Daily Current Affairs and GK | 13 July 2022

Topic: Indian Economy

1. Industrial Production rises 19.6% in May against 7.1 percent in the previous month.

• The National Statistical Office (NSO) has released the Quick Estimates of Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
• India’s Industrial Production jumps to 19.6% in May due to the strong performance of the manufacturing, power, and mining sectors.
• In May, the manufacturing sector has grown by 20.6% while power generation soared by 23.5%.
• The mining sector witnessed an expansion of 10.9% in May 2022.
• Consumer non-durables grew by 0.9% while Capital goods grew by 54%.
• The Quick Estimates of Index of Industrial Production (IIP) with base 2011-12 stands at 137.7 for May 2022.
• Last year in May, the IIP had grown by 27.6% mainly due to the low-base effect.
• The IIP index provides the details of the growth of various sectors in the economy.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

2. PM Modi will take part in the first I2U2 (India-Israel-UAE-USA) Leaders’ Virtual Summit on 14 July 2022.

• PM of Israel Yair Lapid, President of the UAE Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and President of the USA Joseph R. Biden will also participate in the Summit.
• During the summit, the Leaders will discuss possible joint projects within the framework of I2U2.
• I2U2 is aimed to encourage joint investments in six mutually identified areas like energy, water, space, transportation, health, and food security.
• I2U2:
  • It is a four-nation grouping between India, Israel, UAE, and the USA.
  • It was conceptualized during a meeting of the four countries' Foreign Ministers on October 18, 2021.
• Watch about I2U2 Summit in a video - I2U2 Summit 2022.

Topic: Important Days

3. International Malala Day: 12 July

• International Malala Day is observed annually on July 12 on the birthday of Malala Yousafzai.
• United Nations (UN) designated 12 July as Malala Day to honour the young woman who has been advocating for female education.
• Malala Yousafzai became an international symbol of the fight for girls’ education.
• She was shot in 2012 for opposing Taliban restrictions on female education in Pakistan.
• In December 2014, she became the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
• In 2015, an asteroid was named (316201 Malala) in honour of Yousufzai.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

4. Japan’s Ex-PM Shinzo Abe will be awarded the country's highest order posthumously.

• Shinzo Abe will be awarded the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum.
• Abe will be the fourth former Prime Minister to receive this honour under the postwar Constitution.
• The Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum is Japan's highest order.
• Shinzo Abe is the longest-serving Prime Minister in Japanese history.
• He served as President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

Topic: International News

5. India joined Interpol's child sex abuse database and became the 68^th country to do so.

• India has joined Interpol's international child sexual exploitation (ICSE) database, allowing it to use audio-visual data to link victims, abusers, and crime scenes.
• CBI is India's nodal agency for Interpol matters, which joined the child sex abuse database of Interpol.
• The database, which serves as both an intelligence and an investigative tool, allows specialised investigators to exchange data on cases of child sexual abuse.
• By identifying the victims and the place of the crime, the investigators can use image and video comparison software to track down the criminals.
• All 68 countries' detectives can exchange information and notes with their colleagues across the world.
• International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL):
  • It is the world's largest international police organization with 195 member states. It has seven regional bureaus all over the world.
  • It was formed in 1923. Its motto is connecting police for a safer world.
  • It is headquartered in Lyon, France. Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi is its President.

Topic: Miscellaneous

6. India constructed the longest double-decker Viaduct in Nagpur, setting a global record.

• The world's longest double-decker viaduct, with a length of 3.14 km, has been built in Nagpur by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and Maharashtra Metro.
• The longest viaduct with highway flyover and metro rail is supported on single-column piers.
• The three elevated metro stations named Ujjwal Nagar, Jaiprakash Nagar and Chhatrapati Square (maximum number of Metro Stations), constructed on Double Decker Viaduct in Nagpur have been recognized by the Asia Book of Records and India Book of Records.
• Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha Metro):
  • It is a 50:50 Joint Venture company between the Government of India & Government of Maharashtra.    
  • The existing Nagpur Metro Rail Corporation Limited (NMRCL) was reconstituted into Maha Metro, which will implement all metro projects in the state of Maharashtra.
  • All metro rail projects will be governed by the Railways Act of 1989, the Metro Railways (Construction of Works) Act of 1978, and the Metro Railways (Operation and Maintenance) Act of 2002.
  • It is headquartered in Nagpur, India.

Topic: National News

7. Central government will soon launch Har Ghar Tiranga campaign.

• Har Ghar Tiranga will be a nationwide campaign to inspire countrymen to hoist the national flag at home to commemorate the 75^th Independence Day.
• The initiative has been taken under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• Ministry of Culture is the nodal ministry for Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. Union Home Minister Amit Shah oversees all efforts under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah has approved the program of ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’.
• It envisages encouraging Indians everywhere to hoist the national flag.
• In December 2021, Flag Code of India, 2002 was amended to allow a National Flag made of polyester or machine-made.
• Now, the National Flag will be made of handspun and handwoven or machine-made, cotton, polyester, wool, silk, and khadi bunting.
• The shape of the National Flag shall be rectangular. It can be of any size. The ratio of length to the width of the Flag shall be 3:2.
• Flag Code of India, 2002:
  • Flag Code of India, 2002 governs the use, display, and hoisting of the Indian National Flag. It became effective on 26^th January 2002.
  • It brings together all conventions, laws, practices, and instructions for the display of the National Flag.
  • It governs the display of the National Flag by Private, Public, and Government Institutions.

