Current Affairs June 21st 2022| Current Affairs News

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CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

World Hydrography Day 2022: June 21

• Every year on June 21st, World Hydrography Day is commemorated to promote awareness about the importance of hydrography, safe navigation, and maritime environmental conservation.
• World Hydrography Day 2022 was established by the International Hydrographic Organization as an annual celebration to increase awareness about the work of hydrographers and give education about the field of hydrography and its relevance in people’s lives.

Theme:

• The World Hydrography Day 2022 Theme is “Awareness is spread to protect marine life and safe navigation”.
• It intends to display the past, present, and future of Hydrography, as well as explore and raise awareness about the role performed by hydrographers in keeping our nation’s waterways secure, safe navigation, and economy robust during the past 100 years.

History:

• The International Hydrographic Bureau was founded in 1921 to provide a forum for states to confer on issues such as safe navigation, technical standards, and the conservation of the maritime environment.
• In 1970, the name was changed to the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO).
• In 2005, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling for the International Hydrographic Organization to commemorate World Hydrography Day on June 21st.
• The international commemoration of World Hydrography Day began in 2006.
• The day honors hydrographers’ efforts and raises awareness about the vital importance of hydrography in people’s lives.

World Music Day 2022: June 21

• On 21st June of this current year, World Music Day 2022 is celebrated all over the globe to celebrate music among the public.
• World Music Day, also known as the Fete de la Musique in French, is then observed.
• The importance of music in our lives is highlighted on this day, which honors musicians.

Theme

• The theme for the day this year is “Music at Intersections.”
• Those who enjoy listening to music might mark the occasion by listening to music and songs.
• It should be highlighted that France’s Minister of Culture, Jack Lang, as well as music composer Maurice Fleure, were among the first to organize music celebrations.

History

• Fête de la Musique was held in Paris in 1982 to commemorate World Music Day.
• This day was arranged by two members of the French Minister of Culture, Jack Lang, a French politician, and Maurice Fleuret, a composer, music journalist, radio producer, and arts administrator.
• Maurice Fleuret was asked by Jack Lang to become Director of Music and Dance at the French Ministry of Culture. Maurice Fleuret researched musical practice and evolution.
• Following that, he investigated the French population, discovering that one out of every two individuals was interested in learning to play musical instruments. As a result, he began to mark the Summer Solstice as World Music Day to recognize the people and their interests.
• Maurice Fleuret researched the cultural habits of the French and discovered that one out of every two young people played a musical instrument.
• He intended to get people out of their houses and into the streets by proposing that the summer solstice (June 21) be designated as World Music Day.

International Yoga Day 2022: June 21

• On June 21st of this current year, International Yoga Day 2022 is celebrated and observed all over the world as an awareness program.
• Every year on the 21st of June, International Yoga Day is commemorated to create awareness about the relevance and advantages of yoga in everyone’s life.

Theme

• This year, India will have specific events for children, women, individuals with disabilities, and transgender people under the theme “Yoga for Humanity.”
• Thanks to Common Service Centres (CSC) that are promoting the Common Yoga Protocol (CYP) to disseminate awareness about the advantages of yoga among the masses, a big turnout is predicted in villages/gram panchayats as well.

History

• On December 27, 2014, The Prime Minister proposed that the UN General Assembly commemorate International Yoga Day to boost public awareness about the relevance of yoga around the world.
• Finally, on December 11, 2014, the United Nations General Assembly recognized International Yoga Day, and 170 member states accepted the proposed draught resolution.
• On June 21, 2015, the first International Yoga Day was observed all around the world.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

PM Shri Narendra Modi launches torch relay for 44th Chess Olympiad:

• At Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi started the historic torch relay for the 44th Chess Olympiad.
• The International Chess Federation, FIDE, has instituted the Chess Olympiad Torch, a component of the Olympic heritage, for the first time this year.
• The Chess Olympiad Torch Relay is being held for the first time in India.

Key Points:

• FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich passed the torch to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who then passed it on to Grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand.
• In 40 days, the torch will travel to 75 cities before arriving in Mahabalipuram, near Chennai.
• The torch will be presented to state chess grandmasters in each venue.
• From July 28 to August 10, 2022, the 44th Chess Olympiad will take place in Chennai.

