India successfully test-fires BrahMos supersonic cruise missile

  • India successfully conducted the first test of the BrahMos cruise missile aimed at increasing its life from 10 to 15 years.
  • The missile was test fired from a mobile launcher from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur along the Odisha coast.
  • The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile is jointly developed by Russia’s Mashinostroyenia and India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
  • It has been named after two rivers - the Brahmaputra River in India, and the Moskva River in western Russia.

CRPF raises ‘Bastariya Battalion’ to combat Naxals activities

  • The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has commissioned special unit called ‘Bastariya Battalion’ (numbered 241) to combat Naxals activities in Bastar.
  • All candidates are selected from four highly Naxal infested districts in Chhattisgarh - Bijapur, Dantewada, Narayanpur and Sukma.

China launches relay satellite to explore far side of moon

  • China has launched a relay satellite, which is part of its programme to explore the dark side of the moon.
  • The satellite is named Queqiao, which translates to Magpie Bridge.
  • The satellite will be the point of contact for communication between the earth and a probe (called the Chang’e-4 lunar probe) which will be landed on the moon.
  • China will be the first nation to land a probe on the far side (or the dark side) of the moon.
  • The Chang’e-4 rover will explore the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the moon’s far side.

Government earns Rs 1,400 crore revenue from e-Visa scheme

  • The government has earned Rs.1,400 crore so far as revenue from its highly successful e-Visa scheme.
  • The e-Visa scheme was launched in 2014.
  • It was offered to citizens of 163 countries visiting India as tourists.
  • 19 lakh tourists made use of the e-Visa scheme in 2017.
  • The e-visa fees are divided into four slabs of zero, $25, $50 and $75.

RIL gets green nod for Rs 2,338 cr expansion project in Maharashtra

  • Reliance Industries (RIL) has received environment clearance for the expansion and optimisation of its petrochemical complex at Nagothane in Raigad district of Maharashtra.
  • The estimated cost of the project is Rs.2,338 crore.
  • The project is for expansion and de-bottlenecking of petrochemical project at Nagothane.

Indian Navy’s all-women crew circumnavigate the globe

  • An all-women crew of the Indian Navy completed a circumnavigation expedition in the 55-foot sailing vessel, INSV Tarini, in 8 months.
  • It was first-ever all women Asian and Indian circumnavigation expedition of globe.
  • The six-member crew began the expedition on September 10, 2017, which covered 21,600 nautical miles, visited five countries and crossed the equator twice.
  • The expedition was completed in six legs, with five stopovers. INSV Tarini sailed across four continents and three oceans and passed south of the Great Capes – Leeuwin, Horn and Good Hope.

71st World Health Assembly held in Geneva, Switzerland

  • The Indian Delegation was led by Union Health Minister of India, J P Nadda, at World Health Assembly.
  • The theme this year is “Health for All: Commit To Universal Health Coverage.”