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CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS
Union Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari has inaugurated nine National Highway Projects in Rajasthan worth over 1,300 crore rupees:
- Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari has inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of nine National Highway Projects in Rajasthan costing 1,357 crore rupees.
- 11 hundred crore rupees have been sanctioned for the repair of the Delhi-Jaipur-Kishangarh highway.
- An allocation of nine hundred crores in CRIF for Rajasthan and 700 crore rupees for the Setu Bandhan Scheme has been approved by the Central Government.
Key Points:
- The projects include a road project in the Sri Ganganagar district worth 753 crore rupees, under which, a two-lane road will be constructed on NH 911 from Sri Ganganagar to Raisinghnagar with 102.76 km pave shoulder at a cost of about 670.38 crore rupees.
- It will be built as a bypass road of 41.52 km in Sriganganagar, Srikaranpur, Gajsinghpur, and Raisinghnagar.
- Construction of four-lane flyover with approach road in Bikaner-Suratgarh section of National Highway 62 at Suratgarh for 26.61 crore rupees
- About 77.90 km of Suratgarh-Sriganganagar section for 56.20 crore rupees is also a part of these projects.
- These include four National Highway projects in Jalore Sirohi Parliamentary Constituency costing 247 crore rupees.
- These projects also include the construction of 14 overbridges on the Jaipur-Ajmer-Beawar Highway, which will reduce the number of accidents on this highway.
Shri Nitin Gadkari approves Draft GSR Notification to introduce Bharat NCAP:
- Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari has approved the Draft GSR Notification to introduce Bharat NCAP (New Car Assessment Program), wherein automobiles in India shall be accorded Star Ratings based upon their performance in Crash Tests.
- Bharat-NCAP will serve as a consumer-centric platform allowing customers to opt for safer cars based on their star ratings while promoting healthy competition among OEMs in India to manufacture safer vehicles.
Key Points:
- Star Rating of Indian Cars based on Crash Tests is extremely crucial not only to ensure structural and passenger safety in cars but to also increase the export-worthiness of Indian automobiles.
- The testing protocol of Bharat NCAP shall be aligned with Global Crash Test Protocols factoring in the existing Indian regulations, allowing OEMs to get their vehicles tested at India’s in-house testing facilities.
- Shri Gadkari said Bharat NCAP will prove to be a critical instrument in making our automobile industry Aatmanirbhar with the mission of making India the Number 1 automobile hub in the world.
About NCAP:
- A New Car Assessment Program is a government car safety program tasked with evaluating new automobile designs for performance against various safety threats
- The overall objective of the NCAP is comprehensive mitigation actions for the prevention, control, and abatement of air pollution.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS
China Builds a naval facility in Cambodia
- China is secretly building a naval facility in Cambodia that would help extend its military’s currently limited reach in foreign waters.
- With more than 350 vessels, Beijing commands the world’s largest naval fleet, by comparison, the US Navy has 296 ships and
- However, China currently has only one foreign naval base in Djibouti in East Africa.
- The project in Cambodia would give China a foothold in Southeast Asia and a position in the western region of the South China Sea, part of Beijing’s ambition to grow its military influence worldwide.
About Cambodia :
- Prime Minister: Hun Sen
- Capital: Phnom Penh
- Currencies: United States Dollar, Cambodian riel
CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS
Israel & Government of Haryana Sign Joint Declaration On Water Cooperation
- Israel and the Haryana government signed a joint declaration on integrated water resources management and capacity building.
- The joint declaration was signed by Ambassador Eynat Shlein, Head of MASHAV– Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel, and the Irrigation and Water Resources Department, Government of Haryana.
- This is a significant milestone as India & Israel are celebrating 30 years of full diplomatic relations and water security has always been one of the most important pillars of our relations.
About the agreement :
- Under the agreement, Israel will share advanced and cutting-edge water technologies, know-how, and expertise with the government of Haryana, and work closely with all our partners in India as we continue enhancing the strategic partnership between our two nations.
- Through this declaration, both sides expressed their willingness
- To strengthen their existing friendly relations in the water management sector
- Preserve water resources in public water areas in Haryana
- Improve public health in the region, and cooperate and coordinate efforts to protect the water resources.
- As part of this joint declaration, Mashav will share knowledge, capacity building, and Israeli technologies for the development of Haryana in the water management sector.
