Current affairs : September 26, 2016 for all competetive exams
ISRO puts 8 satellites in two orbits
The Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) launched a PSLV C-35 rocket from Sriharikota at
to put eight satellites into two different orbits.
- This is ISRO’s
longest PSLV satellite launch mission spread over two hours and and 15
minutes.
- The 320 tonne
PSLV rocket carried 8 satellites. The main cargo will be the 371 kg
SCATSAT-1 for ocean and weather related studies which will be placed into
a 730 km polar sun synchronous orbit.
- The two other
Indian satellites are: Pratham (10kg) built by Indian Institute of
Technology – Bombay and Pisat (5.25 kg) from PES University, Bengaluru and
its consortium.
- On board are five foreign satellites: three from Algeria (Alsat-1B 103kg, Alsat-2B 117kg, Alsat-1N 7kg); and one each from Canada (NLS-19, 8kg) and the US (Pathfinder-44kg).
MICA Missile Firing by ‘TIGER’ Squadron of IAF
The Tiger Squadron of the Indian Air Force (IAF) has successfully fired the
recently acquired BVR (Beyond Visual Range) air-to-air MICA missile on a target
from an upgraded Mirage-2000 aircraft.
- The missile achieved a direct hit on a target which was much smaller than an actual aircraft and flying at low altitude. The target was destroyed on impact, validating the missile’s launch envelope.
India to host 1st BRICS Young Scientists
Conclave
The Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India,
under the BRICS framework, is hosting 1st BRICS Young Scientists Conclave held in Bengaluru.
- It would be
organized and coordinated by the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS),
Bengaluru.
- The meet would
provide a platform for engaging, connecting and networking among young
scientists to hold discussions and find solutions to some of the common
challenges and problems being faced in BRICS countries.
Open defecation free city:
The Centre is preparing to
declare Mangaluru an open defecation-free city.
- A survey conducted by the Quality Council of India at the behest of the Union Ministry of Urban Development across 75 cities, including 53 with a population of more than one million and State capitals, declared Mangaluru as an ODF city in the sub-5 lakh population category.
World’s largest radio
telescope:
China has unveiled the
world’s largest radio telescope. The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical
Telescope (FAST) was launched in a mountainous region of China’s Guizhou
province.
- Like radio telescopes in other parts of the world, FAST will study interstellar molecules related to how galaxies evolve.
Decline in Africa’s elephant
population:
IUCN, in its report, has
said that Africa’s elephant population has suffered its worst drop in 25 years,
blaming the plummeting numbers on poaching.
- Africa’s total elephant population now is at around 4,15,000, a decline of around 1,11,000 over the past decade. Habitat loss is also increasingly threatening the species.
Anurag Srivastava appoints
Ambassador of India to the Republic of Djibouti
Shri Anurag Srivastava,
presently Ambassador of India to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia,
has been concurrently accredited as the Ambassador of India to the Republic of
Djibouti, with residence in Addis Ababa.
Ramachandran honoured with OCA Award of Merit
The Indian Olympic
Association president N. Ramachandran was on Sunday conferred with the
prestigious OCA Award of Merit by the Olympic Council of Asia for his
outstanding contributions to sports in Asia.
- Incidentally, it was only a month
ago that Ramachandran received the IOC’s Olympic Order for his
contributions to the Olympic movement from Bach himself at the Rio
Olympics.
- The latest recognition makes Ramachandran the only IOA president to have received the two prestigious awards and that too in close succession.
Ajay Singh elected BFI
president
Uttarakhand’s Ajay Singh has
been elected president of the Boxing Federation of India.
- The Mumbai-based Jay Kowli won the post of secretary-general as the election process for the office-bearers of the new National federation was completed.
Alexander Zverev stuns Stan
Wawrinka to claim St Petersburg Open title
Alexander Zverev clinched
his first ATP Tour title with a three-set victory over world number three Stan
Wawrinka in the final of the St Petersburg Open.
- Dominic Inglot and Henri Kontinen has won the 2016 St Petersburg Open Men’s Doubles title.
Japan to host 2026 Asian
Games: Olympic Council of Asia
Japan’s Aichi prefecture and
its capital city Nagoya were confirmed as co-hosts of the 2026 Asian
Games.
- South Korea is already hosting the Winter Olympics at Pyeonchang in 2018, while Tokyo hosts the 2020 Summer Olympics before the winter games go to Beijing in 2022.
Indian shuttler Rituparna Das
wins Polish Open
Indian shuttler Rituparna
Das won the Polish Open after defeating compatriot Rasika Raje, in the women's
singles final of the International challenge badminton event.
- The women's doubles pair of Sanjana Santosh and Arathi Sara Sunil also clinched the doubles title after defeating top seeds Natalya Voytsekh and Yelyzaveta Zharka.
