ANSWER: D

ANSWER: B

ANSWER: D

ANSWER: C

ANSWER: B

ANSWER: B

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully completed its third mission with the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) dubbed “Pushpak” on March 22, 2024.
• The major goal of the Pushpak mission is to develop essential technologies for a fully reusable launch vehicle, allowing for low-cost access to space.
• The launch vehicle was airlifted to an altitude of about 5 km by an Indian Air Force helicopter and released after meeting predetermined pillbox parameters.

ABOUT THE MISSION:

• ISRO had successfully completed previous RLV missions in 2016 and April of the previous year. The company intends to scale up the RLV-TD to become the first stage of India’s reusable two-stage orbital launch vehicle.
• The Pushpak RLV is a rocket-powered, fully reusable single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) vehicle. It combines several key components from advanced technology demonstrations such as the X-33, X-34 testbed, and modified DC-XA flying demonstrator.
• The vehicle has a fuselage, a nose cap, double delta wings, twin vertical tails, and active control surfaces known as Elevons and Rudder.
• The Pushpak project, named after the fabled spaceship from the Ramayana, is expected to cost more than Rs 100 crore (approx. $13.5 million).
• The Pushpak expedition is named after the fabled spaceship from the ancient Indian epic Ramayana.
• The Indian Air Force played an important role in the mission by deploying a Chinook chopper to hoist the Pushpak RLV to the required height.
• Pushpak RLV combines improved elements from many technology demonstrations, such as the X-33, X-34, and the enhanced DC-XA.

ANSWER: C

• Veteran table tennis player and CWG champion Sharath Kamal will be India’s flag bearer at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
• Also, legendary boxer MC Mary Kom was appointed the chef de mission of the country’s contingent.
• She will be assisted by luger Shiva Keshavan, who has been appointed the deputy chef de mission.
• Gagan Narang, a bronze medalist in the 10m air rifle event at the 2012 London Olympics, has been appointed to head the shooting village operations for the Paris Olympics.
• The Olympic Games will take place from July 26 to August 11.

ABOUT SHARATH KAMAL:

• Ranked World No. 88, Kamal has won the national table tennis championship a record 10 times.
• He has also claimed 13 medals at the CWG, including seven golds, and has earned two medals at the Asian Games.
• The legendary table tennis player is also a three-time bronze medalist at the World Championships.

ABOUT MARY KOM

• MC Mary Kom, the first female boxer in boxing history to have captured six world titles.
• The five-time Asian champion was also the first female boxer from India to win a gold medal at the 2014 Asian Games.

ANSWER: D

• Each year on March 23rd, World Meteorological Day is celebrated to commemorate the establishment of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) which is a specialized agency formed by the United Nations. The day recognizes the vital role of the organization in advancing global efforts in weather, climate, and water management.
• The theme for World Meteorological Day 2024 is “At the Frontline of Climate Action.”
• The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) was established in March 1950, becoming a specialized agency of the United Nations in 1951. This marked a significant shift towards international cooperation in meteorology, hydrology, and related sciences.
• WMO has 193 members, including 187 member states and 6 territories, maintaining their own meteorological services.

ANSWER: A

• Sultan Al Jaber was recognized with the ‘CERAWeek Leadership Award for Building Global Consensus towards a Sustainable Energy Future’ for his role in bringing Parties together to deliver the UAE Consensus.
• Al Jaber was presented the award by Daniel Yergin, Vice Chairman of S&P Global and CERAWeek conference chair.
• The UAE Consensus delivered a series of firsts focused on keeping 5°C within reach. The commitment from all Parties to transition away from fossil fuels in a just, orderly and equitable manner; targets to expand renewable energy with a goal to triple global capacity, and the objective to double energy efficiency by 2030.
• In his acceptance remarks, Dr. Al Jaber said “Last year… I delivered a clear call to action for oil and gas to step up. In fact, I said, ‘Houston, we have a problem’. Today, I am pleased to say that in Dubai at COP28 this industry proved that they are essential to the solution.”
• During COP28 the Presidency launched the Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter (OGDC), in his address Al Jaber welcomed the “good news” that the China National Petroleum Corporation, which represents 3.8 percent of global oil production, will soon join the OGDC, increasing the ratio of oil production represented to 44 percent.
• Al Jaber stressed the need to leverage finance and new technologies, highlighting that the roadmap of the UAE Consensus must be met with “smart policies to commercialize clean technologies” and coupled with financing to meet the huge opportunity that the energy transition presents for businesses and the climate.