About FIDE:

• The International Chess Federation or World Chess Federation, commonly referred to by its French acronym FIDE, is an international organization based in Switzerland that connects the various national chess federations and acts as the governing body of international chess competitions.
• Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
• President: Arkady Dvorkovich
• Founded: 20 July 1924, Paris, France

Education Minister Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurates National Yoga Olympiad 2022:

• National Yoga Olympiad 2022 and quiz competition was inaugurated in New Delhi by Education Minister Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan.
• The Ministry of Education and the National Council of Educational Research and Training are collaborating to host the National Yoga Olympiad.
• Around 600 kids from 26 states and UTs, as well as Demonstration Multipurpose Schools of Regional Institutions of Education, will compete in the National Yoga Olympiad this year.

Highlights:

• Pradhan stated that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has appropriately picked Yoga for Humanity as this year’s theme to encourage healthier choices and bring people closer together.
• Yoga is connecting the world in the pursuit of good health and wellness, according to the Minister.
• The Minister emphasized that NEP 2020 places a strong emphasis on both students’ and teachers’ physical and emotional well-being.
• Pradhan proposed that NCERT incorporate Yoga’s ancient wisdom into the educational curriculum.
• Yoga, according to Minister of State for Education Subhas Sarkar, must be popularised as part of the National Education Policy 2020.

New Delhi to host National summit on cyber security and National security:

• The Ministry of Home Affairs will host a National Conference on Cyber Safety and National Security at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi (Cyber Apradh Se Azadi, Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav).
• According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Union Minister Shri Amit Shah will serve as the conference’s Chief Guest.
• The lecture is part of the country’s efforts to enhance public awareness regarding the prevention of cybercrime.

Key Points:

• The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, organized functions on Cyber Hygiene, Cyber Crime Prevention, Cyber Safety, and National Security at 75 venues across the country from June 8 to 17 under the name “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav”.
• G Kishan Reddy, the union minister for Culture, Tourism, and Development of the North Eastern Region, will attend the conference, as will Ajay Kumar Mishra, the Minister of State for Home Affairs, as well as top officials from the Ministries of Home Affairs, Culture, States and Union Territories, and members from other organizations.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Russia Becomes India’s 2nd Biggest Crude Oil Supplier overtakes Saudi Arabia

• Russia has overtaken Saudi Arabia to become India’s second-biggest supplier of oil behind Iraq as refiners snap up Russian crude available at a deep discount following the war in Ukraine.
• In May 2022, Indian refiners bought about 25 million barrels of Russian oil or more than 16 percent of all their oil imports.
• For the first time, Russian-origin crude hit 5 percent of India’s total seaborne imports in April 2022 rising from under 1% throughout 2021 and Q1 2022.
• As per data, India imported about 819,000 barrels of Russian oil per day, which accounts for roughly 16.5% of its total imports.
• Iraq remained the top supplier to India & Saudi Arabia is now the third biggest supplier.

Note :

• After the S. and China, India is the world’s third-largest consumer of oil, over 85 percent of which is imported.

About Russia :

• President: Vladimir Putin
• Prime minister: Mikhail Mishustin
• Capital: Moscow
• Currency: Russian ruble

Nearly 5 million people in India displaced due to climate change, disasters in 2021: UNHCR

• According to the annual Global Trends Report by the UN Refugee Agency United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), nearly 5 million people in India were internally displaced due to climate change and disasters in 2021.
• Asylum seekers submitted4 million new claims i.e The United States of America was the world’s largest recipient of new individual applications (188,900), followed by Germany (148,200), Mexico (132,700), Costa Rica (108,500), and France (90,200).
• The latest global trends report reflects the period of January 2021 to December 2021.

Key Highlights :

• The report highlighted that globally 100 million people were forced to flee their homes by 2021 due to violence, human rights abuses, food insecurity, the climate crisis, war in Ukraine, and other emergencies from Africa to Afghanistan.
• According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), in 2021, there were 23.7 million new internal displacements globally due to disasters.
• This represented a decrease of seven million, or 23 percent, compared to 2021.
• The largest displacements in the context of disasters in 2021 occurred in China (6.0 million), the Philippines (5.7 million), and India (4.9 million).
• As per the report, at the end of 2021, 3 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide, including 27.1 million refugees, 21.3 million refugees under UNHCR’s mandate, 5.8 million Palestine refugees under United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East’s (UNRWA) mandate, 53.2 million internally displaced people, 4.6 million asylum seekers and 4.4 million Venezuelans displaced abroad.

