Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a successful flight-trial of India’s first long-range hypersonic missile from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha late on November 16, 2024. This hypersonic missile is designed to carry various payloads for ranges greater than 1,500 kms for the Armed Forces.
The missile was tracked by various range systems, deployed in multiple domains. The flight data obtained from down-range ship stations confirmed the successful terminal maneuvers and impact with a high degree of accuracy.
This missile has been indigenously developed by the laboratories of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex, Hyderabad,
along with various other DRDO laboratories and Industry Partners. The flight-trial was carried out in the presence of senior scientists of DRDO and officers of the Armed Forces.
Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO- Dr Samir V Kamat.
Karnataka Bank Ltd. has launched two financial products – ‘KBL Peak’, an education loan with financing of up to Rs. 2 crore and comprehensive coverage, and ‘KBL Genius’, a student savings account featuring free cyber insurance.
KBL Peak’ supports students pursuing higher education in India and abroad.
With loan amounts up to Rs. 2 crore, it covers tuition fees and expenses related to accommodation, travel, books, and laptops. ‘KBL Peak’ provides a pre-admission sanction letter, simplifying the admission process, and includes credit life insurance for both the student and the parent, ensuring comprehensive financial protection.
‘KBL Genius’ savings account is a student-focused product available in two variants – ‘KBL Genius Signature’ and ‘KBL Genius Advantage’. With features like a minimum average balance requirement, seamless digital transactions, and exclusive benefits on debit cards, ‘KBL Genius’ empowers students to manage their finances effectively.
The UAE has unveiled an ambitious initiative to establish the “Global Energy Efficiency Alliance” during COP29, hosted in Azerbaijan. This move aims to double global energy efficiency rates by 2030 and contribute to significant emission reductions.
The initiative builds on the ‘UAE Consensus’ from COP28, a commitment that brought together countries, organizations, and corporations to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable resource management.
It aims to encourage strategic public-private partnerships and bolster investments in energy efficiency initiatives.
The UAE plans to lead the alliance by sharing its expertise in energy efficiency, fostering knowledge transfer, and building effective partnership models with the private sector. The alliance is designed to support the reduction of carbon emissions and the sustainable use of natural resources through knowledge sharing, capacity building, and standardization efforts.
The alliance will focus on compiling and disseminating best practices, with a particular emphasis on assisting African nations. This support will extend to developing financing options and technological solutions vital for the continent’s progress in energy sustainability.
Victoria Kjaer Theilvig of Denmark has been crowned Miss Universe for 2024, marking her country's first win at the international beauty pageant.
The 73rd edition of the pageant, which saw participation by more than 120 contestants, was held at the Mexico City Arena.
Miss Nigeria Chidimma Adetshina placed second, whereas Miss Mexico Maria Fernanda Beltran came in third.
Theilvig, an animal protection advocate who works in the diamond selling business,was crowned by Miss Universe 2023 Sheynnis Palacios from Nicaragua.
Rhea Singha, who represented India at the 73rd edition of the competition, was called into the list of top 30 contestant.
Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh will promote sports in Dubai as one of the Dubai Sports Council’s brand ambassadors.
The announcement was made in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai,
along with other distinguished sports personalities including UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov, tennis star Sania Mirza, and football icon Patrice Evra.
India’s GSAT-20, one of its largest communication satellites weighing 4,700 kg, will be launched by SpaceX, the American aerospace company led by Elon Musk. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket has been chosen due to its ability to carry payloads of up to 8.3 tonnes to a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO).
This partnership marks a shift for Isro, which typically relies on its LVM-3 launcher, capable of lifting satellites up to 4 tonnes to GTO.
Owned and operated by New Space India Ltd, Isro’s commercial arm, GSAT-20 — also known as GSAT N-2 — will enhance India’s communication infrastructure.
Equipped with a Ka-band high-throughput payload, it offers a total throughput capacity of 70 Gbit/s using 40 beams with dual polarisation, resulting in 80 beams overall. The satellite has a mission life of 14 years and will support initiatives like the Union government’s Smart City programme and in-flight internet connectivity.
This collaboration with SpaceX underscores the evolving dynamics of global space exploration and India’s focus on enhancing its technological capabilities.
The Bharat National Cyber Security Exercise (Bharat NCX 2024), a landmark initiative to fortify India’s cybersecurity resilience, was inaugurated today at a high-profile ceremony organized by the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) in collaboration with Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU).
The 12-day exercise is a critical step in preparing India’s cybersecurity professionals and leadership to tackle evolving threats with advanced cyber defense, incident response capabilities, and strategic decision-making.
The World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW) is a global campaign to raise awareness and understanding of AMR and promote best practices among One Health stakeholders to reduce the emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections. WAAW is celebrated from 18-24 November every year.
The theme for the WAAW this year is “Educate. Advocate. Act now.”
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an increasingly serious threat to global public health that requires action across all government sectors and society.It has significant impacts on human and animal health, food production, and the environment. Drug-resistant pathogens pose threat to everyone, everywhere. Yet, much more can be done to raise public and stakeholder awareness.
