Daily Current Affairs and GK | 14 June 2022

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

1. First National Conference of Chief Secretaries will be chaired by PM Modi.

• On 16 and 17 June, PM Modi will preside over the First National Conference of Chief Secretaries at HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.
• This will be an important step towards further strengthening the partnership between the Central and State Governments.
• From June 15 to 17, 2022, the National Conference of Chief Secretaries will be held.
• The conference will be attended by around 200 persons representing the Central Government, all States/UTs, and domain experts.
• The three days conference will focus on how to achieve rapid and sustained economic growth in collaboration with the states.
• The conference will create the groundwork for collaborative action for higher growth in agriculture with sustainability, job creation, education, ease of living, and aatmanirbharta.
• Three main themes have been chosen for in-depth discussion at the Conference:
  • Implementation of the National Education Policy
  • Urban governance
  • Crop diversification and achieving self-sufficiency in oilseeds, pulses, and other agri-commodities.

Topic: Important Days

2. World Blood Donor Day 2022: 14 June

• Every year on June 14, World Blood Donor Day is observed.
• It is observed in order to raise awareness about the importance of blood and blood products, the need for blood donation, and the safety of blood transfusions.
• Theme of World Blood Donor Day 2022 is “Donating blood is an act of solidarity. Join the effort and save lives”.
• The day commemorates the birth anniversary of Karl Landsteiner, who discovered and classified the ABO blood groupings.
• In 2004, the World Health Organization declared World Blood Donor Day to be observed on June 14.
• In 1919, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies was established with the goal of increasing global awareness of the need for healthy persons to donate blood safely.
• The host country for World Blood Donor Day 2022 is Mexico.
• Blood is a connective tissue that delivers essential substances like oxygen and nutrients to the body's cells. An average person has about 5 litres of blood.

Topic: International Appointments

3. Ambassador Rabab Fatima has been appointed as the Under Secretary General of the United Nations.

• United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced the appointment of Ambassador Fatima on 09 June 2022.
• Ambassador Rabab Fatima is the Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations.
• She will also be a High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS).
• She succeeds Courtenay Rattray of Jamaica. Courtenay Rattray was appointed as the Chef de Cabinet.
• She is the first woman diplomat from Bangladesh to be appointed to this post.
• She has become the highest-ranking official of Bangladesh under the UN system.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

4. CiSS application has been launched by NCPCR under the Baal Swaraj portal.

• National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has launched the CiSS application to help in the rehabilitation process of Children in Street Situations (CiSS).
• Baal Swaraj portal has two functions- COVID care and CiSS. It is a portal launched by NCPCR.
• It has been launched for online tracking and digital real-time monitoring mechanism of children in need of care and protection.
• COVID Care link helps children who have lost either or both parents due to COVID-19 or otherwise post March 2020.
• It follows six stages framework for the rehabilitation of children.
• National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR):
  • It was set up in March 2007. It is a statutory body.
  • It consists of a chairperson and six members (at least two members are women).
  • Chairperson: Priyank Kanoongo

Topic: Agriculture

5. China has now become the biggest importer of Indian broken rice.

• It has now become the top buyer of Indian broken rice. Indian broken rice was earlier exported mostly to African countries.
• China imported 16.34 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) or 7.7% of India’s total rice export of 212.10 LMT in the financial year 2021-22.
• Out of China’s total rice import from India of 16.34 LMT, nearly 97 percent (15.76 LMT) was broken rice.
• During 2021-22, India exported 38.64 LMT of broken rice to 83 countries. Out of this, maximum (15.76 LMT) was procured by China. China procured only 2.73 LMT in 2020-21.
• In 2021-22, India’s total rice exports (basmati and non-basmati) was 212.10 LMT. This is 19.30% higher than 177.79 LMT exported in 2020-21.
• In the period from 2020-21 to 2021-22, rice export to China increased by 392.20% from 3.31 LMT to 16.34 LMT.
• Basmati rice accounted for 39.48 LMT of India’s total rice export in 2021-22. This was lower than 46.30 LMT exported in 2020-21.
• Non-basmati rice accounts for the major share of India’s rice exports. During 2021-22, the export of rice other than basmati was 172.62 LMT.

Topic: State News/West Bengal

6. West Bengal Legislative Assembly passes the West Bengal University Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2022.

• The bill replaces Governor with CM Mamata Banerjee as Chancellor of all state-run universities.
• The bill was passed with a vote in the 294-member assembly where 182 members voted in favor of the law and 40 against it.
• The bill was introduced by state education minister. He said why can’t CM be the chancellor of state universities if the Prime Minister is the chancellor of a central university- Visva Bharati?
• West Bengal Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the Indian state of West Bengal. It comprises 294 Members. Speaker of West Bengal legislative assembly is Biman Banerjee.

Topic: Sports

7. Rahul Srivatshav has become India's 74^th Grandmaster.

• During the 9^th Cattolica Chess Festival 2022 in Italy, Rahul Srivatshav P. of Telangana has become India's 74th Grandmaster, breaking the 2500 (Elo points) barrier in live FIDE ratings.
• After drawing his 8th round game against Grandmaster Levan Pantsulaia at the Cattolica event, the 19-year-old player reached the 2500 Elo live rating mark.
• Srivastava had already achieved five GM benchmarks and won the title when he crossed the rating threshold of 2500.
• A player has to obtain three GM norms and a live rating of 2,500 Elo points in order to become a GM.
• In January 2022, Bharath Subramaniyam became the country's 73rd Grandmaster.
• The legendary Viswanathan Anand became India's first Grandmaster in 1988.

