National
IGI becomes India's first airport with four runways and an elevated taxiway
⇒ Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Union Minister for Civil Aviation and Steel inaugurated a new runway and a dual-way elevated taxiway at New Delhi International Airport on 14 July 2023.
» With this, the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, New Delhi has become the first airport in the country to have four runways and becomes the first airport in the country to have an elevated taxiway.
- Eastern Cross Taxiway (ECT) will help in enhancing the passenger experience by reducing time spent on the tarmac by flyers after landings and before take-offs. Furthermore, four runway operations and the ECT will significantly increase capacity at IGIA – making it capable of handling 1700+ movements.
Some of the salient features of the runway and taxiway include:
Fourth Runway (11R/29L):
- Total paved length of 4.4km and width of 45m
- Ability to handle wide-body aircraft including A-380& B-777
- Enhanced capacity to handle simultaneous flight operations
- The runway is designed in compliance with Aerodrome Reference Code 4F
Eastern Cross Taxiway (ECT):
- Dual-way elevated taxiway connecting Northern & Southern airfields
- 1kmlong and 44m wide dual-lane elevated Code F-compliant taxiways
- The taxiways will have a gap of 47m to allow safe and simultaneous passage of two big aircraft
- Will help reduce taxi distance for aircraft by 7 km
- Reduce CO2 emissions by 55,000 tonnes annually
MoU between MoE and PHDCCI on Vidyanjali
⇒ Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) on Vidyanjali on 13 July, at the chamber of Commerce and Industry’s headquarter.
Vidyanjali is a school volunteer management program of Ministry of Education aims to strengthen Government and Government aided schools through community and private sector involvement across the country. This initiative connects volunteers from all spheres of life including the industry.
Objective:
By leveraging the expertise and resources of the PHD Chamber of Commerce, this collaboration seeks to create a powerful synergy that will positively impact the quality of education with the help of industries’ efforts in CSR for schools through the Vidyanjali portal.
The MoU outlines a framework for cooperation between the Ministry of Education and the PHD Chamber of Commerce to promote various activities under the Vidyanjali program, including-
scaling up industry’s efforts in CSR for schools through the Vidyanjali portal; jointly organizing sensitisation sessions for industry to support government schools; showcasing role models of corporate support to government schools; creating a platform for recognition of exemplary corporate support to government schools through Vidyanjali and jointly organizing capacity building programmes for promoting entrepreneurship and increasing employability.
International
MoU signed to establish 1st campus of IIT Delhi in Abu Dhabi
⇒ A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Ministry of Education and Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) to establish 1st campus of IIT Delhi in Abu Dhabi.
President of the United Arab Emirates His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi met in Abu Dhabi on 15 July 2023.
- The signing took place in the presence of HE Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India.
The MoU reflects the shared vision of both nations to prioritize educational excellence, innovation, knowledge exchange, and investments in human capital as the foundations for future prosperity and enablers of long-term economic growth and sustainable development.
Key Points:
- IIT Delhi – Abu Dhabi will complement the academic, research and innovation ecosystem in Abu Dhabi through collaboration with key players such as Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, Khalifa University, New York University Abu Dhabi, Technology Innovation Institute, and Hub71 to offer complimentary programs, conduct cutting edge research, and advance the local startup ecosystem.
- The IIT Delhi – Abu Dhabi campus is expected to launch its academic programs in 2024 and a host of bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D programs, and operate research centers related to sustainable energy and climate studies, as well as computing and data sciences.
- IIT Delhi – Abu Dhabi is expected to offer a diverse range of programs covering Energy and Sustainability, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science and Engineering, Mathematics and Computing and other disciplines of engineering, sciences, and humanities.
IIT Delhi – Abu Dhabi graduates will join an illustrious alumni network of graduates from 23 campuses across India. With outstanding credentials, IIT Delhi recently ranked among the world’s top 50 institutions for engineering and technology. It also scored a top 30 rank for global employability in the 2022 QS World University Rankings.
Sports
Women's Asian Champions Trophy 2023 Hockey Tournament
⇒ The Women’s Asian Champions Trophy 2023 hockey tournament was held at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi, Jharkhand, India from 27 October to 5 November 2023.
- The 2023 Asian Champions Trophy was a women’s biennial field hockey tournament organized by the Asian Hockey Federation. This was the 7th edition of the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy.
Mascot:
Shri Hemant Soren, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Jharkhand unveiled the mascot for the Jharkhand Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Ranchi 2023 at the Project Bhawan in Dhurva, Ranchi, Jharkhand on 13 October 2023.
The mascot of the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Ranchi 2023 was ‘Juhi’. The mascot, named ‘Juhi’ was inspired by the popular elephant at Betla National Park.
Participation:
Asia’s six hockey teams India, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan and China played in the 2023 Women’s Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament.
Final match:
The final match of the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy 2023 took place between India and Japan on 05 November 2023 in Ranchi.
Winner of Women’s Asian Champions Trophy 2023:
India won its second title of Women’s Asian Champions Trophy 2023 by defeating Japan 4-0 in the final. This was India’s second Women’s Asian Champions Trophy hockey title with the first coming back in 2016.
- Champions– India (2nd title)
- Runner-up– Japan
- Third place– China
Awards:
- Player of the Tournament: Salima Tete (Jharkhand, India)
- Top Goal Scorer: Sangeeta Kumari (India)
- Leading Scorer: Jiaqi Zhong (China)