Daily GK Update- 24th June, 2023

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. HM Amit Shah lays foundation stone of ‘Balidan Stambh’ in Srinagar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has laid the foundation stone of Balidaan Stambh' (martyr's memorial) at Pratap Park, near the Lal Chowk city centre the commercial hub of Srinagar city. Home Minister has laid the foundation stone in the presence of Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. The memorial, a project under the Srinagar Smart City, is a tribute to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the nation.

 

2. Paytm collaborates with Arunachal Pradesh to Foster Startup Ecosystem: Paytm Payment Services Limited signed an MoU with Arunachal Pradesh Innovation and Investment Park to create a startup ecosystem for the youth. Under an MoU, Paytm Incubation Centre will provide its product to early-stage startups at a discounted price. It also offers free credits through the Paytm Startup toolkit to aid youths' business ventures in their early growth stage. This will nurture the startup ecosystem in the state and motivate young entrepreneurs

 

3. IFFCO starts exporting world’s first Nano urea invented in India: IFFCO has started exporting the world’s first Nano urea invented and manufactured indigenously in India to the US. An agreement to export Nano urea was signed between IFFCO and Kapoor Enterprises Inc of California. The nano urea is a revolution in the agriculture sector as it has the potential to reduce storage space and money. A 500 ml bottle of IFFCO Nano Urea Liquid has the capacity to replace at least one bag of conventional Urea.

 

4. IIT Kanpur successfully conducts test flight for cloud seeding: IIT Kanpur has successfully conducted a test flight for cloud seeding. The project was initiated at IIT Kanpur a few years ago and is headed by Prof. Manindra Agrawal from the Computer Science and Engineering Department. The experiment was conducted with due approval from the DGCA. Cloud seeding involves the utilization of various chemical agents such as silver iodide, dry ice, common salt, and other elements with the aim of enhancing the probability of precipitation.

 

5. Narendra Tomar launches PM Kisan Mobile App with Face Authentication: The PM-Kisan Mobile App with Face Authentication Feature was launched by Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. Through this App, remote farmers can do e-KYC by scanning their faces without OTP or fingerprint. PM-Kisan is an innovative scheme whose benefits are being given by the central government to the farmers without any middlemen. PM-Kisan is a very comprehensive and ambitious scheme of the Central Government and due to the support of States, the Centre is in a position to pay the installment to about 8.5 crore farmers after the completion of their KYC. PM Kisan is one of the world’s largest DBT schemes in which farmers get six thousand rupees directly transferred through Aadhaar-linked bank accounts in three installments in a year. Two lakh 42 thousand crore rupees have been transferred to the accounts of more than 11 crore farmers till date.

6. Odisha cabinet approves Rs 1,000 cr for transforming Puri: The Odisha cabinet approved an additional outlay of over Rs 1,000 crore for the ABADHA Yojana. In 2019, the Odisha government allocated Rs 3208 crore under the Augmentation of Basic Amenities and Development of Heritage and Architecture (ABADHA) scheme in three years to transform Puri into a world heritage city. Now, the State government decided to raise the amount to Rs 4224.22 crore. Similarly, the Odisha cabinet also approved the implementation of the MMSY-Connecting Unconnected Villages in Difficult areas for a period of 2 years i.e. from 2023-24 to 2024-25 with an outlay of Rs 976 crore. The Cabinet has approved the execution of projects with a length of 361.34 km approximately targeted to be taken up in 2023-24 & 2024-25. The Odisha State Cabinet has also approved a projected outlay of Rs 3354.40 crore for the “Mukhyamantri Sampoorna Pushti Yojana (MSPY)”. The yojana is aimed at transforming nutrition outcomes of adolescent girls (15-19 years), pregnant women & lactating mothers, SAM, MAM, and severely underweight children of under 6 years of age across the state over a period of five years commencing from FY 2023-24.

 

7. IndiGo makes historic order for 500 Airbus planes worth USD 50 billion: India’s largest airline by market share, Indigo has placed an order for 500 Airbus A320 Family aircraft in the largest purchase agreement in aviation history. This historic deal is pegged at $50 billion at list prices and the airline will take delivery of these new aircraft between 2030 and 2035. The current order comprises a mix of A320 neo, A321 neo, and A321 xlr aircraft The engine selection for this order will be done in due course and so will be the exact mix of A320 and A321 aircraft. At the moment IndiGo operates over 300 aircraft and has previous orders totaling 480 aircraft which are expected to be delivered by the end of 2030. With this additional firm order of 500 aircraft for 2030-2035, IndiGo’s order book has almost 1,000 aircraft yet to be delivered well into the next decade. Currently, IndiGo operates flights to 26 international destinations, serving 75 international city pairs. With its fleet of over 300 aircraft, the airline is operating well over 1,800 daily flights connecting 78 domestic destinations.

