Daily Current Affairs and GK | 28 June 2022

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

1. Revised Swachh Certification Protocol are released under Swachh Bharat Mission- Urban 2.0.

• The Revised Swachh Certification Protocol has been released to maintain Open Defecation Free Status across Urban India.
• Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has launched Revised Swachh Certification Protocols for ODF, ODF+, ODF++, and Water+ certifications.
• The Key interventions against each certification are as follows:

• The revised protocol has been designed to ensure the following parameters:
  • No untreated used water or faecal sludge will be discharged into the environment.
  • Maximum reuse of treated used water in cities with less than 1 lakh population.
  • To sustain open defecation-free status in all statutory towns.
  • To encourage cities to have a robust infrastructure with reliable Operation &Maintenance (O&M) mechanisms.

Topic: International News

2. Iran launched a solid-fueled rocket named ‘Zuljanah’ into space.

• ‘Zuljanah’ rocket is 25.5 meter-long and is capable of carrying a satellite of 220 kilograms to orbit.
• It will help Iran in gathering data in low-earth orbit and promote space industry in Iran.
• Zuljanah is the name of the horse of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.
• Recently, Iran and the European Union agreed to resume talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.
• Iranian Space Agency:
  • It was established on 28 February 2004.
  • Safir SLV and Simorgh SLV are the other launch vehicle of Iran.
  • Iran had sent its second “Nour-2” military satellite on 8 March 2022.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Summit/Conference/Meeting

3. United Nations Ocean Conference begins in Lisbon.

• On June 27, a five-day UN Ocean Conference began, with Kenya and Portugal co-hosting.
• Over 130 countries' leaders across the world will deliberate for five days to agree on an international agreement to protect the world's oceans, seas, and marine resources.
• The Indian delegation is led by Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh.
• The theme of the conference is “Scaling up Ocean Action Based on Science and Innovation for the Implementation of Goal 14: Stocktaking, Partnerships, and Solutions”.
• The 8^th of June has been declared World Oceans Day by the United Nations.

(Source: News on Air)

Topic: Personality in News

4 Ex-BHEL and Maruti chairman V. Krishnamurthy passed away at the age of 97.

• V. Krishnamurthy, a former secretary of industries for the Indian government and former chairman of BHEL, Maruti Udyog, and SAIL, passed away from age-related illnesses.
• Krishnamurthy was known as the "Turnaround Man," who played a key role in India's most notable success stories of the public sector.
• Krishnamurthy had received the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan awards and Japan’s The Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun.

Topic: National Appointment

5. Avinash Kulkarni will be the head of the India Debt Resolution Company.

• The India Debt Resolution Company limited (IDRCL) will be led by Avinash Kulkarni, the CEO of the India Resurgence Asset Reconstruction Company (IRARC).
• He would act as the sole agent for the resolution of more than 83,000 crores in bad loans to be acquired by the government-backed National Asset Reconstruction Company (NARCL).
• He will succeed Manish Makharia and will serve a three-year term.
• Kulkarni's appointment comes after Natarajan Sundar, another SBI veteran, was appointed CEO of the NARCL in April.
• India Debt Resolution Company Limited (IDRCL):
  • It is a private sector asset management company owned by private sector banks with a 51 percent stake.
  • It was established by the government with an authorized capital of Rs 50 crore.
  • Its seven-member board is headed by former SBI executive Diwakar Gupta.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

6. Saudi Arabia awarded the prestigious King Abdulaziz Medal to Pak Army Chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa.

• He received the award for his contribution to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan's defense relations.
• Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman presented the medal to him during the official visit to the kingdom.
• Additionally, General Bajwa met the Crown Prince and discussed matters of mutual interest, bilateral defense and security cooperation, and regional peace and stability.

Topic: Art and Culture

7. Sao Joao festival is celebrated in Goa.

• As part of this festival, people jump into wells and ponds.
• The festival offers the family and villagers an opportunity to know their newlywed daughters’ husbands a little better.
• In Goa, Catholics observe all Roman Catholic Church feasts, including the feast of St John the Baptist on June 24.
• Traditional Sao Joao celebrations take place in the villages of Cortalim in South Goa and Harmal, Baga, Siolim, and Terekhol in North Goa.
• In addition to jumping into water bodies, celebrations also include participants wearing Kopel, the crown of fruits, flowers, and leaves.
• People chant, “Sao Joao! Viva Sao Joao”. The festival also includes playing the traditional gumott (percussion instrument) and cansaim (cymbal).
• The festival also includes a boat festival and servings of feni, a liquor indigenous to Goa.

Topic: National Appointments

8. Nitin Gupta has been appointed as the new chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).

• He is an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer of the 1986 batch of the Income Tax cadre.
• He is serving as the Member (investigation) of the Central Board of Direct Taxes. He is scheduled to retire in September 2023.
• CBDT member and 1986-batch IRS officer Sangeeta Singh was holding the post of CBDT chairman in an additional capacity after J B Mohapatra retired on April 30.
• There are five members in the CBDT at present. Other three member are Anuja Sarangi, Pragya Sahay Saksena and Subashree Anantkrishnan.
• Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT):
  • It is the administrative body for the Income Tax department.
  • It is headed by a Chairman. It can have six members who are in the rank of special secretary.

