Current Affairs

FIRST WOMAN DIRECTOR GENERAL (DG) MEDICAL SERVICES (ARMY)

Why in the News?

Lieutenant General Sadhna Saxena Nair assumed the office of DG Medical Services (Army). She becomes the first woman to be appointed to this position. Prior to this, she was the first woman to hold the post of DG Hospital Services (Armed Forces) on promotion to the rank of Air Marshal.

About Sadhna Saxena Nair

• She was commissioned into the Army Medical Corps in December 1985.
• She was trained in Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Warfare with the Israeli Defence Forces and in Military Medical Ethics with the Swiss Armed Forces in Spiez.
• She is also the first woman Principal Medical Officer of Western Air Command, and Training Command, Indian Air Force (IAF).
• She has been awarded the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command and Chief of the Air Staff Commendations as well as Vishisht Seva Medal by the President of India.

Lieutenant General Sadhna Saxena Nair

Indian Air Force (IAF)

• Founded: 8^th October 1932
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Motto: Touch the sky with Glory (Bhagavad Gita - Ch11)
• Chief of the Air Staff: Vivek Ram Chaudhari
• It was established as an auxiliary arm of the Royal Air Force of Britain. This was stipulated by the Indian Air Force Act of 1932.
• The first aircraft flight came into being on 1st April 1933 when its first squadron of 4 Westland Wapiti airplanes was commissioned.
• It is the fourth largest in the world after the USA, China, and Russia.
• President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces,
• The Chief of Air Staff, an air chief marshal, is responsible for the air force's operational command.
• Significant Operations
• Operation Vijay (1961)
• The Second Kashmir War (1965)
• The Bangladesh Liberation War (1971)
• Operation Poomalai (1987)
• Operation Cactus (1988)
• The Kargil War (1999)
• The Balakot airstrike (2019)

Indian Air Force – Logo

FENCING EVENT AT 2024 PARIS OLYMPICS

Why in the News?

Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez has revealed that she fought at the Paris Olympics while seven months pregnant. She finished the competition ranked 16th.

About Nada Hafez

• She is an Egyptian sabre fencer and competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics, 2020 Summer Olympics and 2024 Summer Olympics in Sabre.
• She is a former gymnast with a degree in medicine.
• She is a three-time Olympian who won gold medals in the individual and team saber events at the 2019 African Games.

Nada Hafez of Team Egypt at the Paris Olympic Games

Fencing

• It is a fast-paced and strategic combat sport that involves two competitors dueling with swords.
• It is one of the original sports featured in the modern Olympic Games.
• Types
  • Foil
    • Weapon: A light thrusting weapon with a flexible rectangular blade.
    • Target Area: The torso, including the back but excluding the arms and head.
  • Épée
    • Weapon: A heavier thrusting weapon with a stiffer triangular blade.
    • Target Area: The entire body.
  • Sabre
    • Weapon: A light cutting and thrusting weapon with a flat blade.
    • Target Area: The entire body above the waist, including the head and arms but excluding the hands.

INDO-PACIFIC ECONOMIC FRAMEWORK (IPEF)

Why in the News?

India has been elected as the Vice-Chair of the Supply Chain Council under the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF). India and 13 other IPEF partners have established three bodies under the IPEF’s agreement on supply chain resilience.

About IPEF

• Launched: May 2022
• It is a strategic economic initiative launched by the United States in collaboration with several countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Members: 14 Countries - Australia, Brunei, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, United States, Vietnam.
• Supply chain bodies
  • Supply Chain Council: USA (Chair), India (Vice Chair)
  • Crisis Response Network: Republic of Korea (Chair), Japan (Vice Chair)
  • Labor Rights Advisory Board: USA (Chair), Fiji (Vice Chair)
• Four pillars
  • Trade (Pillar I)
  • Supply Chain Resilience (Pillar II)
  • Clean Economy (Pillar III)
  • Fair Economy (Pillar IV)
  • India had joined Pillars II to IV of IPEF while it has maintained an observer status in Pillar-I

WORLD WIDE WEB DAY 2024

• It is annually observed on 1st August to commemorates the creation of the World Wide Web (WWW) and its profound impact on human connectivity.
• The day honours the invention of Tim Berners-Lee, an English scientist who conceptualized and developed the WWW in 1989 while working at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN).

