Daily Current Affairs and GK | 21 June 2023

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

1. A Knowledge Sharing Platform has been launched by NHAI for the inclusive development of National Highways.

• This initiative of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will help it to collaborate with experts and citizens wanting to share knowledge and insights on different topics.
• These topics are road design, construction, road safety, environment sustainability and related fields.
• The Knowledge Sharing Platform will promote sharing of best practices from around the world.
• The best practices can be uploaded on the NHAI web portal.
• It will contribute towards the holistic development of the National Highway Infrastructure in the country.

Topic: National News

2. Ministry of AYUSH has planned the Ocean Ring of Yoga to commemorate International Day of Yoga (IDY) 23.

• It is an event planned in coordination with the Ministry of Defence and other ministries.
• It is an event symbolizing unity and solidarity. In support of the International Day of Yoga (IDY-23) initiative, Indian Navy ships are visiting various ports of friendly foreign countries.
• They are spreading the message of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ which is also the theme for IDY 23.
• This year, port calls by Indian Navy ships are planned as per the following table.

• Under IDY 23 Ocean Ring of Yoga, about 3500 naval personnel have traveled over 35,000 Km as ambassadors of Yoga in both national and international waters.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: India and its neighbours

3. China and Pakistan signed a $4.8 billion deal to build a 1200-megawatt nuclear power plant.

• On 20 June, China and Pakistan signed an agreement of $4.8 billion to set up a 1,200-megawatt nuclear power plant in Punjab province.
• The Chashma-V nuclear plant will be set up at Chashma in the Mianwali district of Punjab.
• It is a sign of increasing economic cooperation between Pakistan and China.
• In this project, Pakistan will get an investment of $4.8 billion from China.
• Pakistan currently has six operating nuclear power plants. Pakistan’s total nuclear energy production is 1400 MW.
• Pakistan’s sixth nuclear power plant was opened two years ago in Karachi.
• Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP) is the first nuclear energy plant in Pakistan.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

4. Central Government discontinued the sale of rice and wheat under OMSS to state governments.

• The Union Food Ministry discontinued the sale of rice and wheat under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) to all state governments.
• This decision can affect some states including Karnataka which are offering free grains to the poor.
• The sale of rice under the OMSS will be continued for northeastern states, hilly states and states facing law and order issues, and natural calamities.
• This decision has been taken for controlling the prices of wheat and rice.
• Amid concerns over monsoon, FCI has to maintain enough stocks to keep prices under control.
• The Central government has also imposed stock limits on wheat till March 31, 2024.
• The government has decided to sell 15 lakh tonnes of wheat under the OMSS to flour mills, private traders and manufacturers of wheat products through e-auction.
• Under the OMSS policy for 2023, States can buy both rice and wheat from the FCI for their own schemes by without participating in e-auction.
• The main aim of the Open Market Sale Scheme is to reduce the excess stock of food grains held by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state agencies.

Topic: Corporates/Companies

5. IndiGo signed a $50bn deal for 500 aircraft with Airbus.

• IndiGo team led by promoter & MD Rahul Bhatia and the Airbus team led by CEO Guillaume Faury signed the historic $50bn deal.
• The order of 500 aircraft comprises a mix of A320 neo, A321 neo, and A321 xlr aircraft. The engine selection for this order will be done later.
• IndiGo placed the largest order ever by an Indian airline at the Paris Air Show. IndiGo is the largest airline by market share in India.
• The aircraft will be delivered between 2030 and 2035.
• IndiGo has so far ordered a total of 1,330 Airbus aircraft since its establishment. It has currently 310 aircraft and it 60% domestic market share.
• IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers said that the airline will double its fleet size by 2030.
• Indigo’s earlier order of 480 aircraft is expected to be delivered by the end of 2030.
• The Indigo airline is operating more than 1,800 daily flights connecting 78 domestic destinations.
• Earlier, Air India had signed a deal with Airbus to buy 250 aircraft. Air India is owned by Tata Group.

