NATIONAL NEWS

Pune Celebrates Yoga Mahotsav

The ‘Yoga Mahotsav’ was held in Pune, Maharashtra, to mark the 75-day countdown to the International Day of Yoga.

It was organized by the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga and the National Institute of Naturopathy, Ministry of Ayush.

The event witnessed the overwhelming participation of thousands of people.

The event was gathered by the presence of distinguished guests, including Shri Satyajit Paul, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Ayush; Shri Vishwas Mandalik, President, Yoga Vidya Gurukul, Nashik; Smt. Vijayalakshmi Bharadwaj, Director, Ministry of Ayush; Dr. Satya Lakshmi, Director, National Institute of Naturopathy, Pune; and Vaidya Dr. Kashinath Samagandi, Director of MDNIY.

Their participation underscored the collective commitment towards promoting Yoga and advancing the cause of personal and societal betterment.

The Common Yoga Protocol (CYP) was given significant importance during the event, with a live demonstration performed by the experts from the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NATO Commemorates 75th Anniversary as Foreign Ministers Convene

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Foreign Ministers gathered at NATO Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium to mark 75 years since the signing of the Washington Treaty.

NATO approved a proposal for a 100-billion-euro, 5-year fund to Ukraine.

Since 1949, the Alliance has ensured peace, democracy and prosperity for its members, now counting 32 Allies and one billion people on both sides of the Atlantic.

 The Washington Treaty, or North Atlantic Treaty, forms the basis of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

It was signed in Washington D.C. in 1949, by 12 founding members.

The Treaty derives its authority from Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which reaffirms the inherent right of independent states to individual or collective defence.

Collective defence is at the heart of the treaty and is enshrined in Article 5.

It commits members to protect each other and sets a spirit of solidarity within the Alliance.

SPORTS

First Indian to Win a ATP Master 1000 Match on Clay

India's top tennis player Sumit Nagal has reached the second round of the Rolex Monte Carlo Masters.

95th-ranked unseeded Sumit Nagal has now become the third Indian to reach the main draw of the Monte Carlo Masters.

Nagal became the first player to play an ATP Masters 1000 match on clay since 1990.

Sumit Nagal became the first Indian man to win a match in a Masters 1000 tournament on clay courts on 8 April 2024.

The top-ranked Indian singles player produced a spectacular comeback effort to defeat Italy's Matteo Arnaldi.

The Monte-Carlo Masters is a tennis tournament for men's professional players. It is organized in Roquebrun-Cap-Martin, France.

It is played on clay courts at the Monte Carlo Country Club and takes place in April.

RANKS, INDICES & REPORTS

In 2022, India was at the Top of WADA's List of Doping Offenders

According to the 2022 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report, India has the highest percentage of doping offenders among countries. Out of 4,064 samples collected from Indian athletes, 127 individuals tested positive for banned substances, which is 3.26% of the sample size.

Trailing India, South Africa, and Bangkok’s laboratories were ranked second and third, with doping failures at 2.04% and 1.93%

India’s count surpassed sporting nations like Russia, the United States, Italy, and France.

China led in the sheer volume of tests conducted, with 17,357 samples and a relatively low AAF percentage of 0.25%.

This trend is alarming and highlights the need for comprehensive measures to address this growing problem in Indian sports.

Furthermore, the report reveals a 6.4% increase in the total number of samples analyzed compared to the previous year.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Member of the 16th Finance Commission

The government of India has appointed eminent economist Manoj Panda as a member of the 16th Finance Commission.

Manoj Panda will replace Niranjan Rajadhyaksha, who resigned recently due to personal circumstances.

The Sixteenth Finance Commission was constituted on 31 December 2023 by President Murmu under Article 280 of the Constitution.

Article 280 provides that the President must constitute a Finance Commission every five years or sooner thereafter.

According to the Union Ministry of Finance notification, Manoj Panda will remain a member of the 16th Finance Commission until the commission submits the report or the 31st day of October 2025, whichever is earlier.

Manoj Panda is an eminent economist. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, and was a postdoctoral fellow at Yale University, United States of America.

Harendra Singh has been Appointed National Women’s Hockey Coach

Former Indian Hockey player and Dronacharya awardee Harendra Singh has been selected by Hockey India as the coach of the senior national women’s hockey team.

Harendra Singh will replace Janneke Schopman of Holland Janneke Schopman, who is a former Dutch hockey player.

Harendra Singh started his career as a Hockey coach with French club HC Lyon's junior team in 1995.

He was appointed head coach of the Indian men’s junior team in 2014. He successfully coached the side to win the 2016 men's Junior World Cup in Lucknow.

Hockey India appointed Harendra Singh as the coach of the senior national women's team in 2017. Under his guidance, the national women’s team won the gold medal at the 2017 Asia Cup held in Kakamigahara, Gifu, Japan.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Tata Launches India’s First Private Earth Observation Satellite

India’s first private sector built earth observation satellite TSAT-1A, has been launched by Tata Advanced System Limited, a subsidiary company of Tata Son’s

The TSAT-1A was launched on board the SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida,United States.

The TSAT-1A satellite has been built by Tata Advanced Systems in collaboration with the Satellogic Company of the United States of America.

TSAT-1A has been assembled in TASL’s Assembly, Integration and Testing (“AIT”) plant at its Vemagal facility in Karnataka.

An agreement was signed between TASL and Satellogic in November 2023 to develop an earth observation satellite. The Satellogic was to develop an advanced earth observation satellite, and the TASLs undertook the complex integration of the satellite system.

The satellite weighs 50 kg and has been placed in a low earth orbit. The TSAT-1A satellite is a sub-meter resolution earth observation satellite. According to the company the satellite has 0.5-0.8-metre resolution, which can be enhanced to 0.5-0.6-metre super-resolution using the software.

IMPORTANT DAYS

CRPF's 59th Bravery Day

Every year April 09 is celebrated as Bravery Day (Valour Day) to pay tribute to the brave soldiers of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

In 1965, a group of Pakistani soldiers attacked some other Indian soldiers near the Rann of Kutch. The Indian soldiers were unaware of this sudden attack, as they did not know that the attack was going to happen.

During this attack, a CRPF officer named Bhavana Ram had saved a place called Sardar Post from infiltrators in a fight.

This was the first time that a special group of police fought directly with Pakistani soldiers and they won. Six police officers died in this fight. To remember their bravery, every year we celebrate CRPF Bravery Day on 9th April.

OBITUTARY

Iconic Ramsay Brothers' Cinematographer Gangu Ramsay

Cinematographer-filmmaker Gangu Ramsay, one of the seven Ramsay Brothers known for cult horror films such as Purani Haveli and Tehkhana, passed away at the age of 83.

Gangu Ramsay's career spanned decades as he worked on over 50 iconic films under the Ramsay Brothers banner, including classics like Veerana, Purana Mandir, Bandh Darwaza, Do Gaz Zameen Ke Neeche, Saamri, Tahkhana, Purani Haveli, and Khoj.

He worked with Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan on his debut film Aashik Aawara, and also collaborated with Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar on the Khiladi series like Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi, Sabse Bada Khiladi, and Pandav.

He also worked in the medium of television with the Horror Show, Naagin, and Zimbo.

His legacy extends beyond borders, having worked with renowned actors like Vishnu Vardhan in the southern film industry.

He also served as cinematographer on Aashiq Awara, one of Saif Ali Khan’s initial movies.