Akhil Sheoran spectacularly rose to third place in the rifle 3-position event in the World Cup Final at the Dr. Karni Singh range in Tughlakabad on Wednesday.

It was the second medal for the host after the silver on the opening day by Sonam Maskar. Incidentally, both Akhil and Sonam were two of the four shooters who had got direct entry into the prestigious championship.

The 29-year-old Akhil finished behind two of the finest rifle shooters in the world, Istvan Peni of Hungary and Jiri Privratsky of the Czech Republic after having bridged the gap to 0.6 points before the last shot. He was placed fifth last year in the championship in Doha.

The Seventh Session of the International Solar Alliance Assembly will be held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi from 3rd of next month. The four-day event will continue till 6th of November. The ISA Assembly will deliberate on initiatives of the International Solar Alliance, ISA that impact energy access, security and traditions with a focus on empowering member countries to adopt solar energy and mobilise finance to speed up solar deployment.

In a curtain raiser press conference in New Delhi, Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy and President of ISA Pralhad Joshi said that leaders from across the world will be gathered at the ISA Assembly to promote the widespread adoption of solar power. He emphasised that the widespread adoption of solar energy solutions is one of the most powerful weapons in the battle against global warming. He added, that for this the ISA was established as a joint initiative between India and France to address climate change.

He said, that through initiatives like ISA, India has taken significant strides in progressing the global climate action under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr Joshi informed that India is today recognised globally for its leadership in renewable energy, climate action and sustainability.

CM Bhupendra Patel gave Letters of Intent (LoI) to at least four eligible leaseholders after auction of minor mineral blocks in districts of Junagadh, Devbhumi Dwarka, Sabarkantha and Kutch Tuesday.

As per a government statement, 25 major mineral blocks have been auctioned so far, and LoIs were given to 20. The state government introduced an “application-based system” for granting leases quickly for minor minerals on private land as part of its Ease of Doing Business initiative, the statement said.

The amendment for minor minerals was put into effect in 2022 to allow application-based leases on private land of up to four hectares.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved significant appointments within the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) on Tuesday.

According to an order issued from the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), IAS officer Akash Tripathi has been entrusted with additional responsibilities as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of Digital India Corporation (DIC). He is a 1998-batch IAS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre and is currently serving as CEO of MyGov.

The appointment of Tripathi is effective from April 1, 2024, is for a period of six months or until the appointment of a regular incumbent, or until further orders, whichever is the earliest.

Senior IPS officer Praveen Vashista has been appointed as the new Special Secretary (Internal Security) in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), according to an official order. Vashista is a 1991-batch IPS officer of the Bihar cadre. Currently, he is serving as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

According to an order from the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the curtailment of Vashista’s current role, appointing him as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Home Ministry until December 31, 2024. He will succeed the incumbent, Sivagami Sundari Nanda, who is set to retire on December 31, 2024. Vashista’s tenure as Special Secretary will continue until July 31, 2026.

In an exciting discovery, more than 446 butterfly species have been reported from Kaziranga National Park making it the second highest in the country next to Namdapha National Park in Arunachal Pradesh. This remarkable finding is the result of years of research by Dr Monsoon Jyoti Gogoi, a young scientist hailing from Kaziranga, a press release said.

The first-ever "Butterfly Conservation Meet-2024," held from September 27 to 29, attracted approximately 40 butterfly enthusiasts from across India. Attendees included representatives from North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Cotton University, various Assam colleges, the Maharashtra Forest Department, Corbett Foundation, and key members of the North East Butterflies group. The event focused on detailed butterfly records and further dissemination on the butterfly status.

China has emerged as India's top import source with $ 56.29 billion worth of inbound shipments during the April-September period of this fiscal, according to the commerce ministry data.

During the period, the US emerged as the top export destination for the country with outbound shipments increasing by 5.62 per cent to $ 40.38 billion.

The imports from China rose by 11.5 per cent during the first half of this fiscal. The imports stood at $ 50.48 billion during April-September 2023.

During the period, the top 10 import sources of India were China, Russia, the UAE, the US, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Korea, Switzerland and Singapore, the data showed.

Private lender HDFC Bank on Wednesday inaugurated its first branch in Singapore to provide banking services in the country.

"HDFC Bank has been granted a wholesale banking license by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) effective 15th October 2024. This allows the Bank to offer a wide range of financial products and services to residents of Singapore," the lender said in a statement.

HDFC Bank will continue to provide loan-related administrative services to NRIs in Singapore for availing housing loans and purchase of properties in India through its new branch, it said.

In a significant advancement for India's military capabilities, the country has finalised a deal with the United States to acquire 31 MQ-9B Predator drones. This agreement, which marks a pivotal step in defence collaboration between the two nations, was approved by India's Cabinet Committee on Security earlier this month.

According per the reports, the Indian Navy is expected to receive 15 units of the 'SeaGuardian' variant, while both the Army and Air Force will be allocated eight 'SkyGuardian' drones each. The total cost of this transaction is projected to be under $3.5 billion. The drones will be supplied by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) under a Foreign Military Sales contract.

The MQ-9B Predator drone, a variant of the well-known MQ-9 'Reaper', is classified as a high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). It boasts the ability to remain airborne for 40 hours at altitudes exceeding 40,000 feet, with an external payload capacity of 2,155 kg.

A new Statue of Justice unveiled in the Supreme Court library for judges does not have the iconic blindfold and the sword. The new open-eyed statue instead holds a copy of the Constitution of India in the left hand. There, however, is no change in the scales of justice in her right hand.

The blindfold in the colonial era statue signified equality before the law. And the sword had represented authority and the power to punish injustice.

A well placed source said Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud believes that India should move forward from the British legacy. According to the CJI, the law is never blind; it sees everyone equally.