Slovenia Becomes Latest EU Country to Recognise Palestinian State
Slovenia became the latest European Union country to recognise an independent Palestinian state after its parliament approved the move with majority vote, dismissing a call for a referendum on the issue by the largest opposition party.
The government last week decided to recognise Palestine as an independent and sovereign state following in the steps of Spain, Ireland and Norway as part of a wider effort to coordinate pressure on Israel to end the conflict in Gaza.
Palestine is a semi-presidential country. The country consists of the institutions that are associated with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which includes President of the State of Palestine – appointed by the Palestinian Central Council.
The current (as in June 2024) President is Mahmoud Abbas.
The KAZA 2024 Heads of State Summit ended in the Zambian resort town of Livingstone, with leaders of the five member countries agreeing to argue their case for lifting of the ban on ivory trade at the 20th meeting of the Conference of Parties (CoP20) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) due next year in Geneva, Switzerland.
Made up of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, the KAZA-TFCA is a 520,000-square kilometre wildlife sanctuary straddling these five southern African nations that share common borders along the Okavango and Zambezi River basins.
Haryana Government's Rs. 10,000-Crore Project to Combat Air Pollution
Haryana Chief Secretary T. V. S. N. Prasad announced the launch of a Rs. 10,000-crore project funded by the World Bank to address air pollution in the state. The Haryana Clean Air Project for Sustainable Development will be rolled out in phases, starting with districts in the National Capital Region (NCR).
The initial phase of the project focuses on upgrading Haryana's air quality monitoring infrastructure. This includes establishing a state-of-the-art laboratory and modernizing existing ones. Additionally, a dedicated program management unit will oversee implementation, alongside training programs for stakeholders involved in air quality management.
The project allocates resources to tackle various sources of air pollution, including transportation, industry, construction, road dust, biomass burning, and household pollution. Efforts will promote cleaner vehicles, incentivize the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), and phase out older, more polluting vehicles. A model for automated testing stations (ATS) will be developed to monitor vehicle health.
The Bank Clinic, launched in 2024, spearheaded by the All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA), aims to empower retail customers by providing guidance on addressing their grievances in the rapidly evolving landscape of banking technology and regulatory standards set by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
At banksclinic.com, customers can register complaints, receiving insights into relevant regulatory guidelines within five working days. While the platform does not directly resolve complaints, it serves as a valuable resource, offering information on available remedies according to RBI mandates.
C. H. Venkatachalam, AIBEA's general secretary, clarified the role of the Bank Clinic as a facilitator rather than a problem solver. Its team provides assistance on navigating complaint procedures, recognizing the prevalent lack of awareness regarding complaint mechanisms among customers.
Tata Motors Finance to be Merged with Tata Capital
Tata Motors said that the Board of Directors of Tata Motors, Tata Capital and Tata Motors Finance approved a merger of Tata Motor Finance with Tata Capital through an NCLT scheme of arrangement.
The transaction is in-line with Tata Motors' stated objective of exiting non-core businesses and focus its capital spends on emerging technologies and products.
Deendayal Port Trust Gets New Chairperson
The Centre appointed Sushil Kumar Singh, an officer from the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineering (IRSME) of the 1993 batch, as the Chairman of Deendayal Port Trust in Kandla, Gujarat. One of the largest state-owned ports in the country, Deendayal Port Trust will be under Singh's leadership until his superannuation in January 2027.
Singh succeeded S. K. Mehta, a forest service officer from the Gujarat cadre, who returned to his parent cadre after completing his central deputation.
Kandla Port Trust was renamed as Deendayal Port Trust in September 2017.
ISRO Develops PraVaHa Software for Aerodynamic Design and Analysis
ISRO, through its Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), introduced the PraVaHa software, a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tool aimed at facilitating aerodynamic design and analysis for aerospace vehicles.
PraVaHa, acronym for 'Parallel RANS Solver for Aerospace Vehicle Aero-thermo-dynamic Analysis', is tailored to simulate both external and internal flows on various types of vehicles, including launch vehicles, winged, and non-winged re-entry vehicles.
PraVaHa leverages advancements in CFD technology, offering accurate predictions for complex aerodynamic flows and faster simulation turnaround times, particularly on High-Performance Computing Clusters. Its versatility extends to CPU and GPU architectures, making it adaptable to current and upcoming supercomputing facilities.
Russian Cosmonaut Becomes First Person to Spend 1,000 Days in Space
A 59-year-old Russian cosmonaut became the first person to spend 1,000 days in space, Russian space agency Roscosmos said.
Oleg Kononenko achieved the milestone, having made five journeys to the International Space Station dating back to 2008.
His current trip to the ISS began September 15, 2023, when he launched alongside NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara and compatriot Nikolai Chub.
South Korea Establishes National Space Agency, KASA
South Korea officially launched its space agency, the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), to lead policy and industrial development in its aerospace sector. The establishment was made possible after the country's national assembly passed a special law in January to unify government organizations in charge of space policy and projects. The new agency is based in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, with an annual budget of 758.9 billion won ($556 million).
South Korea became the seventh country to own an indigenous space launch vehicle and satellite development technology with the launch of the Nuri rocket in May 2023 that put a commercial grade satellite in orbit.
