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CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS
International Widow’s Day 2022: June 23
- International Widow’s Day is observed all over the universe each year on the 23rd of June to draw attention to widows’ voices and experiences and galvanize the exceptional support they need.
- International Widows’ Day was introduced to address the poverty and injustice faced by widows and their children in many countries.
Theme
- The theme of International Widow’s Day this current year is “Invisible Women, Invisible Problems”.
- The theme tends to highlight the fact that for many societies a woman’s identity is attached to her partner and after his death, the problems faced by her are ignored by policymakers who don’t give any special attention to the widowed woman.
History
- Widows had to immolate themselves on their late husband’s funeral pyre before 1827.
- In 2005, the Loomba Foundation established the International Widow’s Day in honor of Loomba’s mother, who became a widow on June 23, 1954.
- Women in diverse countries, according to Loomba, had to fight for their basic wants and rights.
- They are ignored by all organizations, and societies have cursed them for the loss of their husband.
- Finally, the United Nations General Assembly recognized it on June 23, 2010.
- The main aim of International Widow’s Day is to provide education to the widows’ children, provide them with healthcare facilities, and develop various resources and policies to empower widows.
United Nations Public Service Day 2022: June 23
- The United Nations Public Service Day is celebrated on June 23 of every year to celebrate the value and virtue of public service to the community; highlight the contribution of public service in the development process; recognize the work of public servants, and encourage young people to pursue careers in the public sector.
Theme
- The theme of United Nations Public Service Day 2022 is ‘Innovating the Future Public Service: New Government Models for a New Era to Reach the Sustainable Development Goals.
- People work or volunteer in the public sector for a variety of reasons. Some people do it because they want to help the general public.
History
- Every year on June 23rd, the United Nations Public Service Day is observed to emphasize the importance and virtue of public service to the community, to acknowledge their commitment to the development process through public service, and to encourage youngsters to choose a career in the public sector.
- By approving resolution 57/277 on December 20, 2002, the United Nations General Assembly declared June 23rd as United Nations Public Service Day.
- Every year, a host country is chosen to recognize contributions to the development and strengthening of government institutions and administration.
International Olympic Day 2022: June 23
- Olympic Day Run or International Olympic Day is celebrated on June 23 all around the world.
- The day embraces all through pure Olympic values. Athletes from every nation participate in sports activities, such as runs, exhibitions, music, and educational seminars on this day.
Theme:
- The theme of International Olympic Day 2022 is “Stay healthy, stay strong, and stay active with the Olympic Day workout on June 23”.
- The day is observed to encourage more people to attend the Olympic Games, to raise knowledge about the event, and to promote the Olympic Movement.
History:
- Venezuela, Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, Portugal, Greece, Austria, the United Kingdom, and Uruguay commemorated the first Olympic Day on June 23, 1948.
- The origins of Olympic Day can be traced back to 1948.
- In 1947, IOC members in Czechoslovakia presented Doctor Gruss with a report on commemorating Olympic Day.
- The study was delivered at the International Olympic Committee’s 41st Session in Stockholm, which was supposed to be a day dedicated to promoting the Olympic concept.
- The idea was approved in the IOC’s next session, which was held in St Moritz in January 1948.
- The National Olympic Committees picked June 23 to commemorate the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) formation on the same day in 1894.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launches NIPUN for Promoting Upskilling of Nirman workers:
- Hardeep Singh Puri, the minister for housing and urban affairs, has introduced in New Delhi the National Initiative for Promoting Upskilling of Nirman Workers (NIPUN).
- NIPUN is a project of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs under its flagship program, the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission DAY-NULM, which aims to train over one lakh construction workers through new skill-upgrading and job-opportunity-providing programs.
About NIPUN Project:
- The NIPUN Project will give construction employees the ability to look for better employment possibilities, earn more money, and even explore abroad placements a sign of a new eco-system.
- By offering upskilling and employment possibilities to urban people, especially the youth, the National Urban Livelihoods Mission has significantly reduced the vulnerability of urban poor households.
- The implementation of the NIPUN project is broken up into three phases: international placement through businesses, developers, and contractors; training through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) at construction sites and training through Fresh Skilling by Plumbing and Infrastructure SSC.
IISc Centre for Brain Research officially opened by PM Shri Narendra Modi:
- At IISc Bengaluru, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi laid the cornerstone for the Bagchi Parthasarathy Multispeciality Hospital as well as the Centre for Brain Research.
- According to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tweet, the government is happy to open the Centre for Brain Research at IISC Bangalore.
- The fact that the Prime Minister had the honor of laying the project’s foundation stone adds to the satisfaction.
- This center will be at the forefront of investigations into brain disorders.
Key Points:
- The PM added that projects like the Bagchi Parthasarathy Multispeciality Hospital are crucial at a time when every country must prioritize healthcare.
- It will increase healthcare capabilities and support ground-breaking research in the future.