The sexual abuse and exploitation of children is a violation of human rights and a public health problem with significant consequences for global health and development.
Affirming the need to eliminate and prevent all forms of child sexual exploitation, abuse, and violence and to promote the dignity and rights, including mental and physical health and healing,
of those who experience child sexual exploitation, abuse and violence, on 7 November 2022, the General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/77/8, proclaiming 18 November of each year as the World Day for the Prevention of and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Violence.
The unemployment rate for people aged 15 years and above in urban areas dipped to 6.4 percent in the July-September quarter, according to the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO).
Joblessness, or unemployment rate, is defined as the percentage of unemployed people in the labour force.
The unemployment rate in the September quarter of FY24 was 6.6 percent.
The unemployment rate for people aged 15 years and above in the previous April-June quarter of FY25 was 6.6 percent in urban areas, the 24th Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) showed.
The unemployment rate among females (aged 15 years and above) in urban areas declined to 8.4 percent in July-September 2024 from 8.6 percent in the same quarter a year ago.
The rate was 9 percent in April-June, 2024.
Among males, the unemployment rate in urban areas declined to 5.7 per cent in July-September 2024 from 6 per cent in the same quarter a year ago. The rate was 5.8 per cent in April-June 2024.
State Bank of India (SBI), the nation’s largest public sector bank, has partnered with Jagriti Yatra 2024, a transformative 8,000-km, 15-day entrepreneurial journey across India’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 regions. This initiative will support 500 young aspirants in exploring entrepreneurial opportunities, receiving expert mentorship, and engaging in practical learning experiences.
Through this collaboration, SBI aims to nurture future innovators, advancing India’s vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India) by 2047.
In line with its commitment to promoting entrepreneurship, SBI continues to empower individuals through skill development and financial inclusion.
The bank has established 152 Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs), which have successfully trained over 11.5 lakh rural candidates, enabling 74% of them to become self-employed. Additionally, SBI leads the Self-Help Group (SHG) loans market, with a portfolio exceeding Rs. 50,000 crores, benefiting over 1 crore women members.
In FY24 alone, the bank disbursed ₹49,000 crore in Mudra loans and approximately ₹1,550 crore under the PM SVANidhi scheme, further reinforcing its role in fostering grassroots entrepreneurship.
Twenty-four coastal villages in Odisha were recognised by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO as 'Tsunami Ready'.
The recognition was given during the 2nd Global Tsunami Symposium held in Indonesia on November 11, a statement said.
These villages are located in Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Puri and Ganjam districts, it said.
Besides, the Tsunami Ready Recognition Certificates were renewed for two villages in the state. These villages are Noliasahi in Jagatsinghpur district and Venkatraipur in Ganjam district. They were recognised as Tsunami Ready in 2020.
Various activities, including training of stakeholders, community awareness programmes, preparation of tsunami management plans, conducting mock drills and identification of evacuation routes, were done in these 24 tsunami-prone villages, the statement said.
IndusInd Bank Limited (IBL) and Bharat Financial Inclusion Limited (BFIL), a wholly owned subsidiary of IBL, have signed an MoU with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW), Government of India, to launch the Bharat Sanjeevani Krishi Utthan initiative.
The initiative aligns with the government’s flagship program, “Formation and Promotion of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs),” and aims to provide a robust framework for empowering FPOs across India. These organizations play a pivotal role in enhancing farmers’ bargaining power, reducing production costs, and improving incomes through collective efforts.
This unit will oversee the implementation of FPO projects at the national level and in 11 target states, including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
It also includes capacity-building, IT infrastructure development, and data management to optimize FPO operations.
This partnership marks the first formal collaboration of the Ministry of Agriculture with corporate entities for FPO development, highlighting the potential of public-private partnerships in rural empowerment.
BFIL and IBL have previously demonstrated expertise in agri-allied sectors through the Bharat Sanjeevani initiative, provides veterinary services to rural communities
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav, informed the Nation about the notification of the Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve, Chhattisgarh, as the 56th Tiger Reserve of the country.
The Government of Chhattisgarh, on advice of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), notified the Guru Ghasidas - Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve across Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur, Korea, Surajpur and Balrampur districts of Chhattisgarh.
The tiger reserve, encompassing a total area of 2829.38 sq.kms, includes a core/critical tiger habitat of 2049.2 sq.kms, comprising the Guru Ghasidas National Park and Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary, and has a buffer of 780.15 sq.kms.
This makes it the third largest tiger reserve in the country after Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve in Andhra Pradesh and Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam. The Guru Ghasidas- Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve becomes the 56th Tiger Reserve to be notified in the country.
A total of 753 species, including 365 invertebrates and 388 vertebrates, have been documented from Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve by the Zoological Survey of India. The vertebrate fauna includes 230 species of birds and 55 species of mammals comprising several threatened species from both the groups.
With this notification, Chhattisgarh is now home to 4 Tiger Reserves, which is bound to strengthen conservation of the species with ongoing technical and financial assistance from the National Tiger Conservation Authority under Project Tiger.
