• Bina Modi, Chairperson of Modi Enterprises, was honoured with the ‘Outstanding Business Woman of the Year – 2023’ Award by Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister of India.
• The award was presented to her at a prestigious conference by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) on ‘Strengthening Indo-US Relationship in Amritkal-Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
• It recognizes her remarkable contributions to the industry that place her among the distinguished few women chairpersons of Fortune500 and ET500 India companies.
• Bina Modi, the Chairperson of Modi Enterprises – KK Modi Group, also heads the Group’s FMCG giant Godfrey Phillips India and one of India’s agro-chemical leaders, Indofil, as the Chairperson and Managing Director.

• Iran announced the initiation of a 15-day visa-free policy for Indian tourists visiting the country (through air border).
• Under the new order, Indian citizens would be allowed to enter Iran with ordinary passports once every six months and with a maximum stay of 15 days which will not be extended.
• The visa abolition only applies to individuals entering Iran for tourism purposes
  • If Indian nationals wish to stay for a longer period or make multiple entries within a six-month period require other types of visas, they must obtain the necessary visas through the respective representations of Iran in India.

• THE Electricity 2024 report was recently released by International Energy Agency.

Major India Specific findings

• India’s electricity demand will outpace China’s and have the world’s fastest growth rate by 2026.
• India’s annual average electricity demand growth is pegged at 5% over 2024-2026.
• Coal will meet 68% of India’s electricity needs in 2026.
• With China and India leading new nuclear reactor construction, Asia’s nuclear generation will exceed North America’s by 2026.
• The contribution of renewable energy (RE) generation remained relatively steady, constituting 21% of electricity generation in 2023.

• The Healthy Indian Project (THIP), a health information platform in India, is included as a member of the World Health Organization’s Vaccine Safety Net (VSN).

ABOUT VSN

• VSN, established by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2003, serves as a global network of websites that provide trustworthy and verified vaccine safety information.
• Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS), established in 1999, supports the VSN by providing advice and criteria for website quality and content.
• VSN is continuously expanding. To date, 110 websites from 45 countries provide vaccine safety information in 43 languages.

ABOUT THIP

• The Healthy Indian Project (THIP) is a prominent health information platform in India, dedicated to providing credible and verified health information, with a focus on verified vaccine safety information, to the diverse population of the country.
• Its goal is to improve health literacy among Indians.
• The Healthy Indian Project (THIP) is privately funded by its directors.
• The company is not affiliated to any political institution.

• Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) for the financial years 2020-21 and 2021-22 was recently released.

MAJOR FINDINGS

• At the aggregate level, gross value added grew by 8.8 per cent in 2020-21.
• Gujarat led in GVA in 2020-21 and ranked second in 2021-22, while Maharashtra topped in 2021-22, followed by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh.
• The industries that drove growth during 2021-22 were manufacture of basic metal, coke and refined petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, motor vehicles, and chemicals.
• Total employment in the sector rebounded in 2021-22, growing by 7.0% year-on-year and exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
• The share of workers that were self-employed rose from 52.2 per cent in 2017-18 to 3 per cent in 2022-23.

ABOUT THE SURVEY

• The Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) is the principal source of industrial statistics in India.
• ASI is being conducted since 1959.
• From ASI 2010-11, the Survey is being conducted under the Collection of Statistics Act, 2008.
• Ministry- Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation.
• It covers all factories registered under the Factories Act, 1948. I t also covers unit under the Bidi and Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) Act 1966 etc.
  • These surveys cover factories employing 10 or more workers using power and those employing 20 or more workers without power.
  • Defence establishments, oil storage and distribution depots, etc. are not covered.

• Researchers at GRAPES-3 have identified a distinctive characteristic in the cosmic-ray proton spectrum, particularly at an energy level of approximately 166 tera-electron-volt (TeV).
• This revelation spans a measurement range from 50 TeV to slightly over one peta-electron-volt (PeV), sparking potential shifts in our comprehension of cosmic ray origins, their acceleration processes, and their movement within the Milky Way.

ABOUT COSMIC RAYS

• Cosmic rays, first discovered over a century ago, constitute the most energetic particles in the universe.
• These particles uniformly bombard Earth from all directions, penetrating the atmosphere and generating a cascade of secondary particles such as electrons, photons, muons, protons, and neutrons, which reach the ground at nearly light speed.

