India leads Global Maritime Discourse at IMO Council Session

• India attended the 132nd session of the IMO Council in London, addressing key issues in global maritime operations from July 8-12, 2024.
•  As an IMO Council member, India emphasized seafarer abandonment, reporting 44 active cases involving 292 Indian seafarers.
•  India's strong advocacy for seafarers' welfare secured its place in the Joint Tripartite Working Group.
• The delegation also addressed disruptions in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, highlighting India's commitment to maritime safety with notable rescues by the Indian Navy.
• India proposed the South Asian Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Maritime Transport (SACE-SMarT) to advance the maritime sector in South Asia.
• This initiative aligns with the IMO's Maritime Technology Cooperation Centres. India's contributions highlight its leadership in global maritime governance and innovation.

June 25 is to be Observed as ‘Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas’

• The government announced the observance of June 25 every year as 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas' on July 12, 2024.
• This decision commemorates the imposition of an Emergency by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on that day in 1975.
• The observance aims to uphold individual freedom and defend India's democracy.
•  According to Mr. Amit Shah, the Emergency marked a dictatorial act that suppressed Indian democracy, leading to mass incarcerations and media censorship.
• 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas' serves as a reminder of the consequences of disregarding the Constitution of India.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted on social media that this day honors all who suffered during the Emergency, describing it as a dark phase unleashed by the Congress in Indian history.

SDG India Index 2023-24 Released

• The NITI Aayog released the SDG India Index 2023-24, emphasizing India's progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals despite global challenges on July 12, 2024.
• This index serves as the primary tool for evaluating national and subnational advancements across 113 indicators.
• Launched by NITI Aayog the index computes scores for each State and Union Territory (UT) on 16 SDGs, ranging from 0 - 100.
• A score of 100 indicates that the targets have been met. Beyond highlighting achievements, the index encourages states and UTs to learn from one another to bridge gaps in outcomes.
•  Key initiatives contributing to SDG accomplishments include

1. the construction of over 4 crore houses under PM Awas Yojana,
2.  installation of 11 crore toilets and 2.23 lakh Community Sanitary Complexes in rural areas,
3.  distribution of 10 crore LPG connections via PM Ujjwala Yojana, and provision of tap water connections to over 14.9 crore households under Jal Jeevan Mission.

Vietnam Crowned Most Affordable County

• In 2024, Vietnam was again named the most affordable destination for expatriates, marking its fourth consecutive year at the top, according to an InterNations study released on July 12, 2024.
• The survey, which included over 12000 expats from 174 territories, ranked destinations based on cost of living, financial satisfaction, and disposable income adequacy.
• The study assessed 53 global destinations including quality of life, digital connectivity, housing affordability, language accessibility, career prospects, salary levels, and job security.
• 6 of the top 10 spots were taken by Asian countries, with Southeast Asia being notably prominent.
• Vietnam's consistent ranking highlights its lasting appeal to expats seeking economical living conditions.

India’s Index of Industrial Production grew by 5.9%

• India's Index of Industrial Production (IIP) rose by 5.9 % in May compared to the same period the previous year as of July 12, 2024.
•  In May 2023, the IIP growth rate was 5.7 %. The manufacturing sector grew by 4.6 %, while electricity saw a significant year-on-year increase of 13.7 %.
•  Classification data for May showed a 2.5 % rise in the capital goods segment, a 12.3 % surge in consumer durables, a 2.3 % increase in non-durable consumer goods, and a 6.9 % growth in infrastructure and construction-related goods.
•  Additionally, the output of primary goods grew by 7.3 %.

New Microcontinent Discovered in West Greenland (Environment and Ecology)

• Scientists discovered a hidden microcontinent in the Davis Strait, west of Greenland, named the Davis Strait proto-microcontinent on July 12, 2024.
• This discovery highlights the complex tectonic movements that have shaped the Earth's geological structure over time.
• The microcontinent, formed during the Paleogene period, features a thicker continental crust compared to mainland Greenland and Baffin Island, surrounded by smaller, thinner bands of crust.
• Plate tectonics, the study of lithospheric plate movements, directly influences the formation of landmasses and natural events like earthquakes and volcanoes.
• The Davis Strait, located between Canada and Greenland, is crucial due to its position on the edge of two plates, which has seen significant seismic activity.

Massive Blackhole in Omega Centauri (Space Technology)

• New studies published in Nature on July 12, 2024, have confirmed that the Omega Centauri star cluster hosts an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH).
• Located 18000 light-years away, it is now the closest known large black hole to our solar system.
• IMBHs, with masses between 100000 and a few hundred thousand times that of the Sun, bridge the gap between smaller stellar black holes and supermassive black holes.
• This discovery is crucial for understanding galaxy evolution and the early universe.
• Omega Centauri, the Milky Way's most massive globular cluster and possibly the remnant core of a smaller absorbed galaxy, has long intrigued astronomers.