Topic: Biotechnology and Diseases

6. Drug Controller General of India approved GEMCOVAC-OM under emergency use guidelines.

• GEMCOVAC-OM is India’s first indigenous mRNA vaccine for the Omicron variant.
• It is developed by Pune-based Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd.
• Last year, the company received approval for GEMCOVAC-19, the country’s first m-RNA vaccine against COVID-19.
• GEMCOVAC-OM and GEMCOVAC-19 are yet to be commercially available.
• According to the Gennova officials, the vaccines were likely to be formally launched within next two to three weeks.
• After the approval last year of its vaccine against the Wuhan strain, Gennova manufactured 70 million doses.
• Out of these, 12 million were approved by the Central Research Institute, Kasauli.  
• GEMCOVAC-OM is stable in 2-8 degree Celsius range. Therefore, it can be stored in ordinary refrigerators.
• It can be administered into the skin via a needle-free PharmaJet system.
• The vaccine has also been tested at the National Institute of Virology against the newest (Omicron subvariant), XBB 1.16, and it is found to be effective.
• GEMCOVAC-OM generated more neutralising antibodies. Neutralising antibodies prevent the coronavirus from proliferating within the body.

Topic: Important Days

7. World Music Day: 21 June

• World Music Day is observed every year on 21 June. It is celebrated in almost 120 countries all over the world.
• The idea of celebrating a day of music was conceived by Jack Lang, French Minister of Culture, in 1981.
• According to another theory, Joel Cohen gave the idea of an all-night music celebration in 1976 to mark the beginning of summer solstice and since then, World Music Day is celebrated on June 21.
• The day is observed to honour musicians across the world and encourage them to showcase their work to people.
• On this day, free public concerts are organised in parks, streets, stations and other public places.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

8. Arundhati Roy has been awarded the European Essay Prize 2023 for lifetime achievement.

• She has been awarded the prize for the French translation of "Azadi" (2021). It is her compilation of essays.
• Charles Veillon Foundation has announced that she has been awarded the 45th European Essay Prize for lifetime achievement.
• The foundation said Arundhati Roy uses the essay as a form of combat, analysing fascism.
• The jury acknowledged her commitment to political action.
• "Azadi" provides Roy’s reflections on the meaning of freedom in a world of "growing authoritarianism".
• Her works include Booker Prize winning "The God of Small Things", "The Ministry of Utmost Happiness", and "My Seditious Heart".
• She will receive the award and the prize money of CHF 20,000 (approx ₹18 lakh), at a ceremony on September 12 in Lausanne, Switzerland.
• European Essay Prize is awarded since 1975. The award draws attention to authors whose work bears witness to and provides a commentary on current societies, their practices, and ideologies.

Topic: Defence

9. Multinational peacekeeping Joint Exercise "Ex Khaan Quest 2023" is being organized in Mongolia.

• On 19 June, the multinational peacekeeping joint exercise “Ex Khaan Quest 2023” with the participation of military contingents and observers from more than 20 countries began.
• President of Mongolia Mr. Ukhnagin Khurelsukh inaugurated the exercise at a ceremony held at the exercise site.
• The Indian Army Contingent is also participating in the multinational peacekeeping Joint Exercise.
• A contingent of the Garhwal Rifles is representing the Indian Army.
• The objective of the 14-day exercise is to enhance interoperability of the participating countries, share experiences and train uniformed personnel for United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKO).
• The exercise will prepare participants for future UN peacekeeping operations, develop peacekeeping capabilities and enhance military preparedness.
• The exercise includes Command Post Exercise (CPX), Field Training Exercise (FTX), combat discussions, lectures and demonstrations.
• The military exercise will also help in further enhancing bilateral relations between India and participating countries.

(Source: News on Air)

Topic: Biotechnology and Diseases

10. First skin bank in North India opened in Safdarjung Hospital.

• On 20 June, North India's first skin bank has been inaugurated at Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi.
• There are 16 skin banks in the country, seven in Maharashtra, four in Chennai, three in Karnataka and one each in Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.
• A skin bank is a facility where skin from deceased persons can be donated.
• Kidneys and Liver cannot be stored and need to be transplanted within hours of donation.
• But in the scenario of skin, it can be stored for three to five years.
• Skin grafting reduces mortality, increases survival rates in patients and helps them achieve better treatment outcomes.
• It also reduces the overall cost of their hospital stay and treatment.
• 7-10 million people suffer burn injuries every year in India, it is the second most common cause of injury after road accidents.
• If a patient's skin is severely burned or damaged and the area is not covered with a skin substitute, they may get an infection.
• Patients with skin infections, skin cancer treatments such as Mohs surgery, skin ulcers, and slow-healing or large wounds may benefit from skin grafting.

