NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. First India-Nepal Bharat Gaurav
tourist train flagged off: First Bharat Gaurav tourist train connecting places
associated with the Ramayana Circuit in India and Nepal was flagged off from
the Safdarjung Railway Station in New Delhi. The Bharat Gaurav train carrying
500 tourists from India will arrive at the Janakpur Dham railway station in
Nepal. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw along with Minister of Tourism
and Culture G. Kishan Reddy flagged off the train.
Speciality of Bharat Gaurav tourist
train:
a)
The
train with 11 third AC class coaches has an accommodation capacity of around
600 passengers. The total cost for the first trip on Ramayana Circuit, is
around Rs 62,370 per person for 18 days and is all inclusive.
b)
Every
coach of the train has been designed as a kaleidoscope of ‘Pride of India’
highlighting the various facets of India such as monuments, cuisines, attires,
festivals, flora and fauna, folk art etc.
c)
The
train has 14 coaches and the exteriors of some of the coaches also promote
various classical and folk dance forms, attires, popular festivals, delicacies
of the country.
2. Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel
launches 17th ‘Shala Praveshotsav’: In Gujarat, the Chief Minister Bhupendra
Patel has launched the 17th ‘Shala Praveshotsav’, the drive to enrol students
in primary schools in the state. The three-day enrollment drive begins from
Memadpur primary school in Vadgam taluka of Banaskantha district. Chief
Minister Patel said that the dropout rate of students’ reduced drastically
following the mass enrolment drives of the children. He said that the dropout rate
has been reduced to just 3.07 percent from 37.22 percent in 2002. According to
official sources, the state officials including IAS and IPS officers and
Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assembly will visit different
schools of the state and enrol children in Class I.
Note: Gujarat Capital: Gandhinagar; Gujarat
Governor: Acharya Devvrat; Gujarat Chief minister: Bhupendrabhai Patel.
3. Union Minister Prahlad Singh
Patel inaugurates the National Conference On Millets: Union Minister of
State for M/o Food Processing Industries, Prahlad Singh Patel has inaugurated
the National Conference on Millets. The theme of the conference is ‘The Future
Super Food for India’ in New Delhi, organised by industry body ASSOCHAM with
the support of M/o Food Processing Industries. The conference has been
organised to discuss opportunities and challenges in ensuring food and
nutritional security.
The Union Minister said that the production
of coarse cereals in the country has increased to 17.96 million tonnes in
2020-21 from 14.52 million tonnes in 2015-16 and the production of bajra (pearl
millet) has also increased to 10.86 million tonnes in the same period. The
major millets producing states in India include Haryana, Uttar Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.
4. Senior IPS officer Dinkar Gupta
is appointed Director General, NIA: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet
(ACC) appointed former Punjab Director General of Police (DGP), Dinkar Gupta as
the Director General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The 1987 batch
Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Punjab cadre was removed as the State
DGP and posted to the Police Housing Corporation after Charanjit Singh Channi
replaced Captain (retd.) Amarinder Singh as Punjab’s Chief Minister in 2021.
According to the order, Gupta will hold the post of NIA chief till March 31,
2024, that is the date of his retirement or till further orders, whichever
comes earlier.
Note: NIA Headquarters: New Delhi; NIA
Founder: Radha Vinod Raju; NIA Founded: 31 December 2008.
5. Goa celebrates ‘Sao Joao’
festival: The
people of Goa has celebrated the Sao Joao festival, the feast of St John the
Baptist with traditional enthusiasm after a two-year coronavirus-induced gap.
The festival is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, who baptised Lord Jesus on
the river of Jordan and is celebrated at the onset of monsoon. Siolim, a
village in North Goa, hosts a traditional canoe parade on the occasion of Sao
Joao.
About the festival: A large number of
people participated in the boat parade in Siolim village of Goa’s Bardez
taluka, marking the beginnng of revelry in the ‘Sao Joao’ festival.
Traditionally, people jump into the well but since the wells are fast
disappearing, people prefer to celebrate it in swimming pools. The festival is
marked to herald the monsoon season in the state every year in June. People are
often seen having a great time by enjoying and dancing in the artificial rain
which adds charm to the celebrations.
Note: Goa Governor: P.S. Sreedharan Pillai;
Goa Chief Minister: Pramod Sawant.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. 14th BRICS Summit: Members of
BRICS take a similar stance on world economy: Prime Minister
Narendra Modi said at a virtual summit of the five-nation grouping sponsored by
China that the consequences of the Covid epidemic on the global economy are
still apparent and that cooperation among the BRICS countries can be a
beneficial part of its recovery. The BRICS member nations, according to the
prime minister, share a similar approach to managing the world economy. Key
Points:
a)
Presidents
Xi Jinping of China, Vladimir Putin of Russia, Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, and
Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa were present as Modi delivered the statements.
b)
Five
of the major developing nations in the world are represented by the BRICS
(Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), accounting for 41% of the
world’s population, 24% of its GDP, and 16% of its commerce.
c)
The
Ukraine crisis and the protracted military stalemate between India and China in
eastern Ladakh served as a virtual backdrop for the BRICS presidents’ meeting.