Topic: Government schemes and Initiatives

8. 'StartUps for Railways', an innovative policy, launched by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

• The policy's aim is to improve scale and efficiency in the areas of operation, maintenance, and infrastructure building by enlisting the help of a big and underserved startup ecosystem.
• The aim is to inspire young entrepreneurs to come up with ideas for enhancing operational efficiency and safety.
• The innovator can now get a grant of up to Rs 1.5 Crore on an equal-sharing basis, with a provision for milestone payments, in accordance with the Indian Railways Innovation Policy.
• Under this policy, the innovator will be chosen through a transparent and fair approach that will be handled through the newly launched online portal- Indian Railway Innovation Portal.

Topic: Defence

9. 38^th India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol started in the Andaman Sea and Straits of Malacca.

• 38^th India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (IND-INDO CORPAT) involves Indian Navy Units of Andaman & Nicobar Command (ANC) and the Indonesian Navy.
• It is being carried out from 13 to 24 June 2022 in the Andaman Sea and the Straits of Malacca.
• 38^th IND-INDO CORPAT is the first post-pandemic Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) between the two countries.
• It includes a visit by the Indonesian Navy units to Andaman & Nicobar Command (ANC) at Port Blair from June 13 to 15, 2022.
• This will be followed by a Sea Phase in the Andaman Sea and a visit by Indian Navy Units to Sabang (Indonesia) from June 23 to 24, 2022.
• Indian and Indonesian navies have been conducting CORPAT along their International Maritime Boundary Line since 2002.
• Straits of Malacca is a narrow stretch of water between Peninsular Malaysia and the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

Topic: State News/Maharashtra

10. PM Modi will visit Pune and Mumbai in Maharashtra on June 14 and inaugurate several projects.

• PM Modi will inaugurate the Jal Bhushan Building and Gallery of Revolutionaries at Raj Bhawan in Mumbai.
• The gallery has been developed in the bunker (that was discovered on the Raj Bhavan premises in 2016).
• It has been developed as a museum to commemorate the State’s freedom fighters and revolutionaries like Vasudev Balwant Phadke, the Chaphekar brothers, the Savarkar brothers, and Madam Bhikaji Cama.
• He will also take part in Dwishatabdi Mahotsav (the 200th-anniversary celebrations) of Mumbai Samachar in Mumbai.
• PM Modi will inaugurate Tukaram Temple in Dehu, Pune. Dehu is the birthplace of 17th-century Bhakti poet-saint Tukaram. This place is highly revered by the warkari sect.
• Tukaram was a worshipper of Lord Vithala. Tukaram is famous for devotional poetry known as abhangas. He is also famous for worship through spiritual songs known as kirtans.

Topic: Sports

11. Haryana tops medal tally at 4th Khelo India Youth Games.

• The closing ceremony was held at Indradhanush Stadium, Panchkula.
• The games were held at five locations - Panchkula, Ambala, Chandigarh, Delhi and Shahbad.

• Khelo India Youth Games:
  • On 31 January 2018, PM Modi inaugurated Khelo India School Games in New Delhi. It was later renamed to Khelo India Youth Games. Haryana topped the medal tally, followed by Maharashtra and Delhi.
  • In 2019, the second edition of the games were hosted by Pune. Maharashtra topped the medal tally, followed by Haryana and Delhi.
  • On 27 February 2019, PM Modi launched Khelo India App.
  • In 2020, first edition of Khelo India University Games was held in Cuttack, Odisha.
  • In 2020, the third edition of Khelo India Youth games was held in Guwahati, Assam. Maharashtra topped the medal tally, followed by Haryana and Delhi.
  • The fifth edition of Khelo India Youth Games will be held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

Topic: Personality in News

12. 117^th Birth Anniversary of famous cricketer K S Duleepsinhji: 13 June 2022

• K.S. Duleepsinhji was born on 13 June 1905 in a Royal family of Saurashtra.
• He was a legendary batsman who played 12 tests for England.
• In a short span of his career, he scored 50 centuries in first-class cricket.
• The Duleep trophy is named in his honour. It was started by the Indian board in 1961-62 as a zonal rather than a state first-class competition.
• Ranji trophy is named after his uncle K S Ranjitsinhji.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Indian Economy

13. Fitch Ratings has changed India's rating outlook from Stable to Negative.

• It has lowered the economic growth forecast to 7.8% for FY23.  It has projected economic growth forecast at 8.5% in March.  
• The change in outlook from negative to stable means that downside risks to medium-term growth have diminished due to India's rapid economic recovery.
• In June 2020, Fitch Ratings changed India’s outlook from stable to negative.  
• Fitch Ratings has kept the rating unchanged at BBB-.  India’s rating has remained BBB- since August 2006. 
• It forecast growth of around 7 percent between FY24 and FY27.
• It forecast the debt-to-GDP ratio to decline to 83% in the current fiscal from 87.6% in 2020-21.  

Topic: Indian Economy

14. Technology Development Board to launch ₹1,000-crore start-up fund.

• The Technology Development Board (TDB), a statutory body under the Department of Science and Technology is planning to launch a startup fund of 1000 crore.
• It will be launched in a public-private partnership model in two phases.
• A corpus of ₹400 crores will be set up in the first phase. In the second phase, TDB will collaborate with more companies to raise money.
• The main objective of the fund is to invest in startups across various sectors.
• Technology Development Board was set as a statutory body in 1996 under the Technology Development Board Act, 1995.