- The Centre for Brain Research is a pioneering research facility committed to conducting vital studies to create evidence-based public health interventions for the treatment of age-related brain disorders.
- With its eighty-two beds, the Bagchi Parthasarathy Multispeciality Hospital will be constructed on the campus of IISc Bengaluru, aiding in the combination of science, engineering, and medicine at the prestigious university.
- It will greatly advance clinical research in the nation and attempt to find innovative solutions that will help the country’s healthcare systems advance.
‘Single-Use Plastic’ use to banned by Union Govt. from 1st July 2022:
- The Union government will ban “Single-Use Plastic” starting on July 1st, 2022.
- Starting on July 1, 2022, all single-use plastics, especially those composed of polystyrene and expanded polystyrene will be prohibited from being produced, imported, stored, distributed, sold, and used.
- The Environment Ministry has also established a national task force to make coordinated efforts in this area.
Background Decision:
- According to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s announcement in June 2018, India will phase out single-use plastics by 2022.
- At the fourth United Nations Environment Assembly in 2019, India took the lead in crafting a resolution that acknowledged the pressing need for the international community to pay attention to this issue.
- Plastic carry bags will be 75 microns thick starting on September 30, 2021, and 120 microns thick by December 31, 2022.
- Companies are required to manage the disposal of their products once customers have deemed them worthless under a policy concept called “extended producer responsibility.”
- The Center had previously asked that states and union territories establish a special task force under the leadership of the chief secretary or the administrator to get rid of SUP and successfully implement the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.
Identified SUP items list:
- Among the 19 items categorized as SUP are earbuds, plastic balloon sticks, flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, polystyrene (thermocol), plates, cups, glasses, forks, spoons, knives, and trays, as well as wrapping or packaging films around sweets boxes, invitation cards, cigarette packets, and plastic or PVC banners that are less than 100 microns thick.
Key Points:
- Ashwini Choubey, the minister of state for the environment, stated in a statement to Parliament that by July 23, fourteen states and UTs have joined the special task force.
- The national capital’s 19 single-use plastics ban will be enforced by the Delhi Environment Department starting on July 1.
- Any manufacturers, suppliers, stockists, dealers, or vendors found to be in breach of the rules would have their businesses shut down.
- The Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, published by the Center, prohibit the production, importation, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of certain single-use plastic (SUP) products, including candy sticks, plates, glasses, and cutlery, as of July 1, 2022.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Mongolia’s Khuvsgul Lake added to the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves list
- Mongolia’s Khuvsgul Lake National Park has been added to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves of UNESCO.
- The decision of adding Khuvsgul Lake National Park to the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves was made during the 34th session of the International Coordinating Council of the Man and Biosphere Programme taking place in Paris, France.
About Khuvsgul Lake :
- Khuvsgul Lake National Park is located in the Northern Mongolian Province of Khuvsgul near the Russian border.
- Khuvsgul Lake in Mongolia holds nearly 70 percent of the country’s freshwater or 0.4 percent of the world’s total.
- Khuvsgul Lake is 1,645 meters above sea level, 136 km long, and 262 meters deep.
- It is the largest freshwater lake in Mongolia, by volume & in terms of area, it is the second-largest lake in Mongolia.
- The lake is located about 200 km west of Lake Baikal.
- It is nicknamed as “Younger sister” of two “sister lakes”.
- The lake is drained at the southern end by the Egiin Gol, which connects to the Selenge and ultimately flows into Lake Baikal.
Note :
- A total of 9 sites from Mongolia have so far been registered in the network
UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves
- The World Network of Biosphere Reserves consists of a dynamic and interactive network of sites of excellence.
- The network fosters the harmonious integration of the people and nature for sustainable development through participatory dialogue; knowledge sharing; poverty reduction and human well-being improvements.
- UNESCO World Network is one of the main international tools to develop and implement the sustainable development approaches in a wide array of contexts
About Man and the Biosphere Programme :
- The Man and the Biosphere Programme is an intergovernmental scientific program set up by UNESCO in the early 1970s.
Aim:
- To establish a scientific basis for enhancing the relationship between people and their environments.
About UNESCO :
- Founded: 16 November 1945
- Headquarters: Paris, France
- Director-General: Audrey Azoulay
- Membership: 193 member states and 11 associate members
- The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN).
Aim :
- To promote world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences, and culture
Pakistan stays on FATF ‘Grey List’ subject to on-site verification
- Pakistan will continue to be on the “Grey List” of countries under increased monitoring of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), during a 4-day plenary session of the FATF underway in Berlin, Germany.
Key Highlights :
- In June 2022 Plenary, the FATF made the initial determination that Pakistan has substantially completed its two action plans, covering 34 items, and warrants an on-site visit to verify that the implementation of Pakistan’s AML/CFT reforms has begun and is being sustained and that the necessary political commitment remains in place to sustain implementation and improvement in the future.
- The ‘Grey List’ implies “strategic deficiencies” detected in a jurisdiction’s policies to prevent money laundering and terror financing.
