Daily GK Update- 26th June, 2023

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Telangana CM inaugurates Medha Rail Coach Factory at Sangareddy: Telangana Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) has inaugurated the Medha Rail Coach Factory in Sangareddy district. It is the largest private coach factory in India. Medha signed an MoU with the Government of Telangana in 2017. The objective of the MoU is to set up a coach factory in the state. The land was allotted by the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC). Medha and Swiss railway rolling stock manufacturer Stadler Rail signed a joint venture (JV) agreement. The joint venture Telangana unit is meant to cater to its tenders from the Indian market and exports from customers in the Asia Pacific region. The joint venture aims to serve tenders from the Indian market and export to the Asia Pacific region.

 

2. Amit Shah lays foundation stone of ‘Balidaan Stambh’ in Srinagar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has inaugurated the construction of the ‘Balidan Stambh’ in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.

The ‘Balidan Stambh’ is a part of the Srinagar Smart City project and serves as a tribute to martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the nation. The ‘Sacrifice Pillar’ is a monument that is being built as part of the Srinagar Smart City project.

 

3. Rajasthan govt brings PCTS mobile app to ensure better healthcare: The Rajasthan Government launched the Pregnancy, Child Tracking & Health Services Management System (PCTS) app to monitor the health of pregnant women, obstetricians, and infants online. The PCTS app allows every ASHA Sahyogini in the state to reach women and infants in their respective areas and file reports on a daily basis. The ASHA Sahyoginis can use the PCTS app to access information about various health-related services. This strengthens healthcare services for women and children and contributes to the improvement in the health of women and child.

The department officials can directly obtain progress reports by communicating with any ASHA or ANM in the state.

 

4. IIT-Madras proposes sports quota with aim to boost diversity: The IIT Madras has proposed a sports quota in IITs with an aim to boost diversity in the country’s premier engineering institutions and to provide an opportunity to students performing well in the field of sport at state, national, and international levels. Currently, the IITs don’t have a sports quota. Many of the country’s premium universities, including Delhi University, do. The council, the apex body of the IITs is now looking at what this would mean. “In this regard, detailed implementation modalities and timelines for academic session 2024-25 may be prepared in consultation with JEE Apex Board (JAB)). JAB is responsible for deciding guidelines for the conduct of JEE (Main) examination, and also coordinating the conduct of JEE (Advanced) exam for admissions to IITs.

 

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. International Day against Drug Abuse & Illicit Trafficking 2023: 26th June: The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is observed annually on June 26 to spread awareness about the ill effects of drug abuse. Various campaigns, rallies, and awareness programs are held worldwide on this day. This is observed to honour Lin Zexu, who played a key role in the demolition of the opium trade in the Guangdong region of China. 2023 theme: People first: stop stigma and discrimination, strengthen prevention

 

2. Global competitiveness index 2023 released: According to the Global competitiveness index 2023, published by International Institute for Management Development (IMD), India has ranked 40 out of 64 economies in its annual report. Denmark, Ireland, and Switzerland took the top three places. Switzerland ranked fourth, followed by the Netherlands, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Sweden, the USA, and UAE. The report uses a combination of surveys, statistical data, and trends to benchmark competitiveness around the world.

 

3. 8th Global Pharmaceutical Quality Summit 2023 held in Mumbai: Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers and Health & Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya addressed the 8th Global Pharmaceutical Quality Summit 2023 in Mumbai. The theme for the Summit was, ‘Patient Centricity: New Paradigm of Manufacturing and Quality’. The two-day Summit brought together industry leaders, global regulators, quality experts, and stakeholders to foster knowledge exchange and deliberate on areas of importance in shaping the pharmaceutical landscape in India. India played the role of pharmacy for the world during COVID-19 by ensuring an uninterrupted supply of quality medicines and vaccines to the world. The Indian pharmaceutical industry has demonstrated its potential both in terms of quality and quantity.

