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By admin: July 31, 2023

Union Home Minister released the book 'Dr APJ Abdul Kalam: Memories Never Die' in Rameshwaram

Tags: Books and Authors

Union Home Minister and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah unveiled a book titled 'Dr APJ Abdul Kalam: Memories Never Die' in Rameshwaram.

An Overview of the News

• During his visit to Rameswaram, the Union Home Minister paid his respects at important places including Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam House, Mission of Life Gallery Museum and Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam National Memorial.

• The book, 'Dr APJ Abdul Kalam: Memories Never Die,' is an English translation of the Tamil book 'Ninaivirukkum Maranamillai', written by Dr. Nazeema Marakaiyar, niece of APJ Abdul Kalam, and Dr. YS Rajan, a distinguished ISRO scientist and a close confidant of Kalam .

• This book provides an in-depth and truthful account of Dr. Kalam's life from childhood to his last days, presenting a holistic view.

Dr. A.P.J. about abdul kalam

• Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was born on October 15, 1931 in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu.

• He served as the 11th President of India from the year 2002 to the year 2007.

• Dr. Kalam joined the 'Indian Space Research Organization' in the year 1962 and there he got the credit of making India's first indigenous satellite (SLV-lll) missile as the project director.

• Abdul Kalam is considered the father of India's missile program.

• The United Nations (UN) designated 15 October as World Students' Day in the year 2010, marking Dr. Kalam's birthday.

• Dr. Kalam was awarded honorary doctorates by 48 universities and institutions in India and abroad.

• He also served as the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister from 1992 to 1999.

• Dr. Kalam was awarded the Padma Bhushan in the year 1981, the Padma Vibhushan in the year 1990 and the 'Bharat Ratna' in the year 1997.

• He died of cardiac arrest on 27 July 2015 during a program at the Indian Institute of Management Shillong.

Dr. Abdul Kalam also wrote many books in which the main one is --

• India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium (1998)

• Wings of Fire: And Autobiography (1999)

• Ignited Minds: Unlistening to the Power Within India (1999)

• Mission India

International Tiger Day - 29 July

Tags: Important Days

International Tiger Day is celebrated every year on 29th July with the primary objective of raising awareness about tiger conservation globally and working towards saving this endangered species.

An Overview of the News

• World Tiger Day originated in 2010 in Petersburg, Russia, when representatives from 13 tiger range countries came together to support the Tx2 strategy. The global objective of this strategy was to double the population of wild tigers by 2022.

• On the occasion of Global Tiger Day celebrated in Corbett Tiger Reserve on 29 July 2023, Union Minister of State Ashwini Kumar Choubey released a comprehensive report related to tiger conservation.

• The tiger population in India is about 3925, showing an annual growth rate of 6.1 percent.

• Among Indian states, Madhya Pradesh has the largest population of tigers, with 785 tigers, followed by Karnataka (563), Uttarakhand (560), and Maharashtra (444).

• Within tiger reserves, Corbett boasts of the highest tiger abundance with 260 tigers, followed by Bandipur (150), Nagarhole (141), Bandhavgarh (135), Dudhwa (135), Mudumalai (114), Kanha (105) , and Kaziranga ( 104).

• The data used for these calculations was collected by the Wildlife Institute of India from both camera-trapped and non-camera-trapped areas, with an estimated upper limit of 3925 tigers and an average of 3682 tigers.

• In April 2023, during the celebration of 50 years of Project Tiger in Mysore, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a minimum tiger population target of 3167 tigers. The project was started in 1973 with only 268 tigers.

Indian medal winners list in FISU World University Games 2023

Tags: Sports News

India bagged a total of 17 medals including nine gold, three silver and five bronze medals at the FISU World University Games 2023 in Chengdu, China. Due to which he is second in the medal table.

