NATIONAL NEWS

India's First Airport to Fully Run on Hydro and Solar Power

• Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport has become the first airport in the country to run entirely on hydro and solar power from June 2022.

• This is part of the airport’s goal toward achieving Net Zero Carbon Emission Airport by 2030.

• DIAL has signed a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with a Himachal Pradesh-based hydropower producing company for the supply of hydroelectricity for the airport until 2036.
• 6% of the airport's electricity requirement is met from the onsite solar power plants while as much as 94% of the total demand is now being met through renewable energy use from the hydropower plant since June 1.

 “Jyotirgamaya” Festival in New Delhi

• Union Culture Minister Mr. G. Kishan Reddy inaugurated Jyotirgamaya, a festival honoring the talent of unappreciated performers, in New Delhi.
• To showcase the skill of rare musical instruments from all across the country, including street performers and train entertainers, Sangeet Natak Akademi organized this event as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and on the occasion of World Music Day.
• The event wants to make participants more conscious of the need of maintaining both the making and using of unique musical instruments.
• The Sangeet Natak Akademi’s initiative to preserve India’s disappearing performing arts is exceptional.

PM Modi Unveils Vanijya Bhawan and Launches NIRYAT Portal

• On 23 June 2022, Inaugurating the new premises of Ministry of Commerce and Industry - ‘Vanijya Bhawan’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched new portal NIRYAT (National Import-Export Record for Yearly Analysis of Trade).

• NIRYAT is developed as a one-stop platform for the stakeholders to get all the information related to India’s foreign trade.

• This new Vanijya Bhawan and NIRYAT portal represent our aspirations of an 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'.
• New Vanijya Bhawan will significantly benefit people associated with trade, commerce and MSME sector.
• Vanijya Bhawan is a smart structure that includes sustainable architectural concepts with an emphasis on energy saving.
• It is being constructed near India Gate on a 4.33-acre land.

Surya Nutan- An Indoor Solar Cooking System

• Indian Oil has developed an indoor solar cooking system - Surya Nutan.

• Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri observed the demonstrations of Surya Nutan in New Delhi.
• It collects energy from sun and converts the sun energy into heat through a specially designed heating element.
• The product was initially priced at Rs 12,000 for the entry-level model and Rs 23,000 for the top model.
• The product is rechargeble and sitable for four persons. The system has been installed at 60 locations for its testing.
• Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Giriraj Singh and Ministre of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Kaushal Kishore was also present on the occasion.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

World Health Network Declares Monkeypox a Pandemic

• With 3,417 confirmed Monkeypox cases reported across 58 countries, World Health Network (WHN) has declared the current monkeypox outbreak a pandemic.
• The WHN announcement comes ahead of WHO meeting to be held on 23 June to decide on their monkeypox outbreak designation.
• It is a viral infection that originated in rodents and is transmitted to people.
• Symptoms include fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes.

Drone Manufacturing Facility in Malaysia

• Drone start-up Garuda Aerospace has partnered with HiiLSE Global (HiiLSE Drones) to set up its first aerospace drone manufacturing plant in Malaysia.

• The facility would spread across 2.42 hectares and will be set up at an investment of Rs 115 crore.
• This partnership will define an ecosystem of drones with advanced artificial intelligence, machine learning and deep learning technologies.

BANKING

World Bank Approves Additional $250m to Gujarat

• The World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved additional financing of $250 million to the state of Gujarat.
• The fund is for Outcomes for Accelerated Learning (GOAL), a program which aims to improve education results for children across the state of Gujarat.
• This financing will benefit an additional 3,000 schools that have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19  pandemic.

AU Small Finance Bank Launches Innovative Credit Card

• AU Small Finance Bank has launched an innovative Credit Card named LIT (Live-It-Today).
• It brings a revolutionary change in the credit card landscape. The AU Bank LIT (Live-It-Today) Credit Card offers a unique value proposition to cardholders - to choose the features they want and for the time period they want.
• With the LIT Credit Card, the Bank has put the power to choose these features in the hands of the customers - all categories in one card.
• LIT credit card provides a higher degree of engagement to customers, through the AU0101 app as they can track their saving and earnings daily to maximize their benefits.
• The default validity period for each feature is 90 days.

