8th India International Science Festival 2022 to be held in Bhopal

8th India International Science Festival 2022 to be held in Bhopal

• India International Science Festival (IISF)-2022 will be held in Bhopal in January 2023 and incidentally, it is one of the major events to be held after India took over G-20 Presidency. 
• IISF is the initiative of the Ministry of Science & Technology and Ministry of Earth Science of Government of India in association with Vijnana Bharati which is a science movement with swadeshi spirit led by eminent scientists of the country. The IISF 2022 is the eighth edition since its inception in 2015.
• It is a festival to celebrate the achievements of India’s scientific and technological advancements with students, innovators, craftsmen, farmers, scientists and technocrats from India and abroad.
• It also provides opportunities to people and scientific fraternity in the country and abroad to come together, work together and experience the joy of doing science for the wellbeing of India and humanity.

India test fires Agni-V, ballistic missile with a range of over 5,000 km

• INDIA on Thursday carried out a successful night time flight test of the long-range surface-to-surface Nuclear Capable Ballistic missile, Agni-5 amidst increased tension with China.
• The Strategic Forces Command (SFC) which operates the Agni-5, carried out the successful test of the missile from APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha. The nuclear capable missile which uses a three-stage solid fuelled engine, has been developed by the Defence Research and Development organisation (DRDO).
• The development of Agni missiles started in early 1980 under Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme spearheaded by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, the central figure in India’s missile and space programmes.

India declares candidature for UN Security Council membership for 2028-29 term: EAM S Jaishankar

• India looks forward to being back in the UN Security Council, External Affairs S Jaishankar said here on Thursday as he declared the country's candidature as non-permanent member for the 2028-29 term.
• Addressing reporters at the UN Security Council stakeout after chairing the signature event on counterterrorism, Jaishankar said that December is the last month of India's current membership of the Security Council, the eighth time that India sat at the powerful horse-shoe table.
• The previous eight terms that India has been in the Council are 1950-1951, 1967-1968, 1972-1973, 1977-1978, 1984-1985, 1991-1992 and 2011-2012.
• On December 1, India assumed the monthly rotating Presidency of the Security Council, the second time after August 2021 that India is presiding over the Council during its two-year tenure as elected UNSC member.
• India, whose 2021-2022 term on the Council ends December 31, has been at the forefront of efforts calling for urgent reform of the Security Council, which has remained deeply divisive in dealing with current challenges.