An Overview of the News

For a detailed list of Indian medal winners including respective events and categories, see the complete table below:

Ranking of countries in the medal table of FISU World University Games 2023:

1. China topped the medal tally with a total of 22 medals including 13 gold, 5 silver and 4 bronze medals.

2. India and Japan both tied for second place, winning a total of 17 medals. India won 9 gold, 3 silver and 5 bronze medals, while Japan secured an equal number of gold, silver and bronze medals.

3. South Korea secured the third position with a total of 18 medals including 8 gold, 6 silver and 4 bronze medals.

4. Hungary won a total of 5 medals, including 2 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze.

5. Indonesia won a total of 4 medals including 2 gold and 2 silver medals.

6. Chinese Taipei won a total of 11 medals, including 1 gold, 4 silver and 6 bronze medals.

7. Macau won a total of 6 medals with 1 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze medals.

8. Ukraine won a total of 3 medals including 1 gold and 2 silver medals.

9. Hong Kong won a total of 4 medals, including 1 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze medals.

10. Iran won a total of 7 medals including 1 gold and 6 bronze medals.

James Ferguson 'Jim' Skea elected new IPCC chairman in Nairobi

Tags: Person in news

On July 26, 2023, James Ferguson 'Jim' Skea of the United Kingdom was elected as the new chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in Nairobi, Kenya.

An Overview of the News

• James Ferguson 'Jim' Skea was elected during the 59th session of the IPCC at the headquarters of the United Nations Environment Program in Nairobi.

• James Ferguson 'Jim' Scaia, Professor of Sustainable Energy at Imperial College London, won the election by a 90–69 vote against Brazil's Thelma Krug, vice-chair of the IPCC and a former researcher at Brazil's National Space Institute.

• With nearly 40 years of experience and expertise in climate science, James Ferguson 'Jim' Skea will lead the IPCC through its seventh assessment cycle.

IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change):

• It was established in 1988 through a collaboration between the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

• Its main headquarters is located in Geneva.

Nisha Biswal:

• Indian-American policy expert Nisha Biswal assumed the role of Deputy Chief Executive Officer at the US International Development Finance Corporation (US IDFC).

• His appointment to this post was confirmed by the US Senate.

• With over three decades of experience, Biswal has held key roles in various sectors including the US Foreign Policy and International Development Program, the US Congress and the private sector.

Indian shooter Aishwarya Pratap Singh Tomar wins gold at FISU World University Games in Chengdu, China

Tags: Sports News

Shooter Aishwarya Pratap Singh Tomar won the gold medal for India at the FISU World University Games in Chengdu, China on the second day of the event.

An Overview of the News

• Competing in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions, Tomar shot a total of 461.7 in the final to secure the top podium position.

• With Tomar's win, India now has gold, silver and bronze medals in shooting at the Games.

• The Indian men's 25m pistol rapid fire team, consisting of Vijayveer Sidhu, Udayveer Sidhu and Adarsh Singh, won the silver medal.

• The mixed compound archery team of Aman Saini and Pragati also won gold in the competition.

• India has won a total of 17 medals including nine gold, three silver and five bronze at the Games, placing it second in the medals tally.

FISU World University Games:

• The Universiade, formerly known as the Universiade, is an international multi-sport event organised by the International University Sports Federation (FISU) for university athletes.

• In July 2020, FISU introduced a new branding system, officially renaming the event as the FISU World University Games.

India won 14 medals including 9 gold in Sri Lanka Athletics National Championships

Tags: Sports News

India registered a remarkable success at the Sri Lanka Athletics National Championships, bagging a total of 14 medals including nine gold, four silver and one bronze.

An Overview of the News

• On the final day of the event at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo, Indian athletes added six medals to their tally.