- This makes it difficult for a country to get financial aid from world bodies like the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- Only North Korea and Iran are black-listed.
- At the meeting, Malta was removed from the “Grey List” and Gibraltar was added to it.
About FATF :
- Founded: 1989
- Headquarters: Paris, France
- President: Dr. Marcus Pleyer
- Membership: 39
- The Financial Action Task Force is an intergovernmental organization on the initiative of the G7 to develop policies to combat money laundering.
- The FATF is a global body that focuses on “setting standards and promoting effective implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system”.
About Pakistan :
- Prime minister: Shehbaz Sharif
- President: Arif Alvi
- Capital: Islamabad
- Currency: Pakistani rupee
Union Minister Piyush Goyal inaugurates ‘Mango Festival’ in Belgium
- Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, has inaugurated a “Mango Festival” in Brussels to raise awareness among Europeans and establish a market for Indian mangoes in Europe.
- India is a big supplier of mangoes to the rest of the globe, but most of the mangoes end up in the Middle East rather than Europe.
- This is the first time being held in Belgium.
- 7 varieties of mangoes were displayed at the event Banganapalli from Andhra Pradesh, Malihabad Dasheri from Uttar Pradesh, Amrapali from Odisha, Lakshman Bhog, Himsagar, Jardalu mango, Langra mangoes, and 12 GI-tagged products.
- The event drew a large number of Europeans, including agricultural attaches and European and Indian merchants, businessmen, as well as commoners.
About Belgium :
- Prime Minister : Alexander De Croo
- Capital: Brussels
- Currency: Euro
India & Poland signed a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) on Criminal Matters
- India and Poland have signed a mutual legal assistance treaty on criminal matters (MLAT) to help both countries in the investigation and prosecution of crimes, related to terrorism.
- The treaty aims to enhance the effectiveness of both countries in the investigation and prosecution of crime, through cooperation and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters.
- For India, the special secretary (internal security), Ministry of Home Affairs, VSK Kaumudi, signed the cooperation agreement while for Poland, its ambassador to India, Adam Burakowski, was the signatory.
- Poland became the 45th country with which New Delhi has signed an MLAT on criminal matters, other others being Australia, Canada, France, Iran, Israel, Russia, Singapore, Ukraine, the UK, and the US.
Background :
- In December 2021, the Union cabinet had approved the proposal & however, the signing of the formal agreement was delayed due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis.
About Poland :
- President: Andrzej Duda
- PM : Mateusz Morawiecki
- Capital: Warsaw
- Currency: Polish złoty
CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS
Assam Govt joins hands with NLC India to Set Up 1 GW Solar Power Plant
- The state-run thermal energy giant NLC will set up a 1 GW solar project in the Indian state of Assam in a joint venture with the state government.
- The PV installation will entail an investment of INR 5,000 crore.
- NLC India has been in touch with the State government in connection with the sale of power from the Ghatampur thermal power project, which is being put up by a joint venture of NLC India and the Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd in Kanpur district.
- NLC India would hold a 51 percent stake in the solar joint venture.
- The electricity from the plant would be bought by Assam at a tariff that would give a 12 percent return on equity.
Recent News :
- On May 31, 2022, The Assam CM inaugurated a solar power project at Amguri in the Sivasagar district with a generation capacity of 70 MW.
About Assam :
- Governor : Jagdish Mukhi
- Chief minister: Himanta Biswa Sarma
- Capital: Dispur
About NLC India Ltd :
- Founded: 1956
- Headquarters: Neyveli, Tamil Nadu, India
- NLC India Limited (NLC) (formerly Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited) is a government-owned-fossil fuel miner and thermal power generator under the ownership of the Ministry of Coal, Government of India.
PM Shri Modi inaugurates B R Ambedkar School of Economics campus in Bengaluru
- Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the new campus of Dr. B R Ambedkar School of Economics (BASE) University.
- He also unveiled a statue of the architect of the Indian Constitution installed on the campus.
- During the event, he also unveiled 150 Technology Hubs’ that have been developed by transforming the Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across Karnataka.
- Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, and several Ministers of the state cabinet were among those present.
About the Technology Hubs :
- The Technology Hub has developed at a cost of over Rs 4,700 crore, & is supported by many industry partners.
Aim :
- To create a skilled workforce to address Industry 4.0 manpower needs.
- Out of the total cost, the state government has contributed Rs 657 crore while Tata Technologies Limited (TTL) and its industry partners contributed Rs 4,080 crore.
- The state has also spent an additional Rs 220 crore to create dedicated workshops and technology labs at these 150 ITIs.
- The residential BASE University was set up in 2017 in recognition of the exemplary contributions made by Ambedkar to the development of Independent India and as a tribute to his memory on the occasion of his 125th birth anniversary.
- The BASE University was established in 2017 on 43.45 acres of Bengaluru University land and the Congress government had allocated Rs 350 crore for the land and infrastructure.
