Daily Current Affairs and GK | 26 and 27 June 2022

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

1. Tata Power Solar Systems started operating India’s largest floating solar power project in Kerala.

• It has been installed on a 350-acre water body in Kayamkulam, Kerala and has a capacity of 101.6 Megawatt Peak.
• This project is the first in the Floating Solar Photovoltaic (FSPV) through the power purchase agreement category.
• Kerela State Electricity Board (KSEB) will use the entire power generated by this plant.
• Tata Power Solar is a subsidiary of Tata Power. It will help in achieving the target of producing 500 GW of energy through solar power by 2030.
• As of 2021, Bhadla Solar Park in Rajasthan was the largest solar park in the world. It has a total capacity of 2245 MW.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

2. SM Krishna, Narayana Murthy, and Prakash Padukone will get the 'Kempegowda International Award’.

• Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy, former Karnataka chief minister S M Krishna, and former badminton player Prakash Padukone have been selected for the award.
• Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai will present the awards during the celebration of the 513th birth anniversary of Kempegowda, on June 27 at Vidhana Soudha.
• The award consists of a cash prize of ₹5 lakh along with a plaque.
• Kempegowda was a chieftain under the Vijayanagara Empire. He fortified the city of Bengaluru in 1537.

Topic: Important Days

3. Seafarer Day: 25 June

• International Maritime Organization (IMO) celebrated Seafarer Day on 25 June 2022.
• Seafarer Day is each year celebrated on 25 June to pay respect to seafarers and sailors who help the entire world function by conducting sea transport.
• IMO proposed Seafarer Day in 2010 to celebrate the contribution of the seafarer to the world economy and civil society.
• The theme of this year is 'Seafarers: at the core of shipping’s future’.
• International Maritime Organization (IMO):
  • It is a specialised agency of the United Nations. It is responsible for regulating shipping.
  • It was founded in 1958. It is headquartered in London, United Kingdom.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

4. Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandavia said that the Centre will launch the “One Nation, One Dialysis” programme.  

• With this, people living on dialysis will be able to get dialysis done anytime, anywhere in the country.
• He said that the centre is aiming to make the nation malaria-free by the year 2030.
• He praised Tamil Nadu for covering 94% of the people with the first dose of Covid vaccines and 82% with the second dose.
• He visited the National Institute of Research in Tuberculosis in Chennai.
• He said the TB patient/village adoption scheme called Nikshay Mitr Abhiyan has evoked only partial response.
• Dialysis is the process of purifying the blood of a person whose kidneys are not functioning normally. It was invented by Willem Johan Kolff.

Topic: Sports

5. Madhya Pradesh won their maiden Ranji Trophy by defeating Mumbai.

• Madhya Pradesh defeated Mumbai by six wickets in the Ranji Trophy Final at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru to win their first-ever Ranji Trophy title.
• Mumbai's Sarfaraz Khan has been named "Man of the Tournament" for his 982 runs in the Ranji Trophy 2022.
• Ranji Trophy:
  • The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) annually organizes the Ranji Trophy, a domestic first-class cricket match between the country's state and regional cricket associations.
  • The premier domestic tournament is named after the first cricketer to represent India, Ranjit singh ji, also referred to as "Ranji."
  • It was first played in 1934–1935 with 15 teams divided into four zones in a knockout system, and it has since grown to a 32-team league and knockout competition.
  • Mumbai won the first-ever edition and also won the most Ranji Trophies.

(Source: News on Air)

Topic: Miscellaneous

6. Garuda Aerospace will establish a drone factory in Malaysia.

• To establish its first aerospace plant in Malaysia, Garuda Aerospace has partnered with Malaysian drone solution provider HiiLSE Global (HiiLSE Drones).
• The name of the plant will be HiiLSE Garuda Aerospace Plant, and spread over 2.42 hectares, the plant would be set up with an investment of ₹115 crore.
• Its aim is delivering cutting-edge technology of drones to both the government and private sectors located throughout the region.
• The plant, which would be the first and largest in Southeast Asia once it is operational, will generate 3,000 jobs.
• Mahendra Singh Dhoni became a stakeholder in the drone startup by investing an undisclosed amount. He has also become a brand ambassador for start-ups.
• Garuda Aerospace:
  • It is a Chennai-based drone-as-a-service (DaaS) start-up company that was established in 2015 by Jayaprakash.
  • The startup designs and manufactures 30 types of drones and offers over 50 services, such as precision agriculture spray, industry 4.0 upgrading, and drone medicine delivery.
  • The Garuda Aerospace production plants at Manesar in Gurugram and in Chennai were virtually inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2022.

