Published on: June 1, 2024
Snippets : 1 JUNE 2024
Snippets : 1 JUNE 2024
- Nimhans, Karnataka’s premier mental health institute, has been awarded the World Health Organisation’s Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion for 2024. The award recognises individuals, institutions and government or non-governmental organisations that have made significant contribution towards health promotion.
- A successful wildlife conservation model by Assamese biologist Purnima Devi Barman, which won her the prestigious Green Oscar, will be adopted by Lycee des Lumieres, a school on Mayotte island in France. The school signed a two-year agreement with Barman to train students in biodiversity conservation, inspired by her work with village women in Assam to protect the endangered greater adjutant storks
- Two innovators from India have won in two categories at the inaugural Global Prompt Engineering Championship in Dubai, collectively taking home two-thirds of the million-dirham prize pool, and spotlighting India’s growing talent pool and global influence in the field of Artificial Intelligence, PTI reports from Dubai. The competition, which attracted the brightest minds from around the world, saw Aditya Nair win in the ‘Literature’ category and Ajay Cyril win in the ‘Coding’ category, earning them international praise
- The Humane Society International, India has launched a WhatsApp chatbot in Mysuru to educate citizens about snakes and snakebite prevention
- Justice M S Sonak of the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court registered a “living will,” making Goa the first state to implement and operationalize this advance medical directive. A living will allows individuals to specify medical decisions in advance for situations where they cannot make their own decisions, especially in cases of terminal illness or permanent vegetative state. This registration occurred at an event organized by the Goa branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Goa State Legal Services Authority (GSLSA).
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has finalized the ‘Framework for Recognizing Self-Regulatory Organization(s) for the FinTech Sector’ (SRO-FT framework) to enhance self-regulation within the FinTech sector. This framework aims to address concerns related to customer protection, data privacy, cyber security, grievance handling, internal governance, and financial system integrity.
- Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is allocating funds to construct canopy bridges for gibbons in eastern Assam’s Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary. The sanctuary, home to India’s only ape, the Hoolock gibbon, faces habitat disruption due to a railway track that divides it. The canopy bridges aim to facilitate safe movement for gibbons across the track. The design, developed by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in consultation with NFR, includes safety measures such as securing ends and knots with high-grade materials and installing safety nets below the bridges. The strategy involves natural integration to blend with the environment, learning from past efforts where artificial bridges were less effective than natural ones.
- Agnikul Cosmos, a Chennai-based space tech start-up, has successfully launched India’s second privately-built rocket named ‘Agnibaan SOrTeD’ from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota. This launch marks several firsts, including being the first rocket launched from a private launch pad, featuring India’s first semi-cryogenic engine flight, and boasting the world’s first single-piece 3D printed engine designed and built indigenously. The rocket is designed to be compatible with a mobile launchpad for flexible launch locations and can accommodate payloads ranging from 30 kg to 300 kg, primarily focusing on small satellites.
- The IFPRI’s 2024 global report highlights the concerning rise in unhealthy food consumption in India, leading to malnutrition and health issues. It emphasizes the need for dietary improvements, policy changes, and global food system transformations to promote sustainable, healthy diets
- In a world-first, Japanese researchers have built a tiny wooden satellite named LignoSat that will be launched into space in September.
- The Red Flag (Alaska) exercise is conducted by the US Pacific Air Force, which is held in the Joint Pacific Alaska Range. Since 1975, the US has been conducting this exercise with its friendly countries. This year, air forces of a total of four countries, including the US and India, are participating in this exercise. The Indian Air Force took part in this exercise for the first time in the year 2008.
