DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

By admin: May 8, 2023

Wakefit signs Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana as brand ambassador

Tags: Person in news

Wakefit, a leading direct-to-consumer home and sleep solutions brand in India, has announced popular Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana as its new brand ambassador.

An overview of the news

• The company, known for its off-beat and engaging marketing communications, unveiled the partnership.

• In the campaign, Ayushmann can be seen calmly taking a power nap on the sets and refilling his energy meter.

• He later appears in a genre format called 'Sleep India Sleep', which addresses the serious problem of sleep deprivation in India and urges people to prioritize their sleep health.

• Ayushmann will be the face of the brand and will lead the upcoming campaigns, creating awareness and education about sleep health and its importance in modern times.

• The objective of the association is to strengthen the brand identity of the company and expand its affiliation across the country.

Project-SMART for Station Area Development

Tags: National National News

The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and Ministry of Railways jointly signed an MoU with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for ‘Station Area Development along Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail’ (Project-SMART).

An overview of the news

• MoUs were signed for four high speed rail stations – Sabarmati, Surat in Gujarat and Virar and Thane in Maharashtra.

• Surat, Virar and Thane are green fields while Sabarmati is a brown field development.

Project-SMART

• Project-SMART envisages developing areas around Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Railway (MAHSR) stations to enhance accessibility and convenience for commuters and other stakeholders.

• The project will facilitate institutional capacity of state governments, municipal corporations and urban development authorities for planning, development and management of areas around MAHSR stations.

• MoHUA, Govts of Gujarat, Maharashtra and JICA are organizing a series of Seminars and field visits for the Project–SMART in Delhi, Ahmedabad and Mumbai. 

• The first seminar of the Series has been organized at Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi on 8th May, 2023.

Indian Air Force's MiG-21 crashes near Hanumangarh in Rajasthan

Tags: Defence National News

Three people died after a MiG-21 fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed in Rajasthan's Hanumangarh on 8th May.

An overview of the news

• The fighter jet was doing a routine training sortie earlier in the day when it crashed. 

• According to IAF sources, the MiG-21 jet had taken off from Suratgarh.

MiG 21 and its high crash rates :

• Mikoyan and Gurevich were two Soviet engineers who designed the MiG series of fighter jets for the Soviet Union.

• India inducted MiG-21 fighters in 1963 and it inducted a total 874 planes.

• More than 400 MiG-21s have been involved in accidents that have claimed the lives of around 200 pilots during the last six decades.

• One of the main reasons for the high rates of crashes is that it is the largest number of planes in the IAF.  

• The IAF has been forced to fly Mig-21 despite the fact that it has outlived its age. 

• The government of India has failed to buy an adequate number of planes to replace existing MiG -21 planes.

• Now the government plans to replace the MiG-21 plane with the various versions of the indigenously developed Tejas fighter Aircraft.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Indian Air Force Heritage Center in Chandigarh

Tags: Defence National News

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Indian Air Force Heritage Center in Chandigarh on 8 April.

An Overview of the News 

• During the function, the minister also laid the foundation stone of Center for Cyber Ops and Security.

• The Heritage Center displayed artefacts, simulators and interactive boards highlighting various aspects of operations in the Indian Air Force.

• The centre also displayed vintage aircraft and underlined the important role played by the Air Force in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief as well as its combat capabilities.

• The Heritage Center aims to inspire the youth of Chandigarh to pursue a career in the Indian Air Force.

• The inauguration of the Indian Air Force Heritage Center was a momentous event that celebrated the history, achievements and contribution of the Indian Air Force to the nation.

About Chandigarh

• It is the capital of two northern Indian states, both Punjab and Haryana.

• The city was designed in the 1950s by Le Corbusier, a Swiss-French modernist architect.

• The Capitol Complex, which includes the High Court, the Secretariat and the Legislative Assembly, is one of Le Corbusier's most prominent buildings in Chandigarh.

• The Open Hand Monument is another iconic structure in the city, designed by Le Corbusier to represent "the hand to give and the hand to take".

• The Rock Garden, located near the Capitol Complex, is a popular tourist attraction in Chandigarh.

Mayor - Sarabjit Kaur

Official Animal - Indian Gray Mongoose

Official Bird - Indian Gray Hornbill

Official Flower - Sacred Tree

Official tree - Mangifera indica

​​​​​​​​​​Jeremy Lalrinnunga wins silver in Asian Championships

Tags: Sports Sports News

Indian weightlifter Jeremy Lalrinnunga won the silver medal in the snatch event at the Asian Weightlifting Championship held in Jinju, Korea on 7 April.

An Overview of the News 

• Jeremy Lalrinnunga, 20, won the silver medal in the snatch event with a lift of 141 kg in the 67 kg category.

• He became the only Indian weightlifter to win a medal at the Asian Weightlifting Championship this year.

• The gold medal in the 67 kg weight category went to China's He Yuji, who finished the event with a higher weight than Lalrinnunga.

Asian Weightlifting Championship:

• It is an event focused on weightlifting and is organised by the Asian Weightlifting Federation.

• This championship is specially designed for athletes from Asian countries.

• Men have been participating in the Asian Weightlifting Championships since 1969, while women have been participating since 1988.

• The objective of the championship is to promote the sport of weightlifting and encourage athletes to showcase their skills and abilities.