About Karnataka :
- Chief minister: Basavaraj Bommai
- Governor: Thawar Chand Gehlot
- Capital: Bengaluru
UPEIDA signs MoUs with PSBs to boost investment in UP Defense Industrial Corridor
- Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) has signed MoUs with the State Bank of India (SBI), Bank of Baroda (BOB), Punjab National Bank (PNB), and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to boost investment in the UP Defense Industrial Corridor.
- As per the agreement, the bank will provide financial assistance in the form of ease of doing business to investors in the UP Defense Industrial Corridor.
Key Highlights :
- UPEIDA has also signed an MoU with IIT Kanpur Research and Technology Park Foundation (Technopark@iitk) to address the growing R&D requirements and opportunities for collaboration of IIT Kanpur with the domestic Aerospace and Defence ecosystem.
- Companies in the defense sector are preparing to set up their production and manufacturing units in the state as part of the Defence Industrial Corridor.
- Technopark@iitk is reaching out to companies to set up their R&D units on its premises and support them in the areas of innovation and research.
- As private investors get support and assistance from the state, there will be an even greater surge in private participation in the sector & this contributes greatly to India’s goal of achieving the Defence production target of $25 billion by 2025.
About UPEIDA :
- Founded: 27 December 2007
- Headquarters: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Cabinet Minister: Nand Gopal Gupta
- CEO: Awanish Awasthi
About UP :
- Governor : Anandiben Patel
- CM: Yogi Adityanath
- Capital: Lucknow
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING & FINANCE
UPI, Rupay To Soon Be Available In France: NPCI Signs MoU With Lyra Network
- Union Communications and Electronics and Information Technology Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw announced, that NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) the international arm of NPCI has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with France-based payments solution provider Lyra Network to accept UPI and Rupay cards in France.
- The deal will allow Indians to pay using UPI and Rupay cards at terminals and machines offered by Lyra Networks, making it easier for Indian students and tourists to make payments.
Other Countries :
- In July 2021, NIPL (the foreign arm of NPCI) partnered with Bhutan’s central bank to launch a QR code-based UPI payment solution.
- In February 2022, NIPL partnered up with Manam Infotech to enable UPI-based payments in Nepal.
- In April 2022, NIPL partnered with NeoPay, which is a payments service subsidiary of United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based Mashreq Bank.
Recent News :
- In April 2022, NPCI signed a deal with NeoPay, a payments subsidiary of UAE’s Mashreq Bank, allowing Indians in the UAE to make payments using UPI on the payment provider’s terminals across the country.
- Recently, RBI allowed linking RuPay credit cards with UPI to help boost the usage of both payment offerings in the country.
About NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) :
- Founded: April 3, 2020
- Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
About NPCI :
- Founded: 2008
- Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- Non-Executive Chairman: Biswamohan Mahapatra
- MD & CEO: Dilip Asbe
RBI spent more to print ₹20, ₹50, ₹100, and ₹200 notes in FY22
- The selling price of banknotes in the denomination of ₹20, ₹50, ₹100, and ₹200 have gone up in FY22 vs the previous financial year.
- However, for notes in the denomination of ₹500, the prices have remained unchanged.
Key Highlights :
- According to information sourced through RTI from the Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Ltd (BRBNML), the Selling price for 1,000 pieces of ₹50 recorded a maximum increase of around 23 percent in FY22 over FY21, while that of ₹20 registered the lowest increase of a little over 1 percent.
- Although notes of ₹500 denomination are the highest in terms of volume (34.9 percent of all denominations) among all the paper notes in circulation, and also in terms of value (73.3 percent of the value of all denominations), their selling price has not seen any change in FY22 and FY21.
- RBI spent ₹4,984.8 crore, which is 24 percent more than it did in FY21 (₹4,012.09 crores), and the total supply was lower.
- The overall cost of printing currency in FY22 was the second-highest, after an all-time high of around ₹8,000 crores during the year of demonetization (2016-17).
Reducing import dependency :
- According to RBI’s annual report, BRBNML achieved production of 13,350 million pieces of banknotes in FY22.
- The two-fold increase in direct remittances by BRBNML to currency chests aided the unfettered availability of banknotes during the pandemic.
Additional info :
- Selling price refers to the price at which printing presses supply paper currency to their sole buyer, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
- There are 4 presses, of which two are owned by the RBI through its wholly-owned subsidiary, BRBNML, while the remaining two come under the ownership of the Central government, operated through its wholly-owned company, Security Printing & Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL).
- BRBNML presses are situated in Mysuru and Salboni (eastern India).
- The government-owned presses are at Nasik and Dewas (central India).
- Coins are minted in four mints owned by the Centre, located in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Calcutta, and Noida.
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
SEBI forms an advisory committee on ‘hybrid’ securities Chaired by KV Kamath
- The Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has constituted an advisory committee on ‘hybrid’ securities to make recommendations to promote the development of such instruments including measures focusing on ease of issuance and attracting domestic and global capital.
