Daily Current Affairs and GK | 17 June 2022

Topic: Reports and Indices

1. All India Radio has been voted the most trusted electronic media organisation in India.

• All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan enjoy the highest trust as per a survey by Reuters Institution in 46 countries.
• As per Digital News Report 2022 of the Reuters Institute, print brands and public broadcasters, like AIR and DD News continue to have high trust among the survey respondents.
• Digital News Report 2022 of the Reuters Institute said that 24-hour television news channels are less well trusted along with newer digital-born brands.
• Reuters Institute’s survey of Indian News Brands showed that the authenticity and accuracy of News by AIR and DD News stand at 72% and 71%.
• As per the report, the reach of both All India Radio and DD News has also increased.
• The average level of trust in news, at 42%. This is lower than the previous year.
• India registered a small increase in the level of trust (overall trust in news is 41% in India).
• In India, the top social media platforms for sourcing news are YouTube (53%) and WhatsApp (51%).
• India is a strongly mobile-focussed market. In India, 72% of the survey respondents accessed news through smartphones.
• In India, 58% said that they “mostly read” the news while 17% said they “mostly watch” it.
• Major Trends Highlighted in Digital News Report 2022
  • People are trusting news content less and less.
  • Consumption of traditional news media declined in nearly all the countries surveyed.
  • Selective avoidance: Proportion of news consumers who say that they “avoid news” has risen sharply across countries.
  • Facebook remained the most-used social network for news, it is TikTok that has become the fastest-growing network.
• Digital News Report 2022:
  • It measured digital news consumption on the basis of a YouGov survey of more than 93,000 news consumers in 46 markets (in six continents).
  • It covered half of the world's population. YouGuv is a British market research and data analytics firm.
  • It is an annual report commissioned by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Agriculture

2. Government increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for fourteen Kharif crops.

• On 08 June 2022, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the increase in MSP for all mandated Kharif Crops for Marketing Season 2022-23.
• MSP for soyabean (yellow) has been raised maximum (8.86%) and bajra has seen the lowest increase with 4.44%.

• Government announces MSP for 22 mandated crops. They include 14 Kharif crops. 
• Government announces Fair and Remunerative Price for sugarcane.
• MSP for 22 mandated crops and Fair and Remunerative Prices for sugarcane are announced at all India level recommendations of Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP).
• The increase in MSP for Kharif Crops is in line with Government’s Union Budget 2018-19 announcement of fixing the MSP at a level of at least 50% over the All India weighted average Cost of Production.

Topic: Art and Culture

3. International literary festival “Unmesh” is being organized at the historic Gaiety Theater in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.

• Minister of State for Culture Arjun Ram Meghawal inaugurated the three-day festival on 16 June 2022.
• He said that the festival is being organized for the first time. It will be the biggest international literary festival in the country so far.
• Union Ministry of Culture and the Sahitya Akademi are organizing the festival with the support of the state Department of Art and Culture as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• The festival is titled “Unmesh- a celebration of expression”. Over 1,000 books related to the freedom movement would also be displayed during the festival.
• During the festival, Booker Prize-winning author Geetanjali Shree will share her views on women's writing in Indian languages.

Topic: Sports

4. First ever SAI Squash Courts inaugurated at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, New Delhi.

• It is for the first time that squash courts were opened by SAI across any centre in India. 
• In December 2020, the foundation stone of the project was laid by former Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju.
• A total of 6 squash courts are made in the stadium, out of which 3 single courts will be convertible to 2 double courts.
• The National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) (owned by the Government of India) has completed the project.
• Sports Authority of India was set up in 1984 as a registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1980. It is the apex national sports body of India. It aims at promoting sports and achieving sporting excellence at the national and international level.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

5. Four batches of the GSDP Certificate Course in “Bird Identification and Basic Ornithology” completed the course.

• Green Skill Development Programme (GSDP) is a pan India initiative by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
• The initiative is line with Skill India Mission.
• It aims to develop skill in the environment and forest sector so that youths can get gainful employment.
• The course is free of cost and is fully funded by Ministry of Environment.
• The pilot project of GSDP was launched in 2017.
• Orinthology is the scientific study of birds.
• Skill India Mission was launched by PM Modi on 15 July 2015. It aims to train over 40 crore people in market-relevant skills by 2022.

