Current Affairs

Dharmendra Pradhan launches 'TeacherApp' to support educators nationwide

In a move to enhance the quality of education, Union Minister for Education, Dharmendra Pradhan, launched the TeacherApp in New Delhi. This digital platform aims to equip teachers with the skills needed to navigate 21st-century classrooms, fostering continuous professional development.

Speaking on the theme "Elevating Teachers, Elevating India," Dharmendra Pradhan highlighted that the app will empower educators by providing continuous professional development through innovative content, technology, and community-building tools. He stressed that teachers are the true Karmayogis shaping future generations, and the government is committed to prioritising their ongoing development in alignment with the vision of NEP 2020.



Voyage Sri Lanka 2024 conference on blue economy potential held in Colombo

A Conference on potential of blue economy in the Indian Ocean region, Voyage Sri Lanka 2024, was held at Colombo today. Speaking at the Conference, Vice Chairman of India Sri Lanka chamber of Commerce and Industry Dr. Naresh Bana has said that Neighbourhood first policy and increasing trade and commerce between India and Sri Lanka is important for both countries. He added that India has been helping Sri Lanka in several ways including in energy sector, ports, railways among others. Dr. Bana said that India through the International Solar Alliance has helped Sri Lanka through capacity building, financing and execution of projects apart from helping develop wind energy capabilities of about 500 Mega Watts.

The event organised by Sri Lanka’s Export Development Board at Colombo bringing together stakeholders and experts in the region on blue economy.

Blue economy contributes 4 percent to India’s GDP and covers 95 percent of all international trade by volumes. With immense impact and potential, India’s G20 presidency highlighted the need to build a sustainable and resilient blue economy.



Left-wing candidate Orsi wins Uruguay presidential election

Left-wing politician Yamandu Orsi was elected president of Uruguay, official results showed on Sunday (November 24, 2024), in a rebuke by voters of five years of conservative rule.

Uruguayans went to the polls for the second round of voting in what became a tight race between Mr. Orsi, of the Frente Amplio (Broad Front) alliance, and Alvaro Delgado of the National Party, a member of outgoing President Luis Lacalle Pou's center-right Republican Coalition.

Mr. Orsi promised in a victory speech on Sunday (November 24, 2024) evening to be a president "who calls again and again for national dialogue to find the best solutions."



13-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi becomes youngest IPL pick as Rajasthan Royals secure him for Rs 1.10 crore

When Sanjiv Suryavanshi sold his farmland to fund his 10-year-old son Vaibhav's cricketing aspirations, he couldn’t have imagined that within three years, his son would make history.

During the second and final day of the IPL mega auction in Jeddah, 13-year-old Vaibhav, at just 13 years and eight months, became the youngest cricketer ever to be picked by a franchise. Rajasthan Royals acquired him for Rs 1.10 crore.

Sanjiv, a farmer from Motipur village, 15 km from Samastipur town in Bihar, was overwhelmed.

“He’s no longer just my son, he’s the pride of all Bihar,” Sanjiv told PTI over the phone while his son is currently in Dubai for the U-19 Asia Cup.



Proba-3 spacecraft fuelled for space as Isro readies PSLV for launch

The European Space Agency's (ESA) Proba-3 mission has reached a critical milestone as its Coronagraph spacecraft was successfully fueled with hydrazine at the Indian Space Research Organisation's (Isro) Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

This preparation marks a significant step towards the mission's scheduled launch on December 4, 2024, using Isro’s PSLV-XL rocket.

Proba-3 is a pioneering mission dedicated to demonstrating precision formation flying, a technique that involves two satellites operating in tandem as if they were a single, large structure.



South Africa declares ‘national disaster’ over spate of food poisonings

South Africa has classified a spate of poisonings as a “national disaster”, after at least 23 children have died in recent months.

A five-year-old-boy this week became the latest suspected victim when he died after reportedly eating snacks from a small shop in Soweto.

Several of the deaths have been blamed on pesticide-tainted food bought from small convenience shops in townships, though it is not clear if all the incidents are linked.

President Cyril Ramaphosa last week unveiled a plan to remove suspect pesticides from the streets and shops, and ordered that informal convenience stores known as spaza shops, or tuck shops, register within 21 days.



Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying Announces the Prestigious National Gopal Ratna Award 2024 Winners

The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) declared the winners of the National Gopal Ratna Awards(NGRA) ; one of the highest National Awards in the field of livestock and dairy sector for the year 2024. These awards will be given on the occasion of National Milk Day celebrations on 26th November 2024 at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi. The Awards to the winners will be conferred by Union Minister, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying in the august presence of Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel and Shri George Kurian, Minister of State, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying in a grand function being organized by the department as part of the National Milk Day celebrations 2024.

About National Gopal Ratna Awards

The National Gopal Ratna Awards are conferred with an objective to recognize and encourage all individuals like Farmers rearing indigenous animals, AI Technicians and Dairy cooperative societies / Milk Producer Company / Dairy farmers Producers Organizations working in the sector of animal husbandry and dairying. The Award is conferred in three categories, namely,

Best Dairy Farmer Rearing Indigenous Cattle/buffalo Breeds,
Best Artificial Insemination Technician (AIT) and
Best Dairy Cooperative/ Milk Producer Company/ Dairy Farmer Producer Organization.



PM Modi honoured with Global Peace Award as Indian American minorities launch AIAM in Washington

The Association of Indian American Minorities (AIAM), a newly formed non-governmental organisation, was launched on Friday at the Sligo Seventh-day Adventist Church in Maryland. The initiative aims to unite and promote the welfare of minority communities within the Indian American diaspora.

During the event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was honoured in absentia with the ‘Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Global Peace Award for Minority Upliftment.’ The award was jointly presented by Washington Adventist University and AIAM, recognizing his efforts toward inclusive development and minority welfare.

AIAM is set to foster unity among Indian Americans in the United States.



Union Minister Annpurna Devi to launch national campaign "Ab Koi Bahana Nahi"

Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Annpurna Devi will launch a national campaign "Ab Koi Bahana Nahi" November 25 at Rang Bhawan, All India Radio in New Delhi.

This campaign is a collaborative effort between the Ministries of Women and Child Development and Rural Development, with support from UN Women which calls on the public, government and key stakeholders to take actionable steps to eliminate gender-based violence.

The campaign is launched along with the 'Nayi Chetna 3.0 campaign,' led by the Ministry of Rural Development, to ensure a wide reach on spreading the call to action on ending gender-based violence, leaving no one behind, as per an official statement.



Operation Tamarisk: The secret garbage war of the Cold War

Set against the tense backdrop of the Cold War, a period when the United States and the Soviet Union were constantly trying to outsmart each other, intelligence operatives had to get creative. Each side sought any advantage, even if it meant scouring through discarded scraps in search of clues that might tip the balance of power.

The Mission

Operation Tamarisk involved agents from the U.S., U.K., and France, who sifted through garbage left behind by Soviet troops stationed in East Germany. Discarded items included food scraps, letters, military documents, and even used toilet paper. Since Soviet troops often used official documents as a substitute for toilet paper, intelligence agents found sensitive information scattered among trash heaps. In some cases, agents retrieved items from hospital waste bins, where discarded limbs provided clues about the types of shrapnel and injuries Soviet soldiers suffered, particularly from their involvement in the war in Afghanistan. This operation, referred to as “tamarisk” by some operatives, was known for its gritty and unsanitary work but was valued for the intelligence it yielded.