Daily Current Affairs - Week 25, 2023 (19 Jun 2023 - 25 Jun 2023)
Generated by AllJobAlerts on 19 June 2026
Weekly Current Affairs
- Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath renames U.P prison as Reform House
Weekly Current Affairs
- India’s biggest natural arch formed 184 million years ago discovered in Odisha by GSI
- SpaceX launches SATRIA-1 communications satellite for Indonesia
- ISRO to use telescope designed by Pune scientists to monitor Sun
Weekly Current Affairs
- World Refugee Day 2023: 20 June
- International Yoga Day 2023 celebrated on June 21
- World Music Day 2023 celebrated on 21st June
- National Yoga Olympiad organized in Madhya Pradesh for the first time outside the national capital Delhi
Weekly Current Affairs
- Indian Navy conducts “Julley Ladakh", an outreach programme to engage with youth and civil society
- 3rd of eight ships of the ASW Shallow Water Craft 'Anjadeep' launched at Chennai
- Indian Army contingent participates in Multinational Joint Exercise ‘Ex Khaan Quest 2023' in Mongolia
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh gifted an indigenously built in-service Missile Corvette, INS Kirpan, to Vietnam
Weekly Current Affairs
- Ramachandra Guha’s book ‘Rebels Against the Raj’ wins Elizabeth Longford Prize for Historical Biography
- Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar presents National Water Awards in New Delhi; Madhya Pradesh tops in Best State category
- Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced to start Rajasthan Sahitya Protsahan Puraskar to honour the state's litterateurs
- Gandhi Peace Prize for year 2021 to be conferred on Gita Press Gorakhpur, Jury headed by PM Modi selected Gita Press
- Grammy Awards added 3 new categories to the 2024 awards show to recognize African music, pop dance and alternative jazz
- NTPC Barauni secures First Rank at 4th National Water Awards, in Best Industry Category
- Paddler Mudit Dani scripts history, becomes first Indian to bag NCTTA Male Athlete of Year award
- Arundhati Roy wins the 2023 European Essay Prize for lifetime achievement
- Author Salman Rushdie awarded prestigious German prize for literary work and resolve
- IOC awards Olympic Order to WHO chief Tedros
Weekly Current Affairs
- Two-time Oscar-winning actress and politician Glenda Jackson passes away at 87
Weekly Current Affairs
- Renowned Real Estate Expert, Ashwinder R Singh Launches "Master Residential Real Estate" - A Game-Changing Book for Homebuyers and Real Estate Professionals
- PM Modi Co-Wrote A Song With Grammy Winner Falu On The Benefits Of Millets,named 'Abandons in Millets'
- World’s largest Ramayan temple construction starts in Bihar
Weekly Current Affairs
- Gopichand Hinduja takes over as Group Chairman after Srichand Hinduja's death
- Axis Bank appoints former RBI Deputy Governor, N.S. Vishwanathan as Non-Executive (Part-time) Chairman
- RBI approves re-appointment of Vasudevan P N as MD and CEO of Equitas Small Finance Bank
- Senior IPS officer Ravi Sinha appointed new RAW chief
- Kamal Kishore Chatiwal takes over as Managing Director of Indraprastha Gas Ltd
- Indian Economic Trade Organization (IETO) appoints Nutan Roongta as Director of USA East Coast
- Govt appoints SBI MD Janakiraman as Reserve Bank of India (RBI) deputy governor with 3-year tenure
- Sumit Seth appointed India's next ambassador to Panama
Weekly Current Affairs
- Asia Cup 2023 to be played in the hybrid model in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Pakistan to host 4 matches, Sri Lanka gets 9 matches in hybrid model
- Pakistan Batter Nahida Khan Retires From International Cricket
- Egypt retains World Squash Championship by beating Malaysia 2-1 in the final
- India's first-ever Women's Kabaddi League (WKL) commenced in Dubai on June 16
- Max Verstappen wins Canadian Grand Prix and gives Red Bull 100th victory
- India crowned Intercontinental Cup champions
- Bhavani Devi becomes first Indian to win bronze medal at Asian Fencing Championships in China
- Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty script history by winning Men's doubles title of Indonesia Open
- Goa CM Pramod Sawant launches mascot for upcoming 37th National Games
- Tajinderpal Singh Toor sets new Asian shot put record at Inter-State Championships in Bhubaneswar
- Wyndham Clark beats Rory McIlroy to win US Open for first major title
- Germany unveils a teddy bear as the mascot for Euro 2024
- Pramod Bhagat wins silver, two bronze medals in Canada Para-Badminton International 2023
- Ronaldo becomes first man to play 200 international matches
Weekly Current Affairs
- Shri Dharmendra Pradhan flags off Gabon’s first Agri-SEZ Project
- Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society renamed as Prime Ministers' Museum and Library Society
- Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) releases National Time Release Study 2023 report
- Electronic signage system installed in the court premises of high courts of the country, i.e. Justice Clock
- Union Heavy Industries Minister Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey launched "Dudh Sankalp Sathi Mobile App"
- Jammu tops table of District Good Governance Index 3.0 in J&K
- PM Modi talks of Miyawaki forests in Mann ki Baat
- Bihar to host two days G-20 Labour Engagement summit on June 22
- India climbs eight places to 127 in global gender index
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurates Integrated Simulator Complex at Southern Naval Command
- North India’s first skin bank opens in Safdarjung Hospital
Weekly Current Affairs
- PM Narendra Modi to lead International Yoga Day celebrations at U.N. headquarters on June 21
- Japan Raises Consent Age from 13 to 16 in Reforms to Sex Crime Legislation
- Nusrat Choudhury becomes first Muslim woman federal judge in US history
- Oman becomes first foreign country to promote itself through Yoga
- United Nations (UN) adopts first ‘historic’ treaty to protect high seas
- Alibaba names new chairman and CEO
- US-India Business Council organises INDUS X Summit
- Estonia becomes first Baltic nation to legalise same-sex marriage
- Finnish parliament elects conservative Petteri Orpo as PM
Karnataka launches free power scheme, 'Griha Jyoti Yojana'
- Karnataka government has launched a free power scheme named ‘Gruha Jyothi scheme’ for providing free electricity up to 200 units a month.
- The scheme also extends to tenants living on rent if their electricity consumption matches the scheme’s criteria.
- Registration to the scheme is done on the Seva Sindhu portal under a special custom-made page.
- The E-governance department has made the registration process very simple. The consumer must enter the electricity bill’s customer ID, their Aadhar number, and mobile number.
- The registration simultaneously started at Karnataka One, Grama One and Bengaluru One centre across the state.
- The beneficiaries will get a ‘zero bill’ starting August 1 if usage is within their entitlement.
India Conducts Massive Military Exercise- Agneyastra 1
- The Indian Army has concluded a massive military exercise Agneyastra 1 in eastern Ladakh.
- The exercise witnessed the deployment of IdeaForge's indigenous 'Switch' unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
- Agneyastra means firearms in Hindi.
- Artillery platforms of the Indian army such as the newly-inducted Korean K-9 Vajra-T 155mm/52 calibre self-propelled howitzer (SPH), FH-77 Bofors 155mm/39 calibre towed howitzer and mortars were a part of the Exercise Agneyastra-1.
- Anti-tank missiles and Carl Gustav rocket launchers (RLs) also participated in the exercise Agneyastra 1.
- Ideaforge’s Switch UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), a fixed wing and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) Hybrid UAV, was used to provide the real time imagery of the exercise area.
Acharya Gopi to be conferred with Prof. Jayashankar Award
- Eminent poet, literary critic, and Sahitya Akademi Award recipient, Acharya N. Gopi has been selected for Kothapalli Jayashankar Award instituted by Bharat Jagruthi, a cultural organization and extended arm of Bharat Rashtra Samithi.
- The award would be presented to Acharya Gopi at an event to be organized at Telangana Saraswatha Parishath in Abids.
- The award has been instituted earlier this year for honouring the littérateurs every year.
