National Statistics Day 2023

• Every year on June 29, National Statistics Day is observed to honour the significant contributions of Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis in the domains of statistics and economic planning.
• Professor Mahalanobis, often hailed as the 'father of Indian statistics,' gained renown for developing the Mahalanobis distance, a statistical metric employed to determine the separation between a data point and a distribution.
• Professor Mahalanobis, a distinguished member of India's inaugural Planning Commission, also played a pivotal role in establishing the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI).
• The theme of National Statistics Day, 2023 is “Alignment of State Indicator Framework with National Indicator Framework for Monitoring Sustainable Development Goals”.

International Day of the Tropics 2023

• On June 29 every year, the International Day of the Tropics is commemorated. The tropics refer to the regions that encompass the Earth's equator, lying between the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere.
• This occasion serves as a means to acknowledge the extraordinary array of tropical areas and shed light on the distinct obstacles and prospects they face.

DRDO Organises ‘Anusandhaan Chintan Shivir’

• On June 27, 2023, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) hosted an event called 'Anusandhaan Chintan Shivir' in New Delhi.
• The objective of this gathering was to foster Defence research and development (R&D) collaborations between the industry and academia.
• During the occasion, a comprehensive catalogue of 75 technology priority areas was unveiled by the DRDO.
• This list was further categorized into 403 specific technological domains, which in turn encompassed 1,295 ongoing and future technology development tasks.

National Research Foundation Bill 2023

• The Union Cabinet has granted approval for the introduction of the National Research Foundation (NRF) Bill, 2023 in the Parliament.
• It aims to initiate, nurture, and enhance Research and Development (R&D) activities, as well as cultivate a climate of research and innovation across universities, colleges, research institutions, and R&D laboratories throughout India.

Hemis Festival Ladakh 2023

• The Hemis Festival in Ladakh is a well-known religious event that draws a multitude of tourists to the picturesque Leh region.
• It commemorates the birth anniversary of Lord Padmasambhava and provides a captivating encounter with Tibetan Tantric Buddhism.
• Spanning two days, the Hemis Festival showcases the enthralling Cham Dance, traditional performances, and the unveiling of elaborate thangkas (Buddhist paintings).
• This celebration takes place at the enchanting Hemis Gompa monastery in the captivating region of Ladakh.

India ranked 67^th on Energy Transition Index

• On June 28, the World Economic Forum released its Energy Transition Index, placing India at the 67^th position worldwide.
• The report highlighted that India stands out as the sole major economy experiencing an acceleration in energy transition across all aspects.
• The top-ranking countries on the list of 120 nations were Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Switzerland, respectively.