About Israel :
- President: Isaac Herzog
- Prime minister: Naftali Bennett
- Capital: Jerusalem
- Currency: Israeli Shekel
About Haryana :
- Governor: Bandaru Dattatreya
- Chief Minister: Manohar Lal Khattar
- Capital: Chandigarh
Uttarakhand govt Presents Rs 65,571.49 crore budget
- The Uttarakhand Finance Minister Shri Prem Chand Aggrawal has tabled a Rs 65,571.49 crore budget for 2022-23 in the state assembly in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
Highlights of the Budget :
- The proposed Rs 65,571.49 crore budget includes Rs 49,013.31 crore of revenue expenditure and Rs 16,558.18 crore of capital expenditure.
- The total estimated receipts during the financial year stood at Rs 63,774.55 crore.
- A provision of Rs 17,350.21 crore has been made in the budget for salaries and allowances of state government employees, Rs 6,703.10 crore for pensions, and Rs 6,017.85 crore for payment of interests.
- The highest allocation of Rs 1,500 crore was proposed in the budget for payment of pensions to the old, widows without anyone to depend on, abandoned women, differently-abled, and economically weak farmers.
Budget Allocations for Yojanas :
- The budget proposal has allocated Rs 500 crore for Nanda Gaura Yojana.
Aim :
- To improve the gender ratio.
- Under the scheme, the government seeks to pay Rs 51,000 to the parents of a daughter in 7 installments, starting with the year of her birth till she is married.
- The state government also made a provision of Rs 300 crore for the Atal Ayushman Uttarakhand Yojana.
- Rs 311.76 crore was allocated for Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (rural)
- Rs 205 crore allocated for Smart City Yojana
- Rs 112.38 crore allocated for Rashtriya Gramin Ajivika Mission
- Rs 105.41 crore was allocated for Deendayal Upadhyay Gramin Kaushal Yojana.
- A provision of Rs 25 crore has been made for a scheme meant to stop migration from the hills and Rs 20 crore for the development of the border areas.
- The budget has also proposed Rs 15 crore for building sheds to shelter stray cows
- Rs 12.28 crore was allocated to set up Atal Utkrisht Vidyalayas for making quality education affordable for children from weaker sections.
About Uttarakhand :
- Governor: Gurmit Singh
- Chief Minister: Pushkar Singh Dhami
- Capital: Bhararisain (summer) Dehradun (winter)
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING & FINANCE
IRDAI Extends Use & File Procedure For Life Insurance Products
- Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has extended the ‘use and file’ procedure for most life insurance products, thereby allowing insurers to launch new products without prior approval of the regulator.
- For the use and file procedure for products launching into the market, insurance companies will have to adopt a board-approved product management and pricing policy (BAPMPP).
- This comes after the insurance regulator extended similar relaxations for all health insurance products and almost all the general insurance products.
- Previously, it was made mandatory for the insurance companies to take prior approval before launching any life insurance product
Key Highlights :
- According to the dynamic needs of the market, it will enable life insurers to launch most of the products (except individual savings, individual pensions, and annuity) promptly
- This will result in improving ‘the ease of doing business for the insurers & also lead to the expansion of the choices available to the policyholders.
- The board shall also constitute a Product Management Committee (PMC), which shall have an appointed actuary, chief risk officer, chief marketing/distribution officer, chief technology officer, and chief compliance officer of the insurance company as members.
- Also, it will have an option to include other members of the senior management as invitees.
- The PMC shall review and approve the products/riders in line with BAPMPP.
About IRDAI :
- Founded: 1999
- Headquarters: Hyderabad, Telangana
- Chairperson: Debasish Panda
- IRDAI is a regulatory body under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, GoI & it is tasked with regulating and licensing the insurance and reinsurance industries in India.
Edelweiss General Insurance (EGI) launches out-of-network cash advance facility
- Edelweiss General Insurance (EGI) has launched an out-of-network cash advance facility to help customers with monetary support at any hospital that is not part of EGI’s network.
About the Cash Advance :
- Under the new “Cash Advance” facility, customers will receive money up to 10,000 to take care of admission charges or other expenses during the hospitalization.
- The advance is then adjusted at the time of claim.
- The launch of this service has been based on the insights gained from qualitative research conducted by EGI across 4 cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru & Kolkata.