WORLD LUNG CANCER DAY 2024

• It is annually observed on 1st August.
• It aims to spread awareness and educate people about the prevention and early detection of lung cancer.
• The theme for the day 2024 is Close the Care Gap: Everyone Deserves Access to Cancer Care.

General Knowledge

LINE OF ACTUAL CONTROL (LAC)

• It serves as the boundary separating Indian-controlled territory from Chinese-controlled territory.
• India asserts the length of the LAC to be 3,488 km, whereas China contends it to be approximately 2,000 km.
• It is not a legally recognized international boundary but serves as the de facto border between the two countries.
• History
  • Sino-Indian War (1962): Its origins can be traced back to the 1962 war between India and China which led to the establishment of LAC.
  • Agreement on the Maintenance of Peace and Tranquility (1993): India formally accepted the concept of the LAC in 1993 and the two sides signed the Agreement.
  • Agreement on Confidence-Building Measures (1996): Established protocols for troop movements and communication to avoid conflicts.
• The process of clarifying the LAC has effectively stalled since 2002.
• Demarcation: 3 Sectors
  • The eastern sector encompasses Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, claimed by China as South Tibet.
  • Middle sector spanning Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
  • The Western sector is in Ladakh.
• Key Incidents
  • Doklam Standoff (2017)
  • Galwan Valley Clashes (2020)
  • Tawang, Aruranchal Pradesh (2022)

Demarcation of India – China Border

NATIONAL INVESTIGATION AGENCY (NIA)

• It came into existence on 31st December 2008 and started functioning in 2009.
• Origin: 26/11 Mumbai terror attack in November 2008
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Director General: Sadanand Vasant date
• It is the Central Counter-Terrorism Law Enforcement Agency of India mandated to investigate all the offences affecting the sovereignty, security and integrity of India.
• It operates under the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008.
• Major Cases
  • Samjhauta Express Bombing (2007)
  • Mumbai Terror Attacks (2008)
  • Burdwan Blast Case (2014)
  • Pathankot Airbase Attack (2016)
• Scheduled Offences
  • Explosive Substances Act
  • Atomic Energy Act
  • Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act
  • Anti-Hijacking Act
  • Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Civil Aviation Act
  • SAARC Convention (Suppression of Terrorism) Act
  • Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against Safety of Maritime Navigation and Fixed Platforms on Continental Shelf Act
  • Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act
  • Any other relevant offences under the Indian Penal Code, Arms Act and the Information Technology Act.
  • Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act

Logo of NIA

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs)

Origin: Rio+20 conference (2012)

Predecessor: Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), 2000-2015

Adoption: All countries in the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015.

There are 17 Sustainable Development Goals, 169 associated targets and 304 indicators.

SDG India Index 2023-24

• It is a tool developed by NITI Aayog to measure and track India’s progress towards the SDGs set by the United Nations.
• It serves as a benchmark for policymakers to identify gaps and prioritize actions towards achieving sustainable development by 2030.
• It serves as a barometer for measuring progress towards Viksit Bharat @ 2047.
• It measures national progress using 113 indicators.
• Goal-wise scores are computed for the 16 SDGs, and overall composite scores are derived for each State/UTs.
• Goal 14 (Life Below Water) has not been included in the calculation as it solely pertains to the nine coastal States.
• Performance
  • India's overall SDG score improved to 71 in 2023-24 from 66 in 2020-21 and 57 in 2018.
  • State/UTs are categorized based on their SDG India Index score as follows:
    • Aspirant: 0–49, Performer: 50–64, Front-Runner: 65–99, and Achiever: 100.
  • Kerala and Uttarakhand emerged as the best-performing states, each scoring 79 points.
  • Bihar lagged with a score of 57 points, followed by Jharkhand at 62 points.

SDG Goal-wise performance of India