Notes:
The Prime Minister inaugurated the Vikramaditya Vedic Clock at Jantar Mantar, Ujjain. A world-first ‘Vedic Clock,’ it displays time using the traditional Indian Panchang. Positioned on an 85-foot tower, it also provides planetary positions, Muhurat, astrological calculations, IST, and GMT. Developed by Lucknow-based Sanstha Arohan, it connects to the internet via a mobile app. Ujjain, with its rich timekeeping heritage, is an ideal location due to its historical role in determining India’s time zones and its location at the interaction point of the zero meridian and Tropic of Cancer.

Notes:
The Global Waste Management Outlook 2024, co-published by UNEP and ISWA, highlights key trends. Predictions indicate municipal solid waste will surge from 2.3 to 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050. The direct cost of global waste management, at USD 252 billion in 2020, is projected to nearly double by 2050 without immediate intervention. Barriers include insufficient urgency recognition, incomplete data, and climate impact underestimation, as well as gendered aspects, informal sector undervaluation, and inadequate legislation.

Notes:
Brian Mulroney, the ex-Canadian Prime Minister, passed away at 84. He led the Progressive Conservatives to a historic 1984 win, defeating Pierre Trudeau. Mulroney’s nine-year term saw impactful policies, notably the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement negotiation, shaping his transformative legacy.

Notes:
150 railway stations and 6 metro stations have earned the coveted “Eat Right Station” certification, a part of the Eat Right India movement by FSSAI. Led by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, the initiative mandates stringent food safety, hygiene, and nutrition standards for all vendors at certified stations.

Notes:
Researchers from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have identified a new species of head-shield sea slug, Melanochlamys Droupadi, along the coasts of Odisha and West Bengal. Measuring up to 7 mm, it’s a small invertebrate with a brownish-black body and a distinctive ruby red spot. Inhabiting wet sandy beaches, the hermaphroditic slug forms a protective mucus sheath, leaving a trail like a turtle as it moves beneath the sand. Sea slugs, mollusks found in various marine environments, include 18 known species globally.