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By admin: Feb. 10, 2023

Quad countries launch 'Quad Cyber Challenge'

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Quad countries India, Australia, America and Japan have recently launched Quad Cyber Challenge to strengthen cyber security.

An overview of the news:

• Its main objective is to strengthen the cyber security system in the Indo-Pacific region.

• With the help of the 'Quad Cyber Challenge', the four countries will jointly make efforts to improve cyber security.

'Quad Cyber Challenge:'

• The National Cyber Coordination Office along with the National Security Council Secretariat is coordinating the Quad Cyber Challenge on behalf of India.

• The Quad countries have invited internet users from the Indo-Pacific and surrounding regions to participate in this cyber challenge.

• The 'Quad Cyber Challenge' will help in practising safe and responsible cyber habits.

• With its help, efforts will be made to promote a secure and resilient cyber ecosystem. Along with this, cyber security awareness and action plan will be prepared through 'Quad Cyber Challenge'.

Quad Security Dialog:

• Quad or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue is a group of four countries: America, Japan, Australia and India.

• The concept of Quad was given by the former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe in the year 2007.

• The group is now seen primarily as a group countering Chinese influence in the region.

• The 2022 Quad summit was held in Japan and the next one will be held in Australia in 2023.

World Pulses Day

Tags: Important Days

Every year February 10 is celebrated as World Pulses Day.

An overview of the news:

History of the day:

• On December 20, 2013, it was decided to celebrate International Pulses Day by a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly.

• 'International Pulses Day' was celebrated for the first time in the year 2016. Later, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution to observe 10 February 2019 as World Pulses Day. Since then, World Pulses Day is celebrated on 10 February.

Purpose of celebrating the day:

• The United Nations wants to increase the production of pulses to provide nutritious food to poor malnourished countries in the world.

2023 theme:

• This year's theme is "Pulses for a sustainable future".

What are pulses?

• Pulses are called that grain from which lentils are made. It is the main source of protein in the vegetable world. Peas, gram, lentils, kidney beans, urad, horse gram, moong etc. are examples of this.

• India is the largest producer of pulses. Which produces about 25 percent of the total pulses produced in the world.

• Rajasthan ranks first in India in the production of pulses.

• Indian Institute of Pulses Research - Kanpur

Lithium reserves found for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir

Tags: place in news Science and Technology National News

For the first time in the country, reserves of 59 lakh tonnes of lithium have been found in the Reasi district of Jammu division.

An overview of the news:

• The Geological Survey of India has discovered lithium deposits in the Salal-Haimana area of Reasi district in Jammu and Kashmir.

• Currently India is dependent on imports for Lithium, Nickel and Cobalt. This discovery will reduce India's dependence on lithium from other countries.

• A report on 51 mineral blocks including Lithium and Gold was submitted to the State Governments during the 62nd Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) meeting.

• Out of these 51 mineral blocks, 5 blocks are related to gold and other blocks are related to potash, molybdenum, base metals.

• These minerals have been found in different districts of 11 states which include Jammu and Kashmir (UT), Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.

Lithium:

• It is a chemical element with the symbol (Li).

• It is a soft and silvery white metal.

• It is the lightest metal and the lightest solid element at standard conditions.

• It is alkaline and a rare metal.

• Lithium has an atomic number of 3 and an atomic mass of 6.941u.

• Lithium is one of the key components of rechargeable batteries for mobile phones, laptops, digital cameras and electric vehicles.

• It is also used in some non-rechargeable batteries for things like heart pacemakers, toys, and watches.

• Countries with the largest reserves: Chile > Australia > Argentina

Rohit Sharma became the first Indian captain to score a century in all three formats of the game

Tags: Person in news State News

Indian captain Rohit Sharma has become the first Indian captain to score a century in all three formats of cricket.

An overview of the news:

• Rohit achieved this feat by playing an innings of 120 runs on the second day of the first test of the series being played in Nagpur against Australia.

• At the international level, three captains have achieved this feat before Rohit, including former Sri Lankan captain Tillakaratne Dilshan, former South African captain Faf du Plessis and Pakistan captain Babar Azam.

• This is Rohit Sharma's 9th century in Test cricket.

• Rohit has scored three centuries as captain in ODIs and two in T20s. While Rohit has scored a total of 30 centuries in ODI cricket and 4 centuries in T20.

