NATIONAL:
1. IIT Madras in Tanzania
Why in news - IIT Madras to set up its first international campus in Zanzibar, Tanzania.
Key Points –
• It would be the first IIT campus in Africa.
• IIT Madras Director - Prof. V Kamakoti.
• V Kamakoti committee – Exploring role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for India's economic transformation.
Value Addition –
• Dr K. Radhakrishnan Committee - To plan for campuses of Indian universities to be set up overseas.
• Offshore IITs are likely to be called "India International Institute of Technology".
• IIT Delhi is reportedly considering setting up a campus in UAE.
• UAE, Egypt and Saudi Arabia have shown great interest in hosting the offshore IIT campuses.
2. “First Indian Village”
Why in news - The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) placed a signboard proclaiming Mana village as the “first Indian village”.
Key Points –
• Uttarakhand’s Mana village was earlier known as the last Indian village.
About Vibrant Villages Program (April 7, 2023) –
• Launched by Amit Shah at Kibithu, a border village in Arunachal Pradesh.
• Aim - to develop the villages in 46 border blocks across 19 districts.
• Coverage - 4 states and 1 UT i.e., Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Ladakh (UT).
• Purpose - Developing border villages, improving the quality of life of villagers, harnessing the tourism potential etc.
• Vibrant Village Action Plan is prepared by the district administration in collaboration with gram panchayats.
INTERNATIONAL:
1. Operation Kaveri
Why in news - India launched “Operation Kaveri” to evacuate its nationals from the violence-hit Sudan on April 24, 2023.
Key Points –
• About 500 Indians evacuated Port Sudan through INS Sumedha.
• Over 420 people have been killed in fighting between the Sudanese armed forces and the powerful paramilitary group (Rapid Support Forces).
• More than 181 members of the Hakki Pikki tribal community (bird catchers and hunters) from Karnataka are stuck in Sudan.
RANKS & INDICES:
1. Logistic Performance Index (LPI) 2023
Why in news - World Bank released Logistic Performance Index (LPI) for the year 2023.
Key Points –
• India’s rank - 38th (2018 - 44th). India's rank has improved by 6 places.
• Infrastructure score - 47th (2018 - 52nd).
• Highest ranked nations- Singapore and Finland.
• For the first time LPI 2023 measured the speed of trade with indicators derived from big datasets tracking shipments.
Indian Initiatives –
• PM Gati Shakti initiative (October 2021) - Rs 100 lakh-crore project for developing “holistic infrastructure” in India by 2024-25.
• National Logistics Policy (Sept 2022) – It seeks to reduce the logistics cost from 16% of GDP to a global average of 8% by 2030.
ENVIRONMENT:
1. State of the Global Climate 2022 Report
Why in news - The United Nations’ World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) released the report.
Key Points –
Findings –
• Years 2015 to 2022 - 8 warmest years in the 173-year instrumental record.
• Glacial retreats increase the risks of flash floods and disrupt riverine water flow.
• The rate of global mean sea level rise has doubled between 1993–2002 (2.27 mm per year) and 2013–2022 (4.62 mm per year).
• Global mean temperature in 2022 was 1.15°C [1.02–1.28] above the 1850–1900 average.
• The last IPCC report, too, highlighted that South Asia was a climate change hotspot.
Specific to Indian Monsoon –
• The Indian monsoon onset was earlier and the withdrawal later than normal in 2022.
• An exceptionally hot pre-monsoon and an extended, wetter-than-average monsoon characterized the climatic conditions in 2022.
• One of the most important features of 2022 was the summer monsoon that extended westward to Pakistan, where there was extensive flooding.
• Precipitation totals were above the long-term (1951–2000) average in the western Indian summer monsoon region.
• Pre-monsoon heat waves led to a decline in crop yields and a number of forest fires, particularly in Uttarakhand.
• Significant flooding at various stages during the monsoon season, particularly in the northeast.
SCIENCE – TECHNOLOGY:
1. TeLEOS-2 Mission
Why in news - Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully placed two Singaporean satellites, TeLEOS-2 and Lumelite-4, in orbit.
Key Points –
• Vehicle used - PSLV-C55.
• It marked the 57th flight of PSLV and 16th mission using the PSLV Core Alone configuration.
• “Core Alone” is the lightest version of the launch vehicle as it has four core stages and no strap-on boosters to provide an added thrust.