- Steps to follow in case of any hospitalization to avail of the Out-of-Network Cash Advance:
- The insured gets admitted to the nearest available hospital
- Insured will then intimate EGI’s customer care team on toll-free number 180012000, select Option 2, and share all medical details of the case
- The EGI claims team gets into action immediately and connects with the hospital
- Depending on the case and policy terms, EGI will endeavor to provide a Cash Advance facility for admissible claims
About EGI :
- Founded: 2017
- Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
- CEO & Executive Director: Shanai Ghosh
CURRENT AFFAIRS: ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Tata Projects to construct Noida International Airport at Jewar, UP
- The Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL) has selected Tata Projects Limited as its engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) for the Noida International Airport (NIA) at Jewar, Uttar Pradesh.
- As part of the agreement, Tata Projects will construct the terminal, runway, airside infrastructure, roads, utilities, landside facilities, and other ancillary buildings at Noida International Airport
- The new airport is expected to be functional by 2024, as per the developer.
- The Uttar Pradesh government signed the concession agreement with YIAPL on October 7, 2020, to commence the development of the NIA.
About YIAPL :
- CEO : Christoph Schnellmann
- YIAPL is a 100 percent subsidiary of Swiss developer Zurich Airport International AG and has been incorporated as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to develop Noida International Airport.
About NIA :
- The greenfield facility, spread over 1,334 hectares, will have a single-runway operation in the first phase with a capacity to handle 12 million passengers per annum at an investment of ₹5,700 crores.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
Former Foreign Secretary Mr. Shyam Saran appointed as President of the India International Centre
- Shyam Saran, a former Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Nuclear Affairs and Climate Change has taken over as the President of the India International Center.
- He succeeds Mr. N N Vohra.
About Mr. Shyam Saran :
- He headed the Research and Information System for Developing Countries, a prestigious think-tank focusing on economic issues (2011-2017).
- He was Chairman of the National Security Advisory Board under the National Security Council (2013-15).
- He is a member of the governing board of the Centre for Policy Research and the Institute of Chinese Studies.
- His first book, ‘How India Sees the World, was published in 2017.
- Recently, he has published his second book, ‘How China Sees India and the World.
Awards & Honors :
- Saran was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award in India, in 2011 for his contributions in the field of civil service.
- In May 2019, he was conferred the Spring Order Gold and Silver Star by the Emperor of Japan for promoting India-Japan relations.
Mr. Parameswaran Iyer to take over as CEO of NITI Aayog
- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Parameswaran Iyer as the new Chief Executive Officer of the National Institution for Transforming India Aayog (NITI Aayog) for 2 years.
- He Succeeds Amitabh Kant, after a 6-year-long stint, as NITI Aayog CEO
About Mr. Parameswaran Iyer :
- Iyer had joined the Civil Services in 1981 in the Uttar Pradesh cadre.
- He had held various prominent posts and led the World Bank-assisted Uttar Pradesh Rural Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation Project, popular as Swajal.
- He took voluntary retirement from the IAS in 2009, after 17 years in service.
- In 2016, he was appointed as Secretary to the Government of India for Drinking Water and Sanitation and led the Open Defecation Free India movement.
- He spearheaded the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, a campaign to eradicate open defecation by constructing over 90 million toilets in rural India.
- Earlier he worked as a Senior Rural Water Sanitation Specialist at the United Nations.
- He worked with the erstwhile Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh in the field of education.
- He was also the chairman of Empowered Group-3, one of the 11 groups set up by the Centre to tackle the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Kant is a 1980-batch retired IAS officer (Kerala cadre), who took over as the NITI Aayog CEO in 2016 & he last got an extension, by a year, in June 2021.
About NITI Aayog :
- Established: 1 January 2015
- Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Chairperson: Narendra Modi
- Vice Chairperson : Suman Bery
- NITI Aayog comes under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry
IRARC’s Mr. Avinash Kulkarni appointed as CEO of IDRCL
- The chief govt of India Resurgence Asset Reconstruction Firm (IRARC), Mr. Avinash Kulkarni has been appointed as the CEO of the India Debt Resolution Company (IDRCL) for 3 years.
- The IDRCL board has accepted his appointment.
- He joined Piramal Enterprises and Bain Capital-promoted IRARC in 2018.
- Kulkarni’s appointment follows another SBI veteran Mr. Natarajan Sundar being selected as CEO of the NARCL in April 2022 & he took over as the CEO at the end of May 2022.
About IDRCL :
- IDRCL is a personal sector firm managed by non-public sector banks that own a 51% share.