About UNHCR :

• Established: 14 December 1950
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
• Head: Filippo Grandi
• UNHCR is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integration, or resettlement to a 3rd country.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING & FINANCE

RBI raises the limit of e-mandates for transactions up to ₹15,000

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) raised the Additional Factor of Authentication (AFA) limit from Rs 5,000 to Rs 15,000 per transaction for e-mandates on cards, Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs), and UPI for recurring transactions.
• It means that One-Time Passwords (OTPs) or any extra step of authentication would no longer be required for recurring payments of up to Rs 15,000 made with cards, UPIs, or other prepaid payment instruments (PPIs).
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has put in place various safety and security measures for card payments, including the requirement of AFA, especially for ‘card-not-present’ transactions.
• Under e-mandate, an individual can give standing instruction to the bank to debit a specific amount automatically regularly.

What is an e-mandate for recurring payments?

• An e-mandate on a debit or credit card means that the cardholder has given a particular business platform, such as a website or a mobile application, a legal authority to deduct a specified amount of money for recurrent payments.
• It covers online subscriptions, bill payments, and insurance premiums, among other things.
• A consumer authorizes a business to charge his-her credit or debit card for recurring payments through an e-mandate.

About RBI :

• Established: 1 April 1935
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Governor : Shaktikanta Das
• Deputy governors: Mahesh Kumar Jain, Rajeshwar Rao, Michael Patra, and T. Rabi Shankar

Equitas Small Finance Bank Launches Savings Account For Kids – ENJOI

• Equitas Small Finance Bank announced the launch of an exclusive savings account called ENJOI for kids.
• This account introduces “young kids” to the financial world & encouraging them to develop an early habit of saving.
• The ENJOI account holders will also have access to exclusive deals from ed-techs and online learning providers.
• ENJOI will allow kids of 0-18 years to open savings accounts under the supervision of their parents.
• Minors aged 10 and above will also get an option for a personalized Debit Card.

Benefits of ENJOI :

• The account offers “best-in-class” 7 percent interest for savings balances between Rs 5 lakh to R 2 crore.
• The account will offer flexibility to choose the mode of savings either as a savings account, balance starting as low as Rs 1,000; RD (Recurring Deposit) for Rs 500 monthly; FD (Fixed Deposit) for Rs 10,000.
• These offers and tie-ups have been exclusively sourced by the bank to offer maximum advantages to the account holders.
• The Personalised Debit Card is complimentary for the 1st year and can be enjoyed free for a lifetime by maintaining the required balances
• ENJOI account will also help the kids to take their first step towards a new age and technology-oriented banking experience

Tamil Nadu becomes the largest State with outstanding microfinance loans Portfolio

• According to MFIN Micrometer Q4 FY21-22, a quarterly report published by Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN), the gross loan portfolio (GLP) of Tamil Nadu as of March 31, 2022, stood at ₹36,806 crore.
• Tamil Nadu has replaced West Bengal to emerge as the largest State in terms of the outstanding portfolio of microfinance loans.
• It was followed by Bihar (₹35,941 crores) and West Bengal (₹34,016 crores).
• At the end of Q3FY22, West Bengal topped the chart with the highest outstanding portfolio of loans at ₹32,880 crores, followed by Tamil Nadu (₹32,359 crores).
• The Top 10 States (based on the total microcredit universe) constitute 82.4 percent of the total GLP of the industry.
• West Bengal was followed by Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and
• As per the report, around 64 percent of the microfinance portfolio is concentrated in the East, Northeast, and Southern regions
• The 41st issue of the Micrometer report stated the microfinance industry served 5.8 crores, unique borrowers, through 11.3 crore loan accounts.