Topic: Important Day

11. International Day of Yoga 2023: 21 June

• International Yoga Day is celebrated every year on 21 June.
• It is celebrated to recognize the various benefits of yoga and to promote yoga as part of life.
• This year, the ninth International Day of Yoga has been celebrated across the world.
• The theme of the International Yoga Day 2023 is "Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam."
• The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution on 11 December 2014 to mark 21 June as the International Day of Yoga.
• 21st June was selected as Yoga day because the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere and is of great significance for many people in the world.
• The day was first celebrated in 2015 with the theme “Harmony and Peace”.
• Yoga is an ancient practice that not only deals with physical and mental health but also emotional and spiritual health.
• Yoga has been declared the UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2016.

(Source: News on Air)

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

12. ‘Dakshta’ course collection launched by central government on iGOT platform to enhance skills of young professionals.

• On 19 June, a new curated collection of courses called “Dakshta" (Development of Attitude, Knowledge, Skill for Holistic Transformation in Administration) has been launched on the iGOT Karmayogi Platform.
• This collection (comprising 18 courses) has been designed for young professionals and consultants working in government.
• The aim of collection is to build functional, domain and behavioural competencies by acquainting learners with subjects crucial for discharging their duties, and responsibilities effectively.
• NITI Aayog's 40 young consultants and professionals are currently undergoing induction training in a phased manner through this structured collection of courses on the iGOT Karmayogi platform.
• IGOT Karmayogi platform is an online portal to provide guidance to government officials in their capacity building journey.
• The portal connects 6 functional centers for online learning, competency management, career management, mentorship, events and networking.
• Karmayogi Bharat is a government-owned non-profit SPV, set up by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
• It is entrusted with the responsibility of owning, managing, maintaining and improving iGOT (Integrated Government Online Training), Karmayogi platform.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

13. Ministry of Environment released the National Working Plan Code-2023.

• The “National Working Plan Code-2023” for scientific management of forests and evolving new approaches has been released by Chandra Prakash Goyal, Director General of Forests and Special Secretary.
• It has been released on 17th June on the occasion of the ‘World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought’.
• National Working Plan Code was first adopted in 2004. It was later amended in 2014.
• It is the main instrument for the scientific management of forests in India.
• It will act as the guiding principle for State Forest Departments in forming working plans for different forest divisions.
• In the National Action Plan Code-2023, the essentials of the Forest Management Plan have been explained in detail including the principles of sustainable management of forests.
• It includes the extent and condition of forest and tree cover and maintenance, conservation and enhancement of biodiversity.
• For the first time, the National Action Plan Code-2023 has mandated state forest departments to undertake continuous data collection and its updation in a centralized database.
• The standards for Sustainable Forest Management are codified in the Indian Forest Management Standard based on the long-term experiences of scientific forest management.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Sports

14. Tajinderpal Singh Toor sets new Asian shot put record at Inter-State Championships in Bhubaneswar.

• Punjab athlete Tajinderpal Singh Toor broke his own previous Asian record with a throw of 21.77 metres.
• He broke his record of 21.49 metres, which he had set in 2021 in Patiala.
• Tajinderpal Singh Toor has secured his spot in the upcoming World Championships with this feat.
• He also qualified for the Asian Games by meeting the required distance of 19 metres.
• With this outstanding performance, he reached ninth place on the list of the longest shot put distances recorded worldwide in this season.
• The Inter-State championship is the qualifier for the Asian Games.
• Shot Put:
  • It is a sport in which the participant stands inside a circle and attempts to throw a weighted ball as far as they possibly can.
  • The weight of a metal ball is 7.26kg/16lb for men and 4kg/8.8lb for women.
  • The men’s shot put remain part of every Olympics since 1896.

(Source: News on AIR)