 

4. India and UAE signed a Mutual Recognition Arrangement for Authorized Economic Operators: India has signed a Mutual Recognition Arrangement with United Arab Emirates (UAE) for Authorized Economic Operators. The agreement was formally inked today on the sidelines of the 141st/142nd sessions of the World Customs Organization’s (WCO) Customs Co-operation Council meeting held in Brussels. The Mutual Recognition Arrangement establishes a framework that enables the recognition of Authorized Economic Operators (AEOs) from both countries. The Mutual recognition arrangement comes as the continuation of historic India-United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which was signed between the two nations on 18 February 2022 and officially came into force on 1 May 2022. CEPA is expected to increase the total value of bilateral trade in goods to over 100 billion US Dollars and trade in services to over 15 billion US Dollars within five years.

 

5. TIMES Asia Rankings 2023: IISc best among Indian universities: A total of eighteen Indian universities featured in the top 200 positions on the Times Higher Education’s (THE) annual Asia university rankings 2023. Overall, India has only one university in the top 50, about four in the top 100, and a total of 18 universities in the top 200. The Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, secured the 48th rank this year, becoming the best among Indian higher education institutions, despite falling six positions as compared to last year. As per the 11th edition of THE Asia University Rankings 2023 list, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysuru, secured the second highest position among Indian universities with 68th spot. Jamia Millia Islamia University ranked 128th on the list while Jawaharlal Nehru University, which ranked 167th in 2022, failed to secure a rank among the top 200. China’s Tsinghua University topped the rankings followed by Peking University and the National University of Singapore.

 

6. 25 June – International Day of the Seafarer: International Day of the Seafarer is observed every year on 25 June. This annual event aims to acknowledge the crucial role played by seafarers in international trade, the global economy, and society as a whole. Furthermore, it emphasizes their significant efforts in safeguarding the marine environment. Theme 2023 – MARPOL at 50 – Our commitment goes on The Day of the Seafarer was established through a resolution passed during the 2010 Diplomatic Conference in Manila, where the revised STCW Convention was adopted. The resolution encourages governments, shipping organizations, companies, shipowners, and other relevant parties to actively promote and appropriately celebrate this significant day.

 

7. 26 June – World Drug Day: The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking or World Drug Day is observed every year on June 26. It aims to strengthen action and cooperation against drug abuse to achieve a world free of this menace. Theme 2023 – People first: stop stigma and discrimination, strengthen prevention This year’s campaign aims to raise awareness on the importance of treating people with drug problems with respect and empathy.

The event began after the adoption of a resolution in December 1987 at the United Nations. The resolution recognized the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

 

8. 26 June – UN International Day In Support Of Victims Of Torture: United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture is celebrated every on June 26. According to the United Nations, torture exists in all parts of the world, despite the total ban under international law. According to all relevant instruments, it is absolutely prohibited and cannot be justified under any circumstances. The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment generally known as the Torture Agreement, entered into force on June 26, 1987. This was a step towards recognizing that torture is universally banned. Ten years later, on June 26, 1997, the United Nations General Assembly formally designated the day as the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture in order to help survivors and raise awareness about its effects.

 

 

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Hasaranga becomes first ODI spinner to take 3 consecutive 5-wicket hauls: Wanindu Hasaranga of Sri Lanka has achieved a remarkable feat in cricket by becoming the first spinner and second overall player in history to take three consecutive 5-wicket hauls in the One Day Internationals (ODIs). It was achieved, when Sri Lanka bundled out Ireland at 192 to secure the Super Six spot in ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Qualifiers match. He has placed himself equal to the legendary Pakistani bowler Waqar Younis.

 

2. Indian women's doubles pair clinches WTT Contender tournament title 2023: The Indian women's doubles pair of Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee won the 2023 World Table Tennis (WTT) Contender tournament in Tunis. The Indian pair won the title after beating the Japanese pair of Miyuu Kihara and Miwa Harimoto. The pair also became the first Indians to win a Contender title this year. Meanwhile, the Indian mixed doubles pair as well as the men's doubles duo had lost their respective semifinal matches.