Lender-wise distribution :

• Lender-wise distribution of micro-loans shows that 12 banks held the largest share of the portfolio in micro-credit with a total loan outstanding of ₹1,14,051 crore, or 40 percent of the total microcredit universe.
• NBFC-MFIs are the second-largest providers of micro-credit with a loan amount outstanding of ₹1,00,407 crore, accounting for 35.2 percent of the total industry portfolio.
• Small finance banks (SFBs) have a total loan amount outstanding of ₹48,314 crores, accounting for 16.9 percent, followed by non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) at 6.9 percent share.
• Other MFIs account for 1 percent of the universe.
• The report noted that the proportion of NBFC-MFI portfolios in the universe portfolio increased by 4.1 percent to 35.2 percent as of March 31, 2022, though banks continued to be the main contributors.
• The geographical distribution of the portfolio also witnessed a change with a decrease in the share of the east and northeast by 3.3 percent, while the share of the south and north regions increased by 1.3 percent each.

About MFIN :

• Founded: 2009
• Located at: Gurugram, Haryana, India
• Chairperson: Manoj Kumar Nambiar
• MD & CEO: Alok Misra

Kotak General Insurance Collaborates with PhonePe to offer Motor Insurance

• Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Company Limited (Kotak General Insurance) has partnered with PhonePe Insurance Broking Services Pvt. Ltd (PhonePe), a digital payments platform to offers motor insurance to 380 million customers on the PhonePe platform.
• Through PhonePe, Kotak General Insurance will provide quick and seamless car and two-wheeler insurance policies to its customers.
• This tie-up will empower PhonePe customers to buy the car and two-wheeler insurance end-to-end online in just a few clicks from the comfort of their smartphones.

About Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Company Ltd :

• Founded: 2015
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Managing Director & CEO: Suresh Agarwal

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

COAI Names Jio’s president Mr. Pramod Mittal as Chairperson for 2022-23

• Industry body Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI) named Mr. Pramod K Mittal, President of Reliance Jio Infocomm, as the new Chairperson of the association for 2022-23.
• He will be taking over Mr. Ajai Puri as the chairperson of COAI, who held the for two consecutive terms.

Roles & Responsibilities :

• To work closely with the members to strengthen the sector, especially for the launch of 5G to fulfill the vision of Honorable Prime Minister’s Digital India initiative”.

About Mr. Pramod Mittal :

• Mittal has 42 years of extensive experience in telecommunications.
• Before joining India’s leading telecommunications operator, Reliance President Jio Infocomm also worked for the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for over 37 years.
• Previously, Mr. Mittal was the Vice-Chairperson of the Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI), whose members include Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea (VIL).

Other Appointments :

• P Balaji, Chief Regulatory and Corporate Affairs Officer of Vodafone Idea (VIL), will be the Vice-Chair of the association.

About Mr. P Balaji :

• Balaji, who is a member of the core leadership team of Vodafone Idea, leads the telco’s Regulatory, Public Policy, and Government Relations activities along with Industry advocacy, Corporate Communications, Reputation Management, and CSR.
• Balaji is the Chairman of the Assocham National Digital Communications Council.
• Also, he is a Member of the National Council of apex industry chambers CII, Ficci, Assocham, and All India Management Association.
• He has the unique experience of holding leadership positions in multiple telecom verticals, with leading technology, devices companies, and telecom operators.

About COAI :

• Established: 1995
• Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi, India
• Chairman: Ajai Puri
• Director-General: Dr. S.P. Kochhar
• The COAI is an Indian non-governmental trade association and advocacy group focused mainly on the telecommunications industry.

RBI approves the reappointment of Mr. P.N. Vasudevan as MD & CEO of ESFB

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved a proposal of Equitas Small Finance Bank (SFB) to reappoint Mr. Pathangi Narasimhan Vasudevan as managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) for one year effective from July 23, 2022.
• Earlier in May 2022, ESFB founder and CEO Mr. Vasudevan P N had asked the lender to look for his successor as he wanted to step down to pursue “a distinct set of goals”.

About Mr P.N. Vasudevan :

• P.N. Vasudevan holds a bachelor’s degree in science (physics) from the University of Madras.
• Earlier he was working as the MD of Equitas Holdings Limited.
• He is the Managing Director of Equitas, which began as a microfinance institution in 2007 and was later converted into a bank in 2016.
• He was also the chairman of the Managing Committee of the South India Hire Purchase Association for Fiscal 2006.
• Vasudevan & his wife have created a public charitable trust in their daughter’s name, Varshini Illam Trust, and they have launched a project in the trust to take quality medical and therapy treatment to rural and semi-urban areas at their doorstep to those in the age group of 0-3 years.

