Current Affairs

Current Affairs
Compiled by: Sarasij Majumder, 1971 Civil Engineering

India is the first team to breach the 600-run mark in first-class cricket.
On 28th June 2024, India scored 603 for 6 against South Africa in Chennai. It is the highest team total in women’s Test cricket, bettering the earlier highest of 575 for 9 declared by Australia against South Africa earlier this year. And the previous first-class cricket highest was 595 all out by Australia against England A in 1998.

525 for 4 – India’s total on the opening day is the record of most runs scored by any team in a day’s play in Test history (men or women). The previous highest was 509 for 9 by the Sri Lankan men on the second day of the 2002 Colombo Test against Bangladesh.

Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa Ghosh’s partnership of 143 runs, now the highest fifth-wicket stand in women’s Tests, surpassing the 138 between South Africa’s Johmari Logtenberg and Charlize van der Westhuizen against England in 2003.

Shafali Verma scored her double-century in 194 balls, now the fastest double-ton in women’s Tests, bettering Annabel Sutherland’s 248-ball effort against South Africa earlier this year. She is now also the first woman to score 200-plus runs in a day’s play in a Test match. The previous most runs scored in a day was 189 by Betty Snowball for England on the first day of the Christchurch Test against New Zealand in 1935.

Partnership of 292 runs by Shafali and Smriti Mandhana for the opening stand is now the highest in women’s Tests, surpassing the 241-run partnership by Kiran Baluch and Sajjida Shah against West Indies in 2004.

Shafali is now the second Indian to score a double-century in women’s Tests after Mithali Raj, who made 214 against England in Taunton in 2002. She is overall the tenth woman to score a double-hundred in Tests.

Shafali hit 8 sixes (Over boundary) in her 205-run knock. No batter had hit more than two sixes in an innings in women’s Tests before. No woman has hit more than three sixes in their Test career previously. Shafali now has a career tally of 13 sixes, ten more than any other player.

Source: espncricinfo.com

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Leander Paes and Vijay Amritraj became the first Asian to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Former Indian tennis players Leander Paes and Vijay Amritraj became the first Asian men to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. While Paes was inducted under the player category, Amritraj made it into the coveted club under the contributor category.

The announcement was made during a ceremony in Newport, the United States of America on Saturday. The induction event also saw several other Hall of Famers on stage, including Paes’ former doubles partner Martina Navratilova. They were joined by former Grand Slam champions Andre Agassi, Chris Evert, Stan Smith and International Tennis Hall of Fame Honourary President Kim Clijsters.

Leander Paes, the only Indian to win an Olympics medal in tennis, represented India for three decades before retiring in 2021. The 51-year-old, who spent around 462 weeks inside the top 10 of the ATP rankings, is widely regarded as one of the greatest doubles players of all time. Paes has won 18 Grand Slam titles – eight in men’s doubles and 10 in mixed doubles. He is one of only three men in tennis history to achieve career Grand Slams in both men’s and mixed doubles.

The other Indian, Vijay Amritraj has been a prominent name in Indian tennis, helping Indian tennis break new grounds in the 1970s and 80s and led India’s Davis Cup squad to its only two finals appearances in 1974 and 1987. He is now a renowned voice in tennis broadcasting in Asia and has also served as an administrator for the ATP and WTA events in Chennai. In 2001, Amritraj became the first Indian to serve as United Nations Messenger of Peace.

Source: olympics.com

“It is my greatest honour to be on this stage with not only these legends of the game, (but) people who have inspired me every single day of my life,” Paes told the ATP Tour’s official website. Not because you have won Grand Slams, not because you have shaped the world of our sport. But every single one of these people has shaped the world that we live in. I would like to thank you so much for giving this Indian boy hope,” – Leander Paes.

“My dear friends, I am humbled and honoured to join this incredible and exclusive group, which has brought glory to our sport. Our sport has given me everything in life. It has taken me places I never thought I would go. It has allowed me to meet people I never thought I would meet, and it has given me more things than I could have possibly imagined.” Vijay Amritraj.

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Manu Bhaker, the First Indian Olympian to Win Two Medals in any Olympic.
Manu Bhaker (born 18 February 2002), the Indian Olympian won two bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. First, she opened the Indian account in the Paris 2024 winning a bronze in the women’s 10 metre air pistol event, which made her the first woman shooter from India to win a medal at any Olympics. Then she partnered with Sarabjot Singh in the 10m air pistol mixed event to win another bronze medal for India, becoming first Indian woman to win 2 Medals at an Olympics and also the first Indian to win 2 Medals at an Olympics in 124 years.
Previously, she won a gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games at the age of 16.
Earlier, she had also become the youngest Indian to win a gold at ISSF World Cup in 2018.