- Its 7-member board is chaired by former SBI govt Diwakar Gupta.
Mr. Tapan Kumar Deka appointed as Director of the Intelligence Bureau
- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment of Tapan Deka as the new Chief of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) for a tenure of two years from June 30, 2022.
- He will succeed incumbent Intelligence Bureau Director Mr. Arvind Kumar.
About Mr. Tapan Deka :
- Tapan Kumar Deka, a 1988 batch Himachal Pradesh cadre IPS officer.
- He is an expert on North-East Affairs and was sent by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Assam after the anti-CAA violence broke out in the state in 2019.
- He was an Additional Director in the Intelligence Bureau when he was promoted to the rank of Special Director in the Wing in June 2021.
- Currently, Mr. Tapan Deka is the head of the Operations Desk of the Intelligence Bureau
- He has been tracking the terrorists and religious radicalization for the past two decades.
About IB :
- Founded: 1887
- Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi, India
- IB is India’s domestic internal security and counter-intelligence agency under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Mr. Anil Khanna appointed as the acting President of IOA
- The Delhi high court-appointed Anil Khanna as the acting president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
- He will replace Mr. Narinder Batra.
- On May 25, 2022, Batra was removed as IOA chief after the Delhi High Court struck down the post of ‘life member’ in Hockey India, courtesy which he had contested and won the apex body elections back in 2017.
- The order of the court was following a contempt petition moved by former hockey player Aslam Sher Khan
About Anil Khanna :
- Khanna had served as Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) President from 2005 to 2019 and also ITF Vice President from 2015-19.
- Also, he was nominated as the honorary Life President of the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF).
- He has been appointed as the Chairman of the finance committee as well as the co-chairman of the ATF foundation.
About IOA :
- Established: 1927
- Headquarters: New Delhi, India
- IOA is the body responsible for selecting athletes to represent India at the Olympic Games, Asian Games, and other international athletic meets
Mr. Samant Kumar Goel was re-appointed as Chief of R&AW
- The tenure of the current chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Mr. Samant Kumar Goel, was extended by one year up to June 30, 2023.
- It is the second extension of service for Mr. Samant Kumar Goel.
- He is the third RAW chief, to get a tenure of over 3 years & before him, the founder chief of RAW R N Kao served for 9 years & N F Suptnook served for 6 years.
About Mr. Samant Kumar Goel :
- Samant Kumar Goel is an IPS officer from the Punjab cadre class of 1984.
- Earlier he was appointed as the Chief of R&AW on 26 June 2019 replacing Anil Dhasmana.
- He is a recipient of the Police Medals for Gallantry and Meritorious Service.
- He also served as Chief of Station, Europe Desk, and as Chief of Station in London.
About RAW :
- Established: 21 September 1968
- Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi, India
- RAW is the foreign intelligence agency of India.
- Function: To gather foreign intelligence, counter-terrorism, counter-proliferation, advise Indian policymakers, and advance India’s foreign strategic interests.
- It is also involved in the security of India’s nuclear program.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS
CCI approves a 24.98% stake acquisition in IIFL Wealth Management by BC Asia Investments
- The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the acquisition of up to 24.98 percent shareholding of IIFL Wealth Management Limited by BC Asia Investments X Limited.
Key Highlights :
- The fair trade regulator has cleared the transaction involving the sale of the global biosimilars portfolio of Viatris Inc (parent entity of Mylan) to Biocon Biologics Limited and its subsidiary.
- It also approved the proposed equity infusion in Biocon Biologics by Biocon and Serum Institute.
- The transaction involves cash and stock consideration and the acquisition of one common equity share and compulsorily convertible preference shares convertible into common equity shares, representing at least 9 percent of the fully diluted equity of Biocon Biologics by Mylan.
- In addition, the antitrust watchdog has approved the corporate restructuring of GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Holdings Ltd (JVCO) under a green channel route.
- The proposed combination involves the corporate restructuring of JVCO through acquisition by Haleon via demerger and the share exchange steps, involving the JVCO shareholders.
- Following the completion of the demerger and share exchange steps, the shareholding of Haleon will be held by a combination of GSK, its affiliates, and GSK’s shareholders (together representing 68 percent of Haleon’s voting rights) and Pfizer (representing 32 percent of Haleon’s voting rights).
