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NATIONAL AFFAIRS
Govt to Partially Implement New Telecommunications Act from 26th June 2024
On 21st June 2024, The Government of India(GoI), in exercise of powers given under sub-section (3) of section 1 of the Telecommunications Act, 2023 (44 of 2023) has notified that the provisions of sections 1, 2,10 to 30, 42 to 44, 46,47,50 to 58, 61 and 62 of the said Act will come into force from 26th June 2024.
- The Act has repealed the 138-year old Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, the Wireless Telegraph Act (1933), and the Telegraph Wires (Unlawful Possession) Act (1950).
Note: However, the section 59 of the Telecommunications Act, 2023, which deals with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Act, 1997 will come into effect later.
Background:
i.The Act was 1st introduced by the Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, as Telecommunications Bill, 2023 in the Lok Sabha (Lower House of the Parliament) on 18th December, 2023 during the winter session of the Parliament and was passed in Lok Sabha on 20th December, 2023.
ii.Later, the Bill was passed by Rajya Sabha (Upper House) on 21st December, 2023.
iii.The President of India, Droupadi Murmu gave assent to The Telecommunications Bill, 2023 on 24th December, 2023.
Click here to more about Telecommunications Bill, 2023
Key Features:
i.The new Act mandated that prior authorisation from the Government will be required: to provide telecommunication services, establish, operate, maintain or expand telecommunications networks or possess radio equipment.
Note: The existing licences will remain valid for a period of their grant, or for 5 years, where the period is not specified.
ii.As per the new Act, spectrum will be assigned by auction. But, in case of specified uses or purposes, it will be allocated on an administrative basis.
- The Act has defined certain conditions which comes under specified purposes or uses such as: national security, and defence, disaster management, weather forecasting, transport, satellite services such as DTH and satellite telephony, and public broadcasting services.
iii.The Act allows the telecommunication may be intercepted on specified grounds such as: security of the state, prevention of incitement of offences or public order.
iv.The Act has provision to amend the TRAI Act, 1997 which will allow individuals with minimum 30 years of professional experience to serve as the chairperson and minimum 25 years of professional experience to serve as members.
v.The Act empowers the central government to appoint an adjudicating officer. He/ She must be the rank of joint secretary and above.
- The adjudicating officer will have power to conduct inquiries and pass orders against civil offences under the Act.
- It has provision that orders of the adjudicating officer may be appealed before the designated appeals committee within 30 days.
vi.With the implementation of these notified sections of the Act, the Digital Bharat Nidhi will replace Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), which was established under Indian Telegraph Act, 1885. The new fund will allow the fund utilization for Research & Development (R&D).
About Ministry of Communications (MoC):
Union Minister- Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (Constituency- Guna, Madhya Pradesh)
Minister of State (MoS)– Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani (Constituency- Guntur, Andhra Pradesh)
New Criminal Laws Effective from 1st July, 2024: DoPT
On 21st June 2024, The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions(MoPPG&P) announced that 3 new criminal laws: Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita (BNS2) Act, 2023; Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita (BNSS2) Act, 2023; and Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Adhiniyam Act, 2023 will come into effect from 1st July, 2024.
- These 3 new criminal laws have repealed the British-colonial era laws: the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860; the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPc), 1973 and the Indian Evidence Act (IEA), 1872 respectively.
- The President of India, Droupadi Murmu gave assent to these 3 new criminal laws on 24th December, 2023.
Note: On 19th June 2024, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) for the National Forensic Infrastructure Enhancement Scheme (NFIES) with budget of more than Rs 2200 crore from FY25(2024-25) to FY29 (2028-29).
About Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA):
Union Minister- Amit Shah (Lok Sabha constituency- Gandhinagar, Gujarat)
Minister of State (MoS)- Nityanand Rai (Lok Sabha constituency- Ujiarpur, Bihar); Bandi Sanjay Kumar (Lok Sabha constituency- Karimnagar, Telangana)
>> Read Full News
DAHD Partners with NDDB for Biocontainment Facility Upgradation & Repair Works
Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), Ministry of Fisheries Animal Husbandry and Dairying (MoFAHD) signed an agreement with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) for the “Upgradation of Biocontainment Facility and associated repair works at Chaudhary Charan Singh National Institute of Animal Health (CCSNIAH)”, Baghpat (Uttar Pradesh).