In its role as the grouping’s chair for this year, China hosted the meeting.
Note: President of China: Xi Jinping;
President of Russia: Vladimir Putin; President of Brazil: Jair Bolsonaro;
President of South Africa: Cyril Ramaphosa
2. ‘Vivatech 2020’ Conference: India
recognized as ‘country of the year’: Europe’s biggest startup conference,
“Vivatech 2020” has recognized India as the “country of the year.” It is a
tremendous honour for India to be named “country of the year” in Vivatech 2020.
This is due to the contribution of the Indian startups to the world. This is
the recognition of Indian startups. Minister of Railways, Communications,
Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated the India
pavilion at the technology exhibition Vivatech 2020, held in Paris, France.
Around 65 start-ups from India are participating in Vivatech 2022 with
government support.
3. Ookla Speedtest Global Index:
India ranked 115th: The
Speedtest Global Index released by network intelligence and connectivity
insights provider Ookla showed that India recorded 14.28 Mbps median mobile
download speeds in the month of May, slightly better than 14.19 Mbps in April
2022. With this, the country is now three notches up in its global ranking and
is at 115th position. India also improved its global ranking for overall fixed
median download speeds, from 76th in April to 75th in May, according to network
intelligence and connectivity leader Ookla. In April, India had dropped four
spots in rank globally for overall median fixed broadband speeds — from 72nd to
76th spot. Key points:
a)
Norway
and Singapore are on the top spots for global mobile speeds (median download
speed of 129.40 Mbps) and fixed broadband speeds (209.21 Mbps)
b)
The
African countries, namely Cote d’Ivoire and Gabon and Congo registered the
highest growth in mobile download speeds and fixed broadband speeds
respectively in the month of May, the report showed.
4. Union Minister Piyush Goyal
inaugurates Mango Festival in Belgium: Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce
and Industry, inaugurated a “Mango Festival” in Brussels, Belgium 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. During the event, mangoes like Banganapalli
from Andhra Pradesh, Malihabad Dasheri from Uttar Pradesh, Amrapali from
Odisha, Lakshman Bhog, Himsagar, Jardalu mango, Langra mangoes, as well as 12
GI-tagged items were on exhibit. The Indian Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg,
and the European Union (EU), Santosh Jha, spoke about the occasion and the
“immense potential” of the Indian mango in the European market.
5. United Nations International Day
in Support of Victims of Torture: 26th June: The United Nations General Assembly
celebrates June 26 as the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.
The day is observed to call upon nations, civil societies and individuals all
across the world to extend their support to victims of torture and those who
are being tortured. The aims of the Day are to promote the abolition of
torture, support victims, and promote human rights.
United Nations International Day in
Support of Victims of Torture History: On December 12, 1997, the United Nations
General Assembly passed a resolution, declaring June 26 as the International
Day in Support of Victims of Torture. The first International Day in Support of
Victims of Torture on June 26, 1998, the UN appealed to all the governments,
stakeholders, and the members of the global society to stand against this act,
and to take action against the torture and those who execute it in every corner
of the world.
6. International Day against Drug
Abuse and Illicit Trafficking: 26th June: International Day
against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, also known as World Drug Day, is
conducted by the United Nations. It is observed on June 26 annually. The global
event highlights the physical and psychological impact of substance abuse, drug
overdose deaths and drug-related humanitarian crises with an aim to eliminate
the menace from society. “Addressing drug challenges in health and humanitarian
crises” is the theme for 2022’s celebration of the International Day against
Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
International Day against Drug Abuse
and Illicit Trafficking History: During the 93rd plenary meeting of the
United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on December 7, 1987, resolution 42/112,
adopted on the reports of the third committee of the General Assembly, was
passed. The date of June 26, was chosen to commemorate the campaign by Lin
Zexu, a prominent Chinese politician and philosopher from 18th-19th century
China who destroyed, starting June 3, 1839, about 1.2 million kilograms of
opium illegally imported by British traders into China. Zexu’s successful
campaign had concluded in 23 days.
Note: UNODC Headquarters location: Vienna,
Austria; UNODC Founded: 1997; Director-General of United Nations Office on
Drugs and Crimes: Ghada Fathi Waly.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. India jump two spots to 104 in
FIFA rankings: The
Indian football team reaped a good harvest of its impressive Asian Cup
qualification campaign as it gained two places to jump to 104th in the latest
FIFA world rankings released. The Blue Tigers are placed just below New Zealand
(103), who missed out on a 2022 FIFA World Cup spot after losing 0-1 to Costa
Rica in the intercontinental play-off earlier this month. India’s ranking among
Asian Football Confederation (AFC) members, however, still remained static at
19th place.
In the overall world rankings:
a)
Iran
retained the top spot among the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) countries
(23).
b)
Brazil
remained on top, three months after taking the top spot from Belgium (2nd).
c)
Argentina
jumped one place to third at the expense of France (4th) who paid the price for
four winless games in the UEFA Nations League.
d)
England,
Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal and Denmark complete the top-10.
e)
The
next FIFA world ranking will be out on August 25.
