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By admin: June 17, 2024

India wins first medal at BRICS Games in Kazan

Tags: Sports

India won its first medal in women's table tennis at the ongoing BRICS Games in Kazan, Russia.

An Overview of the News

• The women’s table tennis team, consisting of Poymantee Baisya, Moumita Dutta, and Yashini Sivasankar, clinched a bronze medal.

Match Details:

• The Indian women’s TT team lost 1-3 to China in the semi-final.

• Yashini Sivasankar won her game 11-7, 4-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-2, contributing to India's bronze medal finish.

• China dominated the subsequent rubbers to advance to the final.

Men’s Team Performance:

• The Indian men’s team, comprising Anirban Ghosh, Jeet Chandra, and Snehit Suravajjula, secured fifth place.

• They defeated Bahrain 3-1 in their classification match.

About BRICS Games

• The BRICS Games is an annual multi-sport event hosted by BRICS nations.

• It began with an under-17 football tournament in Goa, 2016, followed by the first multi-sport event in Guangzhou, China, 2017.

• Sports include volleyball, wushu, and taolu.

• India hosted the BRICS Games in 2021 alongside the Khelo India Games.

• The host nation rotates annually based on the BRICS chairmanship.

Important Point

• India's Newly-appointed Sports Minister -  Mansukh Mandaviya

India Women 5th, Men 6th in Asian Squash Championships

Tags: Sports

India's women's squash team secured the fifth position at the Asian Team Squash Championships in Dalian, China, concluding on June 16.

An Overview of the News

• Women's squash team defeated Iran 2-0 in the match determining the fifth and sixth places.

• Rathika Suthanthira Seelan and Pooja Arthi Raghu clinched victories comfortably for the Indian side.

• Conversely, India's men's team finished sixth after losing 1-2 to South Korea.

• Velavan Senthilkumar secured a victory, while Suraj Kumar Chand and Om Semwal narrowly lost their matches.

India's Performance:

• Women:

  • Position: 5th

  • Match Result: Beat Iran 2-0

  • Rathika Suthanthira Seelan: Beat Fereshteh Eghtedari 11-5, 11-9, 11-7

  • Pooja Arthi Raghu: Beat Parmin Nekopayantak 11-5, 11-7, 12-10

• Men:

  • Position: 6th

  • Match Result: Lost to South Korea 1-2

  • Velavan Senthilkumar: Beat Jeongmin Ryu 11-5, 11-1, 11-4

  • Suraj Kumar Chand: Lost to Minwoo Lee 11-7, 11-13, 9-11, 8-11

  • Om Semwal: Lost to Jooyoung Na 9-11, 6-11, 9-11

About Asian Team Squash Championship

• The Asian Team Squash Championship occurs every two years.

• Organized by the Asian Squash Federation and the host country’s federation.

• Men’s first championship: 1981 in Karachi, Pakistan; won by Pakistan.

• Women’s first championship: 1986 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Hong Kong won.

Diksha Dagar Ties for Sixth at Ladies Italian Open Golf

Tags: Sports

Diksha Dagar secured a sixth-place tie at the Ladies Italian Open Golf. She achieved a 6-under 210 total for the week with consistent play.

An Overview of the News

• Diksha finished four shots behind the winner, Amy Taylor of England.

• Amy Taylor won the title with scores of 70, 67, and a closing 69.

• Diksha demonstrated her talent in this challenging tournament.

• She will defend her title at the Czech Ladies Open next week.

• Diksha is scheduled to play in two Majors and the Olympic Games later this year.

• This is the 27th edition of the Ladies Italian Open Golf 2024.

About Italian Open (golf)

• The DS Automobiles Italian Open, also known as Open d'Italia, is Italy's men's national golf championship.

• Founded in 1925, it was played annually except in 1933 and during WWII until 1960.

• After an eleven-year hiatus, it returned in 1971 and was included in the British PGA Order of Merit circuit.

• The following year is recognized as the first official season of the European Tour, with the Italian Open featured annually.

• The 2018 event marked the 75th edition of the championship.

Assam CM Inaugurates Janata Bhawan Solar Project

Tags: State News

On 16 June, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated the Janata Bhawan Solar Project in Guwahati. 