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India alert after boy dies from Nipah virus in Kerala
Health authorities in India’s Kerala state have issued an alert after a 14-year-old boy died of the Nipah virus. According to the state’s health minister, an additional 60 people have been identified as being in the high-risk category of having the disease. Kerala Health Minister Veena George said that those who came into contact with him have been isolated and tested. People in the area have been asked to take precautions such as wearing masks in public areas and refraining from visiting people in hospital.

Source: BBC

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To the surprise of many, the world of electric vehicles (EVs) has shaken up, with India announcing a new invention in automobile technology. Triton Electric Vehicle LLC, a relatively new entrant into the clean energy industry, has said it will unveil a new hydrogen internal combustion engine. This is a major achievement; it will pave the way for a new revolutionary form of environmentally friendly transport.

Recently, Ashok Leyland also announced plans to build autonomous electric trucks for Indian ports. It’s also partnering with Adani Enterprises Ltd. and Reliance Industries Ltd. to launch hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and is investing Rs 1,200 crore ($146 million) in its electrical vehicle subsidiary Switch Mobility.

India, the world’s fifth-largest economy, depends on roads to transport 70% of its goods. With increasing urbanization and growing consumer demand, the number of trucks needed is expected to more than quadruple by 2050, raising climate concerns. Yet the shift to cleaner vehicles won’t be easy — the higher price of electric versus diesel trucks and a lack of charging infrastructure are large impediments, particularly for the small fleet operators who own most of India’s trucks.

Gujarat’s Electric Vehicle (EV) ecosystem is rapidly expanding, driven by high demand and government support. In 2023, EV sales in the state grew by 28% compared to the previous year, with 88,619 vehicles sold. This marks a significant increase from the 10,885 units sold in 2021, representing a growth of 714% over three years.

Source: Economic Times

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UNESCO recognizes “Moidams” of the Tai-Ahom dynasty, Assam, as a World Heritage site
The unique burial mounds, represented by pyramid-like structures known as “Moidams”, were used by the Tai-Ahom dynasty that ruled Assam for around 600 years. The mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty in Assam ‘Moidams’ was on Friday, 26th of July 2024 included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, the 43rd world heritage site of India. It is the first time a site from the North-East has made it to the UNESCO World Heritage List under the Cultural Category, after Kaziranga and Manas National Parks, it is Assam’s 3rd World Heritage Site.

‘Moidams’ are the burial grounds of Ahom kings and queens. The name ‘Moidam’ is derived from the Tai words ‘Phrang-Mai-Dam’ or ‘Mai-Tam’ – meaning to bury and the spirit of the dead. It displays brilliant architecture and expertise of the artisans and masons of Assam of the medieval era.

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Budget FY 24-25, Key Features at A Glance

Budget Theme:
Focus is on employment, skilling, MSMEs, and the middle class.
Announcement of Prime Minister’s package of 5 schemes and initiatives to facilitate employment, skilling and other opportunities for 4.1 Cr youth over a 5-year period with a central outlay of INR 2 Lakh Cr.
Provision of INR 1.48 Lakh Cr for education, employment and skilling.
Budget Priorities:
In line with the Viksit Bharat strategy set out in the interim budget, the budget envisages sustained efforts on the following 9 priorities for generating ample opportunities for all.
1. Productivity and resilience in Agriculture
2. Employment & Skilling
3. Inclusive Human Resource Development and Social Justice
4. Manufacturing & Services
5. Urban Development
6. Energy Security
7. Infrastructure
8. Innovation, Research & Development and
9. Next Generation Reforms

Taxation:
Indirect Taxes
A comprehensive review of the rate structure over the next six months will rationalise and simplify customs duty rates to facilitate trade, remove duty inversion, and reduce disputes.

Direct Taxes:
1. To bolster the Indian start-up eco-system, boost the entrepreneurial spirit and support innovation, the angel tax is to be abolished for all classes of investors.
2. To give a fillip to cruise tourism, an employment-generating industry, a simpler tax regime for foreign shipping companies operating domestic cruises in the country was proposed.
3. To further promote the development of the diamond cutting and polishing sector, safe harbour rates to be applied for foreign mining companies selling raw diamonds in the country.
4. To attract foreign capital for India’s development needs, corporate tax rate on foreign companies will be reduced from 40 to 35%.

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