With Eye on Russia, Moldova Wants to Join EU as Soon as Possible
Moldovan President Maia Sandu said that the country was seeking membership of the European Union (EU) as soon as possible in order to gain protection from Russian threat. President Sandu said that she hoped for a decision to start negotiations in the next months.
Moldova is a small nation of 2.6 million people. It is situated between EU neighbour Romania and war-torn Ukraine.
Moldova is a former Soviet republic. It already has a breakaway region, Transnistria. Russia has stationed small number of troops there.
Paytm Partners with SBI Card and NPCI to Launch Paytm SBI Card on RuPay
Paytm's parent company One97 Communications Ltd partnered with SBI Card and the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to launch the Paytm SBI Card on the RuPay network. The cardholders will get discounts on transactions through the Paytm mobile app using the card.
Earlier this year, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) allowed users to link RuPay credit cards to the United Payments Interface (UPI). NPIC later said that it has enabled key aggregators like Paytm, Google Pay, BharatPe, and PayU to help merchants make transactions through RuPay credit cards on UPI in India.
ISRO Likely to Launch Chandrayaan 3 in Second Week of July
The Indian Space Research Organisation is gearing up for the launch of Chandrayaan-3, the follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2. Chandrayaan-3 is scheduled for launch in the second week of July. Chandrayaan-3, which consists of a lander and rover, aims to demonstrate capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface.
ISRO will launch Chandrayaan-3 atop its largest launch vehicle, Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mark III), also called Launch Vehicle Mark III (LVM3), from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
LVM3's propulsion module will carry Chandrayaan-3 to a 100-kilometre lunar orbit, ISRO says on its website.
What are the objectives of Chandrayaan-3?
The objectives of Chandrayaan-3 are to demonstrate a safe and soft landing on the lunar surface, conduct in-situ scientific experiments, and demonstrate rover landing on the Moon.
The FIFA World Cup™ Trophy, the most widely recognised and prized sporting asset globally, was unveiled at the forefront of the FIFA World Cup 26™ Official Brand. For the first time in history, an image of the actual trophy and the tournament hosting year is being depicted, forming an innovative design language that anchors the FIFA World Cup™ emblem for 2026 and beyond. The image of the trophy and the year allow for customisation to reflect the uniqueness of each host, while building an identifiable brand structure for years to come.
The Official Brand of the FIFA World Cup 26™ was launched in Los Angeles, USA, in an event that saw FIFA, host countries Canada, Mexico, and the USA, football legends and special guests come together to celebrate the first milestone of an exciting journey to the greatest sporting event ever.
Rafael Nadal Withdraws from French Open
Rafael Nadal has announced his withdrawal from this month's French Open because of the hip injury that has kept him out of competition since January. As his body continues to struggle with the physicality of professional tennis, Nadal also revealed he will probably retire in 2024. He will now take a break for a number of months to be prepared for what he believes will be the final year of his career.
Agreement between Department of Health Research and WHO on Assistive Technology Gets Cabinet Approval
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved a project collaboration agreement signed between the Department of Health Research (DHR) and the World Health Organization (WHO) for promoting access to high quality affordable assistive technology mainly through fostering research, innovation, and capacity building.
This collaboration aims to work towards drawing global attention toward access to assistive technology, fostering research and innovation and developing and disseminating appropriate training programmes.
Odisha Chief Minister Launches State Dashboard & CM Dashboard
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the State Dashboard, a data and analytics-powered platform which will streamline performance monitoring of government schemes, aiding data-driven decision-making.
The launch of the integrated Dashboard will carry forward the 5T (teamwork, transparency, technology, timely completion leading to transformation) governance model. It will facilitate seamless data-driven decision-making to ensure time-bound outcomes aligned with our 5T governance model.
The State Dashboard consists of three critical components – CM Dashboard, Department Dashboard and Administrative Action Monitoring Portal.
The CM component of the State Dashboard called CM Dashboard is made public so that citizens can access it through the link https://cmdashboard.odisha.gov.in/.
Centre's Approval Sought to Appoint P. K. Gupta as New Chief Secretary of Delhi
The Arvind Kejriwal-led Government sent the name of P.K. Gupta to the Centre to appoint him as the new Chief Secretary of Delhi. Gupta, a 1989 batch IAS officer, is currently serving as additional Chief Secretary at the General Administration Department (GAD) of the Delhi Government. Presently, Naresh Kumar is the Chief Secretary of Delhi.
The move came days after the Delhi Government was given executive power in services matters, including transfer and posting of officers, in a crucial verdict by the Supreme Court.
India observes Anti-Terrorism Day on May 21. It was on this day in 1991 that the seventh Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by LTTE terrorists while campaigning for the Congress party at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu. The day is marked to spread the message of peace and harmony.
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a suicide bomber while he was campaigning for the Congress party in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu. After the assassination, the government decided that May 21 will be observed as Anti-Terrorism Day to raise awareness among people about terrorism. Rajiv Gandhi was the youngest Prime Minister of India when he was sworn in at the age of 40.
Under V.P. Singh's government, the Centre decided to observe May 21 as Anti-Terrorism Day.
DU, Ambedkar University Sign MoU to Work in Emerging Areas Like AI
The Delhi University and the B. R. Ambedkar University signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work in emerging areas like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its impact on social sciences.
The MoU will provide an opportunity towards optimum utilisation of resources like libraries, research laboratories, auditoriums, and sports grounds among other facilities of the two varsities.
It marked a significant collaboration between the Delhi government's Ambedkar University and the Delhi University, a central university.
The Ambedkar University is committed to academic collaboration and partnerships with other educational institutions in an effort towards becoming Multidisciplinary Education Research University (MERU), in alignment with the aims and objectives of National Education Policy 2020.
The India Pavilion was inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, L Murugan, at the 76th Cannes International Film Festival in France. The pavilion showcases India's rich culture, heritage, and its thriving creative economy to the global audience. The event witnessed the presence of Indian Ambassador to France, Jawed Ashraf, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Prithul Kumar, and prominent figures from the Indian film industry.
During the inauguration ceremony, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, L Murugan, declared that India has become the world's largest film producer, with over 3,000 films made in more than 50 languages. These films not only showcase India's storytelling prowess but also carry a powerful message across the globe. Murugan highlighted the global impact of Indian content by mentioning the success of Indian animators in international films.
Andhra Pradesh High Court Chief Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and senior advocate K. V. Viswanathan were sworn-in as Supreme Court judges. The oath of office was administered by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D. Y. Chandrachud. With the appointment of two new judges, the apex court`s strength rose to 34, which is its sanctioned strength.
The appointments were announced by new Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. However, the full strength of the apex court will last only for a brief period Justices K.M. Joseph, Ajay Rastogi and V. Ramasubramanian will retire on June 17, June 18 and June 30, respectively.
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