- The estimated budget for the project is Rs. 160 crores and is planned to be executed within 20 months.
- The agreement was signed in the presence of Ms. Alka Upadhyaya, Secretary of the DAHD.
Objectives of Upgradation:
i.Compliance with the changing technology and safety standards, meeting the bio-safety and bio-security guidelines.
ii.Obtaining certification from the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology for operating such facilities.
Note:
i.CCSNAIH, Baghpat is an apex laboratory under the aegis of the DAHD and is a national facility for the quality assessment of veterinary vaccines and diagnostics.
ii.Gujarat based NDDB is a statutory body under the administrative control of the MoFAHD.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Hurun Research Institute’s ASK Private Wealth Hurun India Future Unicorn Index 2024: 25 Future Unicorns Dropped Out
According to the Hurun Research Institute‘s ASK Private Wealth Hurun India Future Unicorn Index 2024, 25 future Unicorns (5 Gazelles and 20 Cheetahs) including Rapido, Koo, Dunzo, and Paper Boat, were dropped from the list. The drop reflects the impact of funding constraints and valuation corrections in the Indian startup ecosystem.
- Only 3 start-ups (2 Gazelles and 1 Cheetah) from the 2023 Index were promoted to Unicorns with a valuation of over USD 1 billion each, including Indian grocery delivery startup Zepto, fintech startup InCred Finance, and logistics startup Porter.
About Hurun India:
Hurun Report Inc. is a leading research, luxury publishing and events group established in 1998 in London (UK). Hurun India was launched in 2012.
Managing Director(MD) and Chief Researcher– Anas Rahman Junaid
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
>> Read Full News
IUCN Changes Iberian Lynx’s Status to ‘Vulnerable’ from ‘Endangered’ on its Red List of Threatened Species
The conservation status of the Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus), one of the world’s rarest cats native to Spain and Portugal, has improved from Endangered to Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, reflecting a significant increase in its population through conservation efforts.
- The population of the Iberian Lynx has exponentially increased to 648 in 2022 from 62 mature individuals in 2001.
- At present, the total population of lynx (including young and mature lynx) is estimated to be more than 2,000.
Key Points:
i.The Iberian Lynx was previously assessed for The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2014 and was listed as Endangered (from Critically Endangered) under criteria D.
ii.Over 400 Lynx have been reintroduced to parts of Portugal and Spain since 2010.
iii.The Iberian Lynx now occupies at least 3,320 square kilometers (km²), an increase from 449 km² in 2005.
iv.The Iberian Lynx is largely depleted but has a high conservation legacy, in 1st IUCN Green Status of Species assessment.
- The IUCN Green Status of Species assessment is the global standard for measuring species recovery and assessing conservation impact.
v.The Iberian Lynx remains threatened, mainly due to potential fluctuations in the population of its main prey, the European rabbit. It is also susceptibe to diseases from domestic cats, Poaching and road kills, and habitat changes due to climate change.
Conservation Efforts:
i.Protection and restoration of Mediterranean scrub and forest habitats.
ii.Reducing deaths caused by human activities.
iii.Expanding genetic diversity through translocations and ex-situ breeding programs.
Note:
i.These efforts are attributed to the collaboration between various stakeholders, including public bodies, scientific institutions, etc., with support from the European Union (EU) LIFE Programme.
ii.LIFE Programme created in 1992 is the EU’s funding instrument for the environment and climate action.
Additional info:
i.2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, which was established in 1964. It is the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animals, fungi, and plant species.
ii.International Lynx Day is annually observed across the globe on June 11th to raise awareness about the conservation of Lynxes worldwide.
