Category Archives: Amazing Feats

WORLD RECORDS : INDIA : India becomes Largest Producer of Sugar in the World edging out Brazil. And Second Largest Exporter of Sugar

The government on Wednesday claimed that India has become the largest producer of sugar in the world in the year 2022-23, more than Brazil, while it would be the second largest exporter of sugar.

Sugar production in 2018-19 was 332 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) after discounting diversion of 3 LMT for ethanol; in 2019-20, it was 274 LMT (after discounting diversion of 9 LMT for ethanol); in 2020-21, the production increased to 310 LMT (after discounting diversion of 22 LMT for ethanol) and for 2021-22, it is 335 LMT (after discounting diversion of 35 LMT for ethanol).

The production of sugar has increased and so has sugar exports. In sugar seasons 2017-18, 2018-19 & 2019-20, only about 6.2 LMT, 38 LMT & 59.60 LMT of sugar was exported. “In sugar season 2020-21 against target of 60 LMT, about 70 LMT have been exported. In the current sugar season 2021-22, against the projected 100 LMT exports, contracts for export of about 90 LMT have been signed, about 82 LMT sugar has been dispatched from sugar mills for export and approximately 78 LMT have been exported. Export of sugar in current sugar season 2021-22 is the historically highest,” Subodh Singh, Joint Secretary, Food, told media persons.

About 80 per cent of sugar is produced in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka and because the two states south of Narmada are nearer to the ports, export takes place more from these states.

source/content: daijiworld.com (edited)

WORLD RECORDS: INDIA RECORD : ARTS & CULTURE : Geetanjali Shree’s ‘Tomb of Sand’ First Hindi Novel to Win International Booker Prize : May 2022

Indian author Geetanjali Shree has won the prestigious International Booker Prize for her Hindi novel  Ret Samadhi, translated into English as Tomb of Sand by Daisy Rockwell.

The Mainpuri-born, 65-year-old Ms. Shree follows in the footsteps of Indian-origin author Salman Rushdie, Kiran Desai, Arundhati Roy and Arvind Adiga to win the award.

The book was chosen among 135 longlisted ones.

The Hindi original was published in 2018 while the English translation hit the stores in India in March this year.

“This rather chunky text,” as Ms. Rockwell said at the award ceremony, “is the first time the translation of a Hindi language book had been nominated for the award”. “Shortlisting from 135 books was daunting. Choosing a single one from them has been agonising,” as the compere said before the announcement.

source/content: thehindu.com (edited)

INDIA RECORDS : SOFTWARE & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, SECURITY : IISc Develops Device to Improve Data Encryption

A team at the Department of Electrical Communication Engineering (ECE), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has developed a true random number generator (TRNG), which, the team says, can improve data encryption and provide improved security for sensitive digital data such as credit card details, passwords and other personal information. The study describing the device has been published in the journal  ACS Nano.

“Almost everything we do on the internet is encrypted for security. The strength of this encryption depends on the quality of random number generation,” explained Nithin Abraham, a PhD student who is a part of a team led by Kausik Majumdar, Associate Professor at ECE, which has developed the device.

Encrypted information can be decoded only by authorised users who have access to a cryptographic ‘key’. But the key needs to be unpredictable and, therefore, randomly generated to resist hacking. Cryptographic keys are typically generated in computers using pseudorandom number generators, which rely on mathematical formulae or pre-programmed tables to produce numbers that appear random but are not. In contrast, a TRNG extracts random numbers from inherently random physical processes, making it more secure, the IISc release explained.

source/content: thehindu.com (edited)

INDIA RECORDS: INDIAN ARMY RECORDS : Captain Abhilasha Barak becomes the First Woman Officer to Join in the Army Aviation Corps as Combat Aviator, May 26th, 2022

Captain Abhilasha Barak has been awarded the Coveted Wings along with 36 Army Pilots by Director General & Colonel Commandant Army Aviation.

Young Aviators are now ready to spread their wings in Combat Aviation Squadrons.

The Indian Army officer from Haryana successfully completed her six-month-long Combat Army Aviation Course to join Army Aviation Corps as a helicopter pilot. She was accorded with the Coveted Wings along with 36 Army Pilots by Director General & Colonel Commandant Army Aviation Lt. Gen. A. K. Suri during a valedictory ceremony held at Combat Army Aviation Training School, Nashik.

Captain Barak has been assigned to the second flight of the 2072 Army Aviation Squadron that operates the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH).

source/content: newsonair.com (edited) / others

GLOBAL RECORDS: INDIA RECORDS: Gautam Adani, Advocate Karuna Nundy, Activist Khurram Parvez and Indian American Bela Bajaria in TIME’s 100 Most Influential List

Apart from them, Indian American Bela Bajaria, the head of Global TV at OTT platform, Netflix, is also part of TIME’s list.

