Ganga Sagar Mela 2024

• The Ganga Sagar Mela conducted every year in Sagardwip, West Bengal, serves as a reflection of India's rich cultural and spiritual diversity.
• It is held on the occasion of Makar Sankranti which falls either on 14^th or 15^th of January of every year.
• This grand event is the second most widely attended fair in the nation after Kumbhmela.
• Annually, on Makar Sankranti, devotees from all over the country assemble at the confluence of the Ganges and the Bay of Bengal for a sacred bath, followed by prayers at the esteemed Kapil Muni Temple.

SBI Launches Green Rupee Term Deposit (SGRTD)

• The State Bank of India (SBI) has introduced a distinctive fixed deposit (FD) program, known as the SBI Green Rupee Term Deposit (SGRTD).
• This initiative aims to raise funds to champion environmentally conscious initiatives and projects.
• The objective is to encourage the development of a sustainable finance ecosystem in India, as detailed in the bank's official statement.

Mitsubishi Heavy Launches H-IIA Rocket Carrying Japan’s Spy Satellite

• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has made achievement in the realms of space exploration and national security by successfully launching an H-IIA rocket.
• H-IIA rocket is carrying Japan’s Information-Gathering Satellite "Optical-8."
• This milestone signifies a crucial advancement in Japan’s aerospace capabilities and strategic surveillance.

DRDO Achieves Success in Akash-NG Missile Flight Test

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted the flight test of the New Generation AKASH (AKASH-NG) missile.
• The test was carried out at the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha.
• The test demonstrated the system’s proficiency in intercepting high-speed unmanned aerial targets at extremely low altitudes.
• The Ministry of Defence underscored that the test affirmed the flawless operation of the entire weapon system, representing a noteworthy technological accomplishment for DRDO and enhancing India’s defence capabilities.

PM Modi Inaugurates Atal Setu

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially opened the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), known as the Atal Setu.
• Constructed at an estimated cost of around ₹17,840 crore, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu stands as the longest bridge in India and the lengthiest sea bridge in the country.