- Acharya Gopi has so far penned 56 books including 26 compilations of poems, 7 compilations of essays, 5 translations and 3 research books.
- His books were translated to several Indian languages as also into foreign languages such as German, Persian, Russian and others.
- He worked as the Vice-Chancellor of Telugu University and acted as the in-charge V-C of Kakatiya and Dravida Universities in the past.
President Droupadi Murmu presents National Florence Nightingale Awards 2022-23
- President Droupadi Murmu presented the National Florence Nightingale Awards for the years 2022 and 2023 to nursing professionals at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
- The President presented the prestigious award to a total of 30 health associates.
- Out of the total awardees, there were 10 Auxiliary Nurses and Midwives (ANM), 4 lady health visitors and 16 nurses.
- The National Florence Nightingale Award was instituted by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in the year 1973 as a mark of recognition for the meritorious services rendered by the nurses and nursing professionals to the society.
Star Alliance Named World's Best Airlines Alliance at Skytrax
- Star Alliance has once again been awarded the prestigious the title of World’s Best Airlines Alliance at famous Skytrax World Airline Alliance Awards 2023.
- Star Alliance CEO Theo Panagiotoulias received the awards for World’s Best Airlines Alliance.
- Star Alliance, the winner of Skytrax World’s Best Airlines Alliance 2023, offers the widest network in the sky.
- Star Alliance has also launched industry-first innovations.
- The Skytrax World Airline Awards are known as “the Oscars of the aviation industry”, as they are decided through impartial international customer voting.
- This year, 20.23 million eligible entries were counted in a survey that ran from September 2022 to March 2023. It was represented by passengers with over 100 nationalities.
- The survey was also provided in six major international languages. Since its introduction in the award categories in 2005, Star Alliance has won the World’s Best Airline Alliance multiple times.
Vistara awarded best airline in India and South Asia for third consecutive year
- Vistara moved four places up and ranked 16th worldwide from last year at the 2023 World Airline Awards by Skytrax.
- The joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines is the only Indian carrier to feature in World’s Top 20 Airlines list for the second time in a row.
- The airline won the 'Best Airline in India and South Asia' award for the third consecutive year and ‘Best Airline Staff in India and South Asia’ for the fifth straight time, ‘Best Cabin Crew in India and South Asia’ for the third consecutive year and ‘Best Business Class Airline in India and South Asia’.
- The award ceremony took place at the Paris Air Show 2023. The airline also secured the eighth position, moving up by one rank from last year, for the ‘Best Airlines in Asia 2023’.
- It ranked 19th in the rankings for ‘World's Best Airline Cabin Crew 2023’ and 20th in the category of ‘World’s Best Inflight Entertainment 2023’.
Anil Ambani's Reliance Group appoints Parul Sharma as group president effective 20 June
- Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group has appointed Parul Sharma as the group president, effective 20 June.
- Sharma comes with a wealth of experience as a communications strategist.
- Prior to Parul, the post was held by her husband Anthony Jesudasan alias Tony Jesudasan, who served the Reliance Group for nearly 40 years.
- He passed away in February this year, after which his wife Parul Sharma has now been entrusted with this responsibility by the company.
Hasmukh Adhia appointed Chairman, GIFT City
- Senior retired bureaucrat and former Union Finance Secretary & Revenue Secretary, Hasmukh Adhia, has been appointed Chairman of GIFT City Ltd, the entity responsible for developing India’s first smart city Gujarat International Finance-Tec City in Gandhinagar.
- As GIFT City Chairman, Adhia replaces Sudhir Mankad, former chief secretary of Gujarat.
- Besides GIFT City, Adhia has also been appointed Director and Chairman of the boards of State public sector undertakings Gujarat Alkalies & Chemicals Ltd (GACL) and Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation Ltd (GMDC) with immediate effect.
- Adhia, a Gujarat cadre IAS officer of the 1981 batch, currently serves as an advisor to the Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
- He was part of the panel appointed by the Gujarat government to recommend measures for the post-Covid economic revival of the State.
- At present Adhia is a non-executive Chairman of Bank of Baroda, and also the Chancellor of Central University of Gujarat.
- He serves as a member of the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore.
- He also serves as Vice-President in Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute (GERMI) and Pandit Deendayal Energy University, Gandhinagar.
India’s first mRNA-based Omicron-specific booster vaccine approved
- India’s first indigenous mRNA vaccine for the Omicron variant, GEMCOVAC-OM, developed by Pune-based Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd, was approved under emergency use guidelines by the Drug Controller General of India .
- This comes a year after the company got approval for GEMCOVAC-19, the country’s first m-RNA vaccine against COVID-19.
- The vaccine is the first booster Covid-19 vaccine developed in India against the highly transmissible Omicron variant and has demonstrated robust immune responses in phase 3 clinical trials.
- It is stable at two to eight degrees Centigrade and has been developed using Gennova's indigenous platform technology, supported under 'Mission Covid Suraksha'.
- The Indian ‘Covid-19 Vaccine Development Mission’ by DBT’s dedicated mission implementation unit at BIRAC, for further clinical development and scale-up of the prototype vaccine, which received EUA on June 29, 2022.”
Fitch raises India's GDP forecast to 6.3% for current fiscal year
- Fitch Ratings revised upwards its FY24 economic growth forecast for India to 6.3 per cent from 6 per cent it had predicted earlier.
- The growth forecast compares with 7.2 per cent GDP expansion in FY23. In the previous fiscal year (FY22), the economy had grown 9.1 per cent.
- Fitch had in March lowered its forecast for 2023-24 to 6 per cent from 6.2 per cent citing headwinds from elevated inflation and interest rates along with subdued global demand.
- For 2024-25 and 2025-26 fiscal years, it estimated a growth of 6.5 per cent each.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has kept policy rates at 6.5 per cent since the start of the year, while headline inflation eased from a peak of 7.8 per cent to 4.3 per cent in May, a figure that is already within the RBI’s tolerance band of 2-6 per cent.
- Wholesale price index based inflation (WPI) has also fallen to its lowest in more than seven years to (-) 3.48 per cent in May.
The National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) marked its 20th Foundation Day
- National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) celebrated its 20th Foundation Day on 19th June.
- The day reaffirms NIXI's unwavering dedication towards building India's Internet infrastructure.
- NIXI's primary objective is to increase Internet penetration and adoption in India.
- It achieves this by focusing on facilitating infrastructure aspects related to the Internet.
- NIXI is a not-for-profit organization registered on 19th June 2003 underSection 8 of the Companies Act 2013.
- It operates under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in India.
UNDP partners with DAY-NULM towards empowering women entrepreneurs
- The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) entered into a collaborative partnership aimed at empowering women to make well-informed career choices in the field of entrepreneurship.
- The objective of this partnership is to empower women to make career choices in the field of entrepreneurship.
- The partnership aims to provide support to women who are interested in starting or expanding their own enterprises.
- UNDP and DAY-NULM will jointly engage in on-ground mobilization activities that involve identifying pockets of urban poverty and potential entrepreneurs, as well as facilitating access to Business Development Services.
- The DAY-NULM has an aim to uplift the urban poor by enhancing sustainable livelihood opportunities through skill development.
Vienna becomes world's most livable city
- Austria’s Vienna has come up top again as the best city to live in globally, according to a report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
- The list contains the names of 173 cities around the world that have been ranked based on a number of significant factors, including health care, education, stability, infrastructure and the environment.
- Five cities from India - Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Chennai, New Delhi and Mumbai - are also in the list based on their performance in various metrics.
- After Vienna, Denmark's Copenhagen is placed second, retaining its position. Australia's Melbourne and Sydney are also on the list, ranked third and fourth.
- Osaka in Japan has secured the 10th position.
- From India, New Delhi and Mumbai are at 141st position and Chennai at 144th. Ahmedabad and Bengaluru are ranked 147 and 148, respectively, in the EIU list.
- Damascus is the least liveable city in the index for more than a decade, according to EIU. Kyiv, which is trying to protect itself from the war, also features in the bottom 10.
