Daily GK Update- 3rd July, 2023

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. HM Amit Shah inaugurates ‘Akshar River Cruise’ on Sabarmati Riverfront: Union Minister for Home and Cooperation Amit Shah has virtually launched the ‘Akshar River Cruise’ on Sabarmati Riverfront. This cruise was developed by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation Limited. It is the first passenger catamaran built in the country under Make in India at a cost of Rs 15 crore with twin engines where 165 passengers can travel safely for one-and-a-half hours Impact: It will boost Gujarat’s tourism

 

2. ICG, Indian Navy, and Indian Port Rail & Ropeway Corporation signed MoU: Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy signed an MoU with Indian Port Rail & Ropeway Corporation Ltd for the planning, development, construction, and commissioning of a gallery on the theme “Evolution of Indian Navy & Indian Coast Guard”. The Government of India is building the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) at the historic Indus Valley civilization region of Lothal (Gujarat) under the aegis of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways. 

 

3. HM approves release of ₹6,194 crore disaster relief fund to 19 States: Union Home Minister Amit Shah approved the release of Rs 6,194.40 crore to 19 states under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). The amount includes Rs 1,209.60 crore as a central share of the SDRF to four states (Chhattisgarh, Meghalaya, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh) for 2022-23. Rs 4,984.80 crore will also be given to 15 states (Andhra Pradesh, AP Assam, Bihar, Goa, Haryana, HP, Kerala, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Odisha, Punjab, TN, and Tripura)

 

4. Nine Nano Urea plants to be set up across the country by 2025: Chemical Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya has said that the country is aiming to manufacture 44 crore bottles of Nano Urea annually by the year 2025. He highlighted the merits of Nano Urea saying that the urea absorption rate by crops is 80% in the case of Nano Urea whereas the traditional urea absorption rate is only 30%. Nano Urea is cost-effective and demonstrated an increase in crop yield. America and several other countries have evinced interest in Nano Urea.

 

5. Tamil Nadu emerges as India’s top electronics exporter in 2023: Tamil Nadu has become India’s Top Electronics Exporter of 2023 with the export worth USD 37 billion while Uttar Pradesh was second. Companies like Tata Electronics and Pegatron starting production have helped Tamil Nadu overtake three states – Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra – to become India’s top exporter of electronic goods in FY23. In 2020-21, of India’s total electronics goods export of $15.59 billion, Tamil Nadu’s share was 11.98 percent. However, this zoomed to 22.83 percent, out of a total value of $23.57 billion, according to Central government data. Tamil Nadu is now home to over 15 leading electronics manufacturers, including Foxconn, Tata Electronics, Salcomp and Pegatron.

 

6. Government to develop National Maritime Heritage Complex in Gujarat: A National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) will be developed in Lothal, Gujarat at a cost of Rs 4,500 crore under the government’s Sagarmala programme. NMHC would be developed as an international tourist destination at Lothal, where the maritime heritage of India from ancient to modern times would be showcased and an “edutainment approach” using the latest technology would be adopted to spread awareness about the country’s maritime heritage.

 

7. India’s first indigenous nuclear reactor starts operation in Gujarat: India’s first indigenously developed 700 MW nuclear power reactor at the Kakrapar Atomic Power Project (KAPP) in Gujarat started commercial operations. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) is building two 700 MW pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs) at Kakrapar, which is also home to two 220 MW power plants. Various commissioning activities were underway at KAPP 4, which had achieved 96.92 percent progress by May end. The NPCIL plans to build sixteen 700 MW PHWRs across the country and has granted financial and administrative sanction for the same. Construction of 700 MW nuclear power plants is underway at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan (RAPS 7 and 8) and at Gorakhpur in Haryana (GHAVP 1 and 2).

 

8. P M Prasad takes over as Coal India chairman: P M Prasad has been appointed as the new Chairman of Coal India Limited (CIL). He succeeds Pramod Agrawal who stepped down on 30 June. He has over 30-year experience in the coal mining sector and is a post-graduate in mining engineering from the Indian School of Mines IIT Dhanbad. Prasad began his CIL career in 1984 as a management trainee at Western Coalfields Limited and served in different capacities across different CIL’s subsidiaries. He also had a three-year stint in NTPC as Executive Director (coal mining).