About the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN):
Director General– Dr Grethel Aguilar
Headquarters– Gland, Switzerland
Established-1948
BANKING & FINANCE
BharatPe, Invest India Collaborated to Promote Financial Inclusion among ODOP Producers
On 20th June 2024, BharatPe, a leading fintech company in India announced that it has collaborated with Invest India to promote digital financial inclusion and digital financial literacy across One District One Product (ODOP) producers and sellers across ODOP districts in India.
- This will improve access to the digital payment mediums amongst ODOP merchants in tier 3 and tier 4 cities and rural areas of India.
About Partnership between BharatPe and Invest India:
i.This partnership is structured around a robust and customized Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) program.
- The program will not be just restricted to impart knowledge on digital payments, but will also include to raise awareness about increasing cyber frauds and to how protect personal data while using digital payments.
ii.The IEC program will be designed to enable ODOP stakeholders to accept digital payments by providing them with BharatPe Quick-Response(QR) and Point of Sale(PoS) devices.
iii.It will strive to create awareness about availing small-ticket loans through digital channels.
- These small loans will further help in the growth of business of ODOP stakeholders include loans for better cash flow management, business expansion, purchase of machinery and raw materials, amongst others.
iv.The programs will be conducted for ODOP stakeholders who operates in micro and small-sized industries.
- For this initiative, districts across various states, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh (HP), Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh (UP), Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh (MP) and Delhi NCR, among others.
- These districts were selected to cover an extensive range of ODOP stakeholders across various industries such as: shawls, embroidery work, carpets, block printing and silk, gems, and jewellery, handicraft items, among others.
About ODOP:
i.ODOP is an initiative under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry(MOCI), Government of India (GoI).
ii.ODOP initiative is seen as a transformational step forward towards realizing the true potential of a district, gives boost to economic growth and generate employment and rural entrepreneurship, which in turn taking us closer the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
- It aims to transform each district of the country into a Manufacturing and Export hub by identifying products in specific districts which have export potential.
iii.ODOP initiative has identified a total 1102 products from 761 districts across India.
iv.Uttar Pradesh (UP) was the 1st state in India to launch the concept of ODOP in 2018.
About BharatPe:
It was co-founded by Ashneer Grover and Shashvat Nakrani in 2018.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Nalin Negi
Headquarters- New Delhi, Delhi
About Invest India:
It is a non-profit venture under the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry(MOCI).
Managing Director (MD) and CEO- Nivruti Rai
Headquarters- New Delhi, Delhi
Established- 2009
Mirae Asset Investment Managers (India) Launches India’s 1st EV ETF, ‘Mirae Asset Nifty EV and New Age Automotive ETF’
Mirae Asset Investment Managers (India) Pvt. Ltd has launched India’s 1st Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) named ‘Mirae Asset Nifty EV and New Age Automotive ETF’, dedicated to the New Age Automotive and Electric Vehicle (EV) markets. It is an open-ended scheme replicating/tracking the NIFTY EV and New Age Automotive Total Return Index (TRI).
- This new scheme aims to offer investors long-term capital appreciation by investing in leading companies within the dynamic automotive sector and its value chain.
- The New Fund Offer (NFO) of the scheme will be open for subscription from 24 June 2024 to 5 July 2024. The scheme will re-open for continuous sale and repurchase on 11 July 2024.
- The minimum initial investment is Rs 5,000 during the NFO period, with subsequent investments allowed in multiples of Re 1.
- The scheme will be managed by the Fund Managers Ekta Gala and Akshay Udeshi.
Investment Strategy:
- 95-100% in securities of the NIFTY EV and New Age Automotive Index.
- 0-5% in money market instruments and debt/liquid schemes.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
UNCTAD’s World Investment Report 2024: India’s FDI Inflows in 2023 Declined by 43%; Drops to 15th Spot in FDI Rankings
According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)’s 2024 World Investment Report: Investment facilitation and digital government, India‘s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows fell by 43% in 2023, from USD 49 billion in 2022 to USD 28 billion in 2023.
- With this, India‘s rank among FDI recipients dropped to 15th in 2023 from 8th in 2022.