IOC awards Olympic Order to WHO chief Tedros
- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has presented the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, with the Olympic Order for his inspirational role in ensuring the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 took place despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
- The award ceremony was held at Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland.
- At the same time, the IOC honoured the WHO, as an organisation, with the Olympic Cup for 2021.
- Leading the WHO, Dr Tedros played an inspirational role in ensuring the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 took place, and supported the cooperation agreement between the IOC and the WHO signed in 2020.
- In addition, President Bach extended an invitation to Dr. Tedros to be a distinguished guest of honor at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
North India’s first skin bank opens in Safdarjung Hospital
- North India’s first Skin Bank has been inaugurated at New Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital.
- It is a bank where deceased donors can donate their skin which will be helpful in treating burns.
- The skin can be donated within six hours of death and utilized for burns and trauma patients after processing.
- There are a total of 16 skin banks in the country where the skin of dead persons can be donated.
- Out of the 16 skin banks, seven are located in Maharashtra, four in Chennai, three in Karnataka, and one each in Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.
- These skin banks are spread across different regions of the country.
- Maharashtra has the highest number of skin banks, with a total of seven.
World’s largest Ramayan temple construction has started in Bihar
- Construction work began on June 20 for the “world’s largest Ramayan temple” in Bihar’s East Champaran district.
- Former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and secretary of the Patna-based Mahavir Temple Trust, Acharya Kishor Kunal, along with former Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court, Justice S. N. Jha, and others, laid the foundation stone.
- The construction of the three-storeyed Viraat Ramayan temple will be completed by the end of 2025 at an estimated cost of ₹500 crore.
- The temple will be taller than the 12th century Angkor Wat temple complex at Cambodia.
- The temple will be constructed in 3.76 lakh sq. ft. land in the Kaithwalia-Bahuara villages under the Kalyanur block on Kesaria-Chakia road in East Champaran district, about 120 km from the State capital, Patna.
- The temple will have 12 domes, the highest of which will be 270 ft tall, and 22 sanctum sanctorum for different deities.
- The Ramayan temple's architecture is inspired by three temples which include —the Angkor Wat complex in Cambodia, the Ramanathaswami temple in Rameshwaram, and the Meenakshi Sundareshwarar temple in Madurai.
Alibaba names new chairman and CEO
- Alibaba Group has announced that co-founder Joe Tsai is taking over as chairman, while Eddie Wu, currently chairman of ecommerce businesses Taobao and Tmall Group, has been appointed CEO.
- Current Alibaba Group chairman and CEO Daniel Zhang will focus on the tech giant’s cloud business as chairman and CEO of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group, which is gearing up for an initial public offering.
- All changes will take effect on September 10.
- Zhang took over as CEO in 2015 and chairman in 2019, steering Alibaba through a transition period after founder Jack Ma stepped down in 2019.
- Tsai, who is also owner of the Brooklyn Nets basketball franchise, is currently Alibaba’s executive vice chairman.
Sumit Seth appointed India's next ambassador to Panama
- Sumit Seth, an Indian Foreign Service officer of the 2005 batch, has been appointed as India's next ambassador to Panama.
- Sumit Seth is presently posted as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.
- Earlier, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Yangon, Myanmar. He was also posted at India’s Missions in Madrid, Bogota, and UN Geneva.
- Before joining the diplomatic career, he worked as a medical doctor and specialised in Forensic Medicine and Medical Jurisprudence.
Pramod Bhagat wins silver, two bronze medals in Canada Para-Badminton International 2023
- India's ace shuttler Pramod Bhagat won a silver medal in Men's Singles, a bronze medal in Mixed Doubles and a bronze medal in Men's Doubles with Sukant Kadam at the recently-concluded Canada Para-Badminton International 2023.
- Pramod's silver medal came in men's singles event while the two bronze medals were in mixed doubles and men's doubles events.
- In the mixed doubles, Bhagat combined with Manisha Ramadass to claim a bronze. The Indian duo lost to the Indonesian pair of Fredy Setiawan and Khalimatus Sadiyah.
Ronaldo becomes first man to play 200 international matches
- Portugal captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, has become the first men’s footballer to play 200 international matches, by featuring in their European Championship qualifier away to Iceland.
- Ronaldo made his international debut in 2003.
- The 38-year-old is also the leading scorer in men’s international football with 122 goals.
- The Al Nassr forward Ronaldo is also the only man in history to have played in five different European Championship tournaments.
- At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Ronaldo became the first male football player to score in five different World Cups.
- A five-time Ballon d’Or winner, Ronaldo has two major honours with Portugal — he led his country to success at Euro 2016 and the inaugural UEFA Nations League three years later.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurates Integrated Simulator Complex at Southern Naval Command
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on June 21 inaugurated the Integrated Simulator Complex (ISC) 'Dhruv' at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi.
- The Integrated Simulator Complex hosts state-of-the-art indigenously-built simulators which will significantly enhance practical training in the Indian Navy.
- These simulators are envisaged to give real-time experience on navigation, fleet operations and Naval tactics and will also be utilised for training personnel from friendly nations.
- The Ship Handling Simulators produced by ARI Pvt Ltd have been exported to 18 countries while the Astronavigation Dome developed by Infovision Technologies Pvt Ltd is the first of its kind in the Indian Navy.
- Some of the other indigenously developed simulators in the Complex include Combat Management System and Maritime Domain Awareness Lab.
Finnish parliament elects conservative Petteri Orpo as PM
- Petteri Orpo, the leader of the conservative party in Finland, has been elected as the country’s prime minister by the parliament.
- Orpo will lead a coalition government comprising four parties, including the far-right Finns Party, which intends to implement strict measures on immigration.
- President Sauli Niinisto is set to officially appoint Petteri Orpo as the new prime minister, replacing Sanna Marin, whose Social Democrats came in third place in the elections, behind Orpo’s National Coalition Party (NCP) and the Finns Party.
- Finland is a Nordic country located in Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden to the west, Norway to the north, Russia to the east, and the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland to the south.
- Finland covers an area of 338,455 square kilometers (130,678 square miles) and has a population of 5.5 million.
Germany unveils a teddy bear as the mascot for Euro 2024
- The mascot for next year's European Championship in Germany will be a teddy bear.
- The large-headed mascot with big eyes has shorts - in contrast to the 2006 World Cup mascot, a lion named "Goleo" that was widely ridiculed for not having pants.
- The mascot is due to appear in host cities over the next year. Germany will host the tournament from June 14-July 14, 2024.
- It will be the third time that European Championship matches are played on German territory and the second time in reunified Germany as the former West Germany hosted the tournament of 1988, and four matches of the multi-national Euro 2020 were played in Munich.
- The 2024 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2024 (stylised as UEFA EURO 2024) or simply Euro 2024, will be the 17th edition of the UEFA European Championship.
- Italy are the defending champions, having won the 2020 tournament after beating England on penalties in the final.
India climbs eight places to 127 in global gender index
- India has ranked at 127 out of 146 countries in terms of gender parity, an improvement of eight places from last year according to the World Economic Forum's annual Gender Gap Report, 2023.
- The World Economic Forum (WEF) ranked India at 135 out of 146 countries in the Global Gender Gap Index in the report's 2022 edition.
- India has improved by 1.4 percentage points and eight positions since the last edition, marking a partial recovery towards its 2020 parity level.
- The index ranked India's neighbours Pakistan at 142, Bangladesh at 59, China at 107, Nepal at 116, Sri Lanka at 115 and Bhutan at 103.
- Iceland is the most gender-equal country in the world for the 14th consecutive year and the only one to have closed more than 90 per cent of its gender gap.
- Out of the 117 countries with available data since 2017, 18 countries including Bolivia (50.4 per cent), India (44.4 per cent) and France (42.3 per cent) have achieved women's representation of over 40 per cent in local governance.
US-India Business Council organises INDUS X Summit
- Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the White House, the US-India Business Council organised the 'Indus X Summit' in Washington.
- INDUS-X is expected to accelerate and scale up commercial technology with military applications by bringing together stakeholders from the US and India, including research and academic institutions, industry, startups, and investors.
