Defence Ministry Signs ₹1,614.89 Crore Deal for Coast Guard

• Defence Ministry signed a contract worth ₹1,614.89 crore with Mumbai-based Mazagaon Dockyard Shipbuilders Limited (MDL).
• The contract is for the acquisition of six next-generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) destined for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
• These patrol vessels play a crucial role in monitoring India's coastlines, contributing to search and rescue operations, and mitigating maritime pollution.

Narendra Singh Tomar Elected Speaker of M.P. Assembly

• The Madhya Pradesh legislative assembly elected Narendra Singh Tomar, a former Union minister and senior BJP leader, as its speaker.
• He recently won the Dimani assembly seat in Morena district during the state elections.
• He secured his electoral victory as a corporator in Gwalior in 1983.
• He has served in various capacities, including as the state president of the Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha and later as the state chief of the BJP.

TATA Projects New Parliament Building Wins ENR's Global Best Projects Awards 2023

• TATA Projects, a prominent EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) company in India, has been awarded with the Engineering News Record’s Global Best Projects Awards 2023.
• This award is for constructing the New Parliament Building.
• The ENR Global Best Projects Awards are renowned for recognizing the world's most exceptional engineering accomplishments, celebrating projects that demonstrate outstanding achievements in innovation, collaboration, and technical complexity.

ISRO Awarded Leif Erikson Lunar Prize

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has won the 2023 Leif Erikson Lunar Prize awarded by the Exploration Museum in Husavik.
• This award was given with reference to their success in Chandrayaan-3 mission.
• The Leif Erikson Award is an annual prize given by the Exploration Museum since 2015.
• The award is named after Leif Erikson — a Norse explorer thought to be the first European to set foot on continental America after Christopher Columbus.

Dalai Lama Inaugurates First International Sangha Forum

• The Dalai Lama inaugurated the three-day International Sangha Forum 2023 at the International Convention Centre in Bodh Gaya, Bihar.
• The theme of the event is "Bridging Traditions, Embracing Modernity."
• This event is a collaboration between the Office of the Dalai Lama and the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC).