One of the eminent wildlife field biologists and pioneers of wildlife conservation in the Country, A.J.T.Johnsingh passed away in Bengaluru on Friday after a brief illness. He was 78. The family said that he will be buried at Donavur at the foothills of the Western Ghats.

A well known wildlife biologist, Johnsingh started his career as a Zoology lecturer at Sivakasi in the early 1970s. His frequent field trips to the forests made him pursue Ph.D in wildlife studies. His pioneering work in elephants in the early 1980s was instrumental for the Government of India to formulate Project Elephant. He also conducted an international conference bringing elephant experts across the world to Mudhumalai wildlife sanctuary. He was associated with the Bombay Natural History society , the Corbett foundation and the Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysuru. He was also a member of the National wild life Board and Tiger Conservation Authority. He received numerous awards both national and international for his work. He has trained more than 300 wildlife managers and published scientific papers and articles.

In wrestling, India’s Aman Sehrawat clinched the silver medal at the Budapest Ranking Series 2024 in Hungary last evening. Aman lost his final bout to the World Championships Silver medallist Rei Higuchi of Japan, 1-11, via technical superiority, in the men’s freestyle 57 kg category.

The silver medal will help Aman to boost his ranking for the upcoming Paris Olympics.

Kamal Kishore Soan (IAS) has taken over the additional charge of Director General of Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) under Ministry of Labour & Employment. He has taken over the charge of the post with effect from May 31.

Soan is a 1998 batch senior IAS officer from Jharkhand cadre. Currently, he is serving as an Additional Secretary and Director General of Labour Welfare in the Ministry of Labour & Employment.

He has vast experience of governance and management of various departments in the state of Jharkhand viz. Land Revenue Management and District Administration, Agriculture & Cooperation, Health, Building Construction, Transport, Finance, Energy, Water Resources, Social Justice & Empowerment, etc.

Vellayan Subbiah, Executive Vice-Chairman of Tube Investments of India (TII) and Chairman of Cholamandalam (Chola) Investment and Finance Co. Ltd., was named the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2024 at an award ceremony held in Monaco’s Salle des Etoiles.

Vellayan was selected from among nearly 5,000 programme participants that included 51 winners across 47 countries and jurisdictions competing for the global title. He is the fourth winner from India in the award’s 24-year history and his win also makes India the only country among EY regions to win the global entrepreneurship award four times. Narayana Murthy, Uday Kotak and Kiran Mazumdar Shaw are the other Indians to win this award.

The General Administration Department (GAD), through G.O. RT No. 1034 issued on June 7 (Friday), appointed Neerabh Kumar Prasad as Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh in place of K.S. Jawahar Reddy, who had since been transferred.

S. Suresh Kumar, Principal Secretary, Political Wing of the GAD, issued the G.O. to this effect.

Mr. Reddy, who is scheduled to retire from service this month-end on attaining the age of superannuation, had proceeded on leave, sources in the Secretariat said.

World Oceans Day is an annual affair, observed on June 8. The day aims to create awareness about the importance of preserving and conserving oceanic resources. It also celebrates the many ways humanity and biodiversity depend on oceans. Like all other natural resources, oceans are also bearing the brunt of pollution and overexploitation. Acts like overfishing, oil spills, and dumping of waste in oceans have led to complex issues like ocean pollution, destruction of marine biodiversity, and ocean acidification.

The idea of World Ocean Day was initially proposed in 1992 by Canada’s International Centre for Ocean Development and the Ocean Institute of Canada at the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 2008, the UN General Assembly passed an official resolution to mark June 8 as World Oceans Day.

Brain tumors are referred to as abnormal growths of cells within or surrounding the brain. These growths can exert pressure on surrounding tissues, nerves, and blood vessels, potentially affecting brain function and overall health. Primary brain tumors have their origin within the brain, while secondary tumors metastasise from cancers elsewhere in the body.

India Today spoke with Dr Narendra Motarwar, Consultant - Neurosurgery, Jupiter Hospital, Pune, to get more insights.

Healthcare providers classify primary tumors based on their composition (glial or non-glial) and behaviour (benign or malignant). Malignant brain tumors, including gliomas and medulloblastomas, are aggressive and can grow rapidly.

The Trishakti Corps of the Indian Army celebrated World Environment Day with numerous “Go Green Initiatives” in North Bengal and Sikkim. A key highlight was the inauguration of a plastic waste management and recycling plant in Changgu, East Sikkim.

This project, part of the Army’s Sadbhavana initiative, aims to improve waste management, promote sustainability, and benefit the local economy.

The plant will transform plastic waste into materials for road construction and bricks, reducing pollution and landfill burden. The initiative also provides employment for local villagers, fostering economic resilience.

The Indian Army is committed to environmental sustainability through various efforts, including solid waste management and the “Apashisht Mukt Sainya Abhiyan” to eliminate army landfills by 2027.

Senior officials and locals praised the Army’s efforts for turning waste into wealth and enhancing community welfare.

South Korea, India, the United States, Japan, and the European Union (EU) have come together to launch an alliance to put joint efforts into building a resilient supply chain in the biopharmaceutical sector, the South Korean presidential office said in Seoul on June 6.

The inaugural meeting of the Biopharmaceutical Alliance, held in San Diego during the Bio International Convention 2024, had representatives from government officials and bio and pharmaceutical companies from the participating countries, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.

The participants emphasised the importance of a reliable and sustainable supply chain and agreed to coordinate the respective countries' bio policies, regulations, and research and development support measures.

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' inaugurated the tunnel by blasting the final blast to mark the completion of excavation for the 11.8 kilometer long head race tunnel of the 900 MW Arun-3 Hydroelectric Project in Sankhuwasabha district of Nepal, the Power Ministry said in a press release. The Arun-3 Hydroelectric Project is being constructed by SJVN Arun-3 Power Development Company Private Limited (SAPDC).

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister of Nepal said that this success has brought us closer to the goal of providing clean, renewable energy and contributing to the sustainable development of the region. He appreciated the ongoing efforts and reiterated the commitment of the Government of Nepal to complete the Arun-3 Hydroelectric Project on time.

In his address, Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' had agreed on a long-term power trade agreement for import of electricity from Nepal last year. He said that the completion of the export-oriented 900 MW Arun 3 hydropower project would be a major achievement for this.