Notes:
The India Employment Report 2024, co-published by the ILO and IHD, underscores the ongoing challenges for Indian youth in finding jobs. Alarmingly, around 83% of the unemployed are young individuals. Particularly troubling is the rise in educated youth among the jobless, with those possessing secondary education or higher comprising 65.7% of the unemployed youth, up from 35.2% in 2000. This trend indicates a pressing need for interventions to address youth unemployment and skill development.

Notes:
Senior Indian diplomat Abhay Thakur, a 1992-batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), has been appointed as India’s next ambassador to Myanmar. This was announced by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on March 26. Thakur, currently an Officer on Special Duty in the MEA, previously served as sous-sherpa for the G20 process during India’s presidency. His appointment comes amid Myanmar’s ongoing unrest following a military coup in February 2021, marking a crucial time for India-Myanmar relations.

Notes:
The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters awards the 2024 Abel Prize to Michel Talagrand from CNRS, Paris, France, for his contributions to probability theory and stochastic processes. Talagrand’s work illuminates the role of randomness in various phenomena, crucial for fields like weather forecasting and business logistics. Central to his research is the understanding and application of the Gaussian distribution, evident in seemingly random events such as birth weights, academic performance, and athlete retirements.

Notes:
India achieved a Guinness World Record on World Kabaddi Day, March 24, with 128 players participating at Tau Devi Lal Stadium, Panchkula. An MOU between HIPSA and Haryana Govt. facilitated the event, aiming to promote Kabaddi globally. Guinness set a benchmark of 84 players, but organizers aimed for 154. This historic feat highlights India’s commitment to Kabaddi’s growth and global recognition.

Notes:
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT Guwahati) transferred swine fever vaccine technology to BioMed Pvt. Ltd. The vaccine targets classical swine fever virus prevalent in states like Bihar, Kerala, and northeastern regions. Developed using a recombinant vector, the vaccine is non-infectious to humans. IIT Guwahati’s reverse genetic platform facilitated its creation. The collaboration aims to address the significant gap in India’s swine fever vaccine technology, safeguarding pig populations in affected regions.