 

8. Vitasta Mahotsav celebrated in J&K: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah addresses the Vitasta Mahotsav organized by the Ministry of Culture as the chief guest in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir. The objective of Vitasta Mahotsav is to acquaint the whole country with the great cultural heritage, diversity and uniqueness of Kashmir. The festival focuses on the folk beliefs associated with the Vitasta (Jhelum) river.

 

9. Umesh Kumar appoints as Chief of DERC: President Droupadi Murmu has appointed former Allahabad high court judge Umesh Kumar as the new chairman of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC). This appointment comes after justice (retired) Rajeev Kumar Shrivastava (Madhya Pradesh high court), who had been proposed for appointment as DERC chairperson by the GNCTD. The President of India has appointed him under the sub-section 2 of Section 84 of the Electricity Act, 2003.

 

10. GE Aerospace signs MoU with HAL to produce fighter jet engines: American firm General Electric has signed an MoU with India’s state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to produce fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force (IAF). The agreement includes the potential joint production of GE Aerospace’s F414 engines in India, and GE Aerospace continues to work with the US government to receive the necessary export authorisation for this. Once cleared, HAL will carry out the work at its Engine Division facility in Bengaluru and the co-production will not be through a joint venture. The F414 engines will be co-produced in India to power the Indian Air Force’s Light Combat Aircraft Mk2. Eight F414 engines have already been delivered as part of an ongoing development program for Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk2.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India, UAE signed a Mutual Recognition Arrangement: India and UAE formally inked an agreement on the sidelines of the 141st/142nd sessions of the World Customs Organization's Customs Co-operation Council meeting held in Brussels. Both countries have signed a Mutual Recognition Arrangement for Authorized Economic Operators. Aim: To promote greater trade facilitation and ease of doing business The agreement establishes a framework that enables the recognition of Authorized Economic Operators (AEOs) from both countries.

 

2. Google to invest 10 billion dollars in India's digitisation fund: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Amazon CEO Andrew Jassy, and Boeing CEO David Calhoun in Washington DC. After the meeting, it was informed that Google is investing 10 billion dollars in India's digitization fund and will open Google's global fintech operation centre in GIFT City, Gujarat. While Amazon CEO Andrew Jassy has already invested 11 billion dollars and with an intention to invest another 15 billion dollars.

 

3. Dr Vanessa Kerry appointed as WHO DG Special Envoy for Climate Change: WHO has appointed Dr Vanessa Kerry as the first-ever WHO Director-General Special Envoy for Climate Change and Health. She is a renowned global health expert and medical doctor and CEO of Seed Global Health. She will play a pivotal role in amplifying WHO's climate and health messaging and undertake high-level advocacy. Climate change is emerging as the greatest health challenge of the 21st century, impacting various aspects of human well-being.

 

4. Google Cloud launches anti-money-laundering tool for banks: Google Cloud has launched Anti Money Laundering AI (AML AI) to help financial institutions detect money laundering more effectively and efficiently. The product utilizes machine learning to assist banks and other financial institutions in meeting regulatory requirements for identifying and reporting suspicious activities. The tool is designed to aid global financial institutions to detect money laundering more effectively and efficiently. The risk score is based on the bank’s data including network behavior, and Know Your Customer (KYC) data.

 

5. Global Gender Gap Index 2023: India ranked 127; topped by Iceland: According to Gender Gap Report 2023, India has been ranked 127 out of 146 countries in Gender Gap Report 2023. In 2022, India was on 135. The Global Gender Gap Index was established in 2006 and this is its 17th edition. It is published annually by the World Economic Forum (WEF). Iceland has been ranked first as the most gender-equal country in the world for the 14th consecutive year with a score of 91.2%. While Norway ranked 2nd, followed by Finland and Sweden. Among India’s neighbouring countries, Pakistan is at 142, Bangladesh at 59, China at 107, Nepal at 116, Sri Lanka at 115, and Bhutan at 103. Iceland is the only country that has reduced the gender gap by more than 90%.

 

6. Ruby Sinha appointed as the President of BRICS CCI WE: Ruby Sinha has been appointed as the president of BRICS Chamber of Commerce and Industry Women’s Vertical (BRICS CCI WE) for a three-year term. Sinha takes over from Shabana Nasim, who has become the Executive Director of BRICS CCI and Chief Patron of BRICS CCI WE. An entrepreneur herself, Ruby Sinha is the founder of SheAtWork, a knowledge hub for women entrepreneurs, and Kommune Brand Communications. BRICS Chamber of Commerce and Industry works towards promoting active trade, commerce and entrepreneurship between the BRICS and other friendly nations. BRICS CCI is a parent organisation that promotes commerce and industry in the BRICS and other friendly nations. The chamber, founded in 2012, is a not-for-profit and non-governmental organisation. BRICS CCI is a registered body under the Societies Registration ‘Act 1860, Government of India and empanelled with Niti Aayog. The Women Vertical of BRICS CCI has been created with a prime focus on women empowerment initiatives and policies across geographies. The objective of the women’s wing is to create an enabling support system for women entrepreneurs and professionals across geographies.

