NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Gujarat:
PM inaugurates the renovated Shree Kalika Mata temple: Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the renovated Shree Kalika
Mata temple at Pavagadh Hill in Gujarat’s Panchmahal district. At the temple,
he also conducted Puja with customary customs. A ‘Dhwaja’ was raised at full
mast atop the shrine by Mr. Modi. This majestic Mahakali temple’s sanctum
sanctorum is composed of gold. It is one of the region’s oldest temples and
draws a huge number of pilgrims. Key Points:
a)
The Prime Minister told the crowd
that this temple also represents Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, and
Sabka Prayas.
b)
He emphasised the significance of
the event, when Dhwaja, the sacred flag, was flown on the temple after five
centuries and even 75 years after independence. This ‘Shikhar Dhwaj,’ he
explained, is a symbol of the reality that centuries pass, eras pass, yet
religion endures.
c)
Mr Modi added that ‘Garvi Gujarat’
is synonymous with India’s pride and glory, and that Pavagadh has been a centre
of worldwide harmony with India’s historical variety. This pinnacle flag,
according to Mr Modi, is not only a symbol of our faith and spirituality, but
it also indicates that the pinnacle of faith is eternal throughout centuries of
change.
d)
Surendra Patel, president of the
Pavagadh Temple Trust, estimates that almost two crore people visit the temple
each year. The temple’s reconstruction was finished at a cost of 125 crore
rupees.
e)
He claims that ‘Garvi Gujarat’ is
connected with India’s pride and greatness. He stated that Panchmahal and
Pavagadh have continued to fight for the pride in our history in the great
tradition of the Somnath temple.
2. New
Delhi to host National summit on cyber security and National security: At Vigyan Bhawan in the national capital, the Ministry of Home
Affairs will organise a National Conference on Cyber Safety and National
Security (Cyber Apradh Se Azadi, Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav). Union Minister Amit
Shah will be the conference’s Chief Guest, according to the Ministry of Home
Affairs. The seminar is part of the country’s efforts to raise public awareness
The Indian
Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), in collaboration with the Ministry of
Culture, Government of India, held functions on Cyber Hygiene, Cyber Crime
Prevention, Cyber Safety, and National Security at 75 locations across the
country under the banner “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav” from June 8 to 17. The Union
Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Development of the North Eastern Region, G
Kishan Reddy, the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Ajay Kumar Mishra, and
senior officials from the Ministries of Home Affairs, Culture, and States and
Union Territories, as well as representatives from various organisations, will
all be present at the conference.
Note: Union
Minister of Home Affairs: Shri Amit Shah; Minister of Culture: Shri G. Kishan
Reddy
3. Appointment
of new chief justices to five high courts approved: The appointment of new chief justices to five high courts has
been approved by the government. The appointment for Uttarakhand, Telangana,
Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gauhati has been announced by the Ministry of
Law and Justice. The Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court will be
Justice Vipin Sanghi of the Delhi High Court, while the Chief Justice of the
Telangana High Court will be Justice Ujjal Bhuyan of the Telangana High Court.
The Chief
Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court will be Justice Amjad Ahtesham Sayed
of the Bombay High Court, while the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court
will be Justice Shinde Sambhaji Shiwaji of the Bombay High Court. The Chief
Justice of the Gauhati High Court has been named Justice Rashmin M Chhaya of the
Gujarat High Court. Satish Chandra Sharma, Chief Justice of the Telangana High
Court, has been appointed to the Delhi High Court, according to the Ministry.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. World’s
biggest plant discovered off Australian coast: The world’s largest living plant has been identified in the
shallow waters off the coast of Western Australia. The sprawling seagrass, a
marine flowering plant known as Posidonia australis, stretches for more than
112 miles (180 kilometers) in Shark Bay, a wilderness area protected as a World
Heritage site.
Using genetic
testing, scientists have determined a large underwater meadow in Western
Australia is in fact one plant. It is believed to have spread from a single
seed over at least 4,500 years. The seagrass covers about 200 sq km. The plant
is so large because it clones itself, creating genetically identical offshoots.
This process is a way of reproducing that is rare in the animal kingdom
although it happens in certain environmental conditions and occurs more often
among some plants, fungi and bacteria.
Note: Australia
Prime minister: Anthony Albanese; Australia Capital: Canberra; Australia
Currency: Australian dollar.
2. International
Day of Yoga: 21st June: International Day of Yoga is
celebrated worldwide on 21st June. This year, the 8th edition of the
International Day of Yoga will be observed. Yoga is an ancient physical, mental
and spiritual practice that originated in India. The word ‘yoga’ derives from
Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolizing the union of body and
consciousness. International Yoga Day 2022 will be celebrated on 21 June 2022
with the theme ‘Yoga for Humanity’ across the world with great enthusiasm.
