NATIONAL NEWS

Madrasa Education Act 2004 Unconstitutional by Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court's Lucknow bench has declared the UP Board of Madarsa Education Act of 2004 as unconstitutional.

A court in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has directed the state government to provide regular school education to students enrolled in madarsas.

The court wants these students to be accommodated in primary, high school, and intermediate education boards of the state.

The ruling came in response to a plea filed by a lawyer who had challenged the constitutionality of a law passed by the state government.

The law allowed madrasas to provide education in Arabic, Urdu, Persian, Islamic studies, Tibb Logic, philosophy and other branches of learning without recognition by the state's education boards.

The court found the law to be unconstitutional as it violated the principle of secularism, which is a part of the basic structure of the Constitution, as well as articles 14, 15, and 21-A.

Election Commission Launches Saksham App

The Election Commission has launched the Saksham App to facilitate easier voting for Persons with Disabilities and to avail facilities at Polling Stations.

The Election Commission has always focused on Accessible Voting every time as it has the motto of no voter is left behind.

The Election Commission has announced that voters above 85 years of age and Persons with Disabilities with 40 percent benchmark disability can vote from home.

Volunteers and wheelchairs will be available at every polling station.

The poll body also arranges transport facilities for Persons with Disabilities and Elderly.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Amul Launches its First International Business in the US

Iconic Indian brand Amul will start its first international operation in the United States of America by manufacturing its product there.

The Amul brand is owned by Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF). The tagline of Amul is “The Taste of India”.

According to Jayen Mehta, Managing Director Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF),Amul will launch its fresh milk product in the United States of America in partnership with the Michigan Milk Producers Association .

Amul is owned by Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF). It is India’s largest food product marketing organisation based in Gujarat. It is the apex marketing body of Dairy cooperatives of Gujarat.

In 1965 the Government of India set up the National Dairy Development Board(NDDB) with the basic objective of replicating the successful Amul cooperative model.

Dr. Verghese Kurien was made the Chairman of the NDDB with the mandate to replicate the successful Amul model across the country.

SPORTS

Flag Bearer of Paris Olympic 2024

Two-time Commonwealth Games gold medalist and veteran Table Tennis player Sharath Kamal has been appointed to be the flag bearer of the Indian contingent at the Paris Summer Olympics 2024.

The 32nd Summer Olympics will be held in Paris, the capital of France, from 26 July to 11 August 2024.

Flag bearer is the first person who leads his country’s contingent during the opening ceremony parade of the games.

In the Olympic Games also, the flag bearer is normally a distinguished player of the country who is/are given the honour to lead the country’s contingent comprising athletes, supporting staff and other officials in the opening ceremony.

First Indian to have 12000 Runs in T20 Match

Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli has achieved another milestone in his career by becoming the first Indian cricketer to score 12,000 runs in T20 format.

The 12,000 runs include the runs he scored for RCB in the IPL and the now-defunct Champions League, for Delhi in domestic Twenty-over cricket and for India in T20 Internationals.

Rohit Sharma is the second highest Indian run-scorer in T20 cricket with a total of 11,156 runs.

The leading position in the list is held by former West Indies opener, Chris Gayle, who has scored a massive 14,562 runs in T20 cricket.

Kohli crossed the milestone in the seventh over of the CSK vs RCB IPL match.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Pushpak- Reusable Landing Vehicle Landing experiment Conducted by ISRO

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully conducted the second landing test of its reusable launch vehicle (RLV), named Pushpak, at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) in Challakere near Chitradurga, Karnataka.

The vehicle's name has been inspired by the Ramayana's mythical 'Pushpak Viman' since this modern-day aircraft stands as a symbol of innovation and prosperity.

ISRO conducted the first landing experiment, RLV-LEX-01, with a scaled down version of the RLV technology demonstrator (RLV-TD) 2023 on a Chinook Helicopter of the Indian Air Force.

The scientists have designed the Pushpak RLV as an all-rocket and fully reusable single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) vehicle.

It includes several important elements like the X-34 testbed technology demonstrator, the X-33 advanced technology demonstrator, as well as the upgraded DC-XA flight demonstrator.

This is Pushpak's third flight after a series of tests were carried out by the scientists with the aim of perfecting the vehicle's robotic landing capabilities amid complex conditions.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Abhay’s Translated Magahi Novel 'Phool Bahadur' Features at Dibrugarh

'Phool Bahadur' is the first Magahi novel, which has been translated into English by 'Abhay K'.

It was launched at the Dibrugarh University International Literary Festival on 19-21 March 2024.

Phool Bahadur was originally written by Jayanath Pati. It was first published in 1928.

It is published by Penguin Random House India.

The story of the book revolves around the ambitious Mukhtar Samlal. The novel describes the harmonious union of a Nawab, a courtesan, and a circle officer.

The characters in this novel each try to exploit the other. All characters and events are manipulated by a dishonest Mukhtar whose only goal is to somehow acquire the title of Rai Bahadur.

Abhay K, hailing from Nalanda, Bihar, is a versatile writer who excels as a poet, editor, translator, and author of numerous poetry collections.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Meteorological Day

‘World Meteorological Day’ is celebrated every year on 23 March.

It is a global event celebrated to commemorate the establishment of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

The main objective of celebrating this day every year is to make people aware about meteorology and the continuous changes taking place in it.

The theme of ‘WMD’ this year in 2024 is “At the frontline of climate action”.

World Meteorological Day was first celebrated in 1951.

The World Meteorological Organization plays an important role in contributing to the safety and well-being of people.

World Tuberculosis Day

World Tuberculosis Day is commemorated each year on the 24th of March. This day is celebrated globally to create awareness among people about tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis,an infectious disease that mainly affects the lungs.

This year the theme of 2024 World Tuberculosis (TB) Day will be ‘Yes! We can end TB’.

The theme implies eliminating the world's deadliest disease, with sustained efforts and awareness campaigns.

The day is an annual event to continue research and investment on tuberculosis treatment strategies, prevention methods and awareness.

MISCELLANEOUS

First Person who Reaches point Nemo-Remotest Point on Earth

Chris Brown of Britain has become the first person in history to reach Point Nemo, the oceanic pole of inaccessibility in the Pacific Ocean.

The Point Nemo is located in the southern Pacific Ocean east of New Zealand.

He named the region Point Nemo in 1992 after the fictional captain Nemo created by author Jules Verne.

In Jules Verne’s fiction book Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, Captain Nemo was the captain of a submarine.

Nemo is a Latin word which means ‘no man.’