India Tops Global Arms Imports

• India retains its position as the world's largest arms importer. Over the period spanning 2019 to 2023, the country accounted for a notable 9.8% of the overall global arms imports.
• Recent statistics from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) indicate a 4.7% escalation in India's arms imports between the periods of 2014-2018 and 2019-2023.

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PM participates in ‘India’s Techade: Chips for Viksit Bharat’ Program

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi via video conferencing participated in the 'India’s Techade: Chips for Viksit Bharat' program.
• In the event he inaugurated three semiconductor projects collectively valued at approximately Rs 1.25 lakh crores.
• The unveiled facilities include a Semiconductor fabrication unit at the Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR) in Gujarat, an Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facility in Morigaon, Assam, and another OSAT facility in Sanand, Gujarat.

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Japan's First Private-Sector Rocket ‘Kairos’

• In a setback to Japan's aspirations to enter the commercial space industry, a rocket lauded as the nation's first private-sector venture to achieve orbit suffered an explosion shortly after liftoff.
• The Space One rocket, developed by Japanese startup Space One Co., met a fiery demise mere moments after its maiden launch from Space Port Kii in western Japan.
• Named Kairos, which translates to "the right moment" in ancient Greek, the rocket was tasked with carrying a government satellite. Kairos aimed to deploy the satellite in orbit.

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India Notches MIRV Tech Success in Agni-V Firing

• India accomplished the first flight test of the domestically developed Agni-V missile featuring Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology.
• During the test, India launched the Agni-V missile equipped with three MIRVs, covering a distance exceeding 3000 km, notwithstanding the missile's capability to reach distances of up to 5000 km.
• The missile's nomenclature, "Agni," is indicative of its MIRV functionality, as its warheads separate in space, while upon re-entry into the atmosphere, the missile resembles a fiery ball due to friction, traveling at a speed of approximately six kilometers per second.

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Yoga Mahotsav 2024

• On 13^th March 2024, Yoga Mahotsav 2024 took place at Vigyan Bhawan, marking the 100-day countdown to IDY-2024.
• The event, aligned with this year's International Day of Yoga (IDY) theme "Yoga for Women Empowerment," celebrated the upcoming 10th edition of IDY, observed annually on June 21^st.
• Yoga Mahotsav 2024 aims to propel yoga into a widespread movement focused on enhancing women's well-being and promoting global health and peace.
• The Ministry has been actively involved in supporting studies addressing various health conditions affecting women, such as PCOS/PCOD and stress management, with a commitment to promoting women's health regardless of age or circumstance.

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R Ashwin Becomes No. 1 bowler

• Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin ascended to the pinnacle of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test Rankings, replacing Jasprit Bumrah.
• This marks Ashwin's return to the No. 1 spot, a position he previously held until January 2024, as per the latest rankings update on 13^th March 2024.
• Ashwin's journey to reclaim the top spot began when he initially achieved No. 1 ranking in ICC Test Rankings in November 2015.