- The 20-member committee will be chaired by K V Kamath, Chairperson of the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development.
About the Committee :
- The committee includes top officials of Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT) and Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) and finance as well as legal experts and representatives of SEBI.
- It has been entrusted with the task of advising SEBI on issues relating to the development and regulation of the primary and secondary markets of hybrid securities in the country.
- It will identify aspects related to the use of hybrid securities in the context of infrastructure financing needs of the Indian economy and make recommendations for developing instruments to meet the needs of the infrastructure sector.
- The panel will also make recommendations on the financing of infrastructure through capital markets.
- The panel will also make recommendations for facilitating greater retail participation in hybrid securities and creating greater awareness about hybrid securities among investors while ensuring the protection of the interests of investors.
Other members of the Committee :
- Apart from Kamath, the committee has members including Harsh Shah, CEO and Whole-time Director, India Grid Trust; Sanjay Grewal, CEO and Executive Director, Virescent Renewable Energy Trust; Tushar Kawedia, CFO, IRB Infrastructure Developers; Mathew George, CFO, National Highways Infra Investment Managers; Preeti Chheda, CFO, Mindspace REIT; and Aravind Maiya, CFO, Tata Realty and Infrastructure.
- Samarth Jagnani, Managing Director at Morgan Stanley; Kranti Mohan, Partner at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas; Pratichi Mishra, Associate at S&R Associates; Rakesh Vyas, Fund Manager at HDFC Mutual Fund; and Gopikrishnan M S, Finance Professional are the other members of the committee.
Key Highlights :
- Besides, Sebi has reconstituted its research advisory committee, which is responsible for the promotion, development, and maintenance of databases relevant to capital market regulation research.
- The 16-member panel will be headed by V Ravi Anshuman, Professor at IIM Bangalore.
Other members of the panel :
- Madan Sabnavis, Chief Economist, Bank of Baroda; Pawan Agrawal, Chief Risk Officer at Crisil; Sudhir Bassi, Executive Director at Khaitan & Co; and H K Pradhan, Professor of Finance and Economics at Xavier School of Management (XLRI)
About SEBI :
- Established: 12 April 1988 and given Statutory Powers on 30 January 1992 through the SEBI Act, 1992
- Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Chairman : Madhabi Puri Buch
- SEBI is the regulatory body for securities and commodity markets in India under the ownership of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
Beneficiaries of the PFRDA pension scheme increased by 24%:
- As of May 31, 2022, the two major pension plans of the PFRDA had 5.32 crore subscribers, an increase of more than 24% year over year.
- The number of subscribers to the various NPS plans increased to 531.73 lakh by the end of May 2022 from 428.56 lakh in May 2021, a jump of 24.07 percent year over year, according to the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
Key Points:
- The Atal Pension Yojana (APY), which has contributed the most subscribers to date, increased to 3.72 crores at the end of May of this fiscal year.
- NPS subscribers increased from 22.97 lakh to 5.28 lakh among federal government employees, while they increased from 56.40 lakh to 7.70 lakh among state government employees.
- The results show that by the end of May, there were 14.69 lakh NPS subscribers in the business sector and 23.61 lakh in the category of all citizens.
- The corporate sector’s number of subscribers increased by 26.83 percent and 39.11 percent, respectively.
- The number of subscribers in the NPS Lite category declined by 2.7 percent to 41.85 lakh in April 2015, when no new registrations were allowed.
- As of May 31, 2022, the two plans’ total assets under management (AUM) had increased by 21.5 percent to Rs 7.38 lakh crore.
About Atal Pension Yojana (APY):
- Atal Pension Yojana, formerly known as Swavalamban Yojana is a government-backed pension scheme in India, primarily targeted at the unorganized sector.
- It was mentioned in the year 2015 Budget speech by Finance Minister Mr. Arun Jaitley.
- It was launched by Shri Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 9 May 2015 in Kolkata.
- Atal Pension Yojana (APY) is open to all bank account holders.
- The scheme is available to any citizen of India with ages 18-40 Years.
- The subscribers would receive the fixed minimum pension of Rs. 1000 per month, Rs. 2000 per month, Rs.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOUR
US-Canadian author Ruth Ozeki wins Women’s Prize for Fiction:
- Ruth Ozeki, a US-Canadian author, filmmaker, and Zen Buddhist priest has been awarded this year’s Women’s Prize for Fiction for her book “The Book of Form and Emptiness.”
- The Book of Form and Emptiness, Ozeki’s fourth book, is the tale of a 13-year-old boy who, following the terrible loss of his father, begins to hear the voices of objects communicating to him.
- She knocked out other nominees Elif Shafak, Meg Mason, and Louise Erdrich to receive the £30,000 prize at a ceremony in London.
- The 2013 Booker Prize finalist A Tale for the Time Being, as well as the books My Year of Meats and All Over Creation, are among Ozeki’s earlier works.