Note :
- JVCO was established in 2019, combining the respective legacy consumer healthcare business worldwide of GSK and Pfizer.
- Haleon is a newly incorporated entity and at present does not have any business operations.
- GSK is involved in the research, development, manufacturing, and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and consumer healthcare products.
- Pfizer is a US-based biopharmaceutical company.
About IIFLWM :
- IIFL Wealth Management Limited is a private wealth management firm in India.
- IIFLWM serves the highly specialized and sophisticated needs of high net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, affluent families, family offices, and institutional clients through a comprehensive range of tailored wealth management solutions.
About BC Asia :
- BC Asia is an investment holding company incorporated under the laws of Mauritius.
- Objective: To hold long-term investments.
- It is indirectly held by funds or vehicles controlled by Bain Capital Investors, Bain Capital Credit Member, Bain Capital Member II, and the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB).
About CCI :
- Established: 14 October 2003
- Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Chairman: Ashok Kumar Gupta
- Secretary : P K Singh
- CCI is the chief national competition regulator in India.
- It is a statutory body within the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE NEWS
IAF participates in a tactical leadership program in Egypt
- Indian Air Force (IAF) would be participating in a month-long tactical leadership program at the Egyptian Air Force Weapon School in Cairo west Airbase.
- Three Su-30MKI fighters, two C-17 transport aircraft, and 57 IAF personnel are participating in the program.
Aim of the exercise :
- To enhance defense cooperation and exchange of best practices between India and Egypt.
Key Highlights :
- It is a unique exercise with air assets in a large force engagement environment, simulating various conflict scenarios.
- In the present geopolitical scenario, this exercise provides a unique opportunity to showcase the reach and capability of the IAF.
- The program will also provide an opportunity to showcase the Su-30 MKI manufactured in India and the country’s expertise in the deeper indigenization of spares and components.
About the tactical leadership program:
- Tactical Leadership Programme, also known as the Pilot School of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), is an international military organization formed by 10 permanent member countries (Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom, and the United States).
- It is a multinational center of advanced training for pilots and crews.
- Aim: To improve the operability and effectiveness of the Allied Air Forces
About NATO :
- Established: 4 April 1949
- Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium
- Membership: 30 member states (28 European and two North American.)
- Secretary-General: Jens Stoltenberg
About IAF :
- Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Chief of the Air Staff: Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Ship-borne weapon system VL-SRSAM successfully flight-tested off the Odisha coast
- The indigenously developed shipborne weapon system, Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM), was successfully flight-tested by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Navy off the coast of Chandipur in Odisha.
- VL-SRSAM is developed by the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) and Research Centre Imarat (RCI), both from Hyderabad, and Research & Development Establishment (Engineers) based in Pune.
- The launch of the system was conducted against a high-speed aerial target mimicking aircraft, which was successfully engaged.
About VL-SRSAM :
- The VL-SRSAM, a ship-borne weapon system, is meant for neutralizing various aerial threats at close ranges including sea-skimming targets.
- The system has been designed to strike the high-speed airborne targets at the range of 40km to 50km and an altitude of around 15km
- Its design is based on the Astra missile which is a Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile.
- Two key features of the VL-SRSAM are cruciform wings and thrust vectoring.
- VL-SRSAM is a canisters system, which means it is stored and operated from specially designed compartments.
- The weapon system will prove to be a force-multiplier for the Indian Navy and is another milestone towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
About Ministry of Defence :
- Defence Minister: Rajnath Singh
- Minister of State: Ajay Bhatt
- Defence Secretary: Dr. Ajay Kumar
About DRDO :
- Established: 1958
- Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Chairman: Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy
C-DOT collaborates with Galore Networks to develop 5G RAN Products & solutions
- Center for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) has signed an agreement with Galore Networks for the collaborative development of end-to-end 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) products and solutions.
Key Highlights :
- This collaborative approach based on achieving synergy and harmony amongst multiple ecosystem partners will facilitate the evolution of mutually productive and sustainable alliances.
- It will act as a catalyst resulting in indigenous design, development, manufacturing, and deployment of cost-effective 5G products and solutions.
- This will bring the technical competencies and complementary strengths of Indian R&D and industry into a single unified platform leading to the creation of indigenous Intellectual Property (IP) assets that can generate new avenues for wider reach and commercialization of home-grown technologies at the global level.