 

7. 24 June – International Day of Women in Diplomacy: International Women’s Day in Diplomacy (IDWID) is observed annually on 24 June. It is a day to honor and recognize notable women in the field of diplomacy and decision-making globally. Theme 2023 – Breaking Barriers, Shaping the Future: Women in Diplomacy for Sustainable Development IDWID was created just last year, at the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which began on September 14, 2021 and concluded on September 13, 2022. The resolution was adopted by the UNGA on June 20, 2022. It recognised that as part of the 2030 SDG target, highlighting women’s contributions in diplomacy, the need for equal participation of women in decision-making was a vital need. To this end the UNGA declared June 24 as the International Day of Women in Diplomacy.

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Madhya Pradesh won13th Ind Junior Men National Championship: Hockey Madhya Pradesh won the 13th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2023 after defeating Hockey Chandigarh in the Final at the iconic Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium. Hockey Madhya Pradesh defeated Hockey Chandigarh by 4-2 in the Final. Meanwhile, Hockey Haryana defeated Hockey Association of Odisha to finish third in the competition. The goalscorers for Hockey Madhya Pradesh were Shreyas Dhupe (17’, 46’), Mohd Konain Dad (25’), and Ali Ahmad (52’). Meanwhile, Sumit (9′) and Surinder Singh (31′) scored for Hockey Chandigarh.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Manipal Technologies, Indian Bank joined hands to offer banking products: Manipal Technologies Limited (MTL) has partnered with the Indian Bank to drive financial inclusion by offering customized banking products. Aim: To build a sustainable network of corporate business correspondents (CBCs). It will enhance the availability, affordability, and accessibility of financial services, particularly in underserved markets and rural areas. MTL will work closely with Indian Bank to offer tailor-made banking products in rural locations.

 

2. RBI fines J&K Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, Axis Bank: The Reserve Bank has imposed a penalty of Rs 2.5 crore on Jammu and Kashmir Bank for non-compliance with directions related to time-bound implementation and strengthening of SWIFT-related operational controls. A penalty of Rs 1.45 crore was also imposed on Bank of Maharashtra for non-compliance with Loans and Advances Statutory and Other Restrictions' and Advisory on Man in the Middle Attacks in ATMs'. The RBI also imposed a penalty of Rs 30 lakh on Axis Bank. 

 

3. RBI imposes Rs 2.5 crore penalty on Jammu & Kashmir Bank, Axis Bank: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty on three private and public sector lenders. The central bank charged Jammu & Kashmir Bank with ₹2.5 crore penalty, while the Bank of Maharashtra faced a fine of ₹1.45 crore. Axis Bank received the least amount of penalty among them to the tune of ₹30 lakh. RBI imposed a ₹2.5 crore penalty on J&K Bank for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Creation of a Central Repository of Large Common Exposures-Across Banks. The RBI has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 1.45 crore on Bank of Maharashtra for non-compliance with specific directions issued by the RBI. Axis Bank has been levied a monetary penalty of Rs 30 lakh by the RBI for non-compliance with certain provisions of the RBI’s directions on Prudential Norms on Income Recognition, Asset Classification, and Provisioning pertaining to Advances – Credit Card Accounts.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Priya A.S. received Sahitya Akademi Award 2023 for children’s literature: Indian writer, Priya A S has been named the prestigious (Kendra) Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2023. She was awarded for children’s literature in Malayalam for her 2018 novel Perumazhayathe Kunjithalukal. She won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Children’s Literature for the same novel in 2020. The book was featured in the Sammanapothi series by Poorna Books.

Bal Sahitya Puraskar consists of a cash prize of Rs 50,000 and an engraved copper plaque.

 

2. Cristiano Ronaldo receives Guinness World Record award: Portuguese football player, Cristiano Ronaldo has received the Guinness World Record Award certificate to become the first men’s player to make 200 international appearances. He celebrated the milestone by scoring the winning goal in the 89th minute as Portugal beat Iceland in European Championship qualifying. He received a Guinness World Records certificate before the game. The closest to Ronaldo’s tally is Bader Al-Mutawa, who was capped by Kuwait on 196 occasions.