Current affairs 06 April 2023

Skyroot Aerospace successfully test-fires 3D-printed cryogenic engine.

• Skyroot Aerospace has successfully test-fired a fully 3D-printed Dhawan II cryogenic engine for 200 seconds.
• The company developed the engine for its heavier vehicle, Vikram II.
• This engine will be used as the upper stage of the updated version of Vikram-II.
• A cryogenic upper stage instead of a solid fuel stage enhances the payload-carrying capacity of a rocket.
• In 2022, Skyroot Aerospace became the first Indian private company to send a rocket into space.

Govt approves Army proposal to induct woman officers in Artillery.

• Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt informed the Lok Sabha that the central government approved the induction of women in the Regiment of Artillery.
• In January 2023, the proposal to induct woman officers in the Regiment of Artillery was sent to the government.
• The exact number of woman officers who will be inducted into the Artillery will only be known at the time of the commission of the next batch from the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai.

Telangana announces "cool roof" policy to reduce heat impact on buildings.

• Telangana govt has launched India’s first Cool Roof Policy 2023-2028 at the CDMA office in Telangana.
• It is jointly launched by the state's municipal administration and urban development department.
• The policy aims to drive state-wide adoption of cool roofs by making it mandatory to install cool roofing materials, such as solar reflective paints, tiles, or sheets.
• It is a five-year policy, that came into force on April 1, 2023, and continues till March 31, 2028.

PM applauds GI Tag for Ladakh's Wood Carving.

• The world-famous Basohli Paintings from the Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir and the Ladakh Wood Carving of Ladakh have received the Geographical Indication (GI) Tag.
• The process for GI Tagging of these products was started by NABARD in consultation with and support from the Department of Handicrafts and Handloom in December 2020.
• A GI tag is a sign used on a product that has a special geographical origin.

Kiran Nadar conferred with France's highest civilian award.

• Kiran Nadar was conferred Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour) by French Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain in April 2023.
• Reason: In recognition of her contribution to the field of art, her commitment to providing greater access to culture both nationally and internationally, and her leading role in fostering Indo-French cultural ties.
• She is a chairperson of the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art.