India ranked 6th among world space powers: report
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India ranked 6th place in the top rankings of space-faring nations, a
report by a Chinese research institution said.
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According to the report by a Chinese research institution, India's
accomplishment in becoming the only Asian country to send a spacecraft to Mars
has earned it a place in the top rankings of space-faring nations.
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The list is top by United States. Europe and Russia are ranked as the next
two great powers.
India at 24th position in Environmental Democracy
Index 2015
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India was ranked at 24th position out of 70 countries in the first
Environmental Democracy Index 2015.
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The index is topped by Lithuania at the first position, Latvia at the
second and Russia at the third position.
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Environmental Democracy Index was released by Washington-based World
Resources Institute (WRI) and the Access Initiative on 20 May 2015.
Veteran jazz musician Bob Belden
passed away
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Veteran jazz musician
Bob Belden passed away on 20 May 2015 after suffering a heart attack. He was
58. Belden was a jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger and producer who was
among the first American musicians to perform in Iran since its 1979 revolution
in 2015 when he toured there.
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Belden earned three
Grammy Awards throughout his career.
International Day for Biological Diversity: 22 May
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The United Nations (UN) observed the International Day for Biological
Diversity (IBD) on 22 May 2015.
v The theme for the
year 2015: Biodiversity for Sustainable Development.
Government
approved setting up of Ammonia-Urea Complex in Assam
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The Union Cabinet on
21 May 2015 gave its approval for setting up of a new Ammonia-Urea Complex at
Namrup in Assam. The complex will be set up on Public-Private Partnership (PPP)
mode by a joint venture (JV).
v It will meet the growing demand of urea in the North-East
Region, Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand and will ease the pressure on
infrastructure due to long distance transportation of Urea from Western and
Central Regions and thereby saving in government subsidy on freight.
Source: The Hindu, The Indian Express