Note: FIFA President: Gianni Infantino;
FIFA Founded: 21 May 1904; FIFA Headquarters: Zürich, Switzerland.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Government department will work
with SBI, to establish an integrated pension platform: In order to
improve the quality of life for seniors, the State Bank of India (SBI) and the
Department of Pension & Pensioners Welfare (DoPPW) of the Centre will work
together to develop an integrated pension platform. SBI field employees were
given sessions on pension policy reforms and digitization relating the
disbursement of pensions to central government pensioners at a two-day banker’s
awareness event in Udaipur, Rajasthan. Key Points:
a)
According
to a statement from the ministry of personnel, public complaints, and pensions,
special sessions on income tax issues pertaining to pensioners were organized,
and they were also informed about the digital methods of presenting annual life
certificates.
b)
It
was determined that immediate action is required to link the DoPPW and SBI
portals to develop an integrated pension portal in order to offer seamless
services to pensioners.
c)
According
to the statement, banks may heavily promote face authentication technology for
digital life certificates.
d)
It
claimed that face authentication and digital life certificates would
revolutionize the way pensioners and banks submit life certificates.
Benefits of the Collaboration: It is anticipated
that these programmes will greatly contribute to the goal of improving
retirees’ quality of life. To cover the entire nation, four such awareness
campaigns would be carried out in partnership with the State Bank of India. In
2022–2023, awareness campaigns along similar lines will be carried out in
partnership with other pension disbursing banks.
Note: SBI Chairman: Dinesh Kumar Khara; SBI
MD: Alok Kumar Choudhary
2. YES BANK and RuPay entered into a
strategic cooperation with CARD91: The National Payments Corporation of
India’s (NPCI) flagship product, RuPay, and CARD91, a worldwide payment
infrastructure powering B2B payments, have established a strategic agreement
(NPCI). Through this collaboration, CARD91 will develop a card management
system that will enable businesses to introduce a range of co-branded card
products and to keep track of a real-time dashboard to produce insights. As a
result, CARD91 will be able to increase its market share in the Indian payments
industry. About the CARD91 Collaboration:
a)
Through
its collaboration with YES BANK and RuPay, CARD91 will be able to offer a
variety of card management and security tools to businesses of all sizes and in
a variety of industries.
b)
Now
that companies can select from co-branded or unbranded card devices, they have
a creative means of addressing a problem. To assist organisations in launching
co-branded cards and streamlining payments, CARD91 is a plug-and-play Payment
Issuance Infrastructure.
c)
The
organisation offers a smooth procedure for the introduction of co-branded
payment cards by handling compliance, legislation, infrastructure, lending,
issuance, and customer care.
d)
CARD91
reduces launch time, cuts expenses, and offers real-time information on card
instruments.
Note: Yes Bank Founder: Rana Kapoor; Yes
Bank Chairman: Sunil Mehta; Yes Bank MD and CEO: Prashant Kumar
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1. Oracle introduced OCI dedicated
region for Indian market: US-based technology major Oracle Cloud Infrastructure
(OCI), Oracle’s cloud services platform, has introduced the ‘OCI dedicated
region’ for the Indian market. It will enable customers to leverage public
cloud services on their premises while meeting strict latency, data residency,
and data sovereignty requirements. According to the company, the OCI dedicated
region requires 60-75 per cent less data centre space and power on average,
with a significantly lower entry price of around $1 million a year for a
typical customer.
The new offering will allow Oracle to
deliver over 100 OCI public cloud services to customers within their premises,
which were earlier available only to public cloud consumers. It will also help
boost the adoption of public cloud in the public sector, banking and other
sectors that were so far restricted to do so due to regulatory and other
requirements.
Note: Oracle Founded: 16 June 1977; Oracle
Founder: Larry Ellison, Bob Miner, Ed Oates; Oracle Headquarters: Austin,
Texas, US; Oracle CEO: Safra Ada Catz.
DEFENCE
1. IAF to join Egyptian Air Force in
Tactical Leadership Program: The Indian Air Force announced that three
Su-30 MKI planes and two C-17 transport aircraft are taking part in a
month-long tactical leadership programme in Egypt. According to the statement,
the exercise offers a singular chance to highlight the IAF’s capabilities and
reach against the backdrop of the current geopolitical situation. In Egypt
(Cairo West Airbase), the Indian Air Force would send three Su-30MKI aircraft,
two C-17 aircraft, and 57 IAF personnel to the Egyptian Air Force Weapon School
to take part in a tactical leadership programme. The goal
of the exercise is to improve defence cooperation between the two nations and
exchange best practises. The Indian Air Force (IAF) stated that the initiative
will also give a chance to display the Su-30 MKI made in India as well as the
nation’s proficiency for further indigenization of spare parts and components.
DEFENCE UNICORN INSTITUTE – GANDHINAGAR |
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