Key Highlights:

• The day is observed internationally on 10 September.
• The 2024–26 theme is “Changing the Narrative on Suicide”.
• The associated call to action is “Start the Conversation”.
• The observance was established in 2003.
• It was established through cooperation between the International Association for Suicide Prevention and the World Health Organization.
• The first observance took place in Stockholm in 2003.

Key Highlights:

• He was born on 7 May 1929 in Mattancherry, Kerala.
• He received the Padma Shri in 2015 in Literature and Education.
• He made significant contributions to Konkani literature and cultural integration.
• He promoted the Shataka form of poetry.
• He translated Thirukkural into Konkani.
• He received the Sahitya Akademi Translation Award in 2008.
• He played an important role in efforts that led to Konkani being included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
• He also worked for recognition of Konkani speakers as a linguistic minority in Kerala.

Key Highlights:

• Ophiopogon japonicus belongs to the Asparagaceae family.
• It is an evergreen perennial herb.
• It is commonly known as dwarf lilyturf or mondo grass.
• The species is mainly found in East Asian countries such as China, Japan, and Korea.
• It generally grows at elevations between 200 and 2,800 metres.
• Its roots are traditionally used in East Asian medicine.
• The discovery adds to India’s documented plant biodiversity.
• The finding is particularly important for biodiversity research in the Eastern Himalayas.

Key Highlights:

• He received the Commonwealth Public Leadership Recognition.
• He was also given the Statesmanship Award for Transformative Leadership.
• The Global Pride of Maharashtra Award recognised his contribution to promoting Marathi culture internationally.
• The awards highlighted areas such as citizen-focused governance, infrastructure development and regional growth.
• He proposed the possibility of organising an International Marathi Literature Festival in London.
• The recognitions focused on governance, leadership and cultural promotion.

Key Highlights:

• The theme was “Potential to Impact: Agentic AI | Tokenisation | Quantum: Trusted, Connected, Global Systems for Inclusive Finance”.
• Agentic AI, tokenisation and quantum technology were the three major technology pillars.
• The event was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• The Payments Council of India, NPCI and Fintech Convergence Council were the principal organisers.
• The Unified Fintech Forum was recognised as the second Self-Regulatory Organisation for the fintech sector.
• RBI expanded multicurrency forex services on Bharat Connect.
• Five additional currencies were added: Euro, British Pound, Canadian Dollar, Swiss Franc and UAE Dirham.
• SEBI launched a Demat 2.0 pilot for tokenisation of corporate bonds using Distributed Ledger Technology.

Key Highlights:

• It is a bilateral exercise between the Indian Navy and the Royal Malaysian Navy.
• The exercise focuses on maritime cooperation and interoperability.
• The harbour phase included cross-deck visits and professional exchanges.
• Subject Matter Expert interactions and discussions were also conducted.
• The sea phase involved operational activities and joint training.
• The exercise helps strengthen professional ties between the two maritime forces.
• Malaysian naval ships KD Lekir and KD Gagah Sam participated in the exercise.

Key Highlights:

• The summit was attended by representatives from nearly 90 countries.
• Discussions focused on international cooperation in the space economy.
• Science, space exploration and space security were major areas of discussion.
• Around 51 announcements worth nearly €20 billion were made.
• These included investments, contracts and international collaborations.
• India and France signed three agreements related to space cooperation.
• Areas of cooperation include satellite launches, surveillance systems and microsatellite development.
• The two countries also plan to deploy the Space-Based Surveillance Phase III constellation between 2027 and 2030.
• The summit highlighted the growing role of public-private partnerships in space activities.

Key Highlights:

• Rajnath Singh met Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
• He also held discussions with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya.
• India and Sri Lanka virtually inaugurated three Bailey bridges built by Indian defence forces.
• The two countries signed three MoUs.
• One agreement covers the upgrade of six 40-mm L70 anti-aircraft guns for the Sri Lankan Air Force.
• Other agreements focus on cooperation between the National Defence Colleges and National Cadet Corps of both countries.
• The visit covered defence cooperation, development, education and cultural ties.
• Maritime security remained an important area of bilateral cooperation.

Key Highlights:

• The project is the first of its kind in India’s steel industry.
• Coke Oven Gas is a hydrogen-rich and hydrocarbon-rich by-product of coke production.
• The gas contains more than 55% hydrogen.
• The project purifies and injects hydrogen-rich gas into blast furnaces through tuyeres.
• It creates a three-fuel operating system.
• The technology can reduce dependence on carbon-based reducing agents.
• It can improve energy efficiency and operational flexibility.
• The project supports Tata Steel’s target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2045.

Key Highlights:

• The MoU was signed during APNIC 62 in Mumbai.
• It focuses on internet infrastructure development and technical knowledge sharing.
• The partnership will support stronger internet routing security.
• Domestic hosting of an APNIC server instance can help reduce latency and improve network resilience.
• Training programmes will help develop local technical expertise.
• The partnership will promote the use of Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI).
• RPKI helps authenticate internet routing information and strengthen protection against routing-related cyber threats.
• The cooperation also supports wider adoption of IPv6.
• APNIC 62 marked the return of the APNIC conference to India after 14 years.