“AWARD”

PM Modi Honoured with Bhutan’s ‘Order of the Druk Gyalpo’ Award

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has created history by becoming the first non-Bhutanese to receive the ‘Order of the Druk Gyalpo’, Bhutan’s highest civilian award. He received this prestigious honour from Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck during his two-day state visit to Thimphu. The ‘Order of the Druk Gyalpo’ is a lifetime achievement award and is considered the pinnacle of Bhutan’s honour system. Only four eminent personalities have received this award since its institution.

 “SPORTS”

Nayana James Shines at Indian Open Jumps Competition

In the women’s long jump event at the 3rd Indian Open Jumps Competition, Nayana James from Kerala recorded a personal best mark of 6.67m to secure the gold medal. Nayana’s leap of 6.67m came nearly seven years after her previous personal best of 6.55m. Her jump stood out as no athlete threatened the 2024 Paris Olympics qualification mark on the day. National jumps coach Denis Kapustin termed it the “best jumps result” in recent times.

“SCIENCE”

ISRO’s Successful Pushpak Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) LEX 02 Landing Experiment

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has achieved a significant milestone with the successful landing of Pushpak, India’s first Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV), during the RLV-LEX-02 landing experiment at the Aeronautical Test Range in Chitradurga on March 22, 2024. This accomplishment marks a continuation of ISRO’s success in space exploration and technology advancement.

“DEFENCE”

India Joins Hands with Mozambique and Tanzania for TRILAT-2024 Maritime Exercise

The Indian Navy is all set to participate in the second edition of the India-Mozambique-Tanzania Trilateral Exercise (IMT TRILAT-2024), a joint maritime exercise scheduled from 21-29 March 2024. The Indian Naval Ships INS Tir and INS Sujata will represent India in this trilateral exercise.

 Previous Edition

The first edition of the IMT TRILAT exercise was conducted in October 2022, where the Indian Naval Ship INS Tarkash participated alongside the Navies of Tanzania and Mozambique.

 “APPOINTMENTS”

Ashwani Kumar Elected as New President of FIEO

Ashwani Kumar, Partner at Victor Forgings in Jalandhar, has been unanimously elected as the new President of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO). Ashwani Kumar is a well-known business entrepreneur and exporter from Jalandhar, Punjab, representing the engineering sector.

Naveen Jindal Takes Over as President of Indian Steel Association

Naveen Jindal, Chairman of Jindal Steel and Power, has been unanimously elected as the President of the Indian Steel Association (ISA) by the apex committee, which is the governing body of the ISA. He took charge on Thursday, succeeding Dilip Oommen, CEO of ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India. As the President of the ISA, the apex body for steel producers in India, Naveen Jindal will play a crucial role in shaping the policies and strategies for the Indian steel industry.

M V Rao Elected as New Chairman of Indian Banks Association

The Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) has elected M V Rao, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Central Bank of India, as its new Chairman. The decision was taken during the IBA’s managing committee meeting held on Thursday.

 “NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL NEWS”

India’s First Battery Storage Gigafactory to Start Operations in J&K

GoodEnough Energy has announced that it will start operations at India’s first battery energy storage gigafactory in the northern region of Jammu and Kashmir by October 2023. According to GoodEnough, the facility will help industries cut more than 5 million tons of carbon emissions in a year. India has set a goal to become net zero by 2070.

‘Operation Indravati’ to Evacuate Indian Nationals from Haiti Begins

Haiti is facing a severe crisis due to escalating gang violence. Armed gangs have launched attacks in the suburbs of Port-au-Prince, prompting India to launch Operation Indravati to evacuate its nationals to the Dominican Republic. Similarly, the US has airlifted more than 15 Americans to Santo Domingo. The situation has deteriorated since the 2010 earthquake, with gangs staging attacks, burning police stations, shutting down the airport, and freeing prisoners. Haiti declared an emergency and imposed a curfew. Gang leader Jimmy Cherizier demanded the resignation of acting Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who later announced his intention to step down but remains in power.

New Zealand Bans Disposable E-Cigarettes and Vapes

The New Zealand government has announced a ban on disposable e-cigarettes or vapes. The move comes less than a month after the country repealed a law that aimed to phase out tobacco smoking. Along with the ban, New Zealand will also raise fines for retailers and individuals who sell vapes or e-cigarettes to minors under 18 years of age.