- INDUS-X was launched in collaboration with the Department of Defence and India’s Department of Defence Production.
- It refers to an initiative enhancing strategic and defence cooperation between India and the US.
- It aims to strengthen collaboration between the US and Indian defence innovation sectors.
Estonia becomes first Baltic nation to legalise same-sex marriage
- Estonia's parliament passed a law legalizing same-sex marriage, making it the first Central European nation (Baltic nation) to do so.
- The bill received 55 votes in the 101-seat parliament, from the coalition of liberal and social democratic parties which Kallas has assembled following her strong win in the 2023 election. The law will come into effect from 2024.
- Latvia and Lithuania, the other two Baltic countries which were previously annexed by the Soviet Union, have same-sex partnership bills stuck in their parliaments.
- Same-sex marriage is legal in much of Western Europe but not in central European countries which were once under communist rule and members of the Moscow-led Warsaw Pact alliance but now members of NATO and, largely, the EU.
International Yoga Day 2023: 21 June
- The International Day of Yoga is marked annually on June 21 on a global scale since 2015.
- An invaluable gift of ancient Indian tradition, yoga has emerged as one of the most trusted means to boost physical and mental well-being.
- This year, the theme for International Yoga Day is "Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam," which beautifully encapsulates our collective aspiration for "One Earth, One Family, One Future."
- In the year 2023, it is the 9th year of International Yoga Day and the day is being celebrated across the world.
- This year, PM Narendra Modi will lead a yoga session from UN headquarters today, on June 21, 2023.
- June 21 was declared as the International Yoga Day by the United Nations General Assembly.
- It was first observed on June 21, 2015. From then, International Yoga Day has become a global phenomenon, and it is now celebrated in over 190 countries.
- Maharishi Patanjali, a great sage was the father of Yoga. He explained about the yoga sutras.
National Yoga Olympiad organized in Madhya Pradesh
- The National Yoga Olympiad is being organized in Madhya Pradesh ahead of the main event on the 9th International Yoga Day on June 21 at Jabalpur.
- The three-day National Yoga Olympiad was inaugurated by Governor Mangu Bhai Patel in Bhopal.
- National Yoga Olympiad is being organized for the first time outside the national capital Delhi.
- The event witnessed enthusiastic participation from students, yoga enthusiasts, and yoga schools from different states, creating an atmosphere of healthy competition and camaraderie.
Oman Creates History as First Foreign Government to Promote Country through Yoga
- The Indian Embassy in the Sultanate of Oman has introduced an innovative video called 'Soulful Yoga, Serene Oman' on the eve of the International Day of Yoga 2023.
- The Indian Embassy partnered with 'Visit Oman,' a subsidiary of Oman's Ministry of Tourism, to produce the video. This marks the first instance of a foreign government using yoga to promote its own country.
- The Indian Embassy has been actively involved in promoting yoga in Oman through various initiatives.
- In 2022, 'Muscat Yog Mahotsav,' a 75-day celebration featuring over 75 yoga events across major cities in Oman timed with the 75 years of India’s independence under ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.’
India gifts missile corvette INS Kirpan to Vietnam
- India gifted an indigenously built in-service Missile Corvette, INS Kirpan, to Vietnam.
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh presented India's gift to his Vietnamese counterpart General Phan Van Gang in Delhi after a session of bilateral dialogues.
- Missile Corvette INS Kirpan is a Khukri class warship which was commissioned in 1991.
- India also aims to crank up arms supplies to Asean countries after the $375 million deal with the Philippines for the 290-km range BrahMos missiles in January 2022.
- Vietnam is an important ally of India in the latter's Act East Policy, which was conceived by Prime Minister Narendra Modi focussing on the extended neighbourhood in the Asia-Pacific region.
World Music Day 2023: 21 June
- Every year, On June 21 the special occasion of World Music Day, also known as ‘Fête de la Musique’ is celebrated with great joy and enthusiasm.
- It is an annual celebration that promotes music and its universal language. It is celebrated globally to honour the singers and musicians who make the world a better place to live.
- The history of World Music Day dates back to 1982 with its origin in France.
- The first World Music Day was celebrated in France, Paris on June 21, 1982.
- The theme for World Music Day 2023 is “Music on the intersections”, which highlights the power of music to bring communities and people together and urges for social change.
Arundhati Roy receives European Essay Prize
- Arundhati Roy received the 45th European Essay Prize for Lifetime Achievement and the award is presented by the Charles Whelan Foundation.
- Arundhati Roy's book of essays, 'Azadi' (2021), especially the French translation, received acclaim.
- 'Azaadi' explores the concept of freedom in an increasingly totalitarian world, with an emphasis on fiction and alternative imaginations.
- Roy is known for his notable works, including the Booker Prize-winning novel The God of Small Things.
- The award ceremony will be held on September 12 in Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Past recipients of the European Essay Prize include Alexander Zinoviev, Amin Malouf and Siri Hustvedt.
- European Essay Prize is the first literary award dedicated solely to the genre of the essay.
Author Salman Rushdie awarded prestigious German peace prize
- Author Salman Rushdie has been awarded a prestigious German Peace Prize for his literary work and for his resolve in the face of a “constant threat to his life”.
- He would receive the award in Frankfurt on October 22, 2023.
- The Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, endowed with €25,000 ($27,300), will be handed out in a ceremony in October during the Frankfurt Book Fair.
- This prize was established in 1950 to recognize a personality committed to serving international understanding between nations and cultures through their work.
- Rushdie served as the president of the PEN American Center from 2004 to 2006, and then as chairman of the PEN World Voices International Literary Festival for 10 years.
- The prize, created in 1950, recognizes a personality committed to serving international understanding between nations and cultures through their work.
- Last year, the award went to Ukrainian author Serhiy Zhadan. Previous recipients include, among others, Margaret Atwood, Orhan Pamuk, Susan Sontag, Amos Oz, Vaclav Havel .
Indian Economic Trade Organization appoints Nutan Roongta as Director of USA East Coast
- The Indian Economic Trade Organization (IETO) has recently announced the appointment of Nutan Roongta as the Director of the USA East Coast.
- As the Director of the USA East Coast Chapter, Nutan Roongta will play a pivotal role in leading and coordinating the organization's activities across this vital region.
- Nutan Roongta's receipt of the NRI Achievers Award is a prestigious recognition of her exceptional achievements and her dedication to making a positive impact.
- IETO is a renowned organization dedicated to fostering economic growth, facilitating business partnerships, and promoting investment opportunities between India and its global counterparts.
Swaminathan Janakiraman appointed as New RBI deputy governor
- Swaminathan Janakiraman has been appointed as the deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India for a period of three years.
- As per a notification issued on Tuesday, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved Janakiraman's name.
- Janakiraman is currently the managing director of the State Bank of India.
- Notably, the central bank has a total of four deputy governors. The other three are - Michael Debabrata Patra, M Rajeshwar Rao, and T Rabi Sankar.
- He has also served as a nominee director of the SBI on the boards of Yes Bank, Jio Payments Bank, and NPCI as well as Bank of Bhutan, an SBI JV.
Tejinder Pal Singh Toor sets a new record in Asian shot put
- India's top shot putter, Tajinderpal Singh Toor has set a new Asian shot put record at the Inter-State Championships in Bhubaneswar.
- The 28-year-old athlete, representing Punjab, shattered his own previous Asian record with a massive throw of 21.77 metres.
- Toor surpassed his own record of 21.49 metres, which he had set in 2021 in Patiala.
- His outstanding performance also placed him in the ninth position on the list of the longest shot put distances recorded worldwide this season.
- The Inter-State meet is the qualifier for the Asian Games.
- By surpassing the qualifying mark of 21.40 metres, Toor has secured his spot in the upcoming World Championships.
- Additionally, he also qualified for the Asian Games by meeting the required distance of 19 metres.
Wyndham Clark wins the U.S. Open for his first major title
- Wyndham Clark won the 2023 US Open to claim his first major title, edging Rory McIlroy in a nail-biting finale at Los Angeles Country Club.