About ESFB :

• Founded: 2016
• Headquarters: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
• MD & CEO: Vasudevan P N
• Equitas Small Finance Bank is a small-cap company with a market cap of Rs 4,833 crore.

Center Clears Appointment of Chief Justices in Six High Courts

• A month after the Supreme Court Collegium had recommended appointments of new chief justices to the high courts of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gauhati, and Telangana, the Union Government has approved the proposal of the Collegium.
• 4 of these high courts, including Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gauhati, lack full-time chief justices and are led by acting chiefs.
• The recommendations proposed by the collegium led by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana were made on May 17, 2022.

Appointments of 6 new chief justices :

• Justice Vipin Sanghi of the Delhi High Court will be appointed as the Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court while Justice Rashmin M Chhaya of the Gujarat High Court has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court.
• Telangana High Court Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma will be appointed to the Delhi High Court.
• Two judges of the Bombay High Court Justice Amjad A Sayed and Justice SS Shinde will be elevated as the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court and Rajasthan High Court respectively.
• Meanwhile, Justice Ujjal Bhuyan of the Telangana High Court (whose parent high court is Gauhati High Court) will take over as the Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKS & REPORTS

Coursera Global Skills Report 2022: Switzerland tops, India ranked 68th position

• According to Coursera’s latest Global Skills Report (GSR) 2022, India’s overall skills proficiency has slipped four places to be ranked at the 68th position globally.
• In Asia, India stands at the 19th position.
• For the second consecutive year, Switzerland had the highest-skilled learners followed by Denmark, Indonesia, and Belgium.

Key Highlights of Coursera Global Skills Report 2022 :

India’s Scenario :

• The report shows an increase in India’s technology proficiency levels from 38% to 46%, with the country strengthening its position by 6 spots.
• Meanwhile, proficiency in data science has dipped from 38% in 2021 to 26% in 2022, leading to a 12-rank drop.

Indian learners are focusing on building technology skills :

• With strong proficiency in key tech skills like cloud computing, theoretical computer science, and web development, India now ranks 56th globally in the domain compared to the 66th ranking in 2021.
• Cloud Computing is India’s strongest technology skill with 74% proficiency.

Indian learners continue to lag in data science skills :

• Slipping by 12 ranks, India scores low on foundational and specialized data science skills
• Data Visualization (10%)
• Statistical Programming (14%)
• Data Management (22%) among others.
• The strongest skill in the domain for India continues to be Machine Learning (41%).

Learners in India are concentrating on financial skills :

• The government, along with online learning platforms, fin-techs, and experts in the financial sector, have been emphasizing the need for new-age financial skills.
• According to the GSR, learners in India are over-indexed in skills such as investment management (1.38x), blockchain (1.33x), and risk management (1.22x).
• West Bengal leads the Indian states in terms of skills proficiency with the state showing the highest levels of digital skills proficiency in the country.
• Andhra Pradesh is among the top three performing states with high proficiency in business and technology skills.
• The report mentions the government’s efforts toward skill development, public-private partnerships, and synergy through Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) as the learners in AP have 100 percent proficiency in security engineering, operating systems, and computer networking.
• Industry reports estimate that 28 million new technology jobs will be created in India by 2025.

Global trends in the report:

• Wealthier countries scored higher in overall skills proficiency, matched by those with high levels of internet access.
• Learners in developing countries were more focused on digital skills through courses like supply chain systems and mobile architecture.
• Learners also focused on courses that develop the skills needed to understand the COVID-19 pandemic.

About Coursera Global Skills Report :

• The Global Skills Report draws data from 100 million learners in more than 100 countries who have used Coursera to develop a new skill during the past year.
• The report benchmarks 3 of the most in-demand skill areas driving employment in the digital economy

1. Business
2. Technology,
3. Data science.

• For the 1st time, the 2022 report also highlights changes in ranking for each country, and state-specific data for the U.S. and India, where regional variations are notable.
• According to the report, Indian learners in southern states perform better than those in states in the north across all three domains.