- She is associated with the Brooklyn Zen Center and the Everyday Zen Foundation and teaches creative writing at Smith College in Massachusetts.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
Ms. Ruchira Kamboj appointed Permanent Representative of India to the UN
- Senior diplomat Ruchira Kamboj has been appointed as the next Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations in New York.
- She will succeed T S Tirumurti as the Indian ambassador to the UN.
About Ms Ruchira Kamboj :
- Kamboj is a 1987-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer.
- She was the All India women’s topper of the 1987 Civil Services batch and the topper of the 1987 Foreign Service batch.
- She began her diplomatic journey in Paris, France, where she was posted as the 3rd Secretary in the Indian Embassy to France from 1989-91.
- She was posted as a Counselor at India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York from 2002-2005.
- In December 2014, she was part of the G-4 team that worked on the reform and expansion of the United Nations Security Council.
- From 2011-2014, she was India’s Chief of Protocol, the first and only woman diplomat so far in the Indian government to have held this position.
- She has also served in Mauritius, Cape Town in South Africa as India’s Consul General, and at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London.
- Presently, She is serving as India’s envoy to Bhutan.
- Ruchira Kamboj is the first female Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Bhutan.
About UN :
- Founded: 24 October 1945
- Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
- Secretary General : António Guterres
- Membership: 193 member states & 2 observer states
- The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose purpose is to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, and achieve international cooperation.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: PERSON IN NEWS
Shanan Dhaka Of Rohtak Secured 1st Rank in the First Women’s NDA Batch
- Shannain Dhaka, daughter of Sundana village of Rohtak, has secured the 1st rank in the examination for admission to the country’s first woman NDA batch.
- In the NDA merit list, Shanan has got an All India Rank (AIR) overall of 10 while she is AIR 1 among girls.
- Selected for lieutenant, Shanan Dhaka, inspired by grandfather Subedar Chandrabhan Dhaka and father Nayak Subedar Vijay Kumar Dhaka, joined the army and chose to serve the country.
About Shannain Dhaka :
- Shanan attended Army School, Roorkee for four years, Jaipur for three years, and Army School in Chandimandir for five years.
- Shanan enrolled for an undergraduate course at Delhi University in 2021.
About NDA :
- Established: 7 December 1954
- Located in: Pune, Maharashtra, India
- Commandant: Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar
- The National Defence Academy (NDA) is the joint defense service training institute of the Indian Armed Forces, where cadets of the three services i.e. the Indian Army, the Indian Navy, and the Indian Air Force train together.
- It is the first tri-service academy in the world.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
India’s hyper-sensitive airports to install Perimeter Intrusion Detection System (PIDS) by 2023
- The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has issued a circular that all hyper-sensitive airports in India will have to install a perimeter intrusion detection system by December 2023.
- As per the circular, the Greenfield Airports that are not part of the government’s Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) will also install the Perimeter Intrusion Detection System.
- The Perimeter Intrusion Detection System is a sensor that helps in alerting the security agencies of any form of intrusion through the boundary walls of the airport.
- The system monitors the network traffic for suspicious activity and alerts when such activity is discovered.
- While anomaly detection and reporting are the primary functions of the Intrusion Detection System.
- Further, non-RCS greenfield airports shall plan the installation of PIDS at the design stage itself to obtain clearance of design stage security vetting in terms of rule 5 (3) of the Aircraft (Security) Rules 2011.
- The circular that the directions are being issued to ensure the safety and security of passengers, crew, ground personnel, and the general public in all matters relating to safeguarding against acts of “unlawful interference” with civil aviation.
List of Hypersensitivity airports in India :
| S.No | Airports |
| 1 | Amritsar |
| 2 | IGI Delhi |
| 3 | Jaipur |
| 4 | Varanasi |
| 5 | Lucknow |
| 6 | Agartala |
| 7 | Bagdogra |
| 8 | Guwahati |
| 9 | Imphal |
| 10 | Kolkata |
| 11 | Raipur |
| 12 | Bengaluru |
| 13 | Chennai |
| 14 | Hyderabad |
| 15 | Mumbai |
| 16 | Pune |
| 17 | Jodhpur |
| 18 | Ahmedabad |
About BCAS :
- The BCAS was initially set up as a Cell in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation(DGCA) in January 1978 on the recommendation of the Pande Committee.
- The BCAS was reorganized into an independent department in April 1987 under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
- Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Director-General: Zulfiquar Hasan
Technology Development Board (TDB) set to launch a Rs 1000 crore fund under a Public-Private Partnership(PPP) model
- The statutory body under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science & Technology, and the Technology Development Board (TDB) are set to launch a ₹1,000 crore startup fund under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.
- The fund that will be live in a month will be launched in two phases.
- In the first phase, a corpus of ₹400 crores will be set up, of which ₹200 crores will be contributed by a private limited company that has not been named yet.
- In the later phase, TDB will partner with more companies to raise money for the fund and invest an equal sum of money in tandem with the companies.