- Clark, 29, carded a closing round even-par 70 to finish 10-under overall and earn a $3.6 million winner’s cut of a record $20 million prize purse, the largest ever awarded in major history.
- Clark's victory denied Rory McIlroy, a four-time major winner, his first triumph in nearly a decade.
- Wyndham Clark, a talented American professional golfer, has made his mark on the PGA Tour with exceptional skills and notable achievements.
Bihar to host two days G-20 Labour Engagement summit on June 22
- In Bihar, the capital city Patna is all set to host two days G-20 Labour Engagement summit on 22nd and 23rd June.
- The Arts and Culture Department of the State is the nodal agency for this mega event, which will witness participation of around 180 delegates of G20 member countries.
- The host-state Bihar will also represent it's initiatives and reforms in different sectors during the summit.
- The G20 Summit is held annually under the leadership of a rotating presidency. India assumed the presidency of G20 from Indonesia for one year – December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023.
- The G20 presidency steers the G20 agenda for one year and hosts the summit.
- Altogether, 200 G20 meetings will be held in over 50 locations across the length and breadth of the country during the year.
UN adopts first ‘historic’ treaty to protect high seas
- The United Nations has adopted the first-ever international treaty to govern the high seas and protect remote ecosystems vital to humanity, after more than 15 years of discussions.
- Delegates representing all 193 member states expressed their happiness in accepting the treaty.
- The treaty aims to protect biodiversity in the high seas, which cover about half of the Earth's surface and lie beyond national boundaries.
- The ocean is a fundamental source of food and economic security for millions of people.
- Its ecosystems, including fisheries and aquaculture, provide sustenance and income for communities globally.
- It has absorbed approximately 93% of the heat generated by greenhouse gases, helping to mitigate the impacts of global warming.
- It serves as a source of resources such as energy, minerals, and materials that are crucial for various industries and economic sectors.
ISRO to use telescope designed by Pune scientists to monitor Sun
- ISRO has received a space telescope developed by Pune's Inter-University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA).
- The telescope, called Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT), will be integrated with ISRO's Aditya-L1 mission, which will be the first space-based Indian mission to study the Sun.
- SUIT will provide regular updates and images of the Sun's surface phenomena and space weather.
- The SUIT telescope will address fundamental questions such as the existence of a higher temperature atmosphere above the cooler surface of the Sun and the origin and variation of near-ultraviolet radiation and high-energy solar flares.
- The telescope is set to be integrated with the ADITYA-L1 mission, expected to be launched in mid-August this year.
- ADITYA-L1 will be ISRO’s first space observatory dedicated to studying the Sun. It will fly approximately 1.5 million kilometers from Earth to the L1, or Lagrange point 1, which is one of the five favorable spots for observing the Sun.
- The mission aims to provide regular images and updates on the Sun’s surface phenomena and space weather.
Indian Army contingent participates in Multinational Joint Exercise ‘Ex Khaan Quest 2023' in Mongolia
- The multinational peacekeeping joint exercise “Ex Khaan Quest 2023” with the participation of military contingents and observers from more than 20 countries began in Mongolia on 19th June 2023.
- The exercise is co-sponsored by the Mongolian Armed Forces (MAF) and the United States Army Pacific Command (USARPAC).
- The Indian Army is represented by a contingent of the Garhwal Rifles.
- The objective of the 14-day exercise is to enhance interoperability of the participating countries, share experiences and train uniformed personnel for United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKO).
- The exercise includes Command Post Exercise (CPX), Field Training Exercise (FTX), combat discussions, lectures and demonstrations.
World Refugee Day 2023: 20 June
- World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honour refugees around the globe.
- It falls each year on 20 June and celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution.
- The day serves as a platform to acknowledge the bravery and determination of individuals who have been forced to flee their homeland due to conflict or persecution.
- The theme for World Refugee Day 2023 is "Hope away from home".
- The theme emphasizes the importance of mental well-being for refugees in rebuilding their lives and striving for a brighter future.
- World Refugee Day was held globally for the first time on 20 June 2001, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees.
- It was originally known as Africa Refugee Day.
SpaceX launches SATRIA-1 communications satellite for Indonesia
- SpaceX launched a new Indonesian communications satellite into orbit from Florida on June 18.
- A Falcon 9 rocket topped with the SATRIA-1 telecommunications satellite lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
- SATRIA-1 (short for "Satellite of the Republic of Indonesia") will be operated for the Indonesian government by the Indonesian company.
- The PSN SATRIA mission marked the 12th launch and landing for the Falcon 9 first stage booster, which previously launched CRS-22, Crew-3, Turksat 5B, Crew-4, CRS-25, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13G, mPOWER-a, and four Starlink missions.
Paddler Mudit Dani scripts history, becomes first Indian to bag NCTTA Male Athlete of Year award
- Indian paddler Mudit Dani has entered the history books by becoming the first Indian to win the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (NCTTA) Male Athlete of the Year award for his exceptional performances in 2022-23.
- The NCTTA is a national organisation member of USA Table Tennis and the prestigious award is given to the best performing male athlete across USA and Canadian universities at the end of every season.
- He had previously clinched two gold medals to guide his side to their second successive NCTTA National Championships title.
- His exceptional performance also includes an unbeaten 11-0 record in the 2022-23 season.
- The 24-year-old clinched his maiden ITTF senior medal in 2019 at the US Open Championships and also reached the doubles quarter-finals at the WTT event in the USA last year.
Kamal Kishore Chatiwal takes over as Managing Director of Indraprastha Gas Ltd
- Kamal Kishore Chatiwal has today taken over as Managing Director of Indraprastha Gas Ltd. (IGL), the largest CNG distribution company of the country, operating City Gas Distribution (CGD) networks across 30 districts in four states including NCT of Delhi.
- Before joining IGL, he was working as executive director and head of zonal marketing of GAIL in Jaipur.
- Chatiwal also has experience in Corporate planning and strategy, Project Development and Corporate training.
- Indraprastha Gas Ltd. (IGL) is one of the leading natural gas distribution companies in India.
- Established in 1998, IGL is a joint venture between GAIL India, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and the Government of Delhi.
- The company’s main objective is to provide safe, efficient and reliable natural gas to customers in the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR).
Nusrat Choudhury becomes first Muslim woman federal judge in US history
- Nusrat Jahan Choudhury, a civil rights attorney, has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first Muslim woman to serve as a federal judge in the United States.
- President Joe Biden nominated Choudhury, a civil rights attorney, to the U.S. District Court for Eastern New York in January, and she was confirmed to the life-tenured position with a narrow margin of 50-49 votes.
- Choudhury currently serves as the legal director of the Illinois chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
- She has been a vocal advocate for racial justice and protecting civil liberties throughout her career.
Senior IPS officer Ravi Sinha appointed new RAW chief
- Senior IPS officer Ravi Sinha appointed as the new chief of India's external intelligence agency RAW.
- Sinha will succeed Samant Kumar Goel who will complete his four-year tenure on June 30.
- Goel was appointed RAW chief for two years in June 2019. He was later given two extensions of one year each in 2021 and June 2022.
- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved Sinha's appointment as Secretary, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) for a tenure of two years.
- Sinha, a 1988 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre, is currently Special Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat.
- Sinha has been with the intelligence agency for over two decades.
- He was heading the operational wing of RAW before his promotion. Sinha has worked extensively in Jammu and Kashmir, the northeast, and other countries.
Bhavani Devi becomes first Indian to win bronze medal at Asian Fencing Championships in China
- Olympian C. A. Bhavani Devi has created history by defeating reigning World Champion Misaki Emura in the Asian Fencing Championship quarterfinal and securing India its first-ever medal at the event.
- The Indian fencer stunned the world number one 15-10 to enter the women’s sabre semifinal.
- Bhavani, however, lost to Uzbekistan’s Zaynab Dayibekova in the semifinals, 15-14, securing a bronze medal.
- Bhavani had earlier stunned reigning world champion Misaki Emura of Japan 15-10 in the quarterfinals to script history.