- India’s rank for FDI outflows improved to 20th in 2023 from 23rd in 2022.
About United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD):
UNCTAD within the United Nations Secretariat that promotes the interests of developing countries in world trade.
Secretary-General– Rebeca Grynspan
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
Founded– 30 December 1964
>> Read Full News
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
Bilan Media, Somalia’s Only All-Women Media Team, won 2024 One World Media Press Freedom Award
Bilan Media, Somalia’s 1st and only all-women news team, has won the 2024 One World Media (OWM) Press Freedom Award during the 36th One World Media Awards (2024) ceremony held at Curzon Soho in London, United Kingdom (UK).
- With this award, Bilan became the 1st Somali media team to receive this honour.
- This award recognises their courageous reporting over the past 2 years, which has addressed many taboo subjects and opened doors for women journalists in Somalia.
Host: The award ceremony was hosted by Ronke Phillips, Senior Correspondent, ITV News London.
About Bilan:
i.Bilan was established by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 2021 and has been funded by the European Union (EU) through UNDP since 2024.
- Bilan is hosted by the Dalsan Media Group at offices in Mogadishu, Somalia.
ii.The team run entirely by women with full editorial independence, has covered a wide range of important issues, including discrimination against albino communities, abuse of female orphans, etc.
About One World Media Awards:
i.The OWM Awards, an annual project of OWM, a UK based non-profit organisation.
ii.The award recognise the best journalism and outstanding media coverage from and about the global south across 15 media categories, in print, broadcast, audio, digital, and multimedia platforms.
iv.Since its inception in 1988, the OWM Awards have recognised the work of over 1000 journalists and filmmakers highlighting stories on various issues globally.
About the OWM Press Freedom Award:
i.The OWM Press Freedom Award (formerly the Special Award) recognises an independent media organisation based in the global south and use of media to address social, cultural, political, and economic challenges.
ii.The Award recognises outstanding reporting that informs the public, amplifies local voices, creates a space for critical information, and holds those in power to account.
Climate and Labour film Grant:
i.During the award ceremony, Vivienne Francis, Director of OWM, launched a new grant of up to 20,000 pounds for a documentary maker based in the global south to create a film about climate impacts on people’s lives and labor.
ii.This is a partnership between One World Media, the Financial Times (FT), and the Pulitzer Center.
Note: The film needs to be 25 minutes or less and should be completed by June 2025.
KVGB Received National Award from PFRDA for Implementation of APY
Indian Regional Rural Bank (RRB), Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB) sponsored by Canara Bank, has received the National Award from the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority(PFRDA) for maximum enrolment under Atal Pension Yojana (APY).
- The award was jointly presented by Vivek Joshi, Secretary, Department of Financial Services (DFS) under the Ministry of Finance (MoF), Government of India (GoI) and Deepank Mohanty, Chairman, PFRDA to Shreekant M Bhandiwad, Chairman, KVGB at ceremony held on 21st June, 2024 in New Delhi, Delhi.
Key Points:
i.So far, more than 4.27 lakh (i.e. 4,27,736) combined accounts were opened by KVGB under APY.
ii.During the FY 24(2023-24), KVGB has enrolled 86,350 accounts against the set target of 67,932.
iii.Also, KVGB surpassed target of average 100 accounts per branch set by PFRDA, with an average of 137 accounts which is the highest among all banks in South India.
About Atal Pension Yojana:
i.It is a voluntarily old-age income security scheme which aims to address the longevity risks among workers in the unorganized sector.
ii.The scheme is implemented by PFRDA under the overall administrative and institutional architecture of the National Pension System (NPS).
iii.The minimum age for enrolling in the scheme is 18 years and the maximum age is 40 years.
- The age of exit and start of the pension would be 60 years.
iv.The beneficiaries would receive the guaranteed minimum monthly pension of range of Rs 1000 to Rs 5000 at the age of 60 years, based on the contributions made by them.
About Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB):
It was formed by the merger of 4 RRBs namely, Malaprabha Grameena Bank, Bijapur Grameena Bank, Varada Grameena Bank and Netravathi Grameena Bank. It is a scheduled RRB with share capital contributed in the ratio of 50:15:35 by the Government of India (GoI), the Government of Karnataka, and the Canara Bank respectively.
Chairman- Shreekant M Bhandiwad
Headquarters- Dharwad, Karnataka
Formed- 12th September, 2005
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
Manoj Jain Appointed as CMD of Bharat Electronics Limited
Navratna Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU) Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has appointed Manoj Jain as its new Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) with effect from June 20 2024.
- Prior to this position, he served as the Director (Research and Development – R&D) of BEL from September 2022 and additional charge of Bangalore complex Director from August 2023.
- He succeeds Bhanu Prakash Srivastava who served as CMD (Additional Charge) from November 2022 to June 19 2024. Presently Srivastava has been serving as the Director (other units) of BEL since April 20 2022.
About Manoj Jain:
i.Manoj Jain joined BEL in August 1991 as a Probationary Engineer.
ii.He played a pivotal role in the development of Digital Multiplexers, Cross Connects, Centre for Development of Telematics (CDOT) Exchanges and Military Switches.
iii.He served as Chief Scientist of Central Research Laboratory – Bangalore (CRL-BG) – BEL from December 2017 to May 2019.
iv.Prior to his position as Director (R&D), he served as the General Manager of the Electronic Warfare and Avionics Strategic Business Units (SBU) at BEL’s Bangalore Complex in June 2021.
v.He also served as Additional charge of Director (Human Resource – HR) from November 1 2022 to 31 May 2023.
vi. He has received various R&D awards, Key Contributor Awards, Raksha Mantri’s Award and SODET Awards.
About Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL):
Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) – Manoj Jain
Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka
Established – 1954
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Bharat 6G Alliance Signed MoU with 6G-IA of Europe & 6G Flagship of Oulu University, Finland to Drive 6G Innovations
Bharat 6G Alliance (B6GA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with 6G Smart Networks and Services Industry Association (6G IA) and 6G Flagship of Finland’s Oulu University to further enable development of secure and trusted telecommunication technology including resilient supply chains.
- It is in continuation of the already concluded MoU of Bharat 6G Alliance and Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS)’s NextG Alliance of the United States of America (USA) which was signed in September 2023.
- Under Bharat 6G Vision, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is already evaluating 470 proposals on ‘Accelerated research on 6G’.
Note : In July 2023, the DoT under the Ministry of Communications (MoC) launched the B6GA to foster innovation and leadership in 6G technology.
About MoU:
i.The MoU will connect European Union (EU) and Indian Research and Development (R&D) companies, academia, and research institutions and to align efforts in R&D concerning 6G and related technologies.
ii.It promotes joint research initiatives, conducts pilots of 6G technologies and use cases, and to collaborate on 6G technology development and contribute to standardisation efforts at global forums.
About Bharat 6G Alliance(B6GA):
i.B6GA is an initiative of Indian industry, academia, national research institutions and standards organisations.
- The aim of B6GA to deploy 6G technologies to act as a powerful force multiplier for India by 2030.
ii.It aligns with the Bharat 6G Mission of the Government of India (GoI) to design, develop and deploy technology and innovations that provide an intelligent and secure solution for high-quality living experience of citizens in India and across the world.
About 6G IA:
i.6G-IA is the voice of European Industry and Research for next generation networks and services.
ii.It carries out a wide range of activities in key areas including standardisation, frequency spectrum, R&D projects, technology skills, collaboration with key vertical industry sectors, notably for the development of trials, and international cooperation.
About 6G Flagship:
i.The 6G Flagship programme is a research initiative funded by the University of Oulu and the Research Council of Finland.
ii.It aims to create key 6G technology components, establish a comprehensive 6G Test Centre, and accelerate the societal digitisation of the 2030s through ground-breaking 6G research and innovation.
