• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has topped the rankings for the 12th year in a row.
• The University of Cambridge retained its second position.
• Oxford University is ranked third behind Stanford University.
• American universities regained the lead in the QS rankings, occupying more than half of the top 20 places.
• In this, Indian Institute of Technical Education, Delhi has been pushed to 197th position this year. There are three other Indian Institutes of Technology in the list of top 300 universities worldwide.
Chennai-Vladivostok Sea Route:
• India and Russia are ready to start traffic on the Chennai-Vladivostok sea route.
• The Vladivostok – Chennai sea route passes through the Sea of Japan, the South China Sea and the Straits of Malacca.
• Traffic through the newly opened route is expected to take only 12 days as compared to 32 days for the current route.
• This new route will give India access to the Far East and increase opportunities for trade between the two countries.
The average strength and direction of the magnetic field at the surface of the Sun is:
• A recent study has provided a clear idea of how the Sun's magnetic field affects the interplanetary magnetic field.
• The mean strength and direction of the solar surface magnetic field (SMMF) has an impact on the interplanetary magnetic field and plays a significant role in space weather.
• SMMF refers to the average strength and direction of the magnetic field on the Sun's surface.
• Studies suggest that an early magnetic field within the Sun may be the primary source of SMMF formation.
Co-inventor of the lithium-ion battery:
• John Goodenough, famous for his work on the development of the lithium-ion battery, died recently in the United States.
• He is one of the recipients of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on the development of the lithium-ion battery.
• Goodenough is the oldest person to win a Nobel Prize.
• He shared the Nobel Prize with British-born American scientist M. Stanley Whittingham and Japan's Akira Yoshino.
• The first such lightweight, safe, durable and rechargeable commercial batteries were introduced in the market in 1991.
TNPSC :
• The 8th World Pharmaceutical Standards Summit 2023 was held in Mumbai under the theme 'Patient Centricity: A New Standard of Manufacturing and Quality'.