Gold Medalist:

1. 4x400m Mixed Team Relay - Amoj Jacob, Aishwarya Mishra, Muhammad Anas, Himanshi Malik

2. 4x400m Women's Relay - Sonia Vaish, Aishwarya Mishra, Subha V, Himanshi Malik

3. 4x400m Men's Relay - Amoj Jacob, Muhammad Anas, Rajesh Ramesh, Muhammad Ajmal

4. Women's 3000m Steeplechase - Preeti

5. Men's 3000m Steeplechase - Bal Kishan

6. Women's 400m - Sonia Vaish

7. Men's Javelin Throw - Kishore Kumar Jena

8. Women's 10,000 Metres - Boundary

9. Men's 400m Hurdles - T Santosh Kumar

Silver Medalist:

1. Men's pole vault - Shiva Subramani

2. Men's javelin throw - Shivpal Singh

3. Women's 400m - Jisna Mathew

4. 4x400m Mixed Team Relay - Nihal Joel William, Subha Venkatesan, Mizo Chacko Kurien, Vithya Ramraj

Bronze Medalist:

1. 4x400m Women's Relay - Vithya Ramaraj, Jisna Mathew, WS Himaya Fernando (Sri Lanka), K. Shanika Lakshani (Sri Lanka)

India's gold medalist javelin thrower Kishore Kumar Jena received the coveted Best Male Thrower trophy.

'Meri Mati Mera Desh' campaign to be launched before Independence Day

Tags: Latest

On 30 July, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of the 'Meri Mati Mera Desh' campaign to honour the martyred heroes ahead of Independence Day.

An Overview of the News

• Campaign announcement: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of 'Meri Mati Mera Desh' campaign before Independence Day. The campaign aims to honour the martyred men and women of the country.

• Nationwide Programs: During the ongoing Amrit Mahotsav celebrations across the country, several programs will be organised in the memory of the martyrs.

• Inscriptions in Gram Panchayats: Special inscriptions will be put up in lakhs of Gram Panchayats to pay tribute to the sacrifice of the martyrs.

• Amrit Kalash Yatra: 'Amrit Kalash Yatra' will be organised across the country, in which soil will be brought in 7500 kalash from every nook and corner of India to make 'Amrit Vatika' near the National War Memorial.

• Oath for the Future: Participating in the 'Meri Mati Mera Desh' campaign involves taking an oath to fulfil the 'Panch Sankalp' or 'Panch Prana' for the next 25 years of Amrit Kaal.

• Selfie with the sacred soil: People are encouraged to upload selfies on yuva.gov.in while taking the oath and holding the sacred soil of the country.

• 'Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan' continues, urging citizens to hoist the national flag at every house.

• Innovative efforts to combat drug abuse in J&K, Chandigarh and Punjab.

• Return of valuable ancient artefacts by the US government.

• Women of Niti Mana Valley are making beautiful artefacts from Bhojpatra.

• Changes in the Haj policy have allowed women to perform Haj without a male companion.

World Ranger Day - 31 July

Tags: Important Days

World Ranger Day is observed annually on 31 July as a day to honour and appreciate courageous individuals committed to wildlife conservation and natural resource conservation.

An Overview of the News

• The day acknowledges the selfless efforts of rangers around the world, who work tirelessly to protect fragile ecosystems and endangered species, which deserve the utmost respect and appreciation.

• The theme for World Ranger Day 2023 is "30 by 30", focusing on the momentum for the 2022 United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15). The theme highlights the goal of protecting and effectively managing at least 30 percent of the planet's areas by 2030, stressing the urgent need for increased conservation efforts to protect ecosystems and biodiversity.

History of World Ranger Day

• It originates from the International Ranger Federation (IRF), an organisation formed in 1992 to advocate for and assist park rangers globally.

• World Ranger Day was inaugurated in 2007, dedicated to the memory of eight rangers who tragically lost their lives in the line of duty in Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

• Over the years, World Ranger Day has gained wide recognition as an annual event to honour and appreciate the invaluable contribution made by rangers.

• The day serves as an opportunity to raise awareness about the various challenges and risks that rangers face during their important work of protecting wildlife and natural habitats.