Current Affairs - National

The Netherlands became India's third-largest export destination in 2023-24, following the US and UAE. Despite a slight decline in India's overall merchandise shipments, the trade surplus with the Netherlands increased significantly, reaching USD 17.4 billion in the last fiscal year, up from USD 13 billion in 2022-23.

The overall voter turnout in the General Elections 2024 was 65.79% at the polling stations, as reported by the Election Commission. This percentage indicates the proportion of votes polled in electronic voting machines across the country during the election period, which spanned seven phases from April 26 to June 1.

The Tele MANAS Cell, established through collaboration between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD), aims to address the mental health needs of armed forces personnel and their families. This initiative provides specialized tele-mental health services, ensuring prompt and effective support for the unique mental health requirements of armed forces beneficiaries, thereby enhancing their overall well-being.

India's first biosphere in a tiger reserve, the Rajaji Raghati Biosphere (RRB), is located within the Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand. This biosphere initiative aims to protect native trees and endangered species while revitalizing degraded land within the park.

The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) was established by the Government of India on August 24, 1984. This premier telecom research and development centre aims to revolutionize the telecom sector by developing cutting-edge technologies tailored to Indian conditions. C-DOT received the prestigious 'Champion' award at the WSIS+20 Forum High-Level Event 2024 for its project “Mobile-Enabled Disaster Resilience through Cell Broadcast Emergency Alerting,” under the AI, C-7, E-environment category. This recognition highlights C-DOT's commitment to leveraging technology for societal impact, particularly in disaster management and emergency preparedness.