ABOUT GRAPES-3 EXPERIMENT

• The GRAPES-3 experiment is located at Ooty, Tamil Nadu.
• It started as a collaboration of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India and the Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan.
• At present many institutions from India and Japan are in collaboration.
• GRAPES-3 (Gamma Ray Astronomy PeV EnergieS phase-3) is designed to study cosmic rays with an array of air shower detectors and a large area muon detector.
• It aims to probe acceleration of cosmic rays in the following four astrophysical settings. These include acceleration of particles to,
  • ~100 MeV in atmospheric electric fields through muons,
  • ~10 GeV in Solar system through muons,
  • ~1 PeV in our galaxy through nuclear composition of cosmic rays,
  • ~100 EeV in nearby universe through measurement of diffuse γ-ray flux.

• Objectives of the GRAPES-3 Experiment- Study of
  • The origin, acceleration and propagation of >1014 eV cosmic rays in the galaxy and beyond.
  • Existence of “Knee” in the energy spectrum of cosmic rays.
  • Production and/or acceleration of highest energy (~1020 eV) cosmic rays in the universe.
  • Astronomy of multi-TeV γ-rays from neutron stars and other compact object.
  • Sun the closest astrophysical object, accelerator of energetic particles and its effects on the Earth.

• The Bharat Rang Mahotsav (BRM 2024), recognized as the world’s largest theatre festival, was inaugurated at National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai recently.
• The Bharat Rang Mahotsav is a 21-day cultural event featuring over 150 plays, workshops, and discussions.
• The festival will be held in 15 cities across India, showcasing the country’s vibrant performing arts and culture.
• This edition holds special significance as it commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Bharat Rang Mahotsav, bringing together theatre enthusiasts, artists, and scholars in a testament to cultural richness and artistic exchange.
• The festival’s overarching theme, ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, Vande Bharangam,’ underscores the importance of global unity, emphasizing social harmony through the powerful medium of performing arts.
• This year, National School of Drama(NSD) has introduced Rang Haat, an innovative initiative aiming to create Asia’s first global theatre market.
  • It brings together theatre artists, programmers, patrons, and supporters to discover hidden talent, showcase international projects, and foster creative and financial partnerships.

ABOUT NSD

• The National School of Drama is one of the foremost theatre training institutions in the world and the only one of its kind in India.
• It was set up by the Sangeet Natak Akademi as one of its constituent units in 1959.
• In 1975, it became an independent entity and was registered as an autonomous organization under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860.
• It is fully financed by the Ministry of Culture.
• The School has two performing wings – the Repertory Company and Theatre-in-Education Company.

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) recently achieved a significant milestone with the completion of the four flight trials of the HighSpeed Expendable Aerial Target-ABHYAS at the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur in Odisha.

ABOUT ABHYAAS

• ABHYAS, designed and developed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment of the DRDO, represents a cutting-edge innovation in aerial target systems.
• It is designed for autonomous flying with the help of an auto pilot indigenously made by the ADE.
• It has Radar Cross Section, Visual and Infrared augmentation system required for weapon practice.
• It has a laptop-based Ground Control System with which the aircraft can be integrated and pre-flight checks, data recording during the flight, replay after the flight and post-flight analysis can be carried out.
• ABHYAS requires minimum logistics and is cost effective compared to imported equivalents.
• Fully autonomous flight capability– Programmed with advanced algorithms and decision-making logic, the vehicle can be operated independently executing pre-defined mission profiles with precision and reliability.
• It utilises twin under slung booster to provide initial acceleration.
• Powered by a compact gas turbine, ABHYAS demonstrates remarkable endurance and sustains high subsonic speeds throughout its flight profile.
• It is equipped with the state-of-the-art MicroElectromechanical Systems based Inertial Navigation Systems.
• The systems tested recently were realised through Production Agencies – Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Defence.
• The system has export potential and can be offered to friendly countries.

• Colonel Sapna Rana has become the first woman from Himachal Pradesh to command a battalion in the Indian Army.
• She joined the Officers Training Academy in Chennai in 2003 and was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Indian Army in 2004.
• The 41-year-old officer is currently commanding an Army Service Corps (ASC) battalion in the Northeast.

• Nayib Bukele, the incumbent President of El Salvador, secured a thumping victory for a second consecutive term in elections in the Central American country.
• The electorate roundly voted for a continuation of the security plan “the state of exception” which has brought such a radical change to the nation.
• More than 75,000 people have been arrested under the policy in just under two years, but entire communities have been freed from an asphyxiating degree of gang control.