 

9. Ajit Pawar sworn in as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader, Ajit Pawar took oath as the Deputy chief minister of Maharashtra after joining the Eknath Shinde-led government. He is the son of Sharad Pawar’s elder brother Anantrao. He made his first foray into politics by being elected to the board of a sugar cooperative in 1982.

In 1991, Ajit became the chairman of Pune District Cooperative Bank, a post he served for the next 16 years. Elected as an MP to the Lok Sabha from Baramati in 1991, Ajit later vacated the seat for Sharad Pawar who was the defence minister in the P.V. Narasimha Rao government. He later went on to become a Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Baramati Assembly Before the ceremony, Ajit submitted a letter of support of 35 NCP MLAs to Governor Ramesh Bais.

 

10. Tushar Mehta reappointed as Solicitor General of India: Senior advocate Tushar Mehta was re-appointed as the Solicitor General of India for a term of three years. Mehta was appointed as Solicitor General on 10 October 2018 and since then he had been granted extension twice. Besides Mehta, six Additional Solicitors General for the Supreme Court were also re-appointed for a period of three years. Six ASGs who were re-appointed for the top court are Vikramjit Banerjee, K M Nataraj, Balbir Singh, S V Raju, N Venkataraman and Aishwarya Bhati. Additional Solicitors General Chetan Sharma for Delhi High Court, Satya Pal Jain for Punjab and Haryana High Court, Devang Girish Vyas for Gujarat High Court and Krishna Nandan Singh for Patna High Court were also re-appointed for a period of three years.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. International Plastic Bag Free Day 2023: 3rd June: International Plastic Bag Free Day is observed annually on July 3 to raise awareness about the harmful impacts of single-use plastic bags on the environment. The initiative was started by the Bag Free World campaign, a global movement. Aim: To reduce the use of single-use plastic bags that inspired other parts of the world to participate in Plastic Bag Free Day There is no specific theme for International Plastic Bag Free Day 2023.

 

2. 3 July – International Plastic Bag Free Day: International Plastic Bag Free Day is celebrated every year on July 3. Objective – To increase public awareness of the damaging effects that single-use plastic bags have on the environment. On July 3, 2008, Rezero, a member of Zero Waste Europe (ZWE), initiated the inaugural International Plastic Bag Free Day. In its first year, the occasion was only observed in Catalonia. However, a year later, ZWE introduced the European Union to the International Plastic Bag Free Day.

 

3. 2 July – World Sports Journalists Day: World Sports Journalists Day is observed every year on 2 July. The purpose of the occasion is to support those who promote different forms of sports, spreading the culture among the general masses. In 1994, the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) established World Sports Journalist Day, the day commemorates the formation of AIPS as an organization on July 2 during the Summer Olympics in Paris. Over the years, numerous sports media professionals have been honored for their accomplishments on this special day.

 

4. 2 July – World UFO Day: World UFO Day is observed every year on 2 July. It aims to promote the gathering of people who are interested in observing the skies for unidentified flying objects (UFOs). On July 2, 1952, a significant event took place in Washington, D.C., involving multiple sightings of unidentified flying objects (UFOs). These sightings were not only reported by numerous individuals but were also confirmed by radar operators and witnessed by experienced pilots. World UFO Day was officially established in 2001 by Haktan Akdoğan, a Turkish UFO researcher. Initially, it was celebrated on June 24 to commemorate the first widely reported UFO sighting in the United States.

 

 

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Max Verstappen wins Austrian GP 2023: Red Bull's driver Max Verstappen has clinched the Austrian Grand Prix 2023, held at the Red Bull Ring, Spielberg in Austria. Ferrari driver, Charles Leclerc has ranked second, while Red Bull's Sergio Pérez placed third in the Austrian Grand Prix 2023. Previous GP 2023 winners:

·       Canadian GP: M. Verstappen (Red Bull)

·       Spanish GP: M. Verstappen (Red Bull)

·       Monaco GP: M. Verstappen (Red Bull)

·       Miami GP: M. Verstappen

·       Azerbaijan GP: S. Pérez (Red Bull)

 

2. Indian wins Gold and Bronze medals at the Asian Squash Mixed Doubles 2023: India's squash players, Dipika Pallikal Karthik and Harinderpal Singh Sandhu, showcased their excellence by clinching the gold medal at the Asian Squash Mixed Doubles Championships in Huangzhou. India's campaign at the championship saw another shining moment as Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh partnered together to claim a bronze medal. They faced a tough semifinal battle against Malaysia's Ivan Yuen and Rachel Arnold.