About Coursera :

• Founded: April 2012
• Headquarters: California, USA
• CEO : Jeff Maggioncalda

Renewables 2022 Global Status Report (GSR 2022) – India Ranks 3rd in Renewable Energy Installations in 2021

• According to a report titled Renewable Energy 2022 – Global Status Report, published by REN21 (Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century), India ranked 3rd globally for total renewable power capacity additions with 4 GW in 2021, following only China (136 GW) and the US (43 GW).
• For the first time, the GSR 2022 provides a world map of renewable energy shares by country and highlights progress in some of the leading countries.

Key Highlights of the Report :

• India has added 843 MW to its hydropower capacity by 2021, bringing the total capacity up to 45.3 GW.
• India was Asia’s second-largest market for solar PV capacity, and third worldwide (13 GW additions in 2021).
• For the first time, it surpassed Germany (59.2 GW) for fourth place in total installations (60.4 GW).
• India was rated third in the world for a total installed wind power capacity (40.1 GW), behind China, the US, and Germany.
• The overall share of renewables in the world’s final energy consumption has stagnated rising only minimally from 10.6 percent in 2009 to 11.7 percent in 2019 & the global shift of the energy system to renewables is not happening.
• In the electricity sector, record additions in renewable power capacity (314.5 gigawatts, up 17 percent from 2020) and generation (7,793 terawatt-hours) were unable to meet the overall increase in electricity consumption of 6 percent.
• In heating and cooling, the renewable share in final energy consumption increased from 8.9 percent in 2009 to 11.2 percent in 2019.
• In the transport sector, where the renewable share went from 2.4 percent in 2009 to 3.7 percent in 2019, the lack of progress is particularly worrying, as the sector accounts for nearly a third of global energy consumption.
• In the lead-up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November 2021, a record 135 countries pledged to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
• However, only 84 of these countries had economy-wide targets for renewable energy, and only 36 had targets for 100 percent renewables.
• For the first time in the history of UN climate summits, the COP26 declaration mentioned the need to reduce coal use, but it failed to call for targeted reductions in either coal or fossil fuels.
• The GSR 2022 makes clear that meeting countries’ net-zero pledges will require massive efforts, and that the momentum associated with Covid-19 has passed untapped.

About REN21’s Renewables 2022 Global Status Report :

• REN21’s Renewables 2022 Global Status Report (2022 GSR) warns that the global clean-energy transition is not taking place and that it is unlikely that the world can meet its critical climate goals in this decade.
• The 2022 report is the 17th consecutive edition annual report.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

China launches 3rd & most advanced & domestically built aircraft carrier named ‘Fujian’

• China launched its 3rd aircraft carrier named ‘Fujian’ the country’s most advanced as well as the first “fully domestically-built” naval vessel, as an aggressive Beijing sought to project its naval power in the strategic Indo-Pacific region.
• The 3rd aircraft carrier was built by China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited & it was launched at a brief ceremony held at Shanghai’s Jiangnan Shipyard.
• Xu Qiliang, a member of the Political Bureau of the ruling Communist Party of China Central Committee and vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the ceremony.

Note :

• The Fujian is China’s first domestically designed and built catapult aircraft carrier.

About Fujian :

• Fujian is the name of China’s eastern coastal province of Fujian.
• It has a displacement of more than 80,000 tonnes and is equipped with electromagnetic catapults and arresting devices
• After the launch, the carrier will start mooring trials and sea trials
• China plans to have around five aircraft carriers & the next aircraft carrier China plans to build is expected to be nuclear-powered.

Background :

• The launch of the ship was delayed by two months due to the COVID lockdown of Shanghai.
• It was due to be launched on April 23 around the 73rd anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).

Additional Info :

• China’s first aircraft carrier, the ‘Liaoning’, was a refit of the Soviet-era ship commissioned in 2012 followed by the indigenously built 2nd aircraft carrier ‘Shandong’ in 2019.
• Liaoning and Shandong are the names of the two provinces of China.

