Indian Navy Day 2023

• Indian Navy Day is an event dedicated to commemorating the courageous soldiers who gave their lives during Operation Trident.
• It also serves as a reminder to acknowledge the crucial role played by the Navy Force in safeguarding the nation.
• The theme for Indian Navy Day 2023 is “Operational Efficiency, Readiness, and Mission Accomplishment in the Maritime Domain.”

Ministry of Tourism Launches Competitions to Promote Rural Tourism

• The Ministry of Tourism has initiated the National Best Tourism Village Competition 2024 and the National Best Rural Homestay Competition 2024.
• It aims to enhance the promotion and growth of Rural Tourism in the nation.
• In the National Best Tourism Village Competition in 2023, 35 villages across India were acknowledged in gold, silver, and bronze categories.

India Refuses to Sign COP28

• India has opted not to sign the COP28 Declaration on Climate and Health.
• India pointed to the impracticality of restricting the use of greenhouse gases for cooling in the health sector, as the reason.

India Re-Elected to International Maritime Organisation

• In the assembly elections of 2024–25 biennium, India secured the highest tally and was re-elected to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council.
• This re-election places India in the category of 10 states demonstrating "the largest interest in international seaborne trade," alongside Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
• India secured the large-scale support of the international community at the International Maritime Organisation for India to continue to serve the global maritime domain.
• The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is the leading authority that regulates the maritime industry, which supports global trade, transportation, and all marine operations.

Kanchan Devi Becomes First Woman DG of ICFRE

• Kanchan Devi is appointed as the Director-General of the Dehradun-based Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE).
• She is a 1991 batch IFS officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre.
• With over three decades of service, she has become the first woman officer to assume this position.