- Misaki had won the women's sabre gold medal at the 2022 World Fencing Championships held in Cairo.
- It was Bhavani's first win over Misaki as she had lost all her matches against the Japanese in the past.
- Bhavani Devi, who became the first Indian fencer to qualify for the Olympics, exited in the round of 32 at the Tokyo Games.
Goa CM Pramod Sawant launches mascot for upcoming 37th National Games
- Chief Minister of Goa Dr Pramod Sawant launched the mascot for the upcoming 37th National Games.
- Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday launched the mascot and unveiled the official Jersey of the 37th National Games to be held in the coastal state.
- The unveiling of official mascot 'MOGA,' a bison representing the distinct identity of Goa, reinforces the strong connection between the Games and the state's heritage.
- The launch ceremony was held at Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium in Taleigao.
- It was organized by the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs and the Sports Authority of Goa and held on the occasion of the Goa Revolution Day.
- The organization of the National Games was led by Dorabji Tata, a prominent Indian businessman, Harry Crowe Buck, founder of the YMCA College of Physical Education in Chennai (then Madras), and Dr. A. G. Nohren, the director of the college.
- After the 1920 Olympics, Dorabji Tata suggested a national level body to promote Olympic sports.
- After the meeting of the selection committee for the Olympics, the All India Olympic Committee was established.
India crowned Intercontinental Cup champions
- The Indian men’s senior football team won the Intercontinental Cup with a 2-0 win over Lebanon in the final at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on 18th June.
- The first half remained goalless before the hosts made it 1-0 in the 46th minute through Indian captain Sunil Chhetri’s goal in the second half.
- Lallianzuala Chhangte scored the second goal in the 65th minute and made the score 2-0.
- This is India’s second title in the tournament, after their victory in the inaugural edition in 2018. Korea won in 2019.
- The 2023 Intercontinental Cup was the third edition of the Intercontinental Cup, a four-nation football tournament, held at the Kalinga Stadium in the Indian city of Bhubaneswar from 9th to 18th June 2023.
- The tournament was organized by the All India Football Federation.
Max Verstappen wins Canadian Grand Prix and gives Red Bull 100th victory
- Dutch Formula One driver Max Verstappen won the Canadian Grand Prix to secure his Red Bull team's 100th victory.
- Aston Martin's Spanish driver Fernando Alonso was 9.57 seconds behind Verstappen to finish second in Round 9.
- Mercedes' British racer Lewis Hamilton, who is a seven-time F1 champion, was third, ending the race 14.168 seconds behind the winner.
- Verstappen is dominating the 2023 season, winning six races out of eight.
- In addition, Verstappen has bagged the 41st win in his career to level with F1 great Ayrton Senna, who died in 1994 at the age of 34 after a crash during the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola, Italy.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty script history by winning Men's doubles title of Indonesia Open
- India’s shuttler pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won the Indonesia Open men’s doubles title after defeating defending world champion Aaron Chia and Malaysia’s Soh Wooi Yik in Jakarta on 18th June.
- Satwik, ranked sixth in the world, and Chirag won their maiden Super 1000 title with a straight sets win 21-17, 21-18.
- With this feat, they became the first doubles pair from India to win the prestigious tournament.
- It was also their first win over the Malaysian pair in their ninth meeting.
PM Modi talks of Miyawaki forests in Mann ki Baat
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his latest ‘Mann ki baat’ episode spoke about Miyawaki plantation, the Japanese method of creating dense urban forests in a small area.
- The PM also cited the example of a Kerala-based teacher, Raafi Ramnath, who used the Miyawaki technique to transform a barren land into a mini forest called Vidyavanam by planting 115 varieties of trees.
- Miyawaki plantation named after Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, this method involves planting two to four different types of indigenous trees within every square metre. In this method, the trees become self-sustaining and they grow to their full length within three years.
- The process involves improving the soil by covering it with mulch, which also helps prevent dryness, erosion, and weed growth.
- Native trees are then identified and planted in the area. This method involves planting many different types of trees close together, which creates a balanced and cooperative environment among the species.
- The result is that plants grow 10 times faster and the forest becomes 30 times denser than usual.
- The methodology was developed in the 1970s, with the basic objective to densify green cover within a small parcel of land.
- According to the civic body’s data, 64 Miyawaki forests have been planted in Mumbai so far. The Miyawaki drive was launched under BMC’s urban forest project on January 2, 2020 and the first such forest was created in Bhakti Park at Chembur in the eastern suburbs.
Jammu tops table of District Good Governance Index 3.0 in J&K
- Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta today released the third edition of District Good Governance Index 3.0.
- In Jammu and Kashmir, Jammu district topped the table of Good Governance Index 3.0 with an overall score of 6.37 out of 10.
- The District Good Governance Index parameters to measure the performance of districts included 58 indicators under 10 sectors including agriculture and allied sector, commerce and industry, human resource development, public health sector, public infrastructure and utilities, social welfare and development, financial inclusion and law.
Rajasthan Sahitya Protsahan Puraskar will be started
- On June 14, 2023, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot approved a proposal related to the procedure, guide and selection committee to honour the state's litterateurs with the Rajasthan Sahitya Protsahan Puraskar.
- In the encouragement, awards will be given in the name of Shri Kanhaiya Lal Sethia, Shri Komal Kothari, Dr. Sitaram Lalas and Shri Vijaydan Detha.
- Shri Kanhaiya Lal Sethia Literary Award in verse category, Shri Komal Kothari Lok Sahitya Puraskar in folk literature/art category, Dr. Sitaram Lalas Language & Research Award in language/research category and Shri Vijaydan Detha Sahitya Puraskar in prose category will be given.
- Rajasthan Sahitya Akademi, Udaipur has been made the nodal agency for these awards.
- The Department of Art, Literature, Culture & Archaeology will be the administrative department.
- The award carries a cash prize of Rs 11 lakh, a citation and a shawl. These awards can also be given posthumously.
India's largest natural arch found in Odisha
- A team of the Geological Survey of India recently discovered India’s biggest natural arch during their survey of coal in Kenduadihi block in Odisha’s Sundargarh district.
- The state unit of the Geological Survey of India (GSI) has proposed to declare the ‘Natural Arch’ in the Kanika range of Sundargarh forest division, a Geo Heritage Site.
- If it is done, it will be the biggest natural arch of the country to have the Geo Heritage tag.
- Apart from the arch at Sundargarh, India has two others- one at Tirumala hills in Tirupati and another at Andaman and Nicobar.
- However, both of them are smaller compared to the one in Sundargarh.
- The Sundargarh natural arch, present in the ferruginous sandstone of the Upper Kamthi formation, dates back to about 184 to 160 million years in the lower to middle Jurassic age.
- Geoheritage sites are sites of rare and unique geological, geo-morphological, mineralogical, petrological, and paleontological significance, including caves and natural rock sculptures of national and international interest.
Gita Press, Gorakhpur, awarded Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021
- The Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021 will be conferred on Gita Press, Gorakhpur, in recognition of its “outstanding contribution towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violent and other Gandhian methods.
- The jury headed by Prime Minister Modi unanimously decided to select Gita Press as the recipient of the award.
- Established in 1923, Gita Press is one of the world’s largest publishers, having published 417 million books in 14 languages, including 162 million Shrimad Bhagvad Gita.
- Instituted by the government in 1995, the Gandhi Peace Prize is an annual award as a tribute to the ideals espoused by Mahatma Gandhi.
- The award is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, language, caste, creed or gender.
- The award carries a cash prize of ₹1 crore, a citation, a plaque and an exquisite traditional handicraft/handloom item.
- The past awardees include organisations such as ISRO and Ramakrishna Mission.
- The prestigious award has also been awarded to luminaries like Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa and Julius Nyerere, former president of Tanzania among many other personalities.
- Some recent awardees include Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said, Oman (2019) and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (2020), Bangladesh.
Grammys announce 3 new categories will be added to 2024's awards show
- The Grammys have been experimenting with adding categories and changing the rules.
