The last 24 hours have seen several critical developments across diplomacy, science, and social indices that are vital for competitive exam preparation.
1. World Happiness Report 2024 Released
On the occasion of International Day of Happiness (March 20), the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network released the World Happiness Report 2024.
- India's Rank: India is ranked 126th out of 143 countries, the same as the previous year.
- Global Leaders: Finland has been named the world's happiest country for the seventh consecutive year, followed by Denmark and Iceland.
- Key Observation: India's neighbors like Pakistan (108th), Nepal (93rd), and China (60th) are ranked higher than India in the index.
2. Space Milestone: Agniban SOrTeD Rocket
IIT-Madras-incubated startup Agnikul Cosmos is set to launch India’s first rocket from a private launchpad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
- The Mission: The Agniban SOrTeD (Sub-Orbital Technological Demonstrator) is a single-stage launch vehicle.
- Innovation: It features the world’s first single-piece 3D-printed engine (Agnilet), designed and manufactured indigenously. This will also be India’s first flight using a semi-cryogenic engine.
3. World Air Quality Report 2023
According to the latest report by IQAir, India has been identified as the 3rd most polluted country in the world for 2023, trailing only Bangladesh and Pakistan.
- City Rankings: Begusarai in Bihar has emerged as the world’s most polluted metropolitan area.
- Capital Status: Delhi has once again been ranked as the world's most polluted capital city.
4. Defense: Exercise 'Tiger Triumph-24'
India and the United States have commenced the 'Tiger Triumph-24' exercise on the Eastern Seaboard.
- Nature of Exercise: It is a bilateral Tri-Service Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise.
- Objective: To improve interoperability between the two nations' armed forces for rapid disaster response and to refine Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
5. Corporate & Economy Updates
- GRID-INDIA: The Grid Controller of India Limited has been granted Miniratna Category-I status by the Ministry of Power, recognizing its pivotal role in the national power landscape.
- New Appointment: P&G India has appointed Kumar Venkatasubramanian as its new CEO, effective May 1, 2024.
Note: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to Bhutan was recently postponed due to inclement weather and is expected to be rescheduled shortly.