SUNITA WILLIAMS
News – Sunita Williams back on Earth, her ancestral village over the moon
- Birth – 1965, Ohio, USA
- Heritage: Her father, Dr. Deepak Pandya, hailed from Gujarat
- Career: She served as a helicopter pilot in US Navy
- NASA astronaut in – 1998
- Space Missions-
- Accumulated over 608 days in space
- Longest space flight by any women – 195 days
- Awards –
- Padma Bhushan
- NASA Spaceflight Medal
- Legion of Merit.
UPI
News – Cabinet approves ₹1,500-crore UPI incentive to banks
- UPI – “Unified Payments Interface”
- Launched: April 11, 2016
- Launched by – National Payments Corporation of India
- Purpose: A real-time payment system enabling instant money transfers, using mobile phones
- Key Features:
- Instant transfers 24/7.
- Multiple payment methods using – mobile number, QR code, Virtual Payment Address
- Secure transactions with 2-factor authentication.
AURANGZEB
News – RSS says Aurangzeb irrelevant, condemns violence in Nagpur
- Full Name: Aurangzeb Alamgir
- Reign: 1658–1707
- Death: 1707, in Ahmadnagar, Maharashtra
- Father: Shah Jahan
- Mother: Mumtaz Mahal
- Key Policies and Events-
- Reimposed the Jizya tax on non-Muslims.
- Persecuted religious leaders like Guru Tegh Bahadur
- Expanded Mughal territories in the Deccan by annexing Bijapur and Golconda.
- Faced resistance from the Marathas under Shivaji and Sambhaji.
YEMEN
News – U.S. strikes target areas in Yemen while Houthis target warship
- Location – southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula.
- Capital – Sana’a
- Official Lang – Arabic
- Yemen controls – Bab-el-Mandeb Strait
- Political system – semi-presidential representative democratic republic
- Currency – Yemeni Rial
- Trading Hub – port city of Aden
- Mocha coffee – popularly derived from Yemen
- Operation Rahat – conducted by India to evacuate its citizens from Yemen during conflict
SAHITYA AKADEMI AWARD
News – Litterateurs protest against the ‘omission’ of Bengali from Sahitya Akademi Award
- Established: 1954 by the Sahitya Akademi
- Purpose: To honor outstanding literary works in any of the 24 recognized Indian languages, including English and Rajasthani.
- Award Components:
- a plaque
- a shawl
- ₹1 lakh in cash
- Recent Receipts –
- Gagan Gill for Main Jab Tak Aai Bahar
- Easterine Kire (English) for Spirit Nights
- Yuva Puraskar: For young authors (below 35 years).
- Bal Sahitya Puraskar: For children’s literature.
FREEBIES
News – V-P calls for debate on freebies, policy on effcient use of public investments
- Freebies refer to – goods, services, or financial benefits provided free of cost by governments
- They are provided as – part of election promises
- Items provided – free electricity, water, laptops, or cash handouts.
- Concern –
- Freebies are often used as a tool to attract voters
- Excessive freebies can strain state finances
- They may divert funds from essential sectors
MCQs
1. Sunita Williams was born in?
A. Space
B. India
C. Canada
D. USA
2. UPI was launched in year?
A. 2002
B. 2014
C. 2016
D. 2020
3. Aurangzeb is son of?
A. Akbar
B. Shah Jahan
C. Babur
D. Jahangir
4. Capital of Yemen is?
A. Cairo
B. Istanbul
C. Sana’a
D. Abu Dhabi
5. Which of the following can be considered freebies?
A. Electricity
B. Water
C. Cash Vouchers
D. All The Above