- Last year, it added five - including video game soundtracks and spoken word poetry albums.
- This year's newly added categories are: best pop dance recording, best African music performance and best alternative jazz album.
- These new categories will be introduced at the 2024 GRAMMYs, officially known as the 66th GRAMMY Awards.
- These Category additions and amendments were voted on and passed at the Recording Academy's most recent semiannual Board of Trustees meeting held in May 2023.
- The eligibility period for the 66th Grammys, which now has 94 categories, will be from October 1, 2022, to September 15, 2023. The nominations will be announced in November, and the award ceremony will take place in early 2024.
NTPC Barauni secures First Rank at 4th National Water Awards, in Best Industry Category
- NTPC Barauni has achieved a significant milestone by securing the first rank in the Best Industry Category at the 4th National Water Awards.
- NTPC’s pursuit of sustainable practices and dedication to environmental stewardship have played a crucial role in the achievement of this remarkable feat.
- The company has implemented a series of innovative initiatives to conserve and manage water resources effectively.
- The award was presented to CMD, NTPC Gurdeep Singh, and Head of Project, NTPC Barauni,Rajeev Khanna by the Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar, in the presence of Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
- The award ceremony took place at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, on June 17, 2023.
Axis Bank names N. S. Vishwanathan as part-time Non-Executive Chairman
- Private sector lender Axis Bank on Friday appointed former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Deputy Governor NS Vishwanathan as a part-time Non-Executive Chairman.
- Vishwanathan has been appointed for a period of three years.
- His appointment will be effective from October 27, 2023 or the date of approval of his appointment by Reserve Bank of India (“Approval”) in case the Approval is not received prior to October 27, 2023.
- Mr. Vishwanathan joined the Reserve Bank of India in 1981 and retired in March 2020 as the Deputy Governor, spanning an illustrious career of nearly four decades at the central bank.
RBI approves re-appointment of Vasudevan P N as MD and CEO of Equitas SFB
- The Reserve Bank of India gave its nod for the re-appointment of P N Vasudevan as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of private sector Equitas Small Finance Bank.
- The tenure of his appointment would be for a period of three years with effect from July 23, 2023.
- Equitas Small Finance Bank reported a net profit of Rs 190.03 crore for the quarter ending March 31, 2023.
- The bank had registered a net profit at Rs 119.50 crore during the corresponding quarter of the previous year.
- For the year ending March 31, 2023, the bank had registered a net at Rs 573.59 crore from Rs 280.73 crore registered in the same period of the previous fiscal.
Egypt wins Squash World Cup title
- Egypt has retained the World Squash Championship.
- Egypt beat Malaysia 2-1 in the final in Chennai.
- The third place was shared jointly by hosts India and Japan.
- The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M.K.Stalin, awarded the winning team with the golden cup, while the Sports Minister, Udhayanidhi Stalin, presented medals to the victorious players.
- The state of Tamil Nadu has gained recognition in international sports by successfully organizing the Chess Olympiad within a remarkable four-month timeframe.
First Women’s Kabaddi League Inaugurated in Dubai
- The inaugural edition of India's first-ever Women's Kabaddi League (WKL) commenced with great fanfare in Dubai on June 16.
- The Women's Kabaddi League is set to span over a period of 12 days, from June 16 to June 27, at the Shabab Al Ahli Sports Club in Dubai.
- The league's overarching objective is to enhance the prominence of kabaddi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and empower female athletes from India.
- The league consists of eight teams, featuring a total of 96 players, each representing Indian states.
- These teams bear the names of various states, including the Delhi Dynamites, Gujarat Angels, Great Marathas, Haryana Hustlers, Punjab Panthers, Rajasthan Riders, Uma Kolkata, and Bengaluru Hawks.
- The victorious team will be awarded a prize of approximately half a million dirhams (equivalent to 1 crore INR).
Nahida Khan retires from international cricket
- Pakistan batter Nahida Khan has announced her retirement from international cricket, following a 14-year career for her country.
- Debuting in February 2009 against Sri Lanka, Nahida went on to represent Pakistan in three Cricket World Cups (2013, 2017 and 2022) and in four T20 World Cups (2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018).
- She holds the record for most catches in an ODI innings. She took four catches in Pakistan's 94-run win over Sri Lanka in Dambulla in 2018.
- In a career spanning 66 ODIs, Nahida accumulated 1410 runs, showcasing her ability as a reliable and consistent opening batter. In addition, she showcased her skills in the T20I format, accumulating 604 runs in 54 matches.
- Recently, she served as the assistant coach for the Blasters, a team participating in the Pakistan Cup Women’s Cricket Tournament in Karachi.
Justice Clocks Installed Across the Court Complexes of High Courts
- Electronic signage systems known as Justice Clocks have been across the court complexes of High Courts.
- The initiative will inform stakeholders about court-related key parameters and bring awareness among public by providing bird eye view of court-related data.
- It will enable the stakeholders by informing them about court-related key parameters.
- This ‘Justice Clock’ will exhibit vital statistics of the justice delivery system to “maximise outreach and visibility” of the work done by the state judiciary.
- The interface has been designed and developed in-house and will display data from the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) in real-time.
Union Minister launches ‘Dudh Sankalp Sathi Mobile App’
- Union Heavy Industries Minister launches "Dudh Sankalp Sathi Mobile App" to transform Indian dairy industries.
- It is developed by Rajasthan Electronics & Instruments Limited (REIL), Jaipur, a “Mini Ratna” Central Public Sector Enterprises under the Ministry of Heavy Industries.
- Its aim to improve the quality of milk, foster transparency among stakeholders, and streamline operations at the grassroots village level, including Milk Cooperative Societies.
- This will inform all services to milk producers in English, Hindi, Punjabi, Telugu and other languages.
Japan raises age of consent from 13 to 16 in reform of sex crimes law
- Japan has raised the age of consent from 13, among the world’s lowest, to 16 years old as lawmakers passed key reforms to sex crime legislation.
- A new bill, which also clarifies rape prosecution requirements and criminalises voyeurism, cleared parliament’s upper house in a unanimous vote.
- The age of consent – below which sexual activity is considered statutory rape – is 16 in Britain, 15 in France, and 14 in Germany and China.
- In India the age of consent is 18.
- Japan’s had been unchanged since 1907, with children aged 13 and above deemed capable of consent.
- Under the new law, teen couples no more than five years apart in age will be exempt from prosecution if both partners are over 13.
- Japan last revised its criminal code on sexual offences in 2017, for the first time in more than a century.
- Japan is the only member of the Group of Seven leading industrialised nations which does not have LGTBQ legal protections.
UP prisons to be known as "Reform Homes"
- Uttar Pradesh CM renames UP prisons as 'Reform Homes' in June 2023.
- Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while reviewing the condition of prisons in a high-level meeting, gave important guidelines towards prison reform.
- The guidelines stated that the prisons will be known as 'Sudhaar Grah' (Reform Homes).
- In the present time, the Jail Act of 1894 and the Prisoners Act of 1900 are in effect concerning prisoners detained in jail.
- Both of these acts have been in practice since before independence, and many of their provisions do not align with changing circumstances and a rehabilitative ideology for prisoners.
- The objective of the Prison Act of 1894 is to maintain discipline and control over offenders in custody, but we need to focus on reform and rehabilitation.
PM Modi to celebrate International Day of Yoga at the UNHQ
- Prime Minister Modi will lead the yoga session at the UN Headquarters on the 9th International Day of Yoga to be commemorated on June 21.
- The Yoga session will run from 8 am-9 am on June 21 at the expansive North Lawn in the UN Headquarters, where a bust of Mahatma Gandhi, a gift from India to the UN, was installed in December last year during the country’s Presidency of the UN Security Council.
- The proposal to observe International Day of Yoga was moved by Modi and accepted by a record 175 countries. The proposal was placed by Modi during his speech at the UN General Assembly on September 27, 2014.
- In view of the increasing popularity and acceptance of Yoga across the world, the UNGA announced on December 11, 2014, that June 21, will be observed as International Day of Yoga.
