Iran Unveils Underground Air Force Base Codenamed 'Eagle 44'
Iran unveiled its first underground air force base, which is capable of storing fighter jets armed with long-range cruise missiles. The base - named Oghab 44 ("Eagle" in Persian) - can accommodate "all types of fighter jets and bombers, in addition to drones. The exact location of the base has not been revealed, but as per reports it is at the depth of hundreds of metres under the mountains.
Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Launches App for 'Digitally Challenged'
Ujjivan Small Finance Bank launched Hello Ujjivan, a mobile banking application with 3 Vs, voice, visual, and vernacular-enabled features, to provide banking access to individuals with limited reading and writing skills.
The banking company said that it aims to instill banking habits in its micro-banking and rural customers through the app. The app is accessible by voice in eight regional languages: Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Gujarati, Kannada, Oriya, and Assamese.
Users can speak to the app to perform banking transactions and access services such as paying loan EMIs, opening FD and RD accounts, transferring funds and more. The app was co-created with Navana.AI.
Bajaj Finance Launches Insurance Mall with Refined Products & Experience
Bajaj Finance launched Insurance Mall for its customers to ensure an easy-buy experience. The new portal offers a plethora of policies and plans in the core insurance segment and also the company's one-of-its-kind category of Pocket Insurance and Subscription.
Bajaj Finance partnered with leading insurers in India to bring you products that are best suited to changing needs of the times. Insurance Mall offers 250+ policies and plans, designed to cater every customer's need. These products are updated to ensure that they stay relevant. In line with its policy to offer quality services, Bajaj Finance aims to simplify all the inconveniences customers can face during their policy purchase. This all-inclusive portal for insurance ensures customers experience a hassle-free purchase journey.
ISRO Conducts Initial Trials of Human Space Mission Crew moDule Recovery
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), along with the Indian Navy, conducted an important trial for the Gaganyaan, human space flight mission. They carried out initial recovery trials of the Crew Module in the Navy's Water Survival Test Facility (WSTF) in Kochi.
The trials were part of the preparation for crew module recovery operations for the Gaganyaan mission that will be carried out in Indian waters with the participation of Indian Government agencies, the overall recovery operations being led by the Indian Navy.
According to ISRO, as the safe recovery of the crew is the final step to be accomplished for any successful human spaceflight, it is of paramount importance and it has to be carried out with the minimum lapse of time.
Paris Olympics: Nordic Nations Oppose Russian, Belarusian Athletes' Participation
The Nordic Olympic Committees wrote to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to reiterate their opposition to Russian and Belarusian athletes being allowed to take part in international sports.
The IOC said last month that athletes from Russia and Belarus might be allowed to earn slots for the Olympic Games in Paris next year through Asian qualifying.
Athletes from Russia and neighbouring Belarus, which aided Moscow's invasion of Ukraine a year ago, have been banned from many international competitions since, and organisers of the Paris 2024 Olympics said they will abide by the IOC's decision on who is allowed to take part in the Games.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Launches 'Digital Payments Utsav'
Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launched the Digital Payments Utsav in New Delhi for the promotion of Digital Payments across the country. The Utsav will continue till October 9, 2023, with a particular focus on G-20 Digital Economy Working Group event in cities like Lucknow, Hyderabad, Pune and Bengaluru.
Vaishnaw also flagged off of Digital Payment Sandesh Yatra aimed at making citizens aware of various digital payment solutions. This will also sensitise them about the security and safety of digital payments.
Union Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Giriraj Singh Inaugurates Mission Antyodaya Survey 2022-23
Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Giriraj Singh inaugurated the Mission Antyodaya Survey (MAS) 2022-23 in New Delhi. The Department of Rural Development has been conducting the Mission Antyodaya survey across all Gram Panchayats in the country since 2017-18. The purpose of this survey is to transform lives and livelihoods of people to measurable outcomes through convergence of various schemes.
