National news
Nakshatra Sabha, India’s first Astro tourism campaign In Dehradun
- In order to boost tourism in the state, the Uttarakhand government organised a first-of-its-kind Astro-tourism named ‘ Nakshatra Sabha’ in Mussoorie. The first astro-tourism event was held at Mussoorie City, also famous as the Queen of the Hills, on 1 and 2 June 2024. The event was held at the George Everest Peak, which is popular amongst tourists as it offers spectacular views of the Doon Valley and the snow-clad Himalayan mountains.
- The state tourism ministry plans to organise a series of Nakshatra Sabhas at popular tourist destinations in the hilly state.
Astro Tourism in Uttarakhand
Objective: The Uttarakhand government aims to diversify its tourism offerings by promoting astro tourism. Known predominantly for spiritual tourism, with sites like Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri attracting millions of pilgrims, the state now seeks to capitalize on its natural beauty and pristine environment to attract a new segment of tourists.
Attractions: Uttarakhand’s scenic mountains, clear skies, and green environment provide an ideal setting for astro tourism. This initiative is designed to attract astronomy enthusiasts, adventurers, and travelers who can marvel at celestial wonders against the backdrop of the Himalayas.
Benefits
- Skill Development: Local residents will have opportunities to develop skills in astronomy and tourism, creating a knowledgeable workforce to support the industry.
- Economic Boost: By attracting a new demographic of tourists, astro tourism is expected to boost the local economy through increased spending in hospitality, travel, and related services.
Implementation
To promote astro tourism, the Uttarakhand government plans to:
- Create Dedicated Dark Sky Conservation Areas: Establish regions with minimal light pollution to ensure optimal stargazing conditions.
- Implement Dark Sky Preservation Policies: Enforce policies aimed at preserving the natural darkness of the night sky, ensuring long-term sustainability of astro tourism.
By integrating astro tourism into its broader tourism strategy, Uttarakhand hopes to become a premier destination for both spiritual and adventure tourism, leveraging its unique geographical and environmental assets.
Uttarakhand:
- Chief minister: Pushkar Singh Dhami
- Capital: Dehradun (Winter)
- Governor: Gurmit Singh
3rd Indian Analytical Congress being held at CSIR-IIP Dehradun
- The three-day 3rd Indian Analytical Congress is being held in Uttarkhand’s capital, Dehradun, from 5 -7 June 2024. The Congress was inaugurated by the Vice-Chancellor of Ladakh University, Prof. S.K. Mehta, on June 2024.
- The conference aims to provide a platform for analytical scientists, technologists, academics, and students to exchange ideas and discuss the latest developments in this field.
- Analytical science refers to the art of measurement and its interpretation. It involves improving the means of measuring the chemical composition, structure, and morphology of natural and man-made substances or entities and interpreting the data obtained.
Theme of the 3rd Indian Analytical Congress 2024
- The theme of the 3rd Indian Analytical Congress 2024 is:“Role of Science and Technology in Green Transitions.CSIR-IIP
CSIR-IIP known as Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Indian Institute of Petroleum.
- The Indian Institute of Petroleum(IIP) is a laboratory of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR). It was established on 14 April 1960 in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
- The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) was established as an autonomous society in 1942 as the premier government-funded scientific and Industrial Research organisation.
- It is under the Union Ministry of Science and Technology.
- CSIR has a chain of 37 national laboratories, 3 Innovation Complexes, 39 outreach centres, and five units with a pan-India presence.
- Director General: Nallathamby Kalaiselvi (The first woman to be the Director General of CSIR)
- Headquarters: New Delhi
PM Modi launches Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ on World Environment Day
- On the occasion of the World Environment Day, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘ Ek Ped Maa Ke’ campaignon 5 June 2024 in New Delhi.
- World Environment Day is observed around the globe on 5 June every year. In India, Earth is considered a mother or Maa. The Ek Ped Maa Ke campaign signifies the protection of the Earth’s environment by afforestation to stop land degradation, soil erosion, and falling water tables.
Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam Campaign
- Prime Minister Modi planted a peepal tree at Buddha Jayanti Park in New Delhi on World Environment Day. The Prime Minister called upon the countrymen to make the planet better by increasing the forest cover that will further sustainable development.
- Sustainable development refers to using resources in such a way that not only the needs of the present generation are met, but substantial resources are left to meet the needs of future generations.
Banking news
NPCI International and Reserve Bank of Peru Forge Landmark Partnership for UPI Payments
- NPCI International and the Reserve Bank of Peru have joined forces to introduce a UPI-like real-time payments system in Peru, marking a pioneering move for South America.
- This collaboration aims to revolutionize Peru’s financial landscape, fostering economic growth and financial inclusion by leveraging India’s renowned Unified Payment Interface (UPI) technology.
Partnership Overview
NPCI International and the Central Reserve Bank of Peru (BCRP) have announced a groundbreaking partnership to deploy a UPI-like real-time payments system in Peru. This strategic collaboration signifies Peru’s status as the first South American country to embrace UPI technology, promising enhanced efficiency and accessibility in the country’s payment ecosystem.
Peru:
- Capital: Lima
- Currency: Sol
- President: Dina Ercilia Boluarte
Enhancing Insurance Reach and Financial Inclusion: Axis Bank and Bajaj Allianz Forge Bancassurance Alliance
- Axis Bank and Bajaj Allianz General Insurance have joined forces in a strategic bancassurance partnership aimed at boosting insurance penetration and financial inclusion in India.
- Through this collaboration, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance products will be distributed across Axis Bank’s extensive network of over 5,250 branches.
Expanding Product Suite: The alliance will offer a comprehensive range of insurance solutions, including motor, health, home, travel, and commercial insurance products such as engineering and marine insurance, catering to diverse customer needs.
Bancassurance Benefits: Bancassurance leverages the distribution strength of banks to sell insurance products, providing mutual benefits. Axis Bank earns commissions from Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, while the insurer gains access to the bank’s vast distribution network.
Axis bank:
- Headquarters: Mumbai
- Founded: 3 December 1993, Ahmedabad
- CEO: Amitabh Chaudhry
Bajaj Allianz General Insurance
- Headquarters: Pune
- Founded: 2nd May 2001
- Head: Tapan Singhel
Award news
C-DOT wins UN’s WSIS 2024 “Champion” Award
- The government of India’s premier Telecom Research and Development Centre, the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), has won the United Nations World Summit of Information Society (WISS) 2024 award. The award to C-DOT was announced at the WSIS+20 Forum High-Level Event 2024, which was held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 27 to 31 May 2024.
- C-DOT was set up on 24 August 1984 by the government of India to bring telecom revolution in India by developing telecom technologies and products suitable to Indian conditions.
United Nations WISS +20 Award
The C-DOT project “Mobile-Enabled Disaster Resilience through Cell Broadcast Emergency Alerting” received the ‘Champion’ award under the AI, C-7, E-environment, in the category of “Benefits in all aspects of life—E-environment.”
The UN award recognises the C-DOTs project for its outstanding contribution towards strengthening the implementation of the WSIS outcomes and underscores C-DOT’s commitment to leveraging technology for societal impact.
C -DOTs Award-winning Technology
- C-DOT has developed an end-to-end mobile-enabled Cell Broadcast Emergency Alerting Platform to deliver real-time messages in an emergency. A text message is delivered by the mobile operator to users in specific locations through mobile cell towers.
- It is basically sent in cases of natural disasters, such as cyclones or earthquakes, or for any other emergency situation.
- The CDOT-developed solution has the capability to send messages in many Indian Regional Languages.
CDOT:
- Founder: Sam Pitroda
- Founded: 25 August 1984
Summit news
India to Host 81st IATA Annual General Meeting in 2025
- India will host the prestigious 81st International Air Transport Association (IATA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) in 2025, marking its return after a 42-year hiatus. This significant event, scheduled for June 8 to 10, will convene in Delhi, the third time the city has hosted the AGM after 1958 and 1983.
- IndiGo, India’s leading airline, will serve as the host airline for the AGM and the World Air Transport Summit.
International Air Transport Association:
- Headquarters: Montreal, Canada
- Founded: 19 April 1945
- Head: Alexandre de Juniac
Appointment News
Rakesh Mohan Joshi Appointed as Vice-Chancellor of IIFT
Rakesh Mohan Joshi, an international trade and management expert, has been appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), a prestigious business school under the Ministry of Commerce.
Sports news
‘Hitman’ Rohit Sharma crosses 600 sixes in International Cricket
- Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma broke several records during India’s win against the Ireland team in the opening match of the 9th ICC T 20 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States of America(USA) and the West Indies cricket boards.
- Rohit Sharma, also popularly called “Hitman” due to his ability to hit sixes, became the first cricketer in the world to hit 600 sixes in international cricket.
Most Sixes in International Cricket
Hitman Rohit Sharma is the first cricketer to hit 600 sixes in International cricket. Here is the list of the players who have the most sixes to their name in international cricket.
| Rank | Player and Country | Matches | Sixes | Sixes in Test Matches | Sixes in One Day International Matches | Sixes in T 20 International matches |
| 1 | Rohit Sharma (India) | 473 | 600 | 84 | 323 | 193 |
| 2 | Chris Gayle (West Indies ) | 483 | 553 | 98 | 331 | 124 |
| 3 | Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) | 524 | 476 | 52 | 351 | 73 |
Science news
Russian cosmonaut becomes 1st person to spend 1,000 cumulative days in space
- Roscosmos state corporation cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, who currently works at the International Space Station has booked a record of 1,000 days for the first time in the world in terms of total spaceflight duration.
Achievement of This Mission: His current trip to the ISS began Sept. 15, 2023, when he launched alongside NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara and compatriot Nikolai Chub. He also added that “I fly into space to do what I love, not to set records. I’ve dreamt of and aspired to become a cosmonaut since I was a child,”. The opportunity to fly into space, to live and work in orbit motivates me to continue flying.”
Russia:
- Capital: Moscow
- Currency: Russian Ruble
- President: Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin
12 Countries Signed Zero Debris Charter – Pivot to Space Sustainability
- 12 countries signed the Zero Debris Charter, a landmark initiative led by the European Space Agency (ESA) to address the pressing issue of space debris. Unveiled in 2023, the Charter commits signatories to achieving debris-neutral space activities by 2030.
Zero Debris Charter
Overview
The Zero Debris Charter is a pioneering initiative aimed at achieving debris neutrality in space by 2030. It was launched at the ESA Space Summit in Seville, Spain, in November 2023.
Objectives
The Charter seeks to:
- Eliminate space debris, ensuring sustainable use of Earth’s orbit.
- Promote collaboration among international space stakeholders to manage and mitigate space debris.
Participants
Since its unveiling, over 100 organizations, including national space agencies, satellite manufacturers, space start-ups, and astronomical societies, have committed to the Charter. Notable participants include:
- Countries: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
- International Organisations: The European Space Agency (ESA) has also signed the Charter as an International Governmental Organization (IGO).
Significance
- Environmental Stewardship: The Charter emphasizes responsible space operations, aiming to protect the orbital environment.
- Global Collaboration: It fosters international cooperation to tackle the growing problem of space debris, setting a benchmark for future space missions.
- Innovation and Responsibility: Encourages the development of new technologies and practices to prevent and remove space debris, ensuring the long-term sustainability of space activities.
By adhering to the Zero Debris Charter, the global space community demonstrates a commitment to preserving the space environment for future generations while continuing to explore and utilize space responsibly.