Records of Rohit Sharma:

• The player who scored the most runs (264) in a match in One Day International cricket is

• He is the only batsman to have scored three double hundreds in ODI history.

• Rohit is the player with the most centuries (5) in a single World Cup (2019).

• Rohit is the player to hit most sixes (16) in a match.

Operation “DOST”

Tags: International Relations International News

India is carrying out a rescue operation named 'Operation Dost' with National Disaster Response Force personnel, essential items and medical equipment to help after the earthquake in Turkey.

An overview of the news:

• On February 6, 2023, an earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale affected Turkey and Syria, causing massive devastation along with loss of life and damage to infrastructure in both countries.

• A field hospital has been set up by the Indian Army in Turkey's Hatay province under Operation Dost.

• C17 Globemaster aircraft of the Indian Air Force has been put into operation.

• Operation Dost is a symbol of the fact that India is a friend of Turkey, that is, both should strengthen their relations more.

Other operations carried out by the Government of India in the past:

Operation Ganga 2022

• It was operated by the Government of India to provide humanitarian aid and to evacuate Indian nationals from Ukraine amid the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Operation Dev Shakti 2021

• It was launched by the Indian Air Force and Air India to bring back Indians from Afghanistan after the Afghan capital Kabul was captured by the Taliban on 15 August 2021.

Vande bharat mission

• In the year 2020, the Government of India launched 'Vande Bharat Mission' campaign to evacuate Indians trapped in other countries due to Coronavirus.

Operation Rahat 2015

• It was launched by the Indian Navy, Air Force and Air India to rescue and bring back Indian and foreign nationals from Yemen following the intervention of Saudi Arabia-led coalition forces in the Yemen Civil War.

Operation Maitri 2015

• This operation was launched by the Government of India after the 2015 earthquake in Nepal.

ISRO launches its smallest rocket SSLV - D2

Tags: Science and Technology

Indian Space Research Organization has launched its smallest rocket SSLV-D2 into space from Satish Dhawan Space Center (Sriharikota).

An overview of the news:

• ISRO's SSLV-D2 flew into space carrying three satellites with it.

• These include ISRO's satellite EOS-07, Chennai-based space startup Spacekidz's satellite Azad SAT-2 and American company Antaris's satellite JANUS -1.

• All these three satellites will be placed in circular orbit 450 km apart.

• ISRO's smallest new rocket SSLV-D2 works on the technology of launch on demand.

• It has the capability to cater to the launch of 500 kg satellites into low earth orbits.

• SSLV-D2 is 34 metres in length while 2 metres in width. It can fly with a load of about 120 tonnes.

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO):

• It was established on 15 August 1969.

• It is the national space agency of India. It launches its space rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

• Headquarters: Bengaluru

• Chairman: S Somnath

South Africa declares 'State of Disaster' over electricity crisis

Tags: International News

Recently South African President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a "state of disaster" due to the country's power crisis during his annual State of the Nation address in Cape Town.

An overview of the news

• This follows just 10 months after the Covid-induced "State of Disaster" was lifted.

• South Africa is currently facing several crises, including issues such as power crisis, unemployment, increase in crime and violence.

• The electricity supply company in the country for almost 10 years has become financially weak amid large-scale looting and corruption, due to which the power crisis has arisen.

• The President announced that a Minister of Power would be appointed to deal with the matter more effectively and promptly.

• The new minister will assume overall responsibility for overseeing all aspects of the power crisis response, including the National Energy Crisis Committee.

South Africa

• President: Cyril Ramaphosa

• Capitals: Cape Town (Legislative), Pretoria (Executive), Bloemfontein (Judicial)

• Currency : Rand

Third Khelo India Winter Games begins in Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir

Tags: Sports News

Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Singh Thakur inaugurated the Khelo India Winter Games at Gulmarg in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir.

An overview of the news:

• The competition will be organised from 10 - 14 February 2023.

• In this, 1500 players from 29 states of the country will participate.

• The Khelo India Winter Games is supported by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and is being organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council as well as the Winter Games Association, Jammu and Kashmir.

• This is the third edition of Khelo India Winter Games. It was started in the year 2020.

• Sports like snow shoe race, ice skating, ice hockey, skiing, snowboarding will be organised in the five-day competition.