Topic: Indian Economy

9. Government extended the time to levy GST compensation cess till 31 March 2026.

• The government has extended the deadline for levying the GST Compensation Cess by nearly four years to March 31, 2026.
• The deadline for levying the GST Compensation Cess was ending on June 30.
• At present, the GST compensation cess is levied on motor vehicles, aerated waters, coal, pan masala, cigarettes, etc.
• The GST Council has extended the time limit of the GST compensation cess for repaying loans taken by states.
• The GST compensation cess collection will be around 1.2 lakh crore for the current financial year.
• According to the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Act of 2017, states were guaranteed compensation at a compounded rate of 14% from the base year 2015-16 for losses incurred due to the implementation of this tax regime.
• Goods and Services Tax:
  • It is an indirect tax that came into effect on 1 July 2017.
  • It has replaced existing multiple taxes levied by the central and state governments.
  • The Goods and Services Tax in India was introduced on the recommendation of the Vijay Kelkar Committee.

Topic: State News/ Kerala

10. Kerala will become the first state to have its own red list of birds.

• The Kerala Bird Monitoring Collective is planning to prepare the red list of birds.
• Kerala Agricultural University and the Bird Count India will conduct the regional red list assessment in Kerala.
• The regional red list assessment will be done as per the guidelines of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
• International Union for Conservation of Nature guidelines for the red list is based on the five criteria, which are given below.
  • Population size reduction over the last 10 years
  • Geographic range or area of occupancy
  • Small population size and decline
  • Very small or restricted population
  • Quantitative analysis
• As per the global IUCN red list, Kerala has 64 threatened species of birds including the Red-headed vulture and White-rumped vulture.
• Kerala has also created a Bird Atlas comprising records of 361 species, including 94 very rare species, 103 rare species, and 110 common species.
• Most of the endemic bird species are found in the Western Ghats region.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

11. A rare carnivorous plant species have been found in the western Himalayan region for the first time.

• A rare carnivorous plant species named ‘Utricularia Furcellata’ has been found by Uttarakhand Forest Department in the Mandal valley.
• It belongs to the bladderworts genus and can catch protozoa, insects, mosquito larvae and young tadpoles.
• The discovery by the Uttarakhand Forest Department team has been published in the ‘Journal of Japanese Botany’.
• The discovery has been made as part of an insectivorous plant research project in Uttarakhand.
• Carnivorous plants are generally found in fresh water and wet soil. They grow on the less nutrient soils. Dionaea muscipula, Pitcher Plant, and Cobra Lily are some common Carnivorous plants. 

Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking

12. NITI Aayog launched a report titled ‘India's Booming Gig and Platform Economy’.

• This report is a first-of-its-kind study that presents comprehensive perspectives and recommendations on the gig economy in India.
• It highlights the opportunities and challenges of the gig economy and presents global best practices on initiatives for social security.
• The recommendations in this report will be used by state governments, training providers, platform companies and other stakeholders to promote the gig economy.
• According to this report, 77 lakh workers were engaged in the gig economy in 2020-21.
• Around 2.35 crore (23.5 million) workers by 2029-30 will work in the gig economy.
• Currently, around 47% of the gig workers are in medium-skilled jobs, 22% in high-skilled and about 31% in low-skilled jobs.
• Till 2029-30, Gig workers’ share in the non-agricultural workforce will be 6.7%.
• The report also suggests platform-led transformational and outcome-based skilling and enhancing social inclusion through gender sensitization.
• ‘Gig Economy’ is a free market system, which consists of short-term employment, contractual jobs, and independent contractors.

Topic: Important Days

13. World Micro-Small and Medium Enterprises Day: 27 June

• Micro-Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day is observed every year on 27 June.
• It is observed to raise awareness about the contribution of MSMEs to global economic growth and sustainable development.
• Since 2017, World MSME Day is being observed on 27 June every year.
• This year, the theme of MSME Day is "Resilience and Rebuilding: MSMEs for Sustainable Development".
• On this occasion, United Nations organized three hybrid sessions (online and offline) with entrepreneurs from across the world.
• Formal and informal MSMEs nearly contribute 70 percent of total employment and 50 percent of the GDP.

Topic: Personality in News

14. A renowned lyricist and author Chowalloor Krishnankutty passed away.

• Chowalloor Krishnankutty passed away at the age of 86 in a private Medical College Hospital in Thrissur, Kerala.
• He retired as an Assistant Editor with the Malayala Manorama daily. He also served as the Vice-Chairman of the Kerala Kalamandalam.
• He has written more than 3000 devotional songs and 200 books.
• He is a recipient of several awards including the Kerala Sahithya Academy Award and Revathy Pattathanam Awards.