About TDB :
- Technology Development Board (TDB), is a statutory body established by the Government of India under the Technology Development Board Act, 1995.
Purpose :
- To promote the development and commercialization of indigenous technology and adaptation of imported technology for much wider applications.
- The board consists of 11 Board members.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKS & REPORTS
Mercom India Solar Open Access Market Report Q1 2022
- According to the report titled ‘Mercom India Solar Open Access Market Report Q1 2022,’ India added 513 MW of solar open access capacity, 58 percent higher QoQ compared to 324 MW installed in Q4 2021.
- Year Over Year (YoY), the installations increased 22 percent compared to 422 MW in Q1 2021.
- As of March 2022, the cumulative installed solar capacity in the open-access market was over7 GW.
Key Highlights :
- The top 5 states contributed 86 percent of all open access installations in Q1 2022.
- According to the report, Karnataka topped in additions by accounting for 30 percent of installations during the quarter.
- Maharashtra with a 131 percent QoQ rise in installations surpassed Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh to become the second-largest state for cumulative open access solar installations.
About Mercom Communications India :
- Founded: 2009
- Headquarters: Bangalore, Karnataka
- Managing Director: Priya Sanjay
- Mercom Communications India, a subsidiary of the US-based Mercom Capital Group, is a clean energy research and communications firm with expertise in cleantech markets.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: ENVIRONMENT
Huge Stingray breaks the record for the Biggest Freshwater Fish:
- The hunter knew he had never seen a fish bigger than the gigantic stingray Moul Thun had captured on the end of his line.
- The 42-year-old fisherman from the secluded island of Kaoh Preah in the Mekong River in northern Cambodia was unaware that the ray would later be named the largest documented freshwater fish in the world.
About Fish Population:
- Many factors, such as dam construction, overfishing, and climate change, contribute to the frequent decline of large freshwater fish populations.
- Several huge fish species are also in danger of going extinct.
- Thankfully, recent reports of large fish have not only included stingray information.
- In 2021, a lake sturgeon with a world record weight of 240 pounds was caught and released in the Detroit River.
- An alligator gar that weighed nearly 300 pounds in May may have broken the Texas state record for freshwater fish, but the angler chose to release the fish rather than kill it and bring it in to be weighed.
Key Points:
- The Wonders of the Mekong Project, which is supported by the US Agency for International Development and aims to preserve the aquatic diversity of the Southeast Asian River, was initially notified by fishermen in Cambodia that they had caught the largest stingray ever seen.
- Team members went to the little river island known as Koh Preah and lined up three industrial scales.
- To weigh the stingray, they pulled it out of the water and placed it on the scales.
- The discovery was made less than a month after another large stingray, weighing 400 pounds, was also collected and released nearby.
- Two additional enormous rays were also caught this year.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen wins Canadian Grand Prix 2022:
- After holding off pressure from Carlos Sainz of Ferrari in the last laps of the Canadian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen of Red Bull narrowly won his sixth Formula 1 race of the year.
- For the second time this season, Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez was forced to withdraw from the race owing to engine troubles, while Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton won his second podium this year in third.
- George Russell, Hamilton’s teammate, continued his streak of placing in the top five in every race so far this season by taking P4, and Charles Leclerc, who started from the bottom of the grid, put in a tremendous performance to finish in P5.
Sunil Chhetri becomes joint 5th highest goalscorer:
- Sunil Chhetri, the captain of the Indian men’s football team, tied Ferenc Puskas of Hungary and Real Madrid for most international goals with his 84th goal against Hong Kong in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers.
- While Ferenc Puskás (who passed away in 2006 at the age of 79) scored 84 goals in 85 international games, Sunil Chhetri has scored 84 goals in 129 appearances.
- Sunil Chhetri is now the third-highest goal scorer in international football, behind Lionel Messi (86 goals) and Cristiano Ronaldo (117 goals).
- He also has the most goals scored in a season from Asia and India.
Top 5 International Goal Scorer:
- Cristiano Ronaldo with 117 goals
- Iran’s Ali Daei managed 109 goals.
- Malaysia’s Mokhtar Dahari netted 89 goals.
- Lionel Messi with 86 goals.
- Sunil Chhetri and Ferenc Puskás with 84 goals.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS AND AUTHOR
A new book titled “Gautam Adani: The Man Who Changed India” by RN Bhaskar
- According to Penguin Random House (PRHI), the biography of industrialist and billionaire Gautam Adani, titled “Gautam Adani: The Man Who Changed India,” will be available in stores in October.
- The journalist-author RN Bhaskar’s book makes the bold claim that it is the first to reveal previously hidden facets of one of the richest individuals on earth.
- The Ahmedabad-based industrialist currently heads the largest private sector player in the nation in industries like airports, city gas distribution, power transmission, thermal power, edible oil, and railway lines.
- He is in charge of a business empire that is now India’s largest player in ports and renewable energy.
- Publishers claim that the book goes in-depth and includes a variety of fascinating anecdotes from Adani’s life, shedding light on his early years, his entry into the business, and the lessons and possibilities he sought.