Topic: International News

6. US Federal Reserve has raised its benchmark interest rate by 0.75 percentage points.

• This is the biggest rate hike made by the US central bank since 1994.
• The central bank has raised policy rate to range of 1.5% to 1.75%.  
• Federal Reserve projected a slowing economy and rising unemployment in the months to come.
• The sudden rate tightening may lead to recession.
• Recession is a period of declining economic performance in an economy that lasts for several months. Usually, there is negative growth for two consecutive quarters.
• Some of the consequences of recession are high unemployment, decline in productivity during early stage of recession, decline in real income, decline in real GDP, decreasing consumer spending, etc.

Topic: International News

7. British government to table a legislation to alter certain conditions of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

• The legislation seeks to reduce customs checks and paperwork for trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
• In response to this announcement, European Commission started two new legal proceedings against Britain.
• After the Brexit, Northern Ireland remained only constituent that shares land border with an EU-member i.e Ireland. Since the product standards are different for EU and UK, checks would be necessary. So, Northern Ireland Protocol allows checks to be conducted between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Northern Ireland remained in the EU single market.
• Great Britain comprises of England, Scotland and Wales. Great Britain together with Northern Ireland form the UK.
• Brexit is the exit of Britain from European Union (announced in 2016) that formally occurred on 31 January 2020.
• European Union is an economic and political union of 27 countries. The EU is the single market that allows free movement of goods and people. Euro is the currency of EU.

Topic: Defence

8. Training launch of Prithvi-II missile carried out successfully on 15 June 2022 from ITR, Chandipur.

• DRDO and BDL have developed this missile under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP). 
• Prithvi-II is single fueled short-range surface- to surface ballistic missile. It has a range of around 250 kms with 1 tonne payload capacity. The range of the missile was extended to 350 km.
• The state-of-the-art missile uses advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvering trajectory to hit its target.
• The missile was inducted into India's Strategic Forces Command in 2003.
• 'Prithvi' was the first missile developed under the IGMDP. 
• Prithvi missile has 3 variants:
  • Prithvi I (SS-150): Army version with 1000 kg payload capacity
  • Prithvi II (SS-250): Air force version with 500 kg payload capacity
  • Prithvi III (SS-350-2 stage fueled missile): Naval version with 1000 kg payload capacity
  • Dhanush Missile is a variant of Prithvi III missile which has been developed for the Indian Navy. 

Topic: New Developments

9. Scientists have newly developed ultra-thin heteroprotein films.

• These are a better alternative to isolated protein films. These have excellent thermal, mechanical, and pH stability.
• The heteroprotein films are much thinner as compared to the other protein or plastic films. They are soft and more flexible than other films.
• A research group from the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), Guwahati has successfully developed ultrathin monolayer protein films.
• The films consist of two globular proteins: bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme (Lys).
• The research group used the technique called Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique.
• The two proteins formed a complex at a pH of 9.2 because of an electrostatic attraction and hydrophobic interactions.
• The monolayer complex was formed at the air-water interface. This was later transferred to the silicon substrates at a surface pressure of 18 mN/m.
• Films of such protein complexes of BSA and Lys can be useful for fabricating highly stable biodegradable thin films.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Reports and Indices

10. Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) ranks Kerala’s startup ecosystem as the best in Asia.

• It ranks Kerala’s startup ecosystem as fourth in terms of affordable talent.
• GSER was recently released in the backdrop of London Tech Week 2022.
• Kerala is the third-largest recipient of enterprise capital. It is ranked within prime 30 within the rising group, excellence, expertise, and expertise in funding mobilization.
• During the period from 2019 to 2021, Kerala could create a startup ecosystem valued at Rs 1037.05 crore.
• Bengaluru ranked 22nd in the global startup ecosystem index. Delhi moved up 11 places to reach rank 26. Mumbai reached rank 36.
• Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER):
  • GSER is brought out jointly by Startup Genome and Global Entrepreneurship Network.
  • The report ranks the leading 140 ecosystems and measures top Asian emerging ecosystems on the basis of talent, experience, etc.  
  • The first GSER was published in 2020. It ranked Kerala 5th in Asia and 20th in the world.