Space Suit Designed by Scientist Inspired by Science Fiction Novel ‘Dune' (Space Technology)

• The scientists have created a prototype spacesuit that converts urine into potable water, potentially enabling longer spacewalks for future lunar missions as of July 12, 2024.
• Inspired by the "stillsuits" from the science fiction novel “Dune.”This suit purifies urine into drinkable water within 5 minutes.
• The inventors aim to integrate this technology into NASA's Artemis program, facilitating extended stays for astronauts on other planets.
• The suit features a vacuum-based external catheter connected to a forward-reverse osmosis unit, providing a continuous supply of safe drinking water.
•  Sofia Etlin, a researcher at Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell University and co-designer of the suit, assures multiple safety mechanisms are in place.
•  This innovation aligns with NASA's plans for the Artemis III mission in 2026 and crewed missions to Mars by the 2030s.

Exercise Pitch Black 2024 (Defence)

• The Indian Air Force is taking part in Exercise Pitch Black 2024, hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force at Base Darwin, Australia, starting on July 12, 2024, and concluding on August 2, 2024.
• This biennial multinational exercise, now in its 43rd year, serves as a critical platform for international military cooperation and air combat capability demonstration.
• Named ‘Pitch Black’ due to its emphasis on nighttime flying in vast unpopulated areas, with participation from 20 countries, over 140 aircraft, and around 4,400 military personnel.
• The primary focus is on Large Force Employment (LFE) warfare, aiming to strengthen international cooperation, enhance operational experience, and facilitate interoperability among diverse air forces.

7 New Projects Awarded by DRDO (Defence)

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) awarded seven new projects to industries under the Technology Development Fund scheme on July 12, 2024.
• It targets the needs of the Armed Forces and the aerospace and defense sectors.
• The Defence Ministry stated that these project approvals highlight DRDO's ongoing efforts to support industries, particularly MSMEs and start-ups, within the defense and aerospace fields.
• The approved projects include developing Ice Detection Sensors for Aircraft, Underwater Launched Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, and Long-range remotely operated vehicles for detection and neutralization.
•  The Ministry emphasized that the Indigenous development of these technologies will enhance the military-industrial ecosystem, bolstering the country's defense capabilities and self-reliance in critical technological areas.

PUMA Partnered with the Indian Olympic Association

• PUMA India entered a significant partnership with the Indian Olympic Association, becoming the Official Footwear Partner for the Indian team at the Paris Olympics 2024 on July 12, 2024.
• This collaboration supports Indian athletes on the global stage and promotes sports excellence.
• PUMA will provide essential gear, including podium and travel footwear, trolleys, backpacks, sippers, yoga mats, headbands, wristbands, socks, and towels.
• Notably, 45 out of over 100 Indian athletes are part of the PUMA contingent, making it the largest brand-represented squad in India for the 2024 Olympics.
• PUMA also launched a large-scale outdoor campaign, "See the Game Like We Do," to leverage the partnership and build excitement around the Indian Olympic team.

Saberra Haris

• At the ISSF Junior World Cup in Porpetto, Italy, Sabeera Haris of India secured the bronze medal in the women's trap event, hitting 29 out of 40 targets in the final round on July 12, 2024.
• Carey Garrison from the US clinched the gold by hitting 40 out of 50 targets, while Sofia Gori of Italy earned the silver with 39 hits.
• In the junior women's trap category, Bhavya Tripathi from India finished 26th with a score of 102, while Rajkuwar Ingle ended in 33rd place with 100 points.

Ben Stokes

•  England's all-rounder and captain Ben Stokes achieved a significant milestone by taking his 200th Test wicket on July 12, 2024.
• He became only the third player in cricket history to accomplish the feat of both 200 wickets and 6000 runs in Test matches.
• Ben Stokes reached this landmark during the first Test against West Indies at Lord’s, dismissing Kirk McKenzie in the second innings.
•  The other two players sharing this record are West Indies' Sir Garfield Sobers and South Africa's Jacques Kallis.
• Sir Garfield Sobers was the pioneer, achieving 235 wickets and 8032 runs, while Kallis amassed 13289 runs and 292 wickets in his illustrious career.

Karnataka Appealed Against the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee

•  The Karnataka State Government announced its intention to challenge the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee's directive to release Cauvery River water to Tamil Nadu on July 12, 2024.
• Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated in Bengaluru that Karnataka plans to appeal to the Cauvery Water Management Authority against the order.
•  He cited inadequate reservoir storage, with a 28 % shortfall in inflow across the 4 dams along the Cauvery River, holding only 60 TMC of water essential for state agriculture.
•  Despite Karnataka's request for an extension until the end of the month to release water, the Regulatory Committee mandated a daily release of one TMC feet or 11500 Cusecs to Tamil Nadu until month-end.