1) Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas(PBD): Celebrated on 9th January every year since 2003 to mark the contribution of Overseas Indian community in the development of India.
- 9 January commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India in 1915.
- Since 2015, under a revised format, PBD Convention has been organised once every 2 years.
- 17 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Conventions have been organised till date.
- 17th PBD Convention was held in 2023 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
- In 2023, theme was “Diaspora: Reliable partners for India’s progress in Amrit Kaal”.
2) Lunar Gateway Station: UAE has announced its participation in NASA’s Lunar Gateway Station expected to be launched by 2025.
- Other participating countries are USA, Japan, Canada and the European Union.
- Gateway is humanity’s first space station that will orbit the Moon.
- This lunar space station will:
- Support long-term exploration of the Moon under Artemis and research in deep space.
- Provide a home for astronauts to live and work.
- Spacewalks while orbiting the Moon.
- facilitate studies on solar and cosmic radiation.
- Under Artemis mission, NASA will land the first woman and first person of colour on the Moon.
3) Hog deer: Hog deer are spotted for the first time in Rajaji Tiger Reserve (Uttrakhand).
- Features: It is a small deer with rounded ears and older animals tend to become light-coloured in the face and neck.
- Diet: Herbivore
- Habitat: Riverine flooded grasslands with tall grasses or dense vegetation, found in tropical or subtropical climates.
- Threats: Hunting, loss of habitat due to agriculture
- IUCN status: Endangered
- Protection: Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and Appendix I (CITES)
4) Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA): DGCA has updated Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) regulations for flight crew, aligning them with global best practices.
- These changes aim to tackle pilot fatigue and improve overall flight safety.
- DGCA is an attached office of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
- Its role is to:
- Regulate air transport services to/from/within India.
- Enforce civil air regulations, air safety and airworthiness standards.
- Co-ordinates all regulatory functions with International Civil Aviation Organisation.
