• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully carried out the inaugural flight of the Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator. The flight was carried out at the Aeronautical Test Range, Chitradurga, Karnataka.
• Operating in a fully autonomous mode, the aircraft exhibited a perfect flight, including take-off, way point navigation and a smooth touchdown. This flight marks a major milestone in terms of proving critical technologies towards the development of future unmanned aircraft and is significant step towards self-reliance in such strategic defence technologies.”
• Designed and developed by the Bengaluru-based Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), a premier research laboratory under the DRDO, the unmanned fighter aircraft is powered by a small, turbofan engine.
• The vehicle’s airframe, as well as its undercarriage, flight controls and avionics system, were developed indigenously.
• It is a major achievement towards autonomous aircrafts which will pave the way for Aatmanirbhar Bharat in terms of critical military systems.

• SEBI was founded in 1988 and SEBI was given statutory recognition in 1992 on the recommendation of the Narasimham Committee.
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi)has slapped heavy penalties in a 2015 ‘dark fibre’ case that saw certain brokers exploiting the National Stock Exchange’s (NSE’s) internet infrastructure to get faster connectivity to its colocation (colo) facilities.
• The markets regulator has imposed a penalty of Rs 7 crore on NSE and Rs 5 crore on former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Chitra Ramkrishna.
• In this case, a total of 18 entities received penalties. It has also levied a fine of Rs 5 crore each on former Group Operating Officer Anand Subramanian and current Chief Business Development Officer Ravi Varanasi.
• Internet service provider Sampark Infotainment has been asked to pay Rs 3 crore. Online trading firms Way2Wealth and GKN Securities, too, have been asked to cough up Rs 6 crore and Rs 5 crore, respectively.

• Rath Yatra of Puri is the annual chariot festival of Odisha which is traditionally known as Puri Rath Yatra.
• The Chariot festival is dedicated to Lord Jagannath, his brother Balbhadra and his sister Subhadra.
• The idols of the three deities are brought out by three priests out of the sanctum sanctorum or Garbha Griha and carried to Gundicha Shrine in three giant wooden chariots.

Puri Rath Yatra 2022: Chandan Yatra

• On Akshaya Tritiya, the construction of the chariot begins, with a ritual of fire worship. The ritual takes place in front of the palace of the King of Puri.
• This day also marks the new agricultural season for the farmers of Odisha and they start plowing their fields it also marks the beginning of the summer festival of the deities which is known as the Sandalwood festival or Chandan Yatra.

Puri Rath Yatra 2022: Suna Besha

• The Suna Beshais celebrated when the Chariots of the deities return to the main temple after returning from the Gundicha temple.

• Karnataka government has launched the ‘Kashi Yatra’ scheme. The Kashi Yatra project, which offers a cash assistance of Rs 5,000 to each of the 30,000 pilgrims willing to conduct a pilgrimage to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
• For this scheme, the government will be using funds of up to Rs 7 crores from the accounts head of ‘Assistance to Manasa Sarovara Pilgrims’ which was announced in the chief minister’s budget speech for the financial year.
• According to Shashikala Jolle, the Minister for Religious Endowment, Hajj and Wakf, said, any pilgrim taking up the government-sponsored ‘Kashi Yatra’ would get the benefit only once in a life time.

• The performances of various districts in Himachal has marginally improved and Mandi figured in the ‘Uttam’ category in the performance grading index for districts released by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education.
• The index has been released for 2018-19 and 2019-20 and Mandi district, which improved its score from 357 out of 600 in 2018-19 to 388 in 2019-20, figures in the ‘Uttam’ category (61-70 per cent).
• Meanwhile, Kangra, Shimla, Hamirpur, Una, Kullu, Bilaspur, Kinnaur and Chamba with scores between 300 and 359 are in the Prachesta–I category (51 to 60 per cent) and Sirmaur, Solan and Lahaul and Spiti with scores between 270 and 300 are in the Prachesta–II category (41 to 50 per cent).
• The score card is based on performance of districts on 83 indicators in six domains, namely outcome, effective classroom transaction (ECT), infrastructure, facilities, student entitlements, school safety and child protection, digital learning and governance process.
• In 2018-19, Kangra,Mandi, Shimla, Hamirpur, Una, Kullu, Bilaspur and Chamba districts were in the Prachesta–I category while Kinnaur, Sirmaur, Solan and Lahaul and Spiti districts were in the Prachesta–II category.
• The score of Kullu increased by 18 points, Kinnaur by 15, Sirmaur and Hamirpur by 10 each, Shimla, Una and Lahaul and Spiti by six, Solan by four and Bilaspur by two points. Kangra witnessed a decline of one point but there was no change in the score of Chamba district.
• The index is prepared on the basis of data filled by districts on an online portal. The idea is to assess the performance of the school education system at the district level by creating an index for comprehensive analysis and help in identifying gaps and improve their performances in a decentralised manner.
• Himachal had scored 839 out of 1,000 marks in the performing grading index (PGI) 2019-20 for states and union territories based on outcomes in five categories, namely learning outcomes and quality, access, infrastructure and facilities, equity and governance processes released earlier.

• Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Telangana are among the seven states categorised as top achievers in the ranking of states and Union Territories based on the implementation of the business reform action plan 2020.
• Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh are the other states categorised as achievers in the ranking.
• The Aspires category includes seven states, including Assam, Kerala and Goa.  In the category of emerging business ecosystems, there are 11 states and UTs, including Delhi, Puducherry and Tripura.

• Eight core sectors are: Coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertiliser, steel, cement and electricity.
• Led by healthy growth in coal, crude oil, fertilisers, cement and electricity production, output of eight core industries grew to a 13-month high of 18.1 per cent in May this year, according to official data released.
• The growth of core infrastructure sectors expanded by 16.4 per cent in the year-ago period and 9.3 per cent in April this year. The last high growth was recorded in April 2021 when it was 62.6 per cent.
• In May, the output of coal, crude oil, refinery products, fertiliser, cement and electricity rose by 25.1 per cent, 4.6 per cent, 16.7 per cent, 22.8 per cent, 26.3 per cent and 22 per cent, respectively.
• Growth rate in the production of natural gas and steel slowed down by 7 per cent and 15 per cent in the month under review as compared to 20.1 per cent and 55.2 per cent, respectively in May 2021.
• Cumulatively, during April-May 2022-23, the output of these eight sectors declined to 13. 6 per cent as compared to 36.3 per cent during the same period of FY22.
• It is expected that the IIP (Index of Industrial Production) or factory output to expand by 16-19 per cent in May 2022, benefitting from the high growth in the core sector as well as various other high frequency indicators.
• The eight core industries account for 40.27 per cent of the IIP.

• The US and its allies, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the United Kingdom, have launched a new initiative called Partners in the Blue Pacific for effective and efficient cooperation with the region’s small island nations in response to China’s aggressive push to expand its sphere of influence in the Pacific.
• After China pushed for a broad, common cooperation pact with 10 Pacific states, it became obvious the planned extent of its expanding influence and the geostrategic competition in the region increased.

About Partners in the Blue Pacific (PBP):

• A five-nation informal framework, the PBP aims to support Pacific islands and strengthen regional political and economic ties.
• It calls for further cooperation to improve “prosperity, resilience, and security” in the Pacific. It simply means that these nations will contribute more resources through the PBP, both collectively and individually, to block China’s aggressive outreach.
• Members of the initiative have also promised to strengthen ties with the Pacific Islands Forum and promote regionalism in the Pacific.
• The five member countries said in a joint statement announcing the project that the forum “remains open to engaging with additional partners,” adding that “at every point, the Pacific Islands will be led and guided by us.”
• On the choice of the PBP’s lines of effort and its flagship projects, we shall look to the Pacific for advice.
• The climate issue, connectivity and transportation, marine security and protection, health, prosperity, and education are among the sectors where PBP seeks to improve cooperation.

• Forum is an acronym that stands for Far-infrared Outgoing Radiation Understanding and Monitoring.
• The Forum satellite will be assembled by aerospace giant Airbus at its factory in Stevenage.
• It will monitor far-infrared radiation coming up from our planet’s surface.
• It’s this particular type of light that makes molecules of gases such as carbon dioxide and water vapour vibrate, leading to a heating of the atmosphere – a key aspect of climate change.
• Forum is an Earth observation mission of the European Space Agency (ESA)
• Forum falls in ESA’s Earth Explorer class of missions. These are experimental satellites that do novel science in areas of pressing environmental interest.
• Forum would be the ninth one in the series.
• The UK has played significant roles in the preceding missions, at both manufacturer and science investigator level.

• The United Kingdom government has announced a partnership with leading businesses in India to offer 75 fully funded scholarships for Indian students to study in the UK from September, in celebration of the 75th anniversary of India’s independence. Additionally, the British Council in India is offering around 18 scholarships for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) covering over 12,000 courses across more than 150 UK universities.

About the Chevening scholarships programme:

• The programmes on offer include Chevening scholarships for a one-year Master’s programme, with the opportunity to study any subject at a UK university.
• HSBC, Pearson India, Hindustan Unilever, Tata Sons and Duolingo are among the companies supporting this initiative to celebrate India’s 75th year of independence. HSBC India will sponsor 15 scholarships, Pearson India will sponsor two, Hindustan Unilever, Tata Sons and Duolingo will sponsor one each as part of the 75 scholarships.
• The Chevening scheme is the UK government’s international awards scheme offered in 150 countries, aimed at developing global leaders since 1983. India’s Chevening programme is the largest in the world with over 3,500 alumni.
• The fully funded scholarships include tuition, living expenses and travel cost for a one-year-postgraduate programme. A minimum of two years’ work experience is required for candidates to be eligible for the award and details will be made available through the Chevening website.