1 Sakhi: Augmenting astronaut capabilities for Gaganyaan mission
Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC) under the Indian Space Research Organization has developed an innovative and versatile application called Space-Borne Assistant and Knowledge Hub for Crew Interaction (SAKHI) to support astronauts during the Gaganyaan space flight mission . SAKHI provides access to technical information, facilitates communications, health monitoring, connectivity with Earth and onboard systems and manages feeding schedules. Strapped to the space-suit, SAKHI helps astronauts access data, maintain logs and stay informed about their well-being, enhancing safety and efficiency for the Gaganyaan mission and aligning with ISRO’s goal of advancing space exploration. Is.
2 Trinetra App 2.0 unveiled for changes in policing system in UP
The Uttar Pradesh Police force is all set to adopt the innovative Trinetra App 2.0 , a state-of-the-art digital platform that promises to revolutionize crime prevention and investigation in the state. With over 9.32 lakh criminal records being digitized in the Trinetra database , frontline officers will now have the ability to rapidly identify suspects during security checks.
3 Finland tops happiness ranking for seventh consecutive year, Afghanistan in last place
Finland has been declared the happiest country in the world . Other Nordic countries like Denmark, Iceland and Sweden also ranked in the top 10 happiest countries. The World Happiness Report is an annual survey conducted by the United Nations. It ranks countries based on factors such as life satisfaction, GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity and corruption. Finland has been declared the happiest country in the world for the seventh consecutive year. At the bottom of the list is Afghanistan, which is facing a humanitarian crisis since the Taliban took control in 2020. The United States and Germany dropped out of the top 20 happiest countries for the first time and ranked 23rd and 24th, respectively. Costa Rica and Kuwait entered the top 20 at 12th and 13th. The report says that none of the world’s largest countries are now included among the happiest countries. Like last year, India is at 126th position in the happiness index. is
4 Global Climate Report 2023 released
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released its Global Climate Report 2023 , confirming that 2023 was the hottest year on record . The report highlights alarming trends in various climate indicators, including record-breaking greenhouse gas levels, surface temperatures, ocean heat and acidity, sea level rise, Antarctic sea ice cover and glacier retreat .
Global temperature: Global average surface temperature in 2023 was 1.45 ± 0.12 °C above the pre-industrial (1850–1900) average, making it the warmest year in the 174-year observational record. The previous warmest years were 2016, which were 1.29 ± 0.12 °C, and 2020, which were 1.27 ± 0.13 °C above the 1850–1900 average.
Warmest decade: The 10-year average (2014–2023) global temperature was 1.20 ± 0.12 °C above the 1850–1900 average, making it the warmest 10-year period on record.
Record-breaking months: Globally, every month from June to December was record hot in its own way. The previous global record in September 2023 was exceeded by a large margin (0.46 to 0.54 °C).
5 Grid-India achieves Miniratna company status
Grid Controller of India Limited (GRID-India) has achieved a significant milestone by achieving the status of Miniratna Category-I Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) . This recognition given by the Ministry of Power, Government of India underlines the important role of Grid-India in the power scenario of the country. Established in 2009, Grid-India has the mandate to oversee the flawless and uninterrupted operation of the Indian electricity system, ensuring efficient transfer of electrical power within and across regions, with a focus on reliability, economy and sustainability as well as transnational power exchange. It is an important responsibility to facilitate. It facilitates affordable and efficient wholesale electricity markets and manages settlement systems.
6 NATO’s DIANA program
Recently the Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) Initiative Board approved a proposal to establish an accelerator and two test centers in Finland with the mission of promoting technology, innovation and business development for both civil and defense purposes. Is of. Diana is an organization established by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to accelerate dual-use innovation capabilities across the alliance. It provides resources, networks, and guidance for companies to develop deep technologies for critical security challenges. All NATO countries are members of Diana. The Diana Board of Directors is responsible for governance and includes representatives from each partner country.
