NATIONAL NEWS

GSITI Hyderabad Recognized as ‘Athi Uttam’

• The Geological Survey Training Institute of India (GSITI) located at Hyderabad has been accredited as ‘Athi Uttam’ by the National Accreditation Board for Education and Training (NABET).
• The accreditation recognizes GSITI's excellent services and high standards in the field of Earth Science training.
• The accreditation was granted to GSITI after an on-site assessment conducted by Capacity Building Commission (CBC), NABET and Quality Control of India.
• GSITI, established in 1976, functions under the Ministry of Mines and is headquartered in Hyderabad.
• The institute consists of six Regional Training Divisions (RTDs) located at Hyderabad, Nagpur, Jaipur, Lucknow, Kolkata and Shillong.
• The Institute conducts courses on Remote Sensing sponsored by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) under the NNRMS programme.

Karnataka Government Introduces Shakti Scheme

• The Congress government in Karnataka has rolled out its first of the five poll guarantees, the ‘Shakti’ scheme, that offers free travel to women and transgender people in government-run buses in Karnataka.
• Chief minister Siddaramaiah, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar and transport minister Ramalinga Reddy launched the scheme
• They have also issued smart cards to 5 beneficiaries at an event on the steps of the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru.
• The windscreens of city, ordinary, and express buses run by the state’s 4 road transport corporations (Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC), and Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC)) will have “Free travel for women” labels placed on them.
• The smart cards for free bus travel would be granted after three months.
• Women can apply for the Shakti Smart Card by registering on the SevaSindhu government portal.
• The scheme does not apply to air-conditioned and luxury buses and is limited to travel within Karnataka.
• It also reserves 50% of seats for men in 3 transport corporations.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

UAE Wins Presidency of World Meteorological Organization

• The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has won the Presidency of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

• A meteorologist of the UAE, Dr Abdulla Al Mandous, has been elected as the new President of the WMO.

• Dr Abdulla Al Mandous has been elected for a four-year term from 2023 to 2027.

• Dr Abdulla Al Mandous received 95 votes out of the representatives from 193 member states and territories of WMO.
• The election was held during the 19th session of the World Meteorological Congress organised in Geneva, Switzerland from 22nd May to 2nd June, 2023.
• As President, Dr. Al Mandous aims to enhance the resilience of nations to weather and climate-related hazards, promote knowledge-sharing and capacity building, and strengthen service delivery.
• He will also prioritise the development of comprehensive early warning systems and scientific research to address the challenges posed by a changing climate.
• UAE will chair WMO’s upcoming 77th Executive Council Session (EC-77) in Geneva, Switzerland from 5th to 6th June, 2023.

BANKING

NSE Shifts Bank Nifty Settlement from Thursday to Friday

• The settlement of derivative contracts on Bank Nifty has been shifted by the National Stock Exchange (NSE) from Thursday to Friday.
• The change will be effective from July 14 2023.
• As per the NSE circular, the first Friday expiry will be on July 14, 2023.
• All existing contracts with Thursday expiry will be revised to Friday on July 6,2023
• In Earlier 2023, BSE changed the lot size and expiry day of monthly, weekly, and long-dated futures and options contracts on Bankex and Sensex indices & the changes became effective from May 15.
• The lot size for futures and options contracts of Sensex has been reduced from 15 to 10.
• The lot size for futures and options contracts of the Bankex index has been changed from 20 to 15.
• Futures and options on Nifty 50, Nifty IT, Nifty Midcap 50, Nifty Infrastructure, Nifty CPSE, Nifty PSE, and individual stocks will expire on the last Thursday of the expiry month.
• Contracts on the Nifty Financial Services index will expire on last Tuesday.
• Contracts on the Nifty Midcap Select Index will expire on the last Wednesday.
• BSE Bankex index consists of 10 stocks and NSE’s Bank Nifty consists of 12 stocks – 9 constituting bank stocks are common between them.

SPORTS

Asian Wrestling Championships

• Ankush won the only gold medal for India by defeating Iran's Amirreza Ali Taimoorizad in the freestyle 55 kg category.
• Dhanraj Bharat Shirke who represented India lost to Ahora Farhad Khateriof Iran and earned a silver medal.
• Competing in the freestyle 48 kg category, Rupesh won the silver medal after losing to Iran's Sam Reza Sayar in the final.
• India finished second behind Iran in the freestyle team rankings.
• India won a total of seven medals with one gold, three silver and three bronze medals on the final day of the tournament in the Under-17 Asian Wrestling Championships held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

RANKS, INDICES & REPORTS

Global Slavery Index 2023

• The Walk Free Foundation recently released the Global Slavery Index 2023, an assessment of modern slavery conditions in 160 countries.

• Global Slavery Index 2023 is the fifth edition and is based on the estimates from 2022.