The
significance of Yoga Day can be seen in the light of spreading awareness on the
issue of mental and physical well-being. The International Day of Yoga also
aims to inculcate a habit of meditation for the peace of mind and the
self-awareness which is necessary to survive in a stress-free environment.
International
Yoga Day History: The United Nations General
Assembly had declared June 21 as the International Day of Yoga in 2014 at the
initiative of India with the support of 177 countries. The idea of
International Day of Yoga was first proposed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra
Modi during his speech at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 27th
September 2014.
3. World
Music Day: 21st June: World Music Day is celebrated
every year on June 21. The day gives respect to the art form of music that
binds people across culture, region, language and religion. Music also gives a
channel to various emotions like love, grief, loss, and is cathartic in nature.
It is a massive cultural exchange and also brings society closer. The theme for
World Music Day 2022 is “Music on the intersections”.
World
Music Day History: Music Day was first celebrated
in the year 1982 on the Summer Solstice in France, when the former French
minister of art and culture, Jack Lange, along with Maurice Fleuret started the
Fête de la Musique in Paris. That is also why World Music Day is alternatively
known as Fête de la Musique as well.
4. International
Day of the Celebration of the Solstice: 21st June: International Day of the Celebration of the Solstice is observed
globally on 21st June. This day bring awareness about solstices and equinoxes
and their significance for several religions and ethnic cultures. The Summer
Solstice is the day of the year when the sun reaches its highest point in the
sky. It happens on June 21st this year.
There are a
number of things that happen on the Summer Solstice. First, the sun reaches its
highest point in the sky during the day. This is called summer solstice
sunrise. Second, the sun sets at its lowest point in the sky during the day.
This is called summer solstice sunset. Finally, there is a shift in Earth’s
rotational axis, which means that Earth’s north pole moves towards the sun for
a few weeks during the Summer Solstice.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra
wins gold at Kuortane Games in Finland: Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra clinched
his first top podium finish of the season by winning the javelin throw event at
the Kuortane Games in Finland, beating reigning world champion Anderson Peters
of Grenada. The 24-year-old Chopra’s opening throw of 86.69m turned out to be
the winning distance. Trinidad and Tobago’s 2012 Olympics champion Keshorn
Walcott was second with a first round throw of 86.64m. Peters was third with a
best throw of 84.75m, which also came in the opening round.
2. Neeraj Chopra to lead 37-member
athletics team for CWG 2022: Neeraj Chopra will be leading a 37-member Indian
athletics team at the upcoming Commonwealth Games, the Athletics Federation of
India announced. The Tokyo Olympics gold medallist will be the flag bearer in
Birmingham as star sprinters like Hima Das and Dutee Chand booked their berth
for the Games that will be held from July 28 – August 8. The selection
committee picked up all the expected athletes for CWG with zero surprises. Out
of 37 members, 18 are women.
List of Athletics
Men: 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 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).
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. RBI’s ‘Payments Vision 2025’ aims
for a three-fold increase in digital payments: In light of rising
geopolitical threats, the RBI released its Payments Vision 2025 document, which
discusses ring-fencing domestic payment networks, as well as the necessity to
enforce domestic processing of payment transactions. Key Points:
a)
One
of the most important forward-looking initiatives is the internationalisation
of UPI, RTGS, NEFT, and RuPay cards, where bilateral treaties with countries,
particularly those covering the USD, GBP, and Euro, will greatly benefit Indian
residents and their counterparts abroad with online realisation at lower costs.
b)
With
a steady push from the government and the rise of rural fintechs, Dilip Modi,
founder of Spice Money, noted that while the epidemic raged over the country,
India was on its way to realising its payments vision, and digital payments
grew dramatically in volume and popularity.
c)
According
to the RBI, overall digital payments surged by 216 percent in volume and 10% in
value in March 2022 compared to March 2019.
d)
Paper
instrument usage, on the other hand, has decreased dramatically during the same
time period, with its proportion of total retail payments falling from 3.83
percent to 0.88 percent in volume and from 19.62 percent to 11.47 percent in
value.
e)
The
central bank said in a statement that the document, titled Payments Vision
2025, was created after considering input from various stakeholders as well as
recommendations from the RBI’s Board for Regulation and Supervision of Payment
and Settlement Systems.
2. Equitas Small Finance Bank set to
launch “ENJOI” kid’s savings account: Equitas Small Finance Bank is set to
launch kids’ savings account called ENJOI, on Father’s Day. The SFB announced
that this account introduces “young kids” to the financial world, encouraging
them to develop an early habit of saving. Features of ENJOI saving Accounts:
a)
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 the option for a
personalised debit card.
b)
To
promote higher growth in savings, the account will offer 7 per cent interest
for savings balances between Rs 5 lakh to Rs 2 crore. Upon written consent from
parents, minors aged 10 and above can also avail of self-operating accounts
with limited transaction limits.