TIME magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people of 2022 includes billionaire Gautam Adani, advocate Karuna Nundy, who has been championing the cause of the criminalisation of marital rape in India, and human rights activist Khurram Parvez, who is currently in jail as part of an investigation in a terror-funding case in Kashmir.

Apart from them, Indian American Bela Bajaria, the head of Global TV at OTT platform, Netflix, is also part of TIME’s list.

source/content: indianexpress.com (edited)

GLOBAL RECORDS: INDIAN PARTICIPATION : World Economic Forum forms New ‘Alliance of CEO Climate Action Leaders India’ an Alliance to Supercharge Race to Net-Zero

Davos

The World Economic Forum on Monday announced a new ‘Alliance of CEO Climate Action Leaders India’ that will work towards fast-tracking decarbonisation pathways along India’s net-zero journey.

A collaboration between Kearney and Observer Research Foundation, the Alliance brings together chief executives from India’s leading businesses.

The Alliance is part of the Forum’s Climate Action Platform and will build upon learnings from global projects such as the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders and the First Movers Coalition.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (edited)

GLOBAL RECORDS: INDIA RECORDS: INDIAN REGIONAL LANGUAGE: Kannada Spoken in the Canadian Parliament by Canadian Parliamentarian, Ontario’s MP Chandrakanth Arya

Canadia parliamentarian Chandrakanth Arya spoke in Kannada in the House.

Canadian parliamentarian Chandrakanth Arya, hailing from Sira in Tumakuru district, spoke in the country’s parliament in Kannada and posted a video on Twitter on Friday, earning praise in his home State.

Mr. Arya was elected as an MP for Nepean, Ontario, in 2015 and was re-elected in 2019.

He made a brief statement in Kannada saying him speaking in Kannada would make the people of Karnataka happy and proud.

He said Canadian Kannadigas had celebrated Kannada Rajyotsava in Parliament in 2018 and now he was speaking in Kannada.

He signed off with the lines of a Kuvempu poem: “Elladaru Iru, Enthadaru Iru…Endendigu Nee Kannadavagiru’‘ (Wherever you are, However you are…always be Kannadiga).

source/content: thehindu.com (edited)

WORLD RECORDS: SPORTS – BOXING : Nikhat Zareen Wins Gold at Women’s World Boxing Championship, Turkey

India’s Nikhat Zareen has won the Women’s World Boxing Championships in Turkey, becoming only the fifth Indian woman to be crowned world champion.

The boxer beat Thailand’s Jitpong Jutamas 5-0 in the flyweight division of the championship.

“Am I trending on Twitter?” an elated Zareen asked at the press conference after her win.

This is India’s first gold medal at the championship since Olympic boxer Mary Kom won here in 2018.

source/content: bbc.com (edited)

INDIA RECORDS: SPACE TECHNOLOGY : Skyroot Successfully Test Fires Space Launch Vehicle ‘Vikram-1’ Rocket Stage , Achieves a Major Milestone.

Nam ed ‘Kalam-100’after the renowned Indian rocket scientist A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

Skyroot Aerospace, the national-award winning startup building India’s first privately built space launch vehicles has announced the successful completion of a full duration test-firing of its ‘Vikram-1’ rocket stage, representing a major milestone for the company on Thursday.

Named ‘Kalam-100’ after former President and the renowned Indian rocket scientist A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the third stage of ‘Vikram-1’ produces a peak vacuum thrust of 100 kN (or ~10Tons) and has a burn time of 108 sec, said the city based firm’s founders, in an official release.

The rocket stage has been built with high-strength carbon fiber structure, solid fuel, novel thermal protection system, and carbon ablative nozzle. “It’s a highly reliable stage with no moving parts and high level of automation in manufacturing.

This testing will help us in development of orbital vehicle Vikram-1 and gives great confidence for our other rocket stages planned to be tested soon,” said Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and co-founder Pawan Kumar Chandana.

source/content: thehindu.com (edited)

WORLD RECORDS: SPORTS – CHESS : Alana Meenakshi Now World Number 1 in Under-11 Girls Chess. Only Player from India who figured in 10 Top Rankings in the U-11 Girls’ Chess Category

Child chess prodigy from the City of Destiny, Kolagatla Alana Meenakshi has become world number one in Under 11 girls chess as per the FIDE ratings of May 2022.

She achieved the milestone with an ELO rating of 1,829. Alana is the only player from India who figured in 10 top rankings in the U-11 girls’ chess category. She was earlier world number 2 in U-10 girls chess.

Incidentally, US player Megan Althea slipped to second slot with 1,811 ELO points. Alana, who got 1,829 ELO points, climbed to number one. Aparna Kolagatla, mother of Alana, told TNIE that they were happy that she became the world number one in U-11 girls chess.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (edited)