About Ministry of Communications (MoC):
Union Minister – Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (Lok Sabha constituency – Guna, Madhya Pradesh-MP)
Minister of State (MoS) – Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani (Lok Sabha Constituency – Guntur, Andhra Pradesh-AP)
ENVIRONMENT
‘Indiconema’: New freshwater Diatom Genus Discovered From The Eastern & Western Ghats
Researchers from the Agharkar Research Institute (ARI) have discovered ‘Indiconema’, a new genus within the Gomphonemataceae (diatom) family in India.
- The researchers discover a new astigmate gomphonemoid diatom from the Eastern Ghats and a closely allied species from the Western Ghats which were a members of the Gomphonemataceae in terms of symmetry and certain valve features.The discovery was published in the journal Phycologia.
Note: ARI is an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST)at Pune, Maharashtra.
Points to note:
i.The species discovered from the clean water river of the Eastern Ghats and another from Western ghats are having groups of differentiated pore fields at both apices and at the headpole, the area bearing the groups of pores is flattened and positioned on the valve mantle.
ii.For these species the researchers have proposed a new genus Indiconema within the Gomphonemataceae.
iii.Based on the morphological features of this group, the researchers suggests that Indiconema is sister to Afrocymbella, a genus endemic to East Africa.
What are Diatoms?
i.Diatoms are the first recorded microorganisms in India. It produces 25% of global oxygen, approximately every fourth breath of oxygen we inhale.
ii.They are the base of the aquatic food chain and excellent indicators of aquatic health.
‘Striped caecilian’: A Limbless Amphibian Found In Kaziranga National Park
A team of herpetologists recorded the ‘Striped caecilian’ (Ichthyophis spp), a limbless amphibian in the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, Assam, for the first time during a herpetofauna survey conducted from 14th to 17th June 2024.
About Caecilian:
i.Caecilian are a group of elongated, segmented, limbless, vermiform(worm-shaped) or serpentine (snake-shaped) amphibians.
ii.The name caecilian derives from the Latin word caecus, meaning “blind” which refers to their small or sometimes nonexistent eyes.
iii.They mostly spend their lives underground or in water bodies
iv.They are the ancient species, which holds critical linkages to evolution and intercontinental speciation.
About Herpetofauna:
Reptiles and amphibians are collectively called herpetofauna. They are indicator species for the environment and play a crucial role in controlling pests.
Note: The Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve houses 24 species of amphibians and 74 species of reptiles. It also houses around 21 of the 29 species of tortoises and freshwater turtles found in India.
‘Petrocosmea arunachalense’: New Plant Species Discovered in Arunachal Pradesh
A team of researchers from the Arunachal Pradesh Regional Centre(APRC) of the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) has discovered a new plant species ‘Petrocosmea arunachalense’ from the Mandala region of West Kameng district in Arunachal Pradesh(AR).
- The research details have been published in the Nordic Journal of Botany.
i.Petrocosmea arunachalense is an herbaceous plant species which belongs to the family Gesneriaceae.
ii.It is the second known species of the genus Petrocosmea, found in India.
iii.This discovery underscores the rich biodiversity of AR and the importance of ongoing conservation efforts.
Research team: The discovery was led by Dr. Krishna Chowlu, Scientist-D, along with researchers Akshath Shenoy and Ajit Ray of APRC, Itanagar, AR.
SPORTS
Odisha Government Extends Hockey India Sponsorship till 2036
Mohan Charan Majhi, Chief Minister(CM) of Odisha announced that the Government of Odisha will extend its sponsorship of the Hockey India(HI) for another three years till 2036, which will mark the completion of 100 years of the formation of Odisha as a separate state in 1936.
- The partnership was cemented during a high level meeting between CM Odisha Mohan Charan Majhi and Minister of State (MoS) Suryabanshi Suraj, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MoYAS), and delegation of Hockey India led by its president and Indian hockey legend Dilip Tirkey.
Note: In April 2023, the Odisha Government led by then CM Naveen Patnaik extended the sponsorship deal by 10 years till 2033 for Rs 434.12 crores. The Government of Odisha has been sponsoring the National Men’s and Women’s Team since 2018.
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