State PCS - Uttar Pradesh (UP PCS)

• 21 Apr 2025

Fighter aircraft Rafale and Mirage

Why in News 

French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation will carry out repair and maintenance and overhaul (MRO) of the Indian Air Force 's Rafale and Mirage-2000 fighter aircraft at the Noida airport complex . The company will also set up a Centre of Excellence and a university for this. 

Key Points 

•  About
  • 1365 hectares of land has been acquired for the MRO facility , which is located near Noida International Airport . 
  • Aeronautical and Avionics courses at high school, polytechnic and graduation levels will be started at the Centre of Excellence established by Dassault . 
  • It aims to reduce foreign dependency by enhancing MRO capacity in India, promote self-reliance in the defence sector and enhance investment and employment opportunities in the state by attracting FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) . 
  • The company will also get a subsidy of ₹12 crore under the FDI policy . 
  • The MRO industry in India was worth $1.7 billion in 2021 , and is projected to reach $7 billion by 2030 . 
  • India has 713 aircraft , which can increase to 1522 by 2031. The Indian Air Force has 36 Rafale and 50 Mirage-2000 aircraft. 
  • India will no longer be dependent on countries like America, China and Singapore for the maintenance of state-of-the-art aircraft like Rafale and Mirage. 
• Importance:   
  • The maintenance cost and time of the Indian Air Force will be reduced. 
  • India's strategic autonomy and defence preparedness will be strengthened. 
  • Local employment , technical education and industrial development will be promoted. 
  • India's MRO industry can become globally competitive. 
  • Uttar Pradesh will get a new identity in the aviation sector . 

About Rafale: 

• Rafale is a French twin-engine and multirole fighter aircraft, designed by Dassault Aviation of France. 
• State-of-the-art technology has been used in this fighter plane and it is a 4.5 Generation fighter plane. 
• The Meteor Missile, SCALP Cruise Missile and MICA Missile System present in the Rafale fighter aircraft make it very important from the security point of view. 
• Rafale can fly at a speed of 2,222.6 kilometres per hour and an altitude of 50,000 feet. 
• This fighter aircraft is approximately 15.27 metres long and can carry 9,500 kilograms of bombs and ammunition at a time. 

15th Hockey Senior Men National Championship 2025

Why in News? 

Punjab won the 15th Hockey India Senior Men's National Championship, 2025 by defeating Madhya Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh defeated Manipur to finish third. 

Key Points  

• About the Championship:  
  • This championship was organised from 4 to 15 April at the Major Dhyan Chand Hockey Stadium in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh . 
  • According to Hockey India, the tournament followed the same division-based format as the Senior Women's National Championship. 
  • A total of 30 teams participated in the competition and were   divided into three divisions – Division A, Division B and Division C. 

 Major Dhyan Chand 

• Major Dhyan Chand He was a field hockey player who played international hockey from the year 1926 to 1949 . 
• He was a three-time Olympic gold medalist , winning gold in the 1928, 1932, and 1936 Olympic editions. 
• His exceptional skills in the game earned him the title of ‘Hockey Wizard’. 
• Dhyan Chand, along with and his brother Roop Singh, contributed significantly to India's tally of 35 goals, leading to them being are known as the 'Hockey Twins' . 
• In the year 1934, Dhyan Chand was honoured with the captaincy of the Indian team . 
• Major Dhyan Chand retired from the Army as a Major in the year 1956 and was awarded the Padma Bhushan . 

National Sports Day is celebrated every year on 29 August on the birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand to honour his contribution and promote sports culture .