Giriraj Singh said that the annual survey in Gram Panchayats across the country is an important aspect of Mission Antyodaya framework. The survey aims to lend support to the process of participatory planning for the Gram Panchayat Development Plan which will improve service delivery, enhance citizenship and improve governance at the local level. He said, this survey will be the lifeline of country's development.
Defence Ministry, Larsen & Toubro Sign Contract for Modular Bridges
In a major boost to indigenisation of defence equipment under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', Ministry of Defence approved the proposal for the indigenous manufacture of 41 sets of modular bridges for the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army.
These game-changing bridges have been designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and shall be produced by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) as a DRDO-nominated production agency. The contract for the procurement of modular bridges was signed with L&T at an estimated cost of over Rs. 2,585 crore.
Italian skier Elena Fanchini passed at the age of 37. Elena Fanchini competed at three Winter Olympics and six World Championships for Italy, and she won a silver medal in the download at the 2005 World Championships. Her last race was in December 2017 after that she stepped away from the game due to her diagnosis.
Elena Fanchina was an Italian Alpine Ski Racer, she was born in Val Camonica and focused on the speed events of downhill and Super-G. Fanchini won two World Cup races downhill 9 years apart and won a silver medal at the 2005 world championships. She represented Italy at three Winter Olympics and four World Championships.
Every year World Pulses Day is celebrated on February 10 with an aim to spread awareness about the nutritional and environmental benefits of pulses as part of sustainable food production. Pulses also known as legumes, are considered as global foods, and are produced in almost every country.
The UN General Assembly recognised the value of pulses in 2013 and adopted the year 2016 as the International Year of Pulses (IYP). The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the UN increased public awareness of the nourishing and environmental benefits of pulses.
As the International Year of Pulses concluded, Burkina Faso, a landlocked country in West Africa, proposed the observance of World Pulses Day. Finally, in 2019, the UN General Assembly dedicated February 10 as World Pulses Day.
The Steering Committee selected 'Pulses for a Sustainable Future' as the theme for World Pulses Day 2023 celebration.
National Deworming Day
Every year, February 10 is observed as National Deworming Day to create awareness about the importance of deworming all preschool and school-age children between the ages of 1-19 years. Led by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, deworming is done through the platforms of schools and Anganwadi centres in order "to improve their overall health, nutritional status, access to education and quality of life".
National Deworming Day (NDD) was launched in 2015 and is one of the largest public programmes implemented on a single day reaching crores of children and adolescents via two NDD rounds every year.
MRF Chairman K.M. Mammen Receives the ATMA Lifetime Achievement Award
MRF Ltd. Chairman and Managing Director K.M. Mammen was presented the ATMA Lifetime Achievement Award by Maruti Suzuki India MD & CEO Hisashi Takeuchi at the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers' Association (ATMA) Annual Conclave 2023 in New Delhi. It is noted that Mammen has been at the helm of every landmark achievement that has brought MRF to the milestone of over INR 19,000 crore turnover and in its ranking, of being amongst one of the top tyre companies in the world.
West Bengal Governor C. V. Ananda Bose and state Education Minister Bratya Basu inaugurated the 9th Kolkata Literature Festival.
The literary meet, held alongside the ongoing 46th International Kolkata Book Fair, had sessions in which eminent personalities from the fields of art, culture, music and politics participated.
The focus of the discussions was on the evolving idea of India as the nation moves into its 76th year of Independence.
This year, the three-day festival had two panel discussions on Indian literature from the east and northeast with powerful voices such as Dalit literature writer Manoranjan Byapari.
Centre Notifies Appointment of 2 more Supreme Court Judges
The Centre notified appointment of two more judges in the Supreme Court, taking its strength to 34, which is its sanctioned strength.
Law Minister Kiren Rijiju announced it and congratulated the newly appointed judges -- Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice Aravind Kumar.
The notification came 10 days after the Supreme Court Collegium recommended elevation of Allahabad High Court Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and Gujarat High Court Chief Justice Aravind Kumar as judges of the top court.
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