- Galore has collaborated with C-DOT to offer its entire suite of commercially field-deployable 4G/5G NSA & SA Macro/Micro Base stations integrated with C-DOT 4G/5G NSA & SA Next-Generation Core.
About C-DOT :
- Established: August 1984
- Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi, India
- The Center for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) is the premier R&D center of the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, Government of India.
About Galore Networks :
- Established: 2013
- Headquarters: Bangalore, Karnataka, India
- Director & MD : Balaji Kulothungan
CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKS & REPORTS
Startup Genome Published 2022 Global Startup Ecosystem Report at London Tech Week: Kerala ranks top in Asia
- A report released by policy advisory and research firm Startup Genome released the 2022 Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) at the Elevating Founders event of London Tech Week.
Key Highlights :
- As per a report Bengaluru has moved up to 22 from 23 in 2021.
- Bengaluru’s tech ecosystem value is $105 billion which is higher than that of Singapore at $89 billion and Tokyo at $62 billion.
- Bengaluru is also among the top 15 global ecosystems in funding and is among the top 25 global ecosystems in performance.
- To boost Kerala’s start-up ecosystem, it has been ranked 1st in Asia in Affordable Talent in Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER).
- Kerala has also been ranked 4th in global ranking in the GSER, drawn up jointly by policy advisory and research organization Startup Genome and Global Entrepreneurship Network.
About Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) :
- Startup Genome published its first Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) in 2012.
- The GSER is the world’s most comprehensive research on startups, with data from over three million companies across 280+ entrepreneurial innovation ecosystems.
- The 2022 edition ranks the top 30 and 10 runner-up global ecosystems and includes a top 100 ranking of emerging ecosystems.
- The GSER-2022 is the 10th edition of the report & it was created in partnership with Crunchbase and Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN).
About London Tech Week 2022 :
- London Tech Week is the UK’s flagship tech event.
- The event will focus on the following core topics:
- Exploring the next generation of tech innovation
- Impactful innovation at scale
- Building a thriving tech industry
About Startup Genome :
- Founded: 2016
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California
- Founder & CEO: JF Gauthier
CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOUR
The renowned UN Public Service Award was given to the Odisha “Mo Bus” Service:
- A prominent United Nations award has been given to Mo Bus, an Odisha-based public transportation company, in recognition of their contributions to the global Covid19 response.
- Awarded for “promoting gender-responsive public services to fulfill the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)” is the public transportation system.
- Public service initiatives from Thailand, Brazil, Canada, Ireland, Panama, the Philippines, Poland, Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine were among the other winners of this year’s awards, which were announced by Liu Zhenmin, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, during a virtual event to commemorate the United Nations Public Service Day (celebrated on June 22).
Odisha receives UN recognition:
- According to the UN recognition, the “issue” was that “Bhubaneswar’s bus services needed upgrading,” which led to “the majority of people using private automobiles, two-wheelers, and auto-rickshaws to commute instead of utilizing public transit.”
- The Odisha government “reorganized the city’s public transport systems to establish an integrated, dependable, and inclusive public bus service system” as the “solution” in 2018.
- The UN stated that Mo Bus has integrated “real-time technology including live tracking, route planner, and e-ticketing” and that a last-mile feeder e-rickshaw system dubbed “Mo E-Ride” has been deployed.
About Odisha
- Capital: Bhubaneswar
- Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik
- Governor: Ganeshi Lal
CURRENT AFFAIRS: ENVIRONMENT
Thiomargarita Magnifica: World’s biggest bacterium found in Caribbean mangrove swamp:
- Scientists have discovered the world’s largest bacterium in a Caribbean mangrove swamp – and it is so big that you can see it with the naked eye.
- The thin white filament, which is approximately the size of a human eyelash, is “by far the largest bacterium known to date,” Jean-Marie Volland, a marine biologist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- The bacterium is named Thiomargarita Magnifica or “magnificent sulfur pearl” and can reach a length of 2 centimeters.
- It is roughly 50 times larger than all known giant bacteria.
- Olivier Gros, a co-author and biologist at the University of the French West Indies and Guiana found the first example of this bacterium clinging to sunken mangrove leaves in the archipelago of Guadeloupe in 2009.
- Gros also found the bacterium attached to oyster shells, rocks, and glass bottles in the swamp.
- However, Gros immediately did not know that it was a bacterium because of its size.
- Genetic analysis performed later revealed that the organism was a single bacterial cell.
- The researchers have not been able to grow the bacteria in lab culture yet.
