Published on: June 12, 2024
Snippets : 12 JUNE 2024
Snippets : 12 JUNE 2024
- Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi will be the next Chief of the Army succeeding incumbent Gen Manoj Pande
- The state government has launched an app-based programme called ‘Land Beat’ to protect public lands
- Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday launched an online portal for issuing and renewing excise licences, a long-pending reform that promises to nix corruption plaguing this department. It is named karexciseservices.in
- Scientists from the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad have discovered three new craters on Mars, located in the Tharsis volcanic region. Following PRL’s recommendation, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature approved the names Lal, Mursan, and Hilsa for these craters. Lal, a 65 km wide crater, is named after the renowned geophysicist and former PRL director Devendra Lal. Mursan, a 10 km wide crater superimposed on the eastern rim of Lal, is named after a town in Uttar Pradesh, while Hilsa, also 10 km wide and situated on the western rim of Lal, is named after a town in Bihar. The Lal crater area is covered with lava and contains a 45-meter thick sedimentary deposit, suggesting significant water movement and sediment transport within the crater, as identified using the SHARAD/MRO subsurface radar
- Sarod maestro Rajeev Taranath passes away
- Velocity, India’s leading cash flow-based financing platform has rolled out a GenAI powered solution Vani AI, designed to revolutionize customer service interactions for the financial services sector. The AI solution is developed in-house by Bengaluru-based fintech Velocity and can deliver a human-like, interactive customer experience transforming the way financial institutions interact with their customers
- The United Nations has said 2025 will be designated the ‘International Year of Quantum Science and Technology’. In a statement, the body said the initiative will be “year-long”, “worldwide”, and that it will “be observed through activities at all levels aimed at increasing public awareness of the importance of quantum science and applications.”The proclamation is the result of a resolution led by Mexico in May 2023 and which was soon joined by other countries.
- Israel Aerospace Industries unveiled a new air-launched variant of its Lora ballistic missile recently.
- The Karnataka government has extended the exemption from the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act until 2029 for IT/ITeS industries, including IT, ITeS, startups, animation, gaming, computer graphics, telecom, and BPO industries. This exemption has been in place since 2014 and was last extended in 2019, but concerns were raised by the labour department regarding unfair trade practices. To maintain the exemption, companies must follow certain conditions such as constituting sexual harassment and grievance redressal committees, reporting disciplinary actions and service conditions, and complying with the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, Redressal) Act 2013. This move impacts approximately 18 lakh professionals employed across 8,785 IT/BT firms in Karnataka and aims to balance job security, employee safety, and business operational flexibility.
- Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) of NITI Aayog launched two major initiatives: the ‘AIM – ICDK Water Challenge 4.0’ and the fifth edition of the ‘Innovations for You’ handbook, highlighting SDG entrepreneurs of India. The Water Challenge aims to address critical water-related challenges through innovative solutions, with selected teams participating in a global program. The Innovations for You handbook features 60 SDG Entrepreneurs contributing to societal betterment through sustainable innovations
- Four-Horned Antelope (Tetracerus quadricornis) recently sighted in Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh. It is a small bovid antelope, endemic to India and Nepal, with a range from the Himalayan foothills to the Deccan Plateau. Found in open, dry, deciduous forests, they prefer grassy areas near water bodies. Physical features include a yellowish-brown coat, four horns (males only), and a slender build. Behaviorally, they are diurnal and often seen solitary or in small groups. Classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List due to habitat loss and hunting threats.
