1. APCNF Programme Wins Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity 2024
Andhra Pradeshโs APCNF Programme wins the Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity 2024, highlighting its global impact on sustainable farming.
Programme Highlights:
- ๐ Prestigious award: The Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) Programme won the Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity 2024.
- ๐ถ Prize shared: APCNF shared the EUR 1 million prize with US soil scientist Dr. Rattan Lal and Egyptian network SEKEM.
- ๐ต๐น Announcement: The prize announcement was made by jury chair and former German Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel in Lisbon, Portugal, on July 11.
- ๐ Award criteria: The Gulbenkian Prize, established by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, recognizes contributions to global food security, climate resilience, and ecosystem conservation.
- ๐ฉโ๐พ APCNF details: Launched in 2016, the APCNF programme helps small farmers transition from chemical-intensive agriculture to natural farming, involving over one million farmers on 500,000 hectares.
- ๐ฑ Global recognition: The APCNF is considered the world’s largest agroecology program, implemented by Rythu Sadhikara Sanstha (RySS), a non-profit set up by the Andhra Pradesh government.
- ๐ Related honor: Retired Professor K Chokalingam from Tamil Nadu received the Hans von Hentig Award for his contributions to Victimology, being the first Asian and Indian to receive the award.
2. Uttarakhand Tops SDG India Index 2023-24
Uttarakhand leads the SDG India Index 2023-24, showcasing significant national and sub-national progress in sustainable development goals.
Index Highlights:
- ๐ Top position: Uttarakhand secured the top spot in NITI Aayogโs โSDG India Index 2023-24โ.
- ๐ Index details: Released by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Beri and CEO BVR Subrahmanyam on 12th July 2024, the index measures progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- ๐ Improvement: The national SDG score rose to 71 in 2023-24 from 66 in 2020-21 and 57 in 2018. State scores ranged from 57 to 79, improving from 42 to 69 in 2018.
- ๐ Top performers: Top states include Uttarakhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Goa. Chandigarh and Jammu & Kashmir lead among Union Territories.
- ๐ Progress and rankings: The number of states/UTs achieving Front Runner status increased to 32, with new entries like Arunachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Assam, Manipur, Punjab, West Bengal, and Jammu & Kashmir showed significant score improvements.
- ๐ SDG achievements: Notable progress in Goals 1 (poverty eradication), 8 (decent work), 13 (climate action), and 15 (life on land). Goal 13 saw the highest score increase, followed by Goal 1.
- ๐ Development highlights: Major achievements include over 4 crore houses under PMAY, 11 crore toilets, 10 crore LPG connections, 14.9 crore tap water connections, and significant increases in solar power capacity and digital infrastructure improvements.
3. Space Pioneer’s ‘ispace Hyperbola-1’ Rocket Failure
Space Pioneer’s ‘ispace Hyperbola-1’ rocket failed after launch, impacting China’s satellite deployment plans.
Mission Details:
- ๐ Launch failure: China’s private company Space Pioneer’s ‘ispace Hyperbola-1’ rocket failed immediately after launch due to structural failure during ground testing.
- ๐ Mission details: The rocket was carrying three Yunyao-1 satellites intended for earthquake prediction and weather monitoring.
- ๐๏ธ Launch site: The 24-meter tall solid fuel rocket was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China’s Gobi Desert.
- ๐ Stage performance: While the first, second, and third stages of the rocket functioned normally, an anomaly occurred in the fourth stage, leading to the mission’s failure.
- ๐ก Payload capabilities: The Hyperbola-1 can deliver a payload of 300 kg to a 500 km sun-synchronous orbit, aiming to deploy Yunyao-1 weather satellites 15, 16, and 17 for Yunyao Aerospace Technology.
- ๐ Future plans: Yunyao Aerospace Technology aimed to launch about 40 satellites this year to complete its 90-satellite Yunyao-1 constellation by next year.
- ๐ฐ๏ธ Company history: Space Pioneer, also known as Beijing Tianbing Technology, became China’s first private rocket company to reach Earth orbit in 2019 with the ‘iSpace Hyperbola-1’. They continue to develop medium-lift, reusable rockets to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink.
4. Palitana Bans Non-Vegetarian Food
Palitana in Gujarat becomes the world’s first city to ban non-vegetarian food, highlighting the Jain community’s influence and promoting non-violence.
Discovery Details:
- ๐ฑ Historic decision: Palitana in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district becomes the first city globally to ban the sale and consumption of non-vegetarian food, making it illegal.
- ๐๏ธ Cultural shift: The ban reflects the significant influence of Jainism, which promotes non-violence and ethical living. The sale and consumption of meat, as well as animal slaughter, are now punishable by law.
- ๐ง Protests and influence: The decision followed protests by about 200 Jain monks, leading to the closure of around 250 butcher shops in the city, showcasing the community’s commitment to non-violence.
- ๐ Religious significance: Palitana, known as the “Jain temple city,” is a major pilgrimage site with over 800 temples, including the renowned Adinatha Temple, located around the Shatrunjaya Hills.
- ๐ Wider impact: Inspired by Palitana, other cities in Gujarat like Rajkot, Vadodara, Junagadh, and Ahmedabad have imposed similar restrictions on non-vegetarian food. Rajkot has also banned the public display of non-vegetarian food.
5. Carlos Alcaraz Triumphs at Wimbledon 2024
Carlos Alcaraz wins Wimbledon Men’s Singles 2024, marking his second consecutive title and historic Grand Slam achievements.
Observance Details:
- ๐ Carlos Alcaraz wins: Carlos Alcaraz of Spain retained his Wimbledon title by defeating Novak Djokovic of Serbia 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 in the Men’s Singles final on 14 July 2024.
- ๐พ Historic achievement: Alcaraz, 21, became the youngest player in the Open Era to win both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year. He now has four Grand Slam titles.
- ๐ท๐ธ Djokovic’s record: Djokovic, 37, missed out on his eighth Wimbledon title and a record 25th major title. He remains with 7 Wimbledon titles, while Roger Federer holds the record with 8.
- ๐ Trophy presentation: Britain’s Catherine, Princess of Wales, awarded the trophy to Alcaraz after his victory.
- ๐ Alcaraz’s career: Carlos made his ATP main draw debut at 16 during the 2020 Rio Open and became the youngest player to reach the US Open quarterfinals in 2021.
- ๐ Women’s Singles: Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic won the Wimbledon Women’s Singles final against Jasmine Paolini of Italy, securing her second Grand Slam title.
- ๐ Championship details: The 2024 Wimbledon Championships were held from 1 to 14 July at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, a tradition since 1877.
- ๐ซ Men’s Doubles: Britain’s Henry Patton and Finland’s Harri Heliovaara won their first Grand Slam title by defeating Australia’s Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson in a thrilling final.
- ๐ญ Women’s Doubles: American Taylor Townsend and Czech partner Katerina Siniakova won the Women’s Doubles final, marking Townsend’s first Grand Slam title.