7 India’s first indigenously built 1500 horse power engine for main battle tanks was first tested at BEML Mysuru.
Defense Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane presided over the first test firing of India ‘s first indigenously-made 1500 Horsepower (HP) engine for Main Battle Tanks at BEML’s Engine Department at Mysuru campus on 20 March 2024. This success marks the beginning of a new era in the country’s defense capabilities which reflects its commitment to be self-reliant in the field of defense technology along with technical prowess. The 1500 HP engine represents a new evolution in the Army’s propulsion systems, incorporating several state-of-the-art features such as high power-to-weight ratio, ability to operate in harsh conditions including high altitudes, sub-zero temperatures and deserts. Are. Equipped with modern technology, this engine is at par with the most modern engines available all over the world.
8 Nepal declared Pokhara as its tourism capital.
In an important step to promote its tourism industry, the Nepal government has officially declared the beautiful city of Pokhara in Gandaki province as the tourism capital of the Himalayan nation . This formal announcement was made during a special ceremony held at Barahi Ghat located on the banks of the beautiful Phewa Lake. Known for its natural beauty and adventure tourism, Pokhara has long been recognized as a tourism hub in Nepal. However, the city was designated as the tourism capital only after fulfilling all the necessary criteria set by the government. The decision to officially declare Pokhara as a tourism capital is expected to further enhance its reputation and attract more tourists from all over the world.
9 Elon Musk open sources his AI chattool Grok chatbot
Grok is a generative AI chatbot developed by the xAI company founded by Elon Musk . xAI announced that it has made Grok open source , fulfilling a promise made by Musk a week earlier. The decision to open source Grok comes after Musk filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, another major AI company, accusing them of deviating from their founding values of transparency and sharing technology for the good of humanity.
10 fire arrows SOrTeD rockets
Agnikul Cosmos is a Chennai – based, IIT-Madras-incubated space start-up , which is all set to create history by launching India’s first rocket from a private launchpad on March 22, 2023. The company’s first rocket, named Agnibaan Sub Orbital Technology Demonstrator (SOrTeD), will be launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The launch of Agnibaan SOrtED is significant for several reasons:
- This will be India’s first launch from a private launchpad.
- This will be India’s first semi-cryogenic engine powered rocket launch.
- It will have the world’s first single piece 3D printed engine which has been indigenously designed and manufactured.
11 Indian badminton player Lakshya Sen reached number 13 in world ranking.
Indian badminton player Lakshya Sen has reached number 13 in the world rankings in men’s singles category . This jump in the BWF rankings comes after Lakshya’s stellar performances at the French Open and the prestigious All England Open. Lakshya Sen had reached the semi-finals of both the tournaments. With this, Sen secured his place in the race for the 2024 Paris Olympics . In men’s doubles, the pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have retained the world number one position. In women’s doubles, the pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto climbed three places to reach 20th position, while the pair of Trisha Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand dropped four places to 26th position. H.S. Pranay slipped one place. PV Sindhu is 11th in the rankings after a round of 16 finish at the All England Badminton Open last week.
12 International Day of Happiness 2024
March 20 is celebrated by the United Nations as International Day of Happiness . The idea behind this celebration is to raise awareness about the importance of happiness and well-being as key components of life. The theme of International Day of Happiness for this year 2024 is ‘ Reconnecting for Happiness Building Resilient Communities ‘.
13 Yes Bank partners with Indian Olympic Association for Paris Olympics
Yes Bank has formed a strategic partnership with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to become the official banking partner for Team India at the Paris Olympics 2024 . This collaboration aims to provide comprehensive support to India’s Olympic athletes and their families.
14 World Sparrow Day 2024
March 20 is celebrated every year as World Sparrow Day . It is celebrated to create awareness about the decline of the house sparrow. The purpose of celebrating World Sparrow Day is to make people aware of the conservation of sparrows. The sparrow is one of the most common and oldest bird species on Earth. The endangered species and decreasing population of sparrow is a matter of great concern. World Sparrow Day was founded by Mohammed Dilawar, founder of The Nature Forever Society. He initiated several projects including the Biodiversity Photo Contest, the Annual Sparrow Awards, Project Save Our Sparrows and the Common Bird Monitoring of India programme. The first World Sparrow Day was organized in the year 2010. In 2011, the World Sparrow Awards were established. The award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to environmental protection and conservation of common species.