Benefits of the account:
a)
Focussed
on the theme of education and literacy, financial or otherwise, ENJOI account
holders will also have access to exclusive deals from ed-techs and online
learning providers.
b)
The
ENJOI account will offer flexibility to choose the mode of savings, either as a
Savings Account with balance starting as low as Rs 1,000, RD (Recurring
Deposit) for Rs 500 monthly; or FD (Fixed Deposit) for Rs 10,000.
Note: Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd
Founded: 2016; Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd Headquarters: Chennai, Tamil
Nadu; Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd MD & CEO: Vasudevan Pathangi
Narasimhan; Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd Tagline: It’s Fun Banking.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1. Since 1980s, world’s central
banks launch their most hawkish campaign: Central bankers around the world are
enacting what could be the most dramatic tightening of monetary policy since
the 1980s, risking recessions and upsetting financial markets as they try to
deal with an unexpected spike in inflation. The week began with a surprise move
on Wall Street to price in a Federal Reserve rate hike of 75 basis points.
Chairman Jerome Powell declared himself fully committed to bringing inflation
back down, the greatest step by the US central bank since 1994.
Key Points:
a)
Switzerland
surprisingly boosted rates, while the Bank of England raised rates for the
fifth time, this time by 25 basis points, and indicated that it will soon
double the rate.
b)
The
bond market’s reaction to the coordinated removal of stimulus was so ferocious
that the European Central Bank called an emergency meeting on Wednesday to
address rising yields in some euro-zone countries.
c)
Borrowing
costs have risen in emerging markets from Brazil to Taiwan to Hungary, with
Australia, South Korea, India, New Zealand, and Canada among those planning
further action.
d)
Only
the Bank of Japan defied the trend, keeping its ultra-easy monetary policy
despite intense market pressure to jump on board the global bandwagon.
e)
Expectations
of higher inflation in the United States boosted 75 basis points. The Federal
Reserve is raising interest rates.
f)
China
is an exception, but traders around the world are ready for a series of rate
hikes that many will have never seen before in their lives.
g)
The
Federal Reserve expects to raise its benchmark rate to 3.8 percent by the end
of 2023, up from the 1.5 percent to 2% range it reached last week, and numerous
Wall Street firms predict an even higher peak.
2. Bhagwat Karad: Govt to take
additional efforts to reduce inflation if required: Bhagwat Kishanrao
Karad, India’s state minister for finance, stated that the Finance Ministry
will take additional efforts to reduce inflation if necessary. Inflation is a
worldwide phenomena, and India is better off than other countries. The
government is keeping a close eye on inflation and doing everything it can to
keep it under control. According to the minister of state, the Russia-Ukraine
conflict has had a significant impact on India’s inflation. Key Points:
a)
The
Finance ministry has already reduced excise duty in order to decrease the
retail impact of gasoline inflation on customers.
b)
The
price of crude oil has been rising steadily over the world. Following the
reduction in excise duty by the federal government, some states reduced their
fuel VAT.
c)
To
mitigate the impact of rising world prices on farmers, India has boosted the
fertiliser subsidy for the Kharif season.
d)
Wheat
exports were also prohibited by the government in order to prevent domestic
inflation.
e)
Sugar
shipments were capped at 100 LMT by the food ministry in anticipation of a
scarcity in October and November.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Hamad International Airport named
World’s Best Airport 2022: Qatar’s Hamad International Airport has been named the
World’s Best Airport for the second year running. The announcement took place
at the Skytrax 2022 World Airport Awards, held at Passenger Terminal EXPO in
Paris, France. Other major winners include:
a)
Kempegowda
International Airport, Bengaluru (BLR Airport) was named the finest regional
airport in India and South Asia. Customers voted for the airport with the
greatest customer service every year in a global study, and BLR Airport
received this honour.
b)
Singapore
Changi Airport (World’s Best Airport Staff Service and World’s Best Airport
Dining).
c)
Istanbul
Airport (World’s Best Airport Shopping and Most Family-Friendly Airport).
d)
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.
e)
King
Khalid International Airport in Riyadh secured the award as the World’s Most
Improved Airport.
f)
Nagoya’s
Chubu Centrair International Airport was named the World’s Best Regional
Airport.
g)
Copenhagen
Airport won the World’s Best Airport Immigration Processing award.
h) Zurich Airport repeated its success by winning the World’s Best Airport Security Processing award.
No comments:
Post a Comment