- One key difference is that Thiomargarita Magnifica has a large central compartment, or vacuole, that allows some cell functions to happen in that controlled environment instead of throughout the cell.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS
Navjeet Dhillon wins gold medal at Qosanov Memorial 2022 athletics meet:
- Indian women’s discus thrower Navjeet Dhillon won the gold medal at the Qosanov Memorial 2022 athletics meet in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
- Navjeet Dhillon, who is looking to seal her place in the Indian team for Commonwealth Games, won the women’s discus throw with a 56.24m effort.
- Local athlete Karina Vasilyeva with 44.61m and Uzbekistan’s Yulianna Shchukina with 40.48m followed Navjeet Dhillon on the podium.
- Dutee Chand, who has been selected in the 4x100m relay team for CWG, clocked 11.49s in the 100m final to finish second behind Olga Safronova of Kazakhstan, who claimed gold in 11.40s.
- India’s MV Jilna came third in 11.61s. India won 14 medals on the day, including seven golds.
- Tokyo Olympian Dhanalakshmi Sekar will also be among the top Indian athletes competing at the Qosanov Memorial 2022 athletics, which is a World Athletics bronze-level event.
Vijay Amritraj honored with Golden Achievement Award by ITF and International Tennis Hall of Fame:
- India’s Vijay Amritraj has been named the 2021 recipient of the Golden Achievement Award.
- The Golden Achievement Award is presented annually by the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the International Tennis Federation.
- The award is given to a person who has made important contributions internationally to tennis in the fields of administration, promotion, or education and has devoted long and outstanding service to the sport.
- The award was presented at a special celebration hosted in Amritraj’s honor in London.
- A globally recognized and respected tennis icon as well as a national hero in his native India, Amritraj was the first Indian player to turn professional on the ATP Tour.
Madhya Pradesh beats Mumbai by six wickets: Ranji Trophy 2022
- At the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Madhya Pradesh defeated tournament giants Mumbai by six wickets to win their first Ranji Trophy championship.
- The squad, led by Aditya Shrivastava, overcame Mumbai, a 41-time winner.
- Chandrakant Pandit, a former India wicketkeeper and batsman, served as the team’s coach.
- Sarfaraz Khan of Mumbai, who finished first in the batting standings with 982 runs at an average of 122.75, was named “Man of the Tournament” for his outstanding Ranji Trophy 2022 performance with the bat.
- Shahbaz Nadeem of Jharkhand, a spinner, is one of the best bowlers in the 2022 Ranji Trophy (25 wickets).
About Ranji Trophy:
- The Ranji Trophy is an Indian domestic first-class cricket competition featuring several teams representing different state and regional cricket bodies.
- There are now 38 teams participating in the league, with at least one squad from each of the 28 Indian states and four of the nine union territories.
- The event is named for Ranjit Singh, popularly referred to as “Ranji,” who was the first Indian cricketer to participate in an international match.
- On November 4, 1934, Madras and Mysore played in the competition’s opening game at the Chepauk field in Madras.
- With 41 victories, including 15 consecutive victories from 1958–1959 to 1972–1973, Mumbai (Bombay) holds the record for most tournament victories.
Cyclist Ronaldo, first Indian cyclist to win silver at Asian Championship:
- At the Asian Track Championship, Ronaldo Singh created cycling history by becoming the first Indian cyclist to earn a silver medal in continental competition in the senior category by finishing second in the sprint race on the penultimate day of the event in this city.
- Ronaldo’s achievement was the finest one an Indian cyclist had ever made in a continental race.
- He battled skillful Japanese rider, Kento Yamasaki, valiantly, but he still came away with silver.
About the Tournament:
- The host team won one silver and two bronze medals on the last day.
- Birjit Yumnam, a young Indian cyclist, came in third place overall with 23 points in the 15 km Points Race.
- Sungyeon Lee of Korea won the silver medal with 24 points, while Farrukh Bobosherov of Uzbekistan won the gold.
- The 10km Women Scratch Race finals saw Chayanika Gogoi, a 19-year-old Indian, defeat Rinata Sultanova of Kazakhstan to win bronze, which was the greatest surprise of the day.
- The gold medal went to Youri Kim, while the silver went to Japanese athlete Kie Furuyama.
- The Asian Junior and Para championships were concurrently taking place in the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium Velodrome.