About China :

• President: Xi Jinping
• Capital: Beijing
• Currency: Renminbi

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOUR

Hamad International Airport named World’s Best Airport 2022:

• For the second year in a row, Qatar’s Hamad International Airport has been crowned the World’s Best Airport.
• The announcement was made at the Passenger Terminal EXPO in Paris, France, at the Skytrax 2022 World Airport Awards.

The World’s Top 20 Airports:

• Hamad International Airport
• Tokyo International Airport
• Singapore Changi Airport
• Narita International Airport
• Incheon International Airport
• Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport
• Munich Airport
• Istanbul Airport
• Zurich Airport
• Kansai International Airport
• Helsinki-Vantaa Airport
• Central Japan International Airport
• London Heathrow Airport
• Dubai International Airport
• Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
• Madrid-Barajas Airport
• Copenhagen Airport
• Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport
• Vienna International Airport
• Hong Kong International Airport

LIST OF OTHER WINNERS:

• Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (BLR Airport) was named the finest regional airport in India and South Asia.
• Singapore Changi Airport (World’s Best Airport Staff Service and World’s Best Airport Dining).
• Istanbul Airport (World’s Best Airport Shopping and Most Family-Friendly Airport).
• Tokyo Haneda Airport won awards as the World’s Cleanest Airport, the World’s Best Domestic Airport, the Best Airport in Asia, and the Best Airport PRM & Accessible Facilities.
• King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh secured the award as the World’s Most Improved Airport.
• Nagoya’s Chubu Centrair International Airport was named the World’s Best Regional Airport.
• Copenhagen Airport won the World’s Best Airport Immigration Processing award.
• Zurich Airport repeated its success by winning the World’s Best Airport Security Processing award.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

Neeraj Chopra to lead 37-member athletics team for Commonwealth Games 2022:

• The Athletics Federation of India has announced that Neeraj Chopra will lead a 37-member Indian athletics team at Commonwealth Games.
• As great sprinters like Hima Das and Dutee Chand booked their berths for the Games, which will be held from July 28 to August 8, the gold medalist from the Tokyo Olympics will be the flag carrier in
• There were no surprises among the athletes chosen by the selection committee for the CWG.
• There are 18 women among the 37 members.
• Hima Das and Dutee Chand, two of the best sprinters in the world, have already committed to the women’s 4x100m relay team.
• A men’s 4x400m relay team was also picked by the selectors.
• Amoj Jacob has been chosen to compete in the men’s 4x400m relay.

Men’s Athlete:

• Avinash Sable (3000m Steeplechase); Nitender Rawat (Marathon); M Sreeshankar and Muhammed Anees Yahiya (Long Jump); Abdulla Aboobacker, Praveen Chithravel, and Eldhose Paul (Triple Jump); Tajinderpal Singh Toor (Shot Put); Neeraj Chopra, DP Manu and Rohit Yadav (Javelin Throw); Sandeep Kumar and Amit Khatri (Race Walking); Amoj Jacob, Noah Nirmal Tom, Arokia Rajiv, Muhammed Ajmal, Naganathan Pandi and Rajesh Ramesh (4x400m Relay).

Women’s Athletes:

• S Dhanalakshmi (100m and 4x100m relay); Jyothi Yarraji (100m Hurdles); Aishwarya B (Long Jump and Triple Jump) and Ancy Sojan (Long Jump); Manpreet Kaur (Shot Put); Navjeet Kaur Dhillon and Seema Antil Punia (Discus Throw); Annu Rani and Shilpa Rani (Javelin Throw); Manju Bala Singh and Sarita Romit Singh (Hammer Throw); Bhawna Jat and Priyanka Goswami (Race Walking); Hima Das, Dutee Chand, Srabani Nanda, MV Jilna and NS Simi (4x100m relay).

FIFA announces 2026 World Cup venues across U.S., Canada, and Mexico:

• FIFA has revealed that matches for the 2026 World Cup will be contested in 11 US cities, as well as three host locations in Mexico and two in Canada.
• Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Monterrey, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, and Vancouver are among the 16 cities that will host the event.

Key Points:

• It will also be the first time that the event will feature 48 teams, up from the 32 that will compete in FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, which will take place from November 21 to December 18.
• The United States will host 60 games, including all matches from the quarter-finals forward, while Canada and Mexico will each host ten games.
• In 1970 and 1986, Mexico hosted the FIFA World Cup.