 

3. Olympian Neeraj Chopra wins Lausanne Diamond League 2023: Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra obtained the top spot in Lausanne Diamond League 2023 with a best throw of 87.66 m.

He opened his account with a throw of 83.52m in his second attempt, which put him in third place behind Julian Weber (86.20m) and Jakub Vadlejch (84.71m). Chopra won his first Diamond League Trophy when he won the Lausanne League in August 2022. He went on to win the Diamond League Trophy in the final in 2022. The Tokyo Olympic gold medallist had won the Diamond League meeting in Doha on May 5 with a throw of 88.67 meters.

 

4. Shreyanka Patil becomes first player to be signed up for Women’s CPL: Young spin bowler Shreyanka Patil has made history by becoming the first Indian cricketer to be signed for the Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL). Patil is also the first Indian player to be offered a contract in an overseas league before making her international debut. Shreyanka Patil made a name for herself when she was selected for Royal Challenger’s Bangalore (RCB) in the inaugural edition of the WPL. In the 7 matches she played for RCB, the all-rounder took 6 wickets and scored 62 runs. Patil has been selected for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the WCPL, which will be held from 31 August to 10 September.

 

 

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. SBI gives ₹22 crore to IIT-Bombay for data analytics, AI capabilities: The State Bank of India (SBI), through its CSR arm SBI Foundation, has pledged a grant of ₹22.5 crore to the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B). Reason: To establish a Banking Data and Analytics Hub at IIT-B The focus of the Hub will be to address the unique challenges faced by the Indian banking and financial services sector. The collaboration aims to leverage SBI's extensive experience in banking and IIT Bombay's research expertise.

 

2. India's External Debt reaches $624.7 billion in End-March 2023: India's external debt has increased marginally to $624.7 billion annually in end-March 2023, although the debt-GDP ratio declined The external debt increased by $5.6 billion from $619.1 billion at end-March 2022. Valuation gains due to the appreciation of the US dollar compared to the Indian rupee and major currencies were placed at $20.6 billion. Excluding the valuation effect, external debt would have increased by $26.2 billion instead of $5.6 billion in March 2023.

 

3. SBI’s chief financial officer Charanjit Surinder Singh Attra resigns: State Bank of India (SBI)’s chief financial officer, Charanjit Surinder Singh Attra has resigned. Attra, who took on the role on October 2, 2020, had previously worked as a Partner at EY India and held a senior executive position at ICICI Securities. Before Attra, the CFO position was held by Prashant Kumar, who moved to Yes Bank as part of a rescue plan led by SBI. SBI also appointed four directors on the bank’s central board for a period of three years. Ketan Shivji Vikamsey and Mrugank Madhukar Paranjape, have been re-elected. while, other two directors who have appointed are Rajesh Kumar Dubey and Dharmendra Singh Shekhawat.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Michael Rosen wins 2023 year’s PEN Pinter Prize: Michael Rosen has been awarded the prestigious PEN Pinter Prize 2023 for his work in poetry and literature for children. Rosen is known for making poetry accessible to children through his work and performances, and his themes are often social, political, and ethical. Michael Rosen is one of our most tenacious and fearless writers. He is one of our most significant contemporary poets writing for young people.

In over 140 books, he has championed a way of writing for children which reflects their everyday worlds, using humour and wordplay to validate their imaginative ways of thinking and being, and which has informed his succinct interventions into the lifeless way that children are taught literacy in schools…” Rosen’s first book of children’s poems, Mind Your Own Business, came out in 1974. At present, he is a professor of children’s literature at Goldsmiths, University of London.

 

 

 

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Alan Arkin, Oscar-winning 'Little Miss Sunshine' actor, dies: Alan Arkin, the wry character actor who demonstrated his versatility in comedy and drama as he received four Academy Award nominations and won an Oscar in 2007 for "Little Miss Sunshine," has died. In recent years he starred opposite Michael Douglas in the Netflix comedy series "The Kominsky Method," a role that earned him two Emmy nominations. He also directed the film version of Jules Feiffer's 1971 dark comedy "Little Murders".