SEBI Forms Advisory Committee on Hybrid Securities

• Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has set up an advisory committee on hybrid securities.

• The committee will advise SEBI on issues related to the development and regulation of primary and secondary markets of hybrid securities in the country.

• The 20-member committee will be chaired by K V Kamath, Chairperson of the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development.

World Bank Approves Project in Uttarakhand

• The World Bank has approved a project named Uttarakhand Climate Responsive Rain-fed Farming worth Rs 1,000 crore to promote rain-fed farming in the hilly regions of Uttarakhand.

• The Project will be implemented by the watershed department.

• The project will help in springshed management, boosting agricultural productivity, controlling migration, and promoting cluster-based agriculture.
• It will also boost climate-friendly activities in the agriculture sector so that it becomes an economically viable option for the youth and farmers.

Freo Partners with Equitas Small Finance Bank

• Freo, one of India’s leading consumers neo banks, in partnership with Equitas Small Finance Bank launched its digital savings account ‘Freo Save’.

• With this launch, it has become the first consumer neo bank in the country to provide full-stack neo-banking products, including smart savings accounts, credit and payments products, cards, and wealth-growth products.

• The neo bank is planning to open one million new accounts in the next ten months.
• Freo Save will offer quick access to credit and shopping and through its partnership with Equitas Small Finance Bank.
• It will provide up to 7 percent interest on customer savings for balances above ₹5 lakh up to ₹2 crores.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Chairman and Managing Director of NSIC

• P.Udayakumar, Director (Planning & Marketing) National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) assumes an additional charge of Chairman and Managing Director, NSIC.

• He is a Mechanical engineer from College of Engg, Guindy with post-graduation from IIM Bangalore with 12 years of Board experience.

• He is an Investment Committee member of the PE growth fund namely the SRI Fund, the Fund of the Ministry of MSME.

First Woman President of FICA

• Legendary Australian cricketer Lisa Sthalekar has become the first woman president of the Federation of International Cricketers’ Association (FICA).
• Her appointment was made at a meeting of the organization’s executive committee in Nyon, Switzerland, the first in-person meeting since the start of the Covid pandemic.
• Earlier, Sthalekar had been on the board of FICA as an independent director.
• thalekar represented Australia in 187 international matches across the 3 formats.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

China to Launch Remote Sensing Satellite

• On 23 June 2022, China successfully launched three new remote sensing satellites from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province Thursday.

• The satellites were launched as the second batch of the Yaogan-35 family by a Long March-2D carrier rocket and entered the planned orbit successfully.

• The satellites will be mainly used to conduct science experiments, land resource surveys, yield estimation of agricultural products and disaster prevention and reduction.
• This launch marked the 424th mission for the Long March series carrier rockets.

IMPORTANT DAYS

United Nations Public Service Day

• United Nations Public Service Day is celebrated every year on 23 June.

• It highlights the importance of public service in the development process and recognises the work of public servants.

• On 20 December 2002, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 57/277 to designate June 23 as Public Service Day.
• The theme of this year's United Nations Public Service Day is “Building back better from COVID-19: Enhancing innovative partnerships to meet the SDGs.”

International Widows Day

• International Widows Day is observed every year on 23 June.
• In the year 2010, the United Nations acknowledged 23 June as International Widows' Day. The global body mainly focused on highlighting the experiences of widows and the assistance they require.
• The day was first observed by the Loomba Foundation in 2005.
• On this day in 1954, founder Rajinder Paul Loomba’s mother Shrimati Pushpa Wati Loomba became a widow.

International Olympic Day

• International Olympic Day is celebrated every year on 23 June.
• The day marks the founding of the International Olympic Committee in 1894 and aims to promote the idea of the Olympics and sports.
• The International Olympic Committee was formed on June 23, 1894 in Sorbonne, Paris by Baron Pierre de Coubertin.
• The first International Olympic Day was celebrated on June 23, 1948.
• The theme for the year 2022 is ‘Together, For a Peaceful World’.