Today in History (August 23rd, 1875)
On this day, in 1875, Raj Kumar Shukla, who was pivotal in urging Mahatma Gandhi to visit Champaran, leading to the Champaran Satyagraha, was born.
Summary of Today’s New
15th BRICS Summit
The 15th BRICS Summit is scheduled to take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 22-24 August 2023 with the theme: “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development, and Inclusive Multilateralism.” BRICS, initially known as BRIC, was formed in 2006 with Brazil, Russia, India, and China as its founding members, and later South Africa joined in 2010. It serves as a platform for these emerging economies to assert their global influence, advocate for a multipolar world order, and challenge the dominance of institutions like the World Bank and IMF.
Luna 25
Russia’s Luna 25 spacecraft, launched on August 11, aimed to soft-land near the moon’s south pole for lunar soil and atmosphere study but suffered a glitch and crashed on August 20, ending its mission in failure. The mission, in development for decades, aimed to secure Russia’s moon access and showcase economic resilience under sanctions. Luna 25’s failure, possibly due to excessive thrust during orbit modification, highlights Russia’s moon endeavors lagging. Sanctions hampered communications, shrinking the window for rescue attempts. Russia’s future moon role, including in the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), faces uncertainty due to sanctions and technical setbacks.
Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP)
The Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP) allows car manufacturers to voluntarily test their models for safety, receiving star ratings for crash performance. Modeled after the Global New Car Assessment Programme, Bharat NCAP evaluates passenger vehicles with up to 8 seats and a gross vehicle weight under 3,500 kg. It rates vehicles based on adult occupant protection, child occupant protection, and safety assist technologies. The testing includes frontal, side impact, and pole side impact tests. Manufacturers can nominate models, and random samples are tested at the Central Institute of Road Transport. The program aims to enhance vehicle safety on Indian roads.
