16.05.19
INTERNATIONAL
Sasakawa Award 2019
- United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) today conferred Sasakawa Award 2019 for Disaster Risk Reduction to Dr. Pramod Kumar Mishra, Additional Principal Secretary to Prime Minister of India.
- P. K. Mishra from India received the 2019 Sasakawa award in recognition of his long-term dedication to improve the resilience of communities most exposed to disasters and his personal commitment to social inclusion as a critical principle to reduce inequality and poverty, enhancing the safety net of the socially and economically marginalized.
- The theme of the 2019 Sasakawa award was “Building Inclusive and Resilient Societies”.
India gives 2 attack helicopters to Afghanistan
- India handed over two Mi-24 attack helicopters to Afghanistan.
- Under a tripartite agreement, India has agreed to purchase the attack helicopters from Belarus and supply them to Afghanistan.
- India has earlier gifted four Mi-24 attack helicopters drawn from the inventory of the Indian Air Force and three Cheetal utility helicopters manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
NATIONAL
Centre mandates Artificial Intelligence for all DPSUs
- The Centre, beginning this financial year, has made it mandatory for all defence PSUs (DPSUs) to initiate projects relating to Artificial Intelligence (AI).
- Ministry of Defence (MoD) had formed a special committee under the chairmanship of the Chairman of Tata Sons to look into the adaptation of AI for various industrial applications.
DRDO successfully conducts flight test of ABHYAS drone
- DRDO successfully conducted the flight test of ABHYAS – High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) from a test range in the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Balasore.
- ABHYAS is designed on an in-line small gas turbine engine and it uses indigenously developed MEMS based navigation system.
Chairperson of the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA)
- Former Supreme Court Judge Justice A. K. Sikri has been appointed as the Chairperson of the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA).
- NBSA is a self-regulatory body that implements the Code of Ethics and Broadcasting Standards and Guidelines for its Member news broadcasters.
SC collegium recommends appointment of Chief Justices for four high courts
- Supreme Court collegium has cleared the names of four judges for appointment as Chief Justices of Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh high courts.
- Justice D N Patel as Chief Justice of Delhi high court.
- Justice A A Kureshi to head MP high court.
- Justice V Ramasubramanian as Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh high court.
- Justice R S Chauhan as Chief Justice of Telangana high court.
Asian Snooker Tour title
- Pankaj Advani defeated Ehsan Heydari Nezhad of Iran 6-4 to claim the inaugural Asian Snooker Tour title.
- Pankaj Advani has won the world snooker and billiards title 21 times.