• The global slavery index provides an overview of modern slavery.

• According to the report approximately 50 million individuals were living in ‘modern slavery’ on any given day in 2021.

• Of the 50 million affected people, 28 million suffer from forced labor, while 22 million face forced marriage. Remarkably, 12 million of those affected are children.
• The Global Slavery Index is a comprehensive report developed by Walk Free, a respected human rights organization.
• The index draws upon data provided by the Global Estimates of Modern Slavery, a collaborative effort by the International Labour Organization (ILO), Walk Free, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Forbes' Global 2000 List

• Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd climbed eight spots to the 45th rank, the highest for an Indian company on Forbes’ latest Global 2000 list of public companies worldwide.

• The Global 2000 ranks public companies worldwide based on sales, profits, assets, and market value.

• JPMorgan, America's largest bank with $3.7 trillion in assets, has secured the top spot on the Global 2000 list.

• This marks its first time at the top since 2011.

• Saudi Arabia's oil giant, Aramco, holds the second position on the list.

AWARDS & PRIZES

America's Iqbal Masih Award

• Chennai-based advocate and activist Lalitha Natarajan won the 2023 Iqbal Masih Award for the Eradication of Child Labor presented by the US Department of Labor.

• Lalitha Natarajan is known for her leadership in combating exploitative child labor in southern India.

• As a member of the Child Welfare Committee (North Zone) under the Department of Social Defence, Tamil Nadu, Natarajan ensures that child labor victims receive compensation as per the Child Labor Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

• It is an annual non-monetary award established by the US Congress in 2008.

• It is administered by the Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking within the Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) of the US Department of Labor.

• The award recognizes individuals or organizations making an extraordinary contribution to combating child labour.
• It is named after Iqbal Masih, a Pakistani child who was sold into slavery and forced to work in a carpet factory.

RSL Christopher Bland Award 2023

• Paterson Joseph has been awarded the prestigious RSL Christopher Bland Prize 2023 for his debut novel 'The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho'.

• The RSL Christopher Bland Prize is a renowned literary prize and it is the fifth edition.

• 'The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho' is the title of Patterson Joseph's first novel, which has garnered critical acclaim and recognition within the literary community.

• It is a prestigious annual award that recognizes the achievements of first-time authors in the genre of fiction or nonfiction.

• It is specifically awarded to individuals who have published their first work at the age of 50 or more.
• The RSL Christopher Bland Award was instituted in 2018 to pay tribute to the memory of the famous British politician Sir Christopher Bland.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Brand Ambassador for Epson India

• Printer company Epson India has signed popular actress Rashmika Mandanna as its brand ambassador.

• Mandanna will collaborate with the company in a multi-media campaign to promote its 'EcoTank' printers.

• Epson India aims to leverage Rashmika Mandanna's popularity and diverse fan base across Kannada, Telugu, Hindi, and Tamil cinema to reach a wider audience, particularly the younger generation, through the campaign.

• The company believes her association will help spread awareness about their products and the benefits they offer.

Director (Personnel) of NHPC

• Uttam Lal has been appointed as Director (Personnel) in National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Ltd.
• NHPC Limited is India's leading hydropower company.
• Uttam Lal earlier served as Chief General Manager (HR-CSR/R&R/LA) in NTPC Limited.
• Uttam Lal is known for his expertise and experience in the power sector.
• NHPC is a Government of India Hydropower Board and operated under the ownership of the Ministry of Power, Government of India.

DEFENCE

Fourth Warship of Indian Navy 'Sanshodhak' Launched

• The fourth Survey Vessel Large (SVL) of the Indian Navy, named 'Sanshodhak', was launched at Kattupalli, Chennai.

• Tanvi Arora launched the ship while an invocation from the Atharva Veda was chanted, following naval maritime traditions.

• The ship's name, meaning 'Researcher', reflects its primary role as a Survey Vessel.

• The Ministry of Defence (MoD) highlighted the launch of the fourth SVL as a testament to India's commitment to indigenous shipbuilding, aligning with the government's 'Make in India' and Aatma Nirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) vision.

• The project, undertaken by L&T/GRSE for the Indian Navy, demonstrates the nation's resolve in promoting self-sufficiency in defense manufacturing.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Blood Donor Day

• World Blood Donor Day is celebrated every year on 14 June.

• The day aims to express gratitude to the selfless voluntary blood donors and celebrate the essence of life and humanity.

• The program emphasises the importance of ensuring universal access to safe blood transfusions.

• The theme for World Blood Donor Day 2023 is "Give blood, give plasma, share life, share often."

• The theme highlights the importance of regular blood and plasma donations to create a safe and sustainable supply of blood and blood products around the world.

• The host country of World Blood Donor Day 2023 is Algeria.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) established World Blood Donor Day in 2004.