T20 WC: Rohit Sharma Becomes Indian Captain with most T20I Wins
During the IND vs IRE match which was played at the Nassau Cricket Stadium in New York, Sharma scored 52 off 37 balls powered with 4 fours and 3 sixes at a strike rate of 140.54. However, he had to leave the crease and retire hurt knock after he suffered an injury after the end of the 10th over.
During the match, Rohit Sharma made the record of becoming the second player to score 4000 runs across all three formats after Virat Kohli.
In T20Is, he has scored 4026 runs in 152 matches at an average of 32.20 and a strike rate of 139.98. In Tests, he has scored 4137 runs, 10,709 runs in ODIs and 11625 in T20s.
During the India vs Ireland match, Rohit Sharma also achieved a significant milestone and became India's most accomplished T20I captain surpassing M. S. Dhoni's record.
Priyanka Jarkiholi : Youngest Tribal Woman to Win from an Unreserved Seat
Congress nominee and Minister Satish Jarkiholi's daughter Priyanka Jarkiholi won from Chikkodi, defeating incumbent MP and BJP leader Annasaheb Jolle.
Priyanka Jarkiholi from Chikkodi became the youngest tribal woman to enter Parliament from an unreserved seat in Karnataka since Independence.
Priyanka Jarkiholi also has a few firsts. She became the first woman from the tribal community to win from an unreserved seat in Karnataka. She also became the second leader from a reserved community to win from a general seat, after Kotturu Hariharappa Ranganath who was a Lok Sabha member from Chitradurga during 1984-89.
President Droupadi Murmu Dissolves 17th Lok Sabha
President Droupadi Murmu dissolved the 17th Lok Sabha on June 5 on the advice of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Cabinet, according to the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The Cabinet advised the President to dissolve the current Lok Sabha with immediate effect.
The President accepted the advice of the Cabinet on 05.06.2024 and signed the Order dissolving the 17th Lok Sabha in exercise of the powers conferred upon her by Sub-clause (b) of Clause (2) of Article 85 of the Constitution.
The term of the current Lok Sabha was to end on June 16.
CBIC Chairperson Inaugurates GST Bhawan at Rohtak, Haryana
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) Chairman, Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, officially launched the GST Bhawan, the official complex of the Central Board of Indirect Tax (CGST) Rohtak Commissionerate, in Rohtak, Haryana. At the inaugural ceremony were Shashank Priya, Member of CBIC (GST, Legal, CX & ST), together with officers and staff from the CGST Rohtak Commissionerate, Panchkula Zone, and senior CBIC officers.
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (erstwhile Central Board of Excise & Customs) is a part of the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
MoD Inks MoUs with 4 Banks to Onboard them as SPARSH Service Centres
The Defence Accounts Department (DAD) of the Ministry of Defence signed MoUs with four banks to onboard them as SPARSH service centres across 1,128 branches of these banks in the country. The System for Pension Administration (RAKSHA) or SPARSH is a web-based system for processing pension claims and crediting the pension directly into the bank accounts of defence pensioners without any external intermediary.
The four banks with which DAD signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) are: Bank of India, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India and Utkarsh Small Finance Bank.
The MoUs will provide last-mile connectivity to pensioners, especially in remote areas where they do not have the technical wherewithal to log on to SPARSH.
SPARSH is an initiative of the Ministry of Defence to provide a comprehensive solution to the defence pensioners. It is a fundamental change in managing defence pensions as it focuses on bringing in efficiency, responsiveness and transparency.
Health and Defence Ministries to Set up Dedicated Tele MANAS Cell for Armed Forces
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to facilitate collaboration between the two Ministries in operating a special cell of Tele MANAS, the National Telemental Health Helpline of MoHFW, as a pilot project for a period of two years at the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune. The MoU was signed by Aradhna Patnaik, AS & MD of MoHFW, and Lt General Daljit Singh, Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services.
Tele MANAS is the digital extension of the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP), offering comprehensive, integrated, and inclusive 24/7 tele-mental health services. The initiative provides a toll-free number, 14416, in each State and Union Territory (UT) for easy access to mental health support.
UN Russian Language Day is observed annually on June 6 and was established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2010. This day is dedicated to promoting the study and appreciation of the Russian language. It coincides with the birthday of Aleksandr Pushkin, one of the most prominent Russian writers and creators.
Sanya Malhotra's 'Mrs' Triumph at New York Indian Film Festival
At the prestigious New York Indian Film Festival 2024, Sanya Malhotra etched her name in glory by winning the Best Actress award for her captivating performance in the film 'Mrs'. This triumph marks a significant milestone in Malhotra's burgeoning career and underscores her exceptional talent as an actress.
Earlier this year (2024), Sanya Malhotra's exceptional acting prowess was recognized with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for her role in the critically acclaimed film 'Kathal'. Her ability to inhabit diverse characters and bring them to life on the silver screen has garnered widespread admiration.
IP University Receives Rising Star Award in QS Rankings 2025
Delhi's Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (IP University) achieved remarkable recognition by earning the 'Rising Star' award from QS World Ranking. This accolade, presented by Ben Sowter, Senior Vice President of QS, at the QS EduData Summit 2024 in Washington D.C., highlights the university's significant progress amongst Indian institutions over the past year. The announcement coincided with the release of the QS World University Rankings 2025.
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