Current affairs 24 April 2023

Health Ministry receives PM's Award for Excellence in Public Administration.

• The National COVID-19 Vaccination Programme of the Union Health Ministry received the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration 2022 under the innovation category.
• The award was received by Rajesh Bhushan (Secretary, Ministry of Health) from PM Narendra Modi.
• PM Gati Shakti national master plan initiative received an award for excellence in public administration 2022 in the Innovation (Central) category.

Wing Commander Deepika Misra received a gallantry award.

• Wing Commander Deepika Misra was conferred the Vayu Sena medal by Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Air Marshal VR Chaudhari.
• She becomes the first woman Air Force officer to receive a gallantry award.
• She is a trained helicopter pilot, a qualified flying instructor, and an instrument-rated instructor and examiner.
• She was among 58 personnel who received the gallantry award during the investiture ceremony held in New Delhi.

Madhya Pradesh's Gandhisagar Sanctuary to be 2nd new home of Cheetahs.

• In a meeting with the Wildlife Advisory Board, Madhya Pradesh CM, Shivraj Singh Chouhan instructed the development of the Gandhisagar Sanctuary as a habitat for cheetahs in the next six months.
• It will be developed as a second home for cheetahs to retain the tag of cheetah state.
• Reason: The experts suggested that Kuno National Park in Sheopur does not have enough space for all cheetahs, hence it is necessary to relocate a few.

Solar Industries to Supply UAV "Nagastra" To Indian Army.

• Solar Industries Nagpur has recently bagged an order to supply the UAV Nagastra to the Indian Army, beating competitors from Israel and Poland.
• Nagastra is India's 1st indigenous loitering munition which can strike enemy targets with precision.
• It has been designed and developed by Economics Explosives Ltd (EEL), a 100 per cent subsidiary of Solar Industries Nagpur, in association with Z-Motion, Bangalore.
• It has an indigenous content of more than 75%.

Himachal Pradesh becomes India’s 1st state to have DNA database of Unidentified Bodies.

• Himachal Pradesh (HP) has become the 1st Indian state to develop a DNA database for unidentified bodies.
• The process of creating this database started in April 2022. So far, the records of 150 DNA samples of unidentified bodies had been stored in the database.
• The Directorate of Forensics Services, Junga, in Shimla (HP), had procured DNA profile databasing and matching technology, Smallpond TM software from the United States (US) at a cost of Rs 55 lakh in 2022.
• It was the 1st lab to acquire this technology and the facility is at par with international standards.
• The database would be useful in the identification of bodies.