China has begun the second phase of expanding the Five-Hundred Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST).
FAST, located in Guizhou Province, is the world’s largest and most sensitive radio telescope, with a diameter of 500 meters and a receiving area equal to 30 football fields.
Its goals include detecting neutral hydrogen, discovering pulsars, participating in gravitational wave detection, and searching for extraterrestrial intelligence.
FAST also joins international networks for high-resolution celestial studies.
The data system is developed in collaboration with ICRAR in Australia and the European Southern Observatory (ESO).
Economic Affairs
2. What is the target production of crude palm oil under the National Mission on Edible Oils? – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) by 2025-26? – 11.20 lakh tonnes
A National Level Multi-Stakeholder Consultative Workshop on Sustainable Oil Palm Cultivation under the NMEO-OP was recently held.
The workshop focused on enhancing oil palm cultivation and production of crude palm oil in India.
It involved various stakeholders to discuss sustainable practices and strategies for implementing the National Mission on Edible Oils-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP).
NMEO-OP was launched by India in August 2021 to boost oil palm cultivation and crude palm oil production. It focuses on the Northeast region and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The scheme has a financial outlay of Rs 11,040 crore, with Rs 8,844 crore from the central government.
It aims to increase oil palm cultivation from 3.5 lakh hectares to 10 lakh hectares by 2025-26 and crude palm oil production to 11.20 lakh tonnes.
3. Where was the World Green Economy Forum inaugurated recently? – Dubai
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated India’s first supercapacitor manufacturing facility at Keltron, Kannur, Kerala.
The plant was developed with ISRO’s collaboration and an initial investment of Rs 42 crore.
It will boost Kerala’s electronics industry, supporting sectors like defense and electric vehicles.
The facility aims to produce 2,000 supercapacitors daily, meeting global standards.
CM Vijayan announced an additional Rs 1,000 crore investment to modernize Keltron and other electronics units, with a Rs 395 crore master plan in place.
The goal is to make Kerala a hub for electronics manufacturing.
Sports
5. Where is the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup being organized? – UAE
Short News
Persons in News
6. Who has become the first womanDirector General of Armed Forces Medical Services? – Vice Admiral Aarti Sareen
7. Who has taken over as the new head of NATO? – Mark Rutte
Awards & Honors
8. Who won the gold medal for India in the ISSF Junior 25m pistol? – Divyanshi
On the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA) from Hazaribagh, Jharkhand.
The total outlay of this scheme with central and state cooperation is Rs 79,156 crore.
The central government is giving a grant of Rs 56,333 crore and the state government is giving a grant of Rs 22,823 crore.
11. In which state did PM Modi inaugurate four bio-gas units?- Assam
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the construction of four compressed bio-gas plants in Assam as part of the Swachhata Hi Seva 2024 program.
This project includes Guwahati, Jorhat, Sivasagar, and Tinsukia.
The state government, in collaboration with Oil India Limited, and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, plans to set up a total of 25 CBG plants by 2024-25.
Miscellaneous
12. What is the name of the Indian Navy’s sailing vessel used in the Navika Sagar Parikrama Expedition II? – INS Tarini
INSV Tarini sailed for the Navika Sagar Parikrama II, flagged off by Chief of Naval Staff Adm Dinesh K Tripathi on October 2, 2024.
This is the first global circumnavigation by Indian women in double-handed mode, showcasing India’s maritime strength and commitment to women’s empowerment.
INSV Tarini, inducted in 2017, has covered over 66,000 nautical miles and participated in several key expeditions.
The vessel is equipped with advanced navigation, safety, and communication systems.
The officers trained for over three years, with guidance from Cdr Abhilash Tomy (Retd), preparing for this challenging voyage.