 

3. Anurag Thakur flagged off “Bharat in Paris” campaign: Union Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur flagged off the campaign with a short marathon at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has launched the “Bharat in Paris” campaign to create awareness and promote sports across India ahead of the Paris Olympics games. The 2024 Olympics will be held in Paris, France, from July 26 to August 11. The Target Olympic Podium Scheme was launched in 2014-15 and the government bears all the expenses of boarding, lodging, and training of top athletes in their country and abroad. Recently the hockey junior teams, men and women both, won the Asia Cup, the shooters performed very well in the World Championship while the doubles pair of Satwik and Chirag reached sixth place in the world badminton rankings.

 

4. Cristiano Ronaldo sets Guinness World Record for 200 international caps: Cristiano Ronaldo set a Guinness World Record by achieving 200 international caps for Portugal. The legendary forward is making his 200th appearance for A Selecao das Quinas in their Euro 2024 qualifier against Iceland. The 38-year-old has broken another record and is the most-capped player in international football. Ronaldo is also the all-time top goalscorer in international football, with 122 goals in 200 games.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. ADB to provide 400 million US dollars in loans to Bangladesh: The Asian Development Bank has signed an agreement with Bangladesh to provide a 400 million US dollars loan for the construction of 102 km-long dual gauge railways between Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar to promote trade, investment, and tourism. Aim: To transport 2.9 million passengers annually between Chattogram and Cox's Bazar by 2024 Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar Railway is part of the Trans-Asia Railway network, an initiative led by the UN.

 

2. Infosys wins $454-million deal from Danske Bank: Infosys has bagged a $454-million deal for the digital transformation of Denmark’s Danske Bank. The deal is for a period of five years, which could be ramped up to $900 million and also renewed for up to another three years. The collaboration with Infosys would help achieve its strategic priorities regarding customer experience and operational excellence. Infosys was selected to help with the bank's technology transformation, optimize access to talent and capabilities.

 

3. Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance launches 'Nishchit Pension Plan': Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance Company Limited has launched 'Nishchit Pension Plan'. It is a non-linked, non-participating individual pension plan that enables the policyholders to plan for their retirement. Under this plan, the insurer provides accrued guaranteed additions during the policy term and loyalty addition at the end of the policy term. The policyholders will be able to accumulate a 100% guaranteed corpus at desired retirement age.

 

4. IOB signs MoU with the Tamil Nadu State Rural Livelihood Mission: Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu State Rural Livelihood Mission (TNSRLM) to foster the growth of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in the State and provide them with vital financial support. Under the terms of the MoU, TNSRLM will facilitate eligible SHGs for credit linkage with IOB. This strategic collaboration aims to streamline access to financial resources for SHGs, enabling them to undertake entrepreneurial activities, expand their ventures, and contribute to the economic development of the State. The collaboration is expected to catalyse the growth of SHGs targeting ₹1,875 crore and increase the disbursal under DAY-NRLM (Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission) during this fiscal, effectively doubling the impact of financial assistance.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. PM Modi conferred with Egypt’s highest state honour 'Order of the Nile': Egypt President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has conferred the ‘Order of the Nile’, the highest honour of Egypt to India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The ‘Order of the Nile’ was instituted in 1915, which is conferred upon heads of state, crown princes, and vice presidents who offer Egypt or humanity invaluable services. Over the last 9 years, PM Modi has received many international awards and this is the 13th highest state honour conferred upon PM Modi.

 

2. Singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan receives honorary doctorate in UK: Noted singer and music composer, Shankar Mahadevan was conferred with an honorary doctorate by Birmingham City University (BCU) in London, England. Reason: To celebrate his contribution to music and the arts He was honoured by the BCU Vice-Chancellor Professor Philip Plowden at the ceremony. He was accompanied by fellow musicians Zakir Hussain and John McLaughlin at the ceremony. He is best known for songs like 'Breathless', 'Mitwa' and 'Lakshya'.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Nobel laureate John Bannister Goodenough passes away: Co-inventor of lithium-ion batteries and co-winner of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, John Bannister Goodenough passed away at 101. He shared the 2019 Nobel Prize with Stan Whittingham, a British-American scientist, for discovering that lithium may be held within sheets of titanium sulphide. He was also instrumental in the invention of computer RAM (Random Access Memory). He also worked at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Oxford University.