Topic: Geography

11. University of Adelaide researchers conducted a study in which an updated map of tectonic plates of the earth is included.

• The study is titled “New maps of global geological provinces and tectonic plates”.
• The study examines in detail the construction of continents like the first supercontinent, Vaalbara.
• Vaalbara fragmented and formed other supercontinents. Pangea is the last of them. It existed 335-65 million years ago.
• The updated map of tectonic plates included in the study will help in a better understanding of earthquakes and volcanoes as tectonic plate movements often lead to these natural hazards.
• As per the researchers of the study, the new model of tectonic plates explains the spatial distribution of 90% of earthquakes and 80% of volcanoes in the past two million years.
• Existing models only explain the distribution of 65% of earthquakes.
• The tectonic plate model was last time updated in 2003. The new study adds the following new microplates to the existing tectonic plate model.
  • Macquarie microplate which sits south of Tasmania
  • Capricorn microplate that separates the Indian and Australian plates
• According to the study, the largest update to the current plate model has been in western North America. The second major change is in Central Asia.

Topic: Reports and Indices

12. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation released Migration in India 2020-21 report.

• The report is prepared based on the information collected in PLFS during July 2020-June 2021 on migration aspects. It separates the categories of ‘migrants’ and ‘temporary visitors’.
• The all-India migration rate was 28.9% with 26.5% migration in rural areas and 34.9% in urban areas.
• The overall female migration rate (47.9%) is higher than the males (10.7%). The reason for higher rate of female migration is mainly marriage (in 86.8% of the migration cases).
• The 42.9% of the males migrated in search of employment/ better employment or to take up employment/ to take up better employment/ business/ proximity to place of work/ transfer.
• 0.7% of India’s population was recorded as a ‘temporary visitor’ across households. 84% of these temporary visitors moved places due to reasons related to COVID-19 pandemic such as meeting family/relatives, loss of job/closure of unit/lack of employment, migration of earning member, closure of educational institutions, etc.
• Conceptual Framework defined in the report:
  • Usual Place of Residence (UPR): It is the place (village/town) where the person has been staying continuously for at least six months or was found to be staying there during the survey with intention to stay there continuously for six months or more then that place was as his/her UPR.
  • Migrant: A household member whose last usual place of residence, any time in the past, was different from the present place of enumeration was considered as migrant member in a household.
  • Migration rate: Migration rate for any category of person (say, for rural or urban, male or female), is the percentage of migrants belonging to that category of persons.
  • Temporary Visitors: Those persons who arrived after March 2020 and stayed in the household continuously for a period of 15 days or more but less than 6 months. Temporary visitors pertain to those for whom the present place of residence where he/she was residing temporarily differed from their usual place of residence (UPR).

Topic: Important Days

13. International Day of Family Remittances 2022: 16 June

• International Day of Family Remittances is observed every year on 16 June.
• The day recognizes more than 200 million migrant workers, women and men, who send money home to over 800 million family members.
• Family remittances are the money sent by people living in another country to their family members in their home country.
• Theme for International Day of Family Remittances 2022 is “Recovery and resilience through digital and financial inclusion”.
• As per World Bank data 2022, in 2021, remittances flow grew from US$ 540 billion in 2020 to US$ 605 billion sent to low-and middle income countries.
• The region with the highest number of international migrants in 2020 was Europe (87 million migrants).
• 37 million of international migrants originated from low-income countries.
• The significant contribution of migrant workers in terms of remittances and investments, has also been recognised in the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration that was adopted in December 2018.

Topic: Indian Economy

14. Russia has become India’s second-biggest supplier of oil.

• It has recently overtaken Saudi Arabia. Iraq remained India’s biggest supplier of oil in May 2022.
• Saudi Arabia is now the third biggest supplier of oil to India. 
• Indian refiners bought over 16% of all their oil imports from Russia in May.
• India is the world's third-biggest oil-importing and consuming nation.
• India is the world's third-largest consumer of oil after US and China. It imports over 85% of its consumption requirement.