Topic: Indian Economy

8. Retail inflation eased to 7.01% in June 2022 compared to 7.04% in May 2022.

• Inflation eased marginally mainly due to the easing of prices in the "Food & Beverages" section.
• Inflation in the food basket came down from 7.84% in May 2022 to 7.56% in June 2022.
• The inflation in vegetables eased from 18.26% in May 2022 to 17.37% in June 2022.
• Inflation has remained above RBI’s six percent upper range because of increasing global commodity prices due to the Russia-Ukraine war and high crude oil prices.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Space and IT

9. Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated the "ISRO System for Safe & Sustainable Operation" (IS4OM) in Bengaluru.

• The "ISRO System for Safe & Sustainable Operation" (IS4OM) inaugurated at ISRO Control Centre will help India in achieving its SSA (Space Situational Awareness) goals.
• It will provide comprehensive and timely information about the Space environment.
• This multi-domain awareness platform will provide accurate information on on-orbit collision, fragmentation, atmospheric re-entry risk, space-based strategic information, etc.
• IS4OM facility will help in safeguarding Indian space assets and mitigate collision threats from space objects.
• ISRO is an active member of the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IDAC), IAF Space Debris Working Group, and UNCOPUOS long-term sustainability Working Group.
• Space Situational Awareness (SSA) means keeping track of objects in orbit and predicting where they will be at any given time.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: National Appointments

10. Brajesh Kumar Upadhyay to be the new chief of Goa Shipyard limited.

• The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) has selected Brajesh Kumar Upadhyay as the Chairman and Managing Director of Goa Shipyard.
• He was currently serving as director (operations) at Goa Shipyard Limited.
• As the chief executive, he will be accountable to its board of directors and the government.
• He will be responsible for achieving the company’s corporate objectives and performance parameters.
• Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL):
  • It is a Government-owned Shipbuilding Company.
  • It is the first Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU) Shipyard to formulate and adopt Make-in-India Policy.
  • It was founded in 1957 and its headquarters is located in Goa.

Topic: Art and Culture

11. Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) started the conservation work of a Buddhist site near Kanaganahalli.

• Twenty years after the excavation, the Archaeological Survey of India has come up with a plan for the conservation of an ancient Buddhist site on the bank of Bhima river near Kanaganahalli (forming part of the Sannati site) in Karnataka.
• The conservation project aims to reset the remains of Maha Stupa retrieved in the excavation to their original positions.
• The stupa was built with limestone and most of the dome slabs, drum slabs, and inscribed sculptures are in broken states.
• Maha Stupa found in excavation is referred to as Adholoka Maha Chaitya in the inscriptions. The Stupa was believed to be one of the largest of its time.
• The stone portrait found in the excavation is the only surviving image of the Mauryan Emperor which has the inscription ‘Raya Asoko’ in Brahmi on it.
• This stupa is believed to be built in three periods- Maurya, Early Satavahana and Later Satavahana.
• As per the ASI, this Buddhist site is worth being a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Famous Buddhist sites in India are:

Topic: Space and IT

12. Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar inaugurated two new Internet Exchange points (IXP) of NIXI in West Bengal.

• The two new Internet Exchange points (IXP) of NIXI have been inaugurated at Durgapur and Bardhman.
• These new Internet Exchanges have been launched under the vision of Digital India and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s (MeitY) vision 1000 days.
• New Internet exchanges will improve the Internet and Broadband services in West Bengal and neighbouring regions.
• Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) play a crucial role in the modern internet. It is an access point through which primary network providers connect their networks and exchange traffic.
• National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI):
  • It was established in 2003.
  • It is a non-profit company founded to improve internet service in India.
  • It manages Internet Exchanges, IDN domain, and Indian Registry for Internet Names and Numbers.

Topic: Space and IT

13. First full-colour image captured by James Webb Space Telescope has been released by NASA.

• US President Joe Biden released the image at an event in the White House.
• In this image, the Galaxy cluster SMSCS 0723 is seen with a lot of detail. Thousands of galaxies were seen in web view for the first time.
• The image shows thousands of galaxies, and some of the faintest objects in blue, orange, and white colours.
• It also provides glimpses of what the early Universe looked like. It is the clearest image to date of the early universe.
• It is the highest resolution photo of deep space and the light captured by the telescope in this photo has travelled more than 13 billion years.
• James Webb Space Telescope is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).
• This telescope can see farther than any other telescope in space with the help of its huge primary mirror and instruments.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Sports

14. 94-year-old Bhagwani Devi wins gold medal in World Masters Athletics Championships in Finland.

• Bhagwani Devi Dagar won the gold medal in the 100m sprint at the World Masters Athletics Championships held in Tampere.
• She finished the 100m race in 24.74 seconds. She also won the bronze medal in shot put.
• World Masters Athletics Championships is a tournament of athletics (track and field) for 35 years and above-age athletes. It was originally scheduled to be held in 2021 but due to the pandemic, it was rescheduled to 2022.

(Source: News on AIR)