPC: National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Private Limited
- Headquarters: Faridabad
- Founded: 7 November 1975
- Chairman & Managing Director: Shri Raj Kumar Chaudhary
KIA bags Green Airports Recognition-2024 award
- The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) has bagged the silver award in the Airports Council International (ACI) Asia-Pacific & Middle East Green Airports Recognition (GAR) 2024.
- The KIA bagged the silver award in the category of airports handling between 15 million and 35 million passengers a year.
- ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East has announced the results of GAR 2024, recognising 12 airports in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East for their outstanding accomplishments in sustainability projects.
- The theme for the Green Airports Recognition 2024 is ‘Biodiversity and nature-based solutions’.
- The recognised airports have been awarded in three categories – platinum, gold, and silver – based on various airport size categories and set criteria.
Science and tech news
Microsoft Unveils AI-Enhanced ‘Copilot+’ PCs with Unique ‘Recall’ Functionality
- Microsoft has introduced a new category of personal computers, ‘Copilot+ PCs,’ featuring advanced AI capabilities to compete with Alphabet and Apple.
- These devices, developed in collaboration with Acer and ASUSTeK Computer, aim to perform AI tasks locally without relying on cloud data centers.
- The launch event took place at Microsoft’s Redmond, Washington campus on May 20, with sales starting on June 18 at a base price of $1,000.
Innovative ‘Recall’ Feature: CEO Satya Nadella highlighted the ‘Recall’ feature, which tracks all activities on the computer, creating a searchable history for users. This functionality extends to web browsing, voice chats, and more, enhancing user convenience and productivity.
Copilot+ Voice Assistant: The Copilot+ voice assistant was showcased as a real-time virtual coach for Minecraft players, demonstrating the integration of AI to enhance user experiences in various applications.
Sports news
KKR wins their third IPL title beating SRH in the final at Chennai
- The Chandrakant Pandit-coached Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) cricket team won their third Indian Premier League (IPL) title by beating Sunriser Hyderabad (SRH) in the final of the 17th IPL.
- The final was played at the M A Chidambaram stadium in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on 26 May 2024. They defeated the Sunrisers by eight wickets to lift the trophy for the third time.
Third IPL trophy for Kolkata Knight Riders
- The KKR team, led by Shreyas Iyer and mentored by former Indian cricket player Gautam Gambhir, put up a strong display in the final to comprehensively beat the SRH team by eight wickets. This was KKR’s third IPL trophy, having won it in 2012 and 2014.
IPL 2024 Awards and the Award Amount
Some important awards and winner amounts of the IPL 2024 are as follows.
- Winner (Rs. 20 crore) – Kolkata Knight Riders
- Runner Up (Rs. 12.5 crore) – Sunrisers Hyderabad
- Orange Cap (Rs. 10 Lakh) – Virat Kohli (RCB) for scoring the most runs in the season; he scored 741 runs in 15 matches.
- Purple Cap (Rs. 10 Lakh) – Harshal Patel (PBKS) for taking the most wickets in the season. In the 14 matches, he took 24 wickets.
- Emerging Player of the Season (Rs. 10 Lakh) –
- Emerging Player of the Season (Rs. 10 Lakh) – Nitish Kumar Reddy of Sunrisers Hyderabad.
- Most Valuable Player (Rs. 10 Lakh) – Sunil Narine (KKR)
- Most Sixes Award (Rs. 10 Lakh) – Abhishek Sharma (SRH)
- Most Fours Award (Rs. 10 Lakh) – Travis Head (SRH)
- Best Strike Rate Award (Rs. 10 Lakh) – Jake Fraser-McGurk (DC)
- Catch of the Season (Rs. 10 Lakh) – Ramandeep Singh (KKR)
- Fair Play Award (Rs. 10 Lakh) – Sunrisers Hyderabad
Indian Premier League and its Winners
- The Indian Premier League is India’s top domestic club-based professional cricket league. It is played in T-20 format, with each side allowed to play a maximum of 20 overs.
- The IPL was started by the cricket governing body in India, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), in 2008. It currently features 10 teams.
- Chennai Super King and Mumbai Indians have been the most successful side in the IPL. Both have won the trophy five times each.
- Chennai Super King has reached the final of the IPL ten times, having won it five times and being runners-up five times.
| Serial number | Edition | Winners | Runners Up | Final venue |
| 1 | 2008 | Rajasthan Royals | Chennai Super King | Mumbai |
| 2 | 2009 | Deccan Chargers | Royal Challenger Bangalore | Johannesburg (South Africa) |
| 3 | 2010 | Chennai Super Kings | Mumbai Indians | Mumbai |
| 4 | 2011 | Chennai Super Kings | Royal Challenger Bangalore | Chennai |
| 5 | 2012 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Chennai Super Kings | Chennai |
| 6 | 2013 | Mumbai Indians | Chennai Super Kings | Kolkata |
| 7 | 2014 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Kings XI Punjab | Bangalore |
| 8 | 2015 | Mumbai Indians | Chennai Super Kings | Kolkata |
| 9 | 2016 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Royal Challenger Bangalore | Bangalore |
| 10 | 2017 | Mumbai Indians | Rising Pune Supergiant | Hyderabad |
| 11 | 2018 | Chennai Super Kings | Sunriser Hyderabad | Mumbai |
| 12 | 2019 | Mumbai Indians | Chennai Super Kings | Hyderabad |
| 13 | 2020 | Mumbai Indians | Delhi Capital | Dubai (UAE) |
| 14 | 2021 | Chennai Super Kings | Kolkata Knight Riders | Dubai (UAE) |
| 15 | 2022 | Gujarat Titans | Rajasthan Royals | Ahmedabad |
| 16 | 2023 | Chennai Super Kings | Gujarat Titans | Ahmedabad |
| 17 | 2024 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Sunriser Hyderabad | Chennai |
India finish campaign with 17 medals at 2024 World Para Athletics Championships
- The Indian contingent finished with 17 medals at 2024 World Para Athletics Championships held in Kobe, Japan and placed sixth in the overall medal tally.
- The country won a total of 6 gold medals, 5 silver medals, and 6 bronze medals to register their best-ever performance at the World Championships.
- The previous record for India stood at 10 medals, which included 3 gold, at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships held in Paris.
| Medal | Winners |
| Gold | Mariyappan Thangavelu (Men’s High Jump T63), Sumit Antil (Men’s Javelin Throw F64), Sachin Khilari (Men’s Shot Put F46), Simran Sharma (Women’s 200m T12), Deepthi Jeevanji (Women’s 400m T20), Ekta Bhyana (Women’s Club Throw F51). |
| Silver | Yogesh Kathuniya (Men’s Discuss Throw F56), Nishad Kumar (Men’s High Jump T47), Rinku (Men’s Javelin Throw F46), Kashish Lakra (Women’s Club Throw F51), Bhagyashri Jadhav (Women’s Shot Put F34). |
| Bronze | Dharambir (Men’s Club Throw F51), Navdeep (Men’s Javelin Throw F41), Ajeet Singh (Men’s Javelin Throw F46), Sandeep (Men’s Javelin Throw F64), Preethi Pal (Women’s 100m T35), Preethi Pal (Women’s 200m T35). |
