Daily Current Affairs and GK | 7 June 2023

Topic: Agriculture and Allied Sectors

1. Government removed 40% procurement ceilings for Tur, Urad, and Masur.

• The government has removed the purchase limit of 40% for tur, urad, and Masur pulses under the Price Support Scheme-PSS in 2023-24.
• The government has taken an important step to increase the domestic production of pulses.
• The decision assures procurement of pulses from farmers at minimum support price-MSP without any limit.
• It will encourage farmers to increase sowing of tur, urad, and Masur in the upcoming Kharif and Rabi sowing season to increase production.
• On 2 June, the government imposed stock limits on tur and urad by invoking the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 to prevent hoarding and unscrupulous speculation and also to improve affordability to the consumers.
• The stock limit has been implemented for wholesalers, retailers, large chain retailers, millers (chakki walas) and importers.
• It has also been made mandatory for all of them to declare their stock position on the portal (https://fcainfoweb.nic.in/psp) of the Department of Consumer Affairs.
• The Department of Consumer Affairs has directed the state governments to ensure strict compliance of this limit in their states.
• For this, states have also been asked to monitor prices and stock position by verifying with various warehouse operators.
• Along with this, the department has also asked Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) and State Warehousing Corporation (SWC) to provide details related to tur and urad kept in their godowns.
• Madhya Pradesh ranked first both in area and production of the Masoor, as per the annual report for 2021–22.
• Maharastra ranked first in total production of tur in India, as per the Economic Survey 2022–23.
• Madhya Pradesh ranked first in total pulse production in India, followed by Maharashtra and Rajasthan, respectively.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

2. An MoU has been signed between Bihar govt and Airports Authority of India (AAI).

• Under the MoU, New civil enclaves will be built at Darbhanga and Purnea airports in Bihar.
• The construction will be on 78 acres of land in Darbhanga and 52.18 acres in Purnea.
• Currently, air services are operational from the temporary Civil Enclave at Darbhanga Airport.
• The proposal for the construction of a civil enclave at Chunapur airbase in Purnia has been hanging in the balance for the last several years.
• The current airbase of the Indian Air Force at Chunapur was built in 1962, immediately after the India-China war.
• Under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)-Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) scheme, the AAI has planned to develop the civil enclave at Purnia for commencing commercial flight operations.
• Under the agreement, the Bihar government will provide free of cost undisputed land to AAI for both the airports.
• This will give a boost to the construction of well-equipped terminal buildings and passenger-centric facilities at the airports of Darbhanga and Purnea.
• The construction of new Civil Enclave at Purnea Airport will also pave the way for starting air services there by removing the existing hurdles.
• Important Airports of Bihar:
  • Jaiprakash Narayan Airport is a domestic airport serving Patna, the capital city of Bihar.
  • Gaya Airport is an international airport serving Gaya, Bihar.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: State News/ Uttar Pradesh

3. “Didi Cafe” is coming up in UP, which will provide cheap food and breakfast.

• A strategy has been made to start 'Didi Cafe' in 17 municipal corporation cities including Mathura, Firozabad and Vrindavan in Agra division.
• Only women self-help groups will maintain this Didi Cafe.
• Under this, access to low cost meals, snacks and other facilities will be provided through these canteens in areas where women are employed.
• The effort is part of the Centre's goal of empowering women associated with self-help groups set up through the National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM).
• A pilot experiment is already underway in Varanasi.
• In the first phase, 'Didi Cafe' will be run in the municipal corporations of Agra division, as a result of which the authorities will be able to chalk out future strategies.
• After successful implementation of the project, Mathura, Vrindavan, Firozabad, Lucknow, Ayodhya, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Kanpur, Jhansi and others can copy Agra.

Topic: State News/ Uttar Pradesh

4. 'Tiffin Pe Charcha' campaign launched to boost party's working style in UP.

• Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met with party members as part of BJP's 'Tiffin Pe Charcha' campaign ahead of next year's parliamentary elections.
• The BJP has decided to use Narendra Modi's famous 'Chai Pe Charcha' sessions through which he connected with voters ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
• The 'Tiffin Pe Charcha' campaign, meaning "discussion over a meal", has been launched to commemorate Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nine years in office.
• 'Tiffin Pe Charcha' was organized with senior BJP workers in Gorakhpur.
• The meeting was very useful and positive, in which 328 office bearers participated.

Topic: International News

5. Iran has reopened its diplomatic mission in Saudi Arabia from 6 June.

• Diplomatic relations have been established after seven years of tension between the two countries.
• The Iranian Embassy in Riyadh, its consulate general in Jeddah, and the permanent representative office to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation officially reopened on 6 and 7 June.
• In March, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations.
• In 2016, Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic ties with Iran following an attack on its diplomatic posts in Tehran and the northeastern city of Mashhad.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Awards and Prizes

6. Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern received the Dame Grand Companionship.

• It is the second-highest honour of New Zealand. Ardern received the honour as part of King Charles Birthday Honours.
• Ardern received the honour for her service leading the country during a mass shooting and coronavirus pandemic.
• In New Zealand, the Prime Minister chooses royal honorees twice a year.
• Royal honorees are signed off by Charles, the British king who is also recognised as New Zealand’s king.
• Jacinda Ardern served as the 40th prime minister of New Zealand. Chris Hipkins is the current PM of New Zealand.
• New Zealand:
  • It is an island country located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
  • It consists of two main landmasses-the North Island and the South Island.
  • Its government is a unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Wellington is its capital.

Topic: National News

7. Narcotics Control Bureau has arrested a pan-India dark net drug trafficking cartel.

• According to Deputy Director General of NCB Gyaneshwar Singh, this is the biggest-ever drug seizure made by NCB in a single operation.
• He said the accused were using cryptocurrency through the dark net.
• The darknet refers to the deep hidden internet platform.
• It is used for illegal activities like narcotics sale, exchange of pornographic content etc.
• It uses secret alleys of the onion router to stay away from the surveillance of law enforcement agencies.
• NCB has seized 15 thousand blots of LSD drug. It is the biggest seizure in the last two decades.
• Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a synthetic chemical based-drug. It is categorized as a hallucinogen.
• Narcotics Control Bureau:
  • It was established in 1986.
  • It is responsible for tracking illegal drug trafficking and the implementation of international drug laws.
  • Satya Narayan Pradhan is the Director-General of the Narcotics Control Bureau.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

8. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched ‘Amrit Dharohar’ and ‘MISHTI’ schemes on World Environment Day 2023.

• The main thrust of World Environment Day 2023 celebration in India was on the Mission LiFE.
• PM Modi