National

BrahMos supersonic missiles 

• India delivered the first batch of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines.
• BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited (BAPL), a joint venture company of the DRDO, had signed a contract with the Philippines in January 2022 for supply of Shore Based Anti-Ship Missile System.

Economy

Growth momentum at 6.5%

• India is expected to sustain its growth momentum at 6.5% in 2024, according to a report released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

Defence

LCA Tejas Mk1A

• DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Agency has handed over the first batch of the indigenous Leading Edge Actuators and Airbrake Control Module to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, marking a significant leap towards self-reliance in aeronautical technologies.
• The HAL, Lucknow has already made preparations for the production of these units for the current 83 LCA Tejas Mk1A order.

Person in News

Francis Ogolla

• Kenya’s Military chief, Francis Ogolla, died in a helicopter crash.
• Ogolla is the first Kenyan military chief to die in active service.

Nalin Prabhat

• Nalin Prabhat has been appointed as the Director-General of National Security Guard (NSG).

Miscellaneous

IN-SPACe CANSAT

• The IN-SPACe CANSAT India Student Competition concluded in Ahmedabad.  
• The two-day competition was organised for the first time in Ahmedabad by the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) and the Astronautical Society of India (ASI) to foster future Space Innovators.

Fossils of huge prehistoric snake

• Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee have reported the discovery of fossils of one of the largest snakes that ever existed and likely lived 47 million years ago during a period called the Middle Eocene.
• The fossils were found in Kutch, Gujarat, and the reptile, named Vasuki Indicus, could have been anywhere between 10 metres and 15 metres long, or as big as a modern-day school bus.
• It belonged to the now-extinct Madtsoiidae snake family but represents a unique lineage from India.

“Appropriate action” against Nestle 

• Consumer Affairs Ministry asked the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to initiate “appropriate action” against the Nestle group for allegedly selling baby products with high sugar content in India.

Mount Ruang

• Mount Ruang, a remote Indonesian volcano, erupted, spewing ash into the sky. Mount Ruang's last major eruption was in 2002.
• Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire"