1. Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport enters the busiest airports club, ranks 9 in world
Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) ranks ninth in the list of top ten busiest airports in the world, according to data from the Airports Council International (ACI).
An overview of the news
For the first time, an Indian airport has made it to the list of top ten airports in terms of traffic.
As per ACI report, Delhi airport is expected to handle more than 5.94 crore passengers in 2022.
As a result of this achievement, IGIA has jumped from 17th position in pre-Covid 2019 to 9th position, according to ACI data.
In terms of traffic, five of the top ten airports are from the US.
Apart from India, Dubai is the only other airport in Asia in the list.
No Chinese airport made it to the list considering the travel restrictions due to the Covid situation in the country.
Mumbai is India's second busiest airport.
Top 10 busiest airports in the world in 2022
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (93.7 million passengers)
Dallas Fort Worth Airport (73.4 million passengers)
Denver Airport (69.3 million passengers)
Chicago O'Hare Airport (68.3 million passengers)
Dubai Airport (66.1 million passengers)
Los Angeles Airport
Istanbul Airport (64.3 million passengers)
Heathrow Airport in London
IGI Airport in Delhi
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport
2. Mukesh Ambani becomes richest sports owner in Forbes Billionaire 2023 list
Mukesh Ambani was named the richest sports owner in the Forbes Billionaires 2023 list and according to the list, he has a net worth of $83.4 billion, surpassing Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer who has a net worth of $80.7 billion.
An Overview of the News
Despite a 3% decline in Reliance Industries' share price over the past year, Ambani's net worth has still grown, reflecting the strength and diversity of his business interests.
Mukesh Ambani is the world's richest sports owner as of 10 March 2023.
Ambani-owned Reliance Industries has been expanding its presence in the sports industry in recent years.
The company bought a franchise in the inaugural Women's Premier League and owns cricket teams in South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
5 richest sports team owners
Mukesh Ambani: With a net worth of $83.4 billion, Mukesh Ambani is the owner of the world's richest sports team. He is a citizen of India and is the owner of the Mumbai Indians, a cricket team that competes in the Indian Premier League.
Steve Ballmer: The former CEO of Microsoft, Steve Ballmer is an American citizen who owns the Los Angeles Clippers, a professional basketball team. His net worth has been estimated at $80.7 billion.
Rob Walton: Heir to the Walmart fortune, Rob Walton is an American citizen who owns the Denver Broncos, a professional football team. His net worth has been estimated at $57.6 billion.
François Pinault and Family: François Pinault is a French billionaire who owns Stade Rennais F.C., a professional football team in France. are the owners of. His net worth has been estimated at $40.1 billion.
Mark Mateschitz: is an Austrian businessman who owns several sports teams, including professional football and Formula One racing teams, the New York Red Bulls and Red Bull Racing, respectively. He is also the owner of the German professional football team RB Leipzig. His net worth has been estimated at $34.7 billion.
3. World Happiness Report 2023
Recently the 11th edition of the World Happiness Report, 2023 was released by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).
An overview of the news
The report says that between 2020 and 2022, the world will see a 'significant' increase in resilience.
Two significant events affected the world during this period – the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
According to the report, during this time of crisis, global citizens became increasingly philanthropic and built stronger social ties.
There are 25 percent more "charitable acts" worldwide in 2022 than before the pandemic.
Key Highlight of the report
Top Performing Countries
Finland continues to be the happiest country around the world for the sixth consecutive year.
Denmark is at number two, followed by Iceland at number three.
Worst Performing Countries
Afghanistan is ranked as the unhappiest nation, followed by Lebanon, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe respectively.
India’s Performance
India ranks 126 out of 136 countries, making it one of the least happy countries in the world.
In 2022, India was ranked 136 out of 146 countries.
India's neighbors ranked Sri Lanka (63), China (74) and Pakistan (108), among others.
About World Happiness Report
It has been published annually since 2012 by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
The ranking uses key factors to measure happiness - real GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, generosity and perceptions of corruption.
The report ranks global happiness based on survey data from people in more than 150 countries.
4. QS World University Rankings : IIT Bombay ranks first in country in Engineering and Technology
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay has been ranked 1st in India and 47th globally in engineering and technology by the QS World University Rankings for 2023.
India in Ranking
IIT Bombay scored 80.4 out of 100.
