NATIONAL NEWS

Punjab Government Launches ‘e-Stamp’

• The Punjab Government has abolished the physical stamp papers to bring far more efficiency and check the pilferage of state revenue.
• The stamp paper of any denomination can now be obtained through ‘e-stamp’ that is computerized print-out from any stamp vendor or from banks authorised by the State Government.
• Punjab Revenue Minister Mr. Bram Shanker Jimpa announced that earlier the e-stamping facility was applicable only to value of above Rs.20, 000.
• After the launch of this facility e-Stamp is applicable for all denominations starting from Rs 1.
• The Punjab Government led by Chief Minister S Bhagwant Mann will save Rs 35 crores annually, which incurred on printing of stamp papers.

India’s First Liquid Mirror Telescope

• India has successfully commissioned a one-of-a-kind liquid-mirror telescope at top of a hill in Uttarakhand.

• The International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT) is the first liquid mirror telescope in the country and it is known to be the largest in Asia.

• The unique telescope will monitor the sky for transitory or variable objects such as supernovae, gravitational lenses, space debris and asteroids.
• It is built by astronomers from India, Belgium and Canada.
• It is located at an altitude of 2,450 metres at the Devasthal Observatory campus of Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES).
• ARIES is an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India in Nainital district, Uttarakhand.

PM Modi To Lay Foundation Stone of Projects in Lucknow

• Third Ground-breaking ceremony of the UP Investors Summit aimed at inviting investment in the state will be held at Indira Gandhi Pratisthan in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
• During the Ground-breaking Ceremony, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of 1406 projects worth more than 80,000 crores rupees.
• The projects include diverse sectors like Agriculture and Allied, IT and Electronics, MSME, Manufacturing, Renewable Energy, Pharma, Tourism, Defence & Aerospace, Handloom & Textiles etc.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

UN Approves Turkey’s Request to Change Name

• Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced that the United Nations approved Turkey’s request to change its name from Turkey to Turkiye.
• Turkey began the move to change its internationally recognized official name in English to Turliye in December 2021.
• The country called itself Turkiye in 1923 after its declaration of independence.

EAM Dr S Jaishankar on Visit to Slovakia and Czech Republic

• External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar is on a five-day visit to Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

• He will also attend the GLOBSEC 2022 Forum and speak on the topic ‘Taking Friendship to the Next Level: Allies in the Indo-Pacific Region’.
• The meeting will provide an opportunity for a comprehensive review of the bilateral cooperation.
• The Czech Republic will be taking over the EU Presidency from 1st of July.
• The External Affairs Minister will also interact with a cross-section of the Diaspora, including Indian students in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

India - Italy Military Cooperation Group Meeting

• The 11th edition of India - Italy Military Cooperation Group (MCG) meeting was held from 31 May 2022 to 01 June 22 at Rome, Italy.

• It is to boost defence cooperation between both countries through regular talks at the strategic and operational levels between Headquarters, Integrated Defence Staff and the Joint Staff HQ of Italian Armed Forces.
• During the meeting, discussions focused on new initiatives, existing bilateral defence cooperation mechanism and further strengthening ongoing defence engagements.
• The meeting was Co-Chaired by Deputy Assistant Chief of Integrated Staff IDC(A), Vivek Narang from India and Italian Defence General Staff General Alessandro Grassano.

Industry Transition Dialogue

• India and Sweden hosted the Industry Transition Dialogue in Stockholm.

• Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, India Shri Bhupender Yadav and Minister for Climate and the Environment, Sweden Annika Strandhäll lead the meeting.
• Leadership for Industry Transition (LeadIT) initiative lays specific focus to sectors that are key stakeholders in the global climate action and require specific interventions.
• This high level of dialogue has contributed to the UN Conference ‘Stockholm+50’: a healthy planet for the prosperity of all –our responsibility, our opportunity’ and set the agenda for COP27.
• During the event, India chaired the roundtable dialogues on Priorities for implementation 2022-23 and the need for speed in climate action.

ECONOMY NEWS

SBI to Upgrade GDP

• State Bank of India (SBI) has estimated that the Indian economy will grow at 7.5 percent in 2022-2023.

• Real GDP will incrementally increase by RS. 11.1 lakh crore in FY23.

• As per official data, the economy grew by 8.7 percent in FY22, net adding Rs. 11.8 lakh crore in the year to Rs 147 lakh crore.
• This was 1.5 percent higher than the pre-pandemic year of FY20.

India’s First Rupee-Based Crypto Index CRE8

• India’s largest crypto investing app, CoinSwitch launched Crypto Rupee Index (CRE8), which is the country's first benchmark index to measure the performance of the rupee-based crypto market.

• Owned and administered by CoinSwitch, CRE8 tracks the performance of eight crypto assets that represent over 85% of the total market capitalisation of crypto traded in Indian rupee.

• The index is based on real trades on the CoinSwitch app, which has over 18 million registered users.
• The CRE8 index is calculated on the weighted market capitalisation (square root) methodology.
• The index will be rebalanced monthly and reconstituted every quarter to keep it up to date with the market.

AWARDS & PRIZES

Times Business Award 2022

• Director of Ruchi Foodline, Eastern India’s leading food brand, Rashmi Sahoo has been awarded the Times Business Award 2022.
• The award was given in the category of Eastern India’s Leading READY-TO-EAT brand.
• Sahoo was given the award by renowned Bollywood actor and social activist Sonu Sood.
• While working as director of Ruchi Foodline, she started and established Frozit – Odisha’s first frozen food company.
• She not only revolutionized the food processing segment in Odisha, but also changes lives of thousands of women by proving them employment opportunities.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

COO of Meta

• Meta, formerly known as Facebook appointed Javier Olivan as the company's next Chief Operating Officer.

• He will replace Sheryl Sandberg as she announced her departure from Meta, formerly Facebook, after 14 years.

• Olivan has been responsible for the company's growth for the past 15 years.
• It is an American multinational technology conglomerate based in Menlo Park, California.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Telangana Formation Day

• Telangana Day commonly known as Telangana Formation Day is observed annually on 02 June since 2014.
• It is India’s 28th state and was separated out of Andhra Pradesh.
• The Ministry of Culture is set to organise Telangana Formation Day celebrations in Delhi
• This programme aims to highlight the roots of the land of culture, heritage, architectural magnificence which is celebrating its eighth anniversary this year.

OBITUTARY

Santoor Maestro Pandit Bhajan Sopori

• Santoor maestro Pandit Bhajan Sopori passed away as he was suffering from colon cancer. He was at the age of 73.
• Bhajan Sopori was born in 1948 in Srinagar, Kashmir.
• He is an Indian instrumentalist. He is a player of the santoor, an ancient stringed musical instrument.
• On the occasion of 67th Indian Republic Day 2016, Pandit Bhajan Sopori was accorded Jammu and Kashmir State lifetime achievement award.
• He also ran a music academy called SaMaPa (Sopori Academy for Music and Performing Arts), which is actively involved in promoting Indian classical music.
• Sopori was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1992 and the Padma Shri Award in 2004.