‘Shabash Mithu’: A biopic on former Indian women’s cricket team captain Mithali Raj:
- The trailer for “Shabaash Mithu,” a Taapsee Pannu-starring biopic on former India women’s cricket team captain Mithali Raj, has been released by director Srijit Mukherji.
- The movie will debut in theatres on July 15.
- Priyan Aven, who makes her screenwriting debut with Shabaash Mithu, wrote the screenplay for the movie.
- With lyrics by Swanand Kirkire, Kausar Munir, and Raghav M. Kumar and sound design by Academy Award winner Rasool Pookutty, Amit Trivedi provided the music for the movie.
- The video provides glimpses inside the inspirational life of Mithali, who holds the record for most runs scored in women’s international cricket and serves as an example for countless aspiring Indian women players.
- It depicts Mithali’s struggle for equality in a male-dominated sport as well as her development as a cricket player.
Daily CA on June 23 :
- International Widow’s Day is observed all over the universe each year on the 23rd of June to draw attention to widows’ voices and experiences and galvanize the exceptional support they need.
- The United Nations Public Service Day is celebrated on June 23 of every year to celebrate the value and virtue of public service to the community
- Olympic Day Run or International Olympic Day is celebrated on June 23 all around the world.
- Hardeep Singh Puri, the minister for housing and urban affairs, has introduced in New Delhi the National Initiative for Promoting Upskilling of Nirman Workers (NIPUN).
- At IISc Bengaluru, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi laid the cornerstone for the Bagchi Parthasarathy Multispeciality Hospital as well as the Centre for Brain Research.
- The Union government will ban “Single-Use Plastic” starting on July 1st, 2022.
- Mongolia’s Khuvsgul Lake National Park has been added to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves of UNESCO.
- Pakistan will continue to be on the “Grey List” of countries under increased monitoring of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), during a 4-day plenary session of the FATF underway in Berlin, Germany.
- Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, has inaugurated a “Mango Festival” in Brussels to raise awareness among Europeans and establish a market for Indian mangoes in Europe.
- India and Poland have signed a mutual legal assistance treaty on criminal matters (MLAT) to help both countries in the investigation and prosecution of crimes, related to terrorism.
- The state-run thermal energy giant NLC will set up a 1 GW solar project in the Indian state of Assam in a joint venture with the state government.
- Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the new campus of Dr. B R Ambedkar School of Economics (BASE) University.
- Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) has signed MoUs with the State Bank of India (SBI), Bank of Baroda (BOB), Punjab National Bank (PNB), and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to boost investment in the UP Defense Industrial Corridor.
- Union Communications and Electronics and Information Technology Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw announced, that NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) the international arm of NPCI has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with France-based payments solution provider Lyra Network to accept UPI and Rupay cards in France.
- The selling price of banknotes in the denomination of ₹20, ₹50, ₹100, and ₹200 have gone up in FY22 vs the previous financial year.
- The Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has constituted an advisory committee on ‘hybrid’ securities Chaired by K V Kamath
- As of May 31, 2022, the two major pension plans of the PFRDA had 5.32 crore subscribers, an increase of more than 24% year over year.
- Ruth Ozeki, a US-Canadian author, filmmaker, and Zen Buddhist priest has been awarded this year’s Women’s Prize for Fiction for her book “The Book of Form and Emptiness.”
- Senior diplomat Ruchira Kamboj has been appointed as the next Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations in New York& she will succeed Mr. T S Tirumurti as the Indian ambassador to the UN.
- Shannain Dhaka, daughter of Sundana village of Rohtak, has secured the 1st rank in the examination for admission to the country’s first woman NDA batch.
- The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has issued a circular that all hyper-sensitive airports in India will have to install a perimeter intrusion detection system by December 2023.
- The statutory body under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science & Technology, and the Technology Development Board (TDB) are set to launch a ₹1,000 crore startup fund under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.
- According to the report titled ‘Mercom India Solar Open Access Market Report Q1 2022,’ India added 513 MW of solar open access capacity, 58 percent higher QoQ compared to 324 MW installed in Q4 2021.
- The hunter knew he had never seen a fish bigger than the gigantic stingray Moul Thun had captured on the end of his line.
- After holding off pressure from Carlos Sainz of Ferrari in the last laps of the Canadian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen of Red Bull narrowly won his sixth Formula 1 race of the year.
- Sunil Chhetri, the captain of the Indian men’s football team, tied Ferenc Puskas of Hungary and Real Madrid for most international goals with his 84th goal against Hong Kong in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers.
- According to Penguin Random House (PRHI), the biography of industrialist and billionaire Gautam Adani, titled “Gautam Adani: The Man Who Changed India,” will be available in stores in October.
- The trailer for “Shabaash Mithu,” a Taapsee Pannu-starring biopic on former India women’s cricket team captain Mithali Raj, has been released by director Srijit Mukherji.