Indian Navy Launches "Julley Ladakh" Outreach Program
- The Indian Navy launched an outreach programme called "Julley Ladakh" (Hello Ladakh) with the aim of raising awareness about the naval service in the Himalayan region and engaging with youngsters and civil society members.
- Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh, Vice Chief of Navy Staff, launched the programme by flagging off a 5,000-km motorcycle expedition from the National War Memorial.
- A total of 35 naval personnel, including officers and sailors, are participating in the expedition that will reach Leh on June 28, passing through Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.
- Along the way, the participants will interact with students from schools and colleges, and pay homage to soldiers at the Kargil War Memorial and the memorial of the 1962 Battle of Rezang La.
Third ASW SWC class ship 'Anjadeep' launched at Chennai
- ‘Anjadip’, the 3rd of eight ships of ASW Shallow Water Craft (SWC) Project being built by M/s GRSE for Indian Navy, was launched on 13 Jun 23 at M/s L&T, Kattupalli.
- The ship has been named Anjadip to signify the strategic maritime importance accorded to the island of Anjadip, located off Karwar.
- The contract for building eight ASW SWC ships was signed between MoD and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata on 29 Apr 19.
- Four ships are being built at GRSE, Kolkata, while the remaining four ships are being built by M/s L&T Shipbuilding, Kattupalli.
- The ASW SWC ships have a length of 77 metres, a displacement of 900 tonnes, a maximum speed of 25 knots and an endurance of 1800 nautical miles.
Ramachandra Guha's book wins Elizabeth Longford Prize
- Historian and writer Ramchandra Guha’s book Rebels Against the Raj: Western Fighters for India’s Freedom has won the Elizabeth Longford Prize for Historical Biography 2023.
- Guha has been awarded £5,000 (₹5 lakhs approximately) and a bound copy of Elizabeth Longford’s memoir, The Pebbled Shore.
- Guha also received a bound copy of Longford’s autobiography, The Pebbled Shore (1986).
- The annual prize “was established in 2003 in affectionate memory of Elizabeth Longford (1906-2002), an acclaimed historical biographer and family matriarch best known for Victoria RI (1964), her scholarly and readable life of Queen Victoria, for her magisterial Wellington: Years of the Sword (1969), and Wellington: Pillar of State (1972)”.
- The award was founded in 2003 by Flora Fraser and Peter Soros to commemorate British historian Elizabeth Longford.
VP Jagdeep Dhankhar confers fourth National Water Awards in New Delhi
- Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar conferred upon the fourth National Water Awards in New Delhi on June 17.
- The Jal Shakti Ministry had announced a total of 41 winners, covering 11 categories, including joint winners, for the fourth National Water Awards, 2022.
- Each award winner was conferred with a citation, a trophy, as well as cash prizes.
- Madhya Pradesh was awarded the first prize in the best state category.
- In the best district category, the award was given to Ganjam District of Odisha.
- The best Village Panchayat award was presented to Jagannadhapuram Village Panchayat, Bhadradri Kothagudem district of Telangana.
Two-time Oscar winning actress Glenda Jackson passes away at 87
- Glenda Jackson, a two-time Academy Award-winning performer who had a second career in politics as a British lawmaker before an acclaimed late-life return to stage and screen, died at 87.
- She became one of the biggest British stars of the 1960s and 70s, and won two Academy Awards, for Women in Love in 1971 and A Touch of Class in 1974.
- She then went into politics, winning election to Parliament in 1992. She spent 23 years as a Labour Party lawmaker, serving as a minister for transport in Prime Minister Tony Blair's first government in 1997.
- Jackson won a BAFTA award, Britain's equivalent of an Oscar, for her performance as a woman with Alzheimer's trying to solve a mystery.
Ashwinder R Singh launched the book "Master Residential Real Estate"
- Real estate expert, Ashwinder Singh launched a book titled "Master Residential Real Estate".
- The book, "Master Residential Real Estate," serves as a comprehensive guide to the real estate industry.
- The book covers a wide range of topics related to residential real estate.
- Ashvinder Singh provides valuable insight into the current state of the real estate market.
- "Master Residential Real Estate" aims to empower readers with practical knowledge and advice.
Gopichand Hinduja takes over as Group chairman
- Gopichand Hinduja has taken over as chairman of the $34.5 billion-worth Hinduja Group following the death of his brother, Srichand Hinduja last month.
- Srichand Hinduja was the eldest son of Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja, the founder of the Hinduja group who started his journey in Sindh, in undivided India.
- In 1914, the founder moved his base to Mumbai and set up an international base in Iran, where the group did exceedingly well for six decades.
- Gopichand Hinduja is a well-respected businessman and philanthropist.
- He is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Trade and Competitiveness.
- Gopichand Hinduja has been associated with the Hinduja Group since its inception in 1914.
- He has held a number of senior positions within the group, including Co-Chairman and Chairman of the Hinduja Automotive Limited.
Asia Cup 2023 to be played in the hybrid model in Pakistan and Sri Lanka
- The Asia Cup 2023 will be held in a hybrid model in Pakistan and Sri Lanka between August 31 and September 17, the Asian Cricket Council announced on 15 June.
- Four matches will be held in Pakistan, and the rest will be in Sri Lanka.
- The 2023 edition of the Asia Cup will feature two groups, with two teams from each group qualifying for the Super Four stage. The top two teams from the Super Four stage will then face off in the final.
- The tournament will feature India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Nepal with the teams competing in a total of 13 ODI matches.
- There was uncertainty over Pakistan hosting any matches but the new model will allow them to host Asia Cup games after 15 years.
CBIC releases National Time Release Study 2023 report
- Vivek Johri, Chairman, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) recently released the National Time Release Study (NTRS) 2023 report.
- According to the report the average import release time by customs authorities has decreased in 2023 compared to 2022.
- The report states that the import release time has declined by 20% for inland container depots (ICDs), 11% for air cargo complexes (ACCs), and 9% for seaports.
- The CBIC has been actively working towards reducing release time by customs for both imports and exports in order to promote ease of doing business and enhance tax collections.
Centre renames Nehru Memorial Museum and Library
- The Centre has decided to rename Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) as Prime Ministers' Museum and Society.
- The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) Society is an autonomous body under the Government of India.
- The idea of setting up a museum dedicated to all the prime ministers of India at the Teen Murti complex in New Delhi was initially proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2016
- The decision to rename the institution, removing late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s name, was taken at a special meeting of the NMML Society.
- The Executive Council, NMML had in its 162nd meeting held on 25-11-2016 approved the construction of the Museum of all Prime Ministers in the Teen Murti Estate.
- The Prime Minister's Museum was opened to the public on 21 April 2022.
PM Modi co-wrote a song with Grammy winner Falu on the benefits of coarse grains
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi has co-written a song with Grammy award-winning Indian-American singer Falu to highlight the benefits of coarse grains and their potential to reduce hunger in the world.
- The title of the song is 'Abandons in Millets'.
- Mumbai-born singer-songwriter Falguni Shah, better known by her stage name Falu, and her husband and singer Gaurav Shah have sung the song "Invasion of Millets".
- The year 2023 has been designated as the 'International Year of Millets' as a resolution for this was brought by India and endorsed by members of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) governing bodies of the United Nations as well as the 75th session of the UN General Assembly.
- Falu has received a Grammy Award for Best Children's Album in 2022 for his album A Colorful World.
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan flags off Gabon’s first Agri-SEZ Project
- Union Minister of Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri Dharmendra Pradhan flagged off Gabon’s first Agri- SEZ project from New Delhi.
- The project will be implemented by AOM group with Centurion University as the technical and knowledge partner.
- In the first phase of the program, 30 farmers and 20 B.Sc./M.Sc. Agri and B.Tech/M.Tech Engineering students from Gajapati district, which is an Aspirational district of Odisha, will be travelling together as agri-technical and technical consultants for the agriculture SEZ which is being developed under this project.
- Pradhan also emphasised the positive trajectory of India-Africa relations under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with numerous high-level visits between India and Africa.