• Jammu and Kashmir had topped the previous two editions of the Khelo India Winter Games.

Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina inaugurates Indian LOC funded part of Joydebpur-Tongi rail line

Tags: International News

On 10 February, Bangladesh Prime MinisterSheikh Hasina opened traffic operations on the rail line between Joydebpur and Tongi.

An overview of the news

• This is the initial section of the Dhaka-Tongi-Joydebpur rail line project, funded under a concessional line of credit provided by India.

• It is a 'testimony of the strong and abiding friendship' between the two countries.

• Operation of more trains will be possible on this section of 11 kilometre long double line rail route from Tongi to Joydebpur.

• Acting High Commissioner of India Binoy George was also present on the occasion.

• Hasina also inaugurated a total of 69.20 km of rail lines under three projects, including the operation of trains on Rooppur and Shasidal routes of Bangladesh Railway.

• The Rooppur section of the railway will facilitate transportation of goods and equipment to the Rooppur Atomic Power Plant.

Joydebpur-Tongi rail line Project

• Bangladesh Railways (BR) launched the project in November 2012 to improve the capacity of a vital section connecting the capital with most of the country's rail network.

• The project, aimed at building the third and fourth dual-gauge railway lines on the Dhaka-Tongi route and the second dual-gauge line on the Tongi-Joydebpur route, is expected to cost Tk 848.60 crore.

• The 11.09 km Tongi-Joydebpur section, which connects the capital to the North-Western region, is a dual-gauge single line with a capacity to handle 44 trains per day.

Rail Links Between India and Bangladesh

• Agartala (India)- Akahaura (Bangladesh)

• Radhikapur (India)-Birol (Bangladesh)

• Haldibari (India)-Chilahati (Bangladesh)

• Singhabad (India)-Rohanpur (Bangladesh)

• Petrapole (India)-Benapole (Bangladesh)

Legendary American pop composer Burt Bacharach passes away at 94

Tags: Person in news

Legendary American pop songwriter Burt Bacharach, whose prodigious work created a chart-topping soundtrack for the 1960s and 1970s, died in Los Angeles at the age of 94 on 9 February.

An overview of the news

• His compositions included rock classics such as 'Do You Know the Way to San Jose' and 'Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head'.

• He worked with a constellation of stars during his long career, from Dionne Warwick and Aretha Franklin to Dusty Springfield and Tom Jones.

• He has won three Oscars (including "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"), an Emmy, eight Grammy Awards and two Golden Globes.

• He was born on May 12, 1928, in Kansas City, Missouri, but moved to New York in his early years.

• He studied and learned music at several American universities, before serving in the US Army in the post-World War II era.

• In 1957,he met songwriter Hal David, with whom they formed one of the most successful duos in music history.

PM flag off two Vande Bharat trains in Mumbai

Tags: State News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off two new Vande Bharat trains from Mumbai on 10 February.

An overview of the news

• PM Modi first flagged off the Mumbai-Solapur Vande Bharat Express from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT).

• Later, he flagged off the second Vande Bharat Express train connecting Mumbai to the temple town of Sainagar Shirdi in Ahmednagar.

• With the commissioning of the two trains, the number of Vande Bharat Express trains running from Mumbai has increased to three, taking the number to 10 in the country.

• The first Vande Bharat train in Maharashtra connects Mumbai to Gandhinagar in Gujarat.

• Prime Minister Modi also dedicated the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road section and the Kurar underpass to the public.

• He also inaugurated the new campus of Aljamia-tus-Saifiyah in Marol, a western suburb of Mumbai.

• Aljamia-tus-Saifiya is an educational institution of the Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community.

About Vande Bharat Express Train

• The first Vande Bharat Express was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15 February 2019.

• These trains have a self-propelled engine that can save diesel and reduce electricity usage by up to 30%.

• The first Vande Bharat Express was manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai.

• It was manufactured under the 'Make in India' program at a cost of around Rs 100 crore.

• These trains can attain a maximum speed of 160 kmph.

• In the Union Budget for 2022-2023, the government has proposed to develop and manufacture 400 new Vande Bharat trains over the next three years.

Governor of Maharashtra: Bhagat Singh Koshiyari

Chief Minister of Maharashtra; Eknath Shinde