Topic: National News

7. Bureau of Indian Standard set standards for electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

• The Bureau of Indian Standard has established standards for the performance of lithium-ion batteries that are generally used in electric vehicles (EVs).
• BIS has set standards for Lithium-ion Traction Battery Packs and Systems (performance testing) for Electrically Propelled Road Vehicles.
• Lithium-ion batteries are generally used in electric vehicles because of their high power-to-weight ratio.
• Bureau of Indian Standard will set two more standards related to batteries for various passenger and goods carrying vehicles.
• Batteries for vehicles under the L (Mopeds, Motorcycles, Motor Tricycles and Quadricycles), M (passenger vehicles having at least four wheels), and N (goods carrying vehicles having at least four wheels) will be covered under these safety standards.
• BIS has set Indian Standards for AC Charging, DC Charging, and battery swapping. This new BIS standard has been named IS 17855:2022.

Topic: International News

8. US Supreme Court end the constitutional right to abortion.

• Supreme Court of the United States has overturned its 50-year-old Roe v Wade case decision by ending the constitutional right to abortion.
• This ruling has come in the Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, which is associated with the constitutionality of a 2018 Mississippi state law that banned abortions after the first 15 weeks of pregnancy.
• Around 36 million women of reproductive age will lose the constitutional right to abortion in the United States after this Supreme Court ruling.
• In the landmark 1973 Roe v Wade case, the Supreme Court of the US had ruled that a woman's right to terminate her pregnancy was protected by the US constitution.
• Supreme Court states that individual states can now permit or restrict abortion.
• After the Supreme Court decision, 13 states have adopted so-called "trigger laws" that will ban abortion.

Topic: International News

9. G7 leaders started talks on 26 June 2022 in Germany's Bavarian Alps.

• They announced a 600 billion dollar infrastructure initiative to help developing countries tackle climate change.
• The initiative is seen as the West's response to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of China.
• The fund would be invested over five years. The US would mobilize $200 billion over five years.
• US President and other leaders launched the Partnership for Global Infrastructure (PGII) in Germany.
• Group of Seven (G7):
  • G7 is an international intergovernmental economic organization of the world’s seven advanced economies.
  • Members- Canada, Japan, Italy, France, Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom
  • Its first meeting was held in 1975 in France. Its headquarters is located in Taormina, Italy.

Topic: National Appointments

10. Former Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran has been appointed as the President of India International Centre.

• He was Chairman of the National Security Advisory Board under the National Security Council.
• He has authored the book, How India Sees the World. He has also authored the book, How China Sees India and the World.
• He was awarded Padma Bhushan for his contributions to civil service.
• He was awarded the Spring Order Gold and Silver Star by the Emperor of Japan for promoting India-Japan relations.
• India International Centre is a non-government institution. It is situated in New Delhi. It is considered one of India’s premier cultural institutions.

Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking

11. World Vision India and Poverty Learning Foundation published India Child Well-Being Report 2021.

• The India Child Well-Being Report 2021 has given ranking to states on the child well-being by considering various factors like health, hygiene, protection and school education.
• According to India Child Well-Being Report 2021, Kerala is on the top among all states while Meghalaya is on the last place.
• Uttarakhand (0.77), Punjab (0.76), Himachal Pradesh (0.73) and Sikkim (0.72) are on the second, third, and fourth spots respectively.
• Bihar (0.02), Tripura (0.14), Uttar Pradesh (0.177) and Odisha (0.179) are among the bottom states on the list.
• Kasaragod, Kanyakumari, Wayanad, Pathanamthitta and Kannur are the top five performing districts.
• Mizoram, Kerala and Uttarakhand have performed well in the field of health.
• The overall score of states in the report has been calculated based on the score of health, hygiene, protection and school education parameters.

Topic: National News

12. Ministry of Defence approved setting up of ‘BRO Cafes’ at 75 locations.

• The ‘Border Roads Organisation (BRO) Cafes’ will be set up at 75 locations in 12 states.
• The cafes will provide basic amenities and comfort to tourists. It will boost economic activities in border areas.
• It will also help in creating employment for the local people. It will provide road wayside amenities in public-private partnership mode on a license basis.
• The Selection of licensees will be done through a competitive process. It will also increase the number of tourists at scenic locations.

Topic: Important Days

13. International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking: 26 June

• The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, or World Drug Day is celebrated every year on 26 June.
• It is observed to raise awareness about drug abuse and the illegal drug trade.
• The General Assembly decided to observe 26 June as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in 1987.
• The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) prepares the World Drug Report every year on the current situation of the drug problem.
• On this occasion, Karnataka police will destroy various psychotropic and narcotic substances worth over Rs 25.6 crore.

Topic: State News/ Kerala

14. Kerala Government to launch MEDISEP scheme for Government employees.

• Kerala Government will launch the MEDISEP scheme to provide insurance cover to State Government employees, pensioners and their eligible family members from 1st July 2022.
• It will provide cashless medical insurance cover of 3 lakhs per year. The annual premium would be Rs 4,800 plus 18 per cent GST.
• Under this scheme, the premium on behalf of the employees and pensioners will be paid by the government in advance and later it will be deducted from the salary or pension of employees.
• The scheme is also available for employees of universities and local self-government institutions.
• MEDISEP scheme will be implemented through Oriental Insurance Company. It will benefit around 30 lakh people.