The institute is ranked in 4 out of 5 broad subject areas, which include Engineering & Technology, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences & Management and Arts & Humanities.
The institute has been ranked (51-100) for Art and Design, 66th for Computer Science & Information Technology, 51-100 for Civil & Structural Engineering, 77th for Chemical Engineering, 54th for Electrical & Electronics Engineering, 68th for Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing Engineering, and 37th for Minerals & Mining.
Global Ranking
Globally, US institutions lead in 32 disciplines.
Harvard Universityis the best-performing institution, ranking first in 14 subjects, two more than last year.
5. India ranks 13th in Global Terrorism Index and Afghanistan tops
Tags: INDEX
According to the 10th Global Terrorism Index (GTI) report, Afghanistan has remained the most affected country by terrorism for the fourth consecutive year while India is ranked 13th in this index.
An Overview of the News
The GTI report lists India among countries with a "high" impact of terrorism.
According to the report, India is among the 25 worst terrorism affected countries in the world.
The Communist Party of India (Maoist) has been listed as the 12th deadliest terrorist group in the GTI reportfor the year 2022.
The report surveyed 120 countries, of which 56 did not choose war and terror as the biggest threat to their daily security.
The Global Terrorism Index is prepared by the Institute for Economics and Peace.
The Global Terrorism Index ranks 163 countries on four indicators over five years and has four factors - the number of deaths caused by terrorists per year, the number of terrorist incidents per year, the number of injuries caused by terrorists per year, and Total property damage caused by terrorism per year.
GTI is a report based on data collected from the Global Terrorism Database (GTD).
The GTD is collected by the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Response to Terrorism (START) at the University of Maryland.
6. World's eighth most polluted country according to Swiss firm IQAir report: India
Swiss firm IQAir Report has released its 'World Air Quality Report', according to which India has moved up to the eighth position in the list of world's most polluted countries in 2022 as compared to fifth position last year.
An Overview of the News
According to this report, 39 of the world's 50 most polluted cities are in India.
The top 10 most polluted countries include Chad, Iraq, Pakistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Kuwait, India, Egypt and Tajikistan.
According to it, the transport sector is responsible for 20-35% of PM 2.5 pollution in India.
Lahore in Pakistan and Hotan in China are the two most polluted cities in the world, followed by Bhiwadi in Rajasthan at the third place and Delhi at the fourth place.
India has been placed at the eighth position in the latest report with PM2.5 level at 53.3.
According to this report, India and Pakistan have the worst air quality in the Central and South Asian region. About 60% of the population lives in areas where the concentration of PM2.5 particles is seven times higher than the WHO recommended levels.
The report concludes that globally, one in 10 people live in an area where air pollution is a health risk.
About Air Pollution
Air pollution can have significant impacts on both human health and the environment.
The effects of air pollution vary depending on the type and concentration of pollutants, as well as the duration and frequency of exposure.
On human health, air pollution can cause respiratory problems, such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, and lung cancer.
It can also lead to cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and premature death.
The elderly, children, and people with pre-existing medical conditions are particularly vulnerable to the health effects of air pollution.
Air pollution also affects the environment, contributing to climate change and damaging ecosystems.
Acid rain, for example, can harm forests, lakes, and aquatic life. Ground-level ozone, which is formed by the reaction of pollutants in the atmosphere, can damage crops and reduce agricultural yields.
Air pollution can also contribute to global warming by trapping heat in the atmosphere and contributing to the greenhouse effect.
7. Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag, Tehri top landslide index: ISRO report
Tags: INDEX
According to the recently released 'Landslide Atlas' report of ISRO's Hyderabad-based National Remote Sensing Center (NRSC), the two hilly districts of Uttarakhand, Rudraprayag and Tehri, are most prone to landslides.
An overview of the news
The National Remote Sensing Center has released a list of 147 districts prone to landslides across the country, in which Rudraprayag is at number one and Tehri at number two.
Kerala's Thrissur and Palakkad districts are at 3rd and 5th spots respectively.
Rajouri and Pulwama (J&K), Kozhikode and Malappuram (Kerala), and South Sikkim and East Sikkim (Sikkim) are the other high risk districts.
Rudraprayag, which tops the list, is also home to the famous Kedarnath shrine, which witnessed a devastating disaster in 2013 that killed thousands.
Sirobgarh and Narkota areas of Rudraprayag are most affected by landslides. Landslides are reported here throughout the year.