An Overview of the News

• This project features a 2.5-MW power generation capacity with a grid-connected rooftop and ground-mounted solar PV system.

Financial and Energy Details

• Electricity Generation: The system is expected to yield an average of 3 lakh units of electricity monthly.

• Investment: The project required an investment of 12.56 crore rupees.

• Payback Period: The investment is projected to be recovered within 4 years.

• Savings: Monthly savings are estimated at approximately 30 lakh rupees.

Environmental Impact

• Carbon Emissions: The solar plant will reduce carbon emissions by 3,060 metric tonnes annually.

• Lifespan: The solar plant has a lifespan of 25 years.

Significance

• First in India: The Assam Secretariat Complex becomes the first-ever civil secretariat in the country to rely entirely on solar-generated electricity.

About Assam:

• Location: It is a state located in the northeastern region of India. It is bounded by Bhutan to the north, Arunachal Pradesh to the east, Nagaland to the northeast, Manipur to the southeast, Mizoram to the south and West Bengal to the west.

• Wildlife: Kaziranga National Park, Manas National Park and Nameri National Park

  • Formation (as a state) - 26 January 1950

  • Capital - Dispur

  • Language - Assamese

  • Chief Minister - Himanta Biswa Sarma

  • Governor - Gulab Chand Kataria

  • Rajya Sabha - 7 seats

  • Lok Sabha - 14 seats

PM Modi to Release ₹20,000 Crore Under PM-KISAN

Tags: National News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the 17th instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) on June 18, 2024.

An Overview of the News

• Amount and Beneficiaries: Over ₹20,000 crore will be disbursed to 9.26 crore beneficiary farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer.

• Scheme Impact: So far, more than 11 crore eligible farmer families have received benefits totaling over ₹3 lakh crore under the PM-KISAN scheme.

• Special Recognition: PM Modi will grant certificates to over 30,000 women from Self Help Groups, including Krishi Sakhis.

Inauguration of Nalanda University Campus

• Event Date: On June 19, 2024, the Prime Minister will visit the ruins of Nalanda and inaugurate the new campus of Nalanda University in Rajgir, Bihar.

• Collaboration: Nalanda University is a joint initiative between India and East Asia Summit countries.

• Inauguration Ceremony: The event will be attended by several eminent personalities, including the Heads of Missions from 17 countries.

Nalanda University Campus Details

• Academic Infrastructure: The campus includes two academic blocks with 40 classrooms, accommodating around 1,900 students.

• Facilities:

  • Two auditoriums with a seating capacity of 300 each.

  • A student hostel with a capacity for 550 students.

  • An International Centre and an Amphitheatre that can accommodate up to 2,000 individuals.

  • A faculty club and a sports complex.

• Sustainability: The campus is designed as a ‘Net Zero’ green campus, powered by a solar plant. It has its own water treatment and recycling plants, 100 acres of water bodies, and other environment-friendly facilities.

Heritage and Legacy

• Historical Significance: The original Nalanda University, established around 1,600 years ago, is one of the world's first residential universities.

• UNESCO Heritage Site: In 2016, the ruins of Nalanda were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought - 17 June

Tags: Important Days

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is observed every year on 17 June.

An Overview of the News

• The day focuses on converting poor land into healthy or fertile soil to combat desertification.

• The desertification of land is mainly caused by human activities and climate change.

• This is due to dry land ecosystems that are extremely vulnerable to overexploitation and inappropriate use of land.

• The day highlights the need for an early measure to avoid any disastrous consequences for humanity and the planetary ecosystem.

Theme of 2024:

• This year, the theme of Desertification and Drought Day is “United for Land. Our Legacy. Our Future,” which focuses on:

  • The future of land stewardship

  • Recognizing land as our most precious resource

  • Ensuring the stability of billions of people globally

  • Promoting the prosperity of communities worldwide

History and Significance of the day

• In December 1994, the United Nations General Assembly resolved to observe 17 June as the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.

• Since then, the United Nations, NGOs and various countries have been organizing events to spread awareness to combat desertification and drought.

• The purpose of this day is to convert degraded land into healthy land.

• To combat this threat, groups and communities are working together to convert arid, semi-arid and arid wetlands into fertile soils.