- There were a few collisions on the final day, which featured 10 finals.
- Japan has won the most medals overall with 18 gold, 7 silver, and 2 bronze.
- The Indian cycling team finished sixth in the top field with 23 medals (2 Gold, 6 Silver, 15 Bronze).
- Korea finished second with 12 gold, 14 silver, and three bronze medals, while Kazakhstan finished third with 4 gold, 4 silver, and 3 bronze.
Key Points:
- Yamasaki defeated Ronaldo in back-to-back races to take the first position on the podium.
- Kazakhstan’s Andrey Chugay won the bronze medal in the tournament.
- In the morning, Ronaldo defeated Kazakhstan’s Chugay to get to the final.
- The Indians overcame a deficit to win the following two races and go to the championship event.
- Ronaldo advanced to the men’s Elite sprint race semifinals while breaking the 10-second barrier in the 200-meter flying time trial.
- He also won the global junior championship and set an Asian record.
Daily CA on June 28 :
- Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari has inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of nine National Highway Projects in Rajasthan costing 1,357 crore rupees.
- Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari has approved the Draft GSR Notification to introduce Bharat NCAP (New Car Assessment Program), wherein automobiles in India shall be accorded Star Ratings based upon their performance in Crash Tests.
- China is secretly building a naval facility in Cambodia that would help extend its military’s currently limited reach in foreign waters.
- Israel and the Haryana government signed a joint declaration on integrated water resources management and capacity building.
- The Uttarakhand Finance Minister Shri Prem Chand Aggrawal has tabled a Rs 65,571.49 crore budget for 2022-23 in the state assembly in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
- Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has extended the ‘use and file’ procedure for most life insurance products, thereby allowing insurers to launch new products without prior approval of the regulator.
- Edelweiss General Insurance (EGI) has launched an out-of-network cash advance facility to help customers with monetary support at any hospital that is not part of EGI’s network.
- The Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL) has selected Tata Projects Limited as its engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) for the Noida International Airport (NIA) at Jewar, Uttar Pradesh.
- Mr. Shyam Saran, a former Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Nuclear Affairs and Climate Change has taken over as the President of the India International Center & he succeeds Mr. N N Vohra.
- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Mr. Parameswaran Iyer as the new Chief Executive Officer of the National Institution for Transforming India Aayog (NITI Aayog) for 2 years.
- The chief govt of India Resurgence Asset Reconstruction Firm (IRARC), Mr. Avinash Kulkarni has been appointed as the CEO of the India Debt Resolution Company (IDRCL) for 3 years.
- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment of Mr. Tapan Deka as the new Chief of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) for a tenure of two years from June 30, 2022, & he will succeed the incumbent Intelligence Bureau Director Mr. Arvind Kumar.
- The Delhi high court-appointed Mr. Anil Khanna as the acting president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) & he will replace Mr. Narinder Batra.
- The tenure of the current chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Mr. Samant Kumar Goel, was extended by one year up to June 30, 2023.
- The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the acquisition of up to 24.98 percent shareholding of IIFL Wealth Management Limited by BC Asia Investments X Limited.
- Indian Air Force (IAF) would be participating in a month-long tactical leadership program at the Egyptian Air Force Weapon School in Cairo west Airbase.
- The indigenously developed shipborne weapon system, Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM), was successfully flight-tested by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Navy off the coast of Chandipur in Odisha.
- Center for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) has signed an agreement with Galore Networks for the collaborative development of end-to-end 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) products and solutions.
- A report released by policy advisory and research firm Startup Genome released the 2022 Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) at the Elevating Founders event of London Tech Week.
- A prominent United Nations award has been given to Mo Bus, an Odisha-based public transportation company, in recognition of their contributions to the global Covid19 response.
- Scientists have discovered the world’s largest bacterium in a Caribbean mangrove swamp – and it is so big that you can see it with the naked eye.
- Indian women’s discus thrower Navjeet Dhillon won the gold medal at the Qosanov Memorial 2022 athletics meet in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
- India’s Vijay Amritraj has been named the 2021 recipient of the Golden Achievement Award.
- At the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Madhya Pradesh defeated tournament giants Mumbai by six wickets to win their first Ranji Trophy championship.
- At the Asian Track Championship, Ronaldo Singh created cycling history by becoming the first Indian cyclist to earn a silver medal in continental competition in the senior category by finishing second in the sprint race on the penultimate day of the event in this city.