Landslide Prone Districts
According to the District Emergency Operation Centre, Rudraprayag has 32 old landslide zones, the maximum of which are located on NH-107.
Tehri district has over two dozen landslide zones, including Totaghatiwhich has been identified as a "very chronic landslide site".
Chamoli district, which recently came into limelight due to landslides in Joshimath, is at number 19 among the districts at risk of landslides.
As per the State Emergency Operation Center data, between 2018 and 2021, 253 landslides occurred in Uttarakhand, resulting in 127 deaths.
Over 11,000 landslides were recorded in Uttarakhand in the last two decades.
Among these, maximum landslide areas fall on Rishikesh-Rudraprayag-Chamoli-Badrinath, Rudraprayag-Ukhimath-Kedarnath, Chamoli-Ukhimath, Rishikesh-Uttarkashi-Gangotri route.
8. Mumbai's famous "vada pav" ranked 13th in the list of best sandwiches in the world
Mumbai's famous street food "vada pav" has been ranked number 13 on a list of the top 50 best rated sandwiches in the world.
An overview of the news
The list is published by TasteAtlas, a Croatian-based food travel guide website.
Turkey's tombik sandwich tops the list. Second is Peru's Butifara Sandwich and Argentina's De Lomo Sandwich is third.
About 'Vada Pav'
Vada pav street food is said to have originated from a street vendor named Ashok Vaidya, who operated near Dadar railway station in the 1960s and 1970s.
Ashoka thought of a way to satisfy the hunger of the starving workers, and concluded that the ideal dish should be portable, inexpensive, and easy to prepare.
Ashok made Vada Pav and its popularity skyrocketed.
Traditionally vada pav is made of spiced mashed potatoes, deep fried in chickpea batter and pav, which is also known as white bread roll.
9. India ranks 42 in 55 countries on International IP Index
Tags: INDEX
India has been ranked 42 out of 55 countries in the latest International IP Index report by the US Chamber of Commerce.
An overview of the news
The United States ranks first in the 2023 index, followed by the UK and France.
According to the report, India's size and economic influence is growing on the world stage.
India is poised to become a leader for emerging markets seeking to transform their economies through IP-driven innovation.
India has taken steps to improve enforcement against copyright-infringement and provides a best-in-class framework to promote better understanding and use of IP assets.
Creating a new model to address long-standing flaws in the IP framework will be critical to India's continued economic growth, according to the report.
Continued strong crackdown on copyright piracy through issuance of "dynamic" injunction orders, improved crackdown on online trademark infringement and damages, and generous R&D and IP-based tax incentives are some of India's strong points.
India's Weaknesses
One of India's key areas of weakness is the 2021 dissolution of the IP Appellate Board.
Limited framework for protection of biopharmaceutical IP rights and patentability requirements that are outside international standards are other weaknesses in India.
About International Intellectual Property Index
It is an annual report compiled by the US Chambers of Commerce.
It evaluates the protection of IP rights in the world's 55 major economies, which represent approximately 90% of global GDP.
The report covers topics ranging from patent and copyright laws to the potential for monetizing IP assets and the ratification of international agreements.
The index aims to help guide nations towards a brighter economic future marked by greater innovation, creativity and competitiveness.
Intellectual Property Rights
Intellectual property rights are the rights given to persons/companies over the creations of their minds.
They usually give the creator an exclusive right over the use of his/her creation for a certain period of time.
For e.g. Development of a new software or discovery of new medicine.
10. Global Quality Infrastructure Index (GQII) 2021
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India's overall QI system ranking stood at 10th position in the recently released Global Quality Infrastructure Index (GQII) 2021.
An overview of the news:
India's national accreditation system under the Quality Council of India (QCI) has been ranked 5th.
While it has been ranked 9th in the standardisation system and 21st in the world in the metrology system (under NPL-CSIR).
The GQII lists 184 countries in the world based on the Quality of Infrastructure (QI).
Ranking of other countries:
Germany has topped the list.
It was followed by China, USA, UK, Japan and France at the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth places respectively.
Quality Council of India (QCI):
The Quality Council of India (QCI) was established in 1996 as a national body for accreditation.
QCI is a non-profit organisation registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI of the year 1860.
Headquarters - New Delhi
Chairman - Jakshay Shah
General Secretary - Dr. Ravi P. Singh