About FIFA:

• FIFA is an international governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded in 1904 to oversee international competition among the national associations of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
• President: Gianni Infantino
• Founded: 21 May 1904
• Headquarters: Zürich, Switzerland

Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra wins gold at Kuortane Games in Finland:

• Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra won the javelin throw event at the Kuortane Games in Finland, defeating incumbent world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada for his first top podium result of the season.
• Chopra’s first throw of 86.69m proved to be the winning distance for the 24-year-old.
• Keshorn Walcott, the 2012 Olympic champion from Trinidad and Tobago, came in second with an 86.64m first-round throw.
• Peters finished third with a best throw of 84.75m, which he threw in the first round as well.

Additional Info.:

• Chopra established a new national record of 89.30m while competing in the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland earlier this week, in his first competitive event since winning a historic gold in Tokyo.
• He broke his mark of 88.07 meters, which he achieved in Patiala last year.

Daily CA on June 21 :

• Every year on June 21st, World Hydrography Day is commemorated to promote awareness about the importance of hydrography, safe navigation, and maritime environmental conservation.
• On 21st June of this current year, World Music Day 2022 is celebrated all over the globe to celebrate music among the public.
• On June 21st of this current year, International Yoga Day 2022 is celebrated and observed all over the world as an awareness program.
• At Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi started the historic torch relay for the 44th Chess Olympiad.
• National Yoga Olympiad 2022 and quiz competition was inaugurated in New Delhi by Education Minister Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs will host a National Conference on Cyber Safety and National Security at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi (Cyber Apradh Se Azadi, Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav).
• Russia has overtaken Saudi Arabia to become India’s second-biggest supplier of oil behind Iraq as refiners snap up Russian crude available at a deep discount following the war in Ukraine.
• According to the annual Global Trends Report by the UN Refugee Agency United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), nearly 5 million people in India were internally displaced due to climate change and disasters in 2021.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) raised the Additional Factor of Authentication (AFA) limit from Rs 5,000 to Rs 15,000 per transaction for e-mandates on cards, Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs), and UPI for recurring transactions.
• Equitas Small Finance Bank announced the launch of an exclusive savings account called ENJOI for kids.
• According to MFIN Micrometer Q4 FY21-22, a quarterly report published by Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN), the gross loan portfolio (GLP) of Tamil Nadu as of March 31, 2022, stood at ₹36,806 crore.
• Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Company Limited (Kotak General Insurance) has partnered with PhonePe Insurance Broking Services Pvt. Ltd (PhonePe), a digital payments platform to offers motor insurance to 380 million customers on the PhonePe platform.
• Industry body Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI) named Mr. Pramod K Mittal, President of Reliance Jio Infocomm, as the new Chairperson of the association for 2022-23.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved a proposal of Equitas Small Finance Bank (SFB) to reappoint Mr. Pathangi Narasimhan Vasudevan as managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) for one year effective from July 23, 2022.
• A month after the Supreme Court Collegium had recommended appointments of new chief justices to the high courts of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gauhati, and Telangana, the Union Government has approved the proposal of the Collegium.
• According to Coursera’s latest Global Skills Report (GSR) 2022, India’s overall skills proficiency has slipped four places to be ranked at the 68th position globally.
• According to a report titled Renewable Energy 2022 – Global Status Report, published by REN21 (Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century), India ranked 3rd globally for total renewable power capacity additions with 4 GW in 2021, following only China (136 GW) and the US (43 GW).
• China launched its 3rd aircraft carrier named ‘Fujian’ the country’s most advanced as well as the first “fully domestically-built” naval vessel, as an aggressive Beijing sought to project its naval power in the strategic Indo-Pacific region.
• For the second year in a row, Qatar’s Hamad International Airport has been crowned the World’s Best Airport.
• The Athletics Federation of India has announced that Neeraj Chopra will lead a 37-member Indian athletics team at Commonwealth Games.
• FIFA has revealed that matches for the 2026 World Cup will be contested in 11 US cities, as well as three host locations in Mexico and two in Canada.
• Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra won the javelin throw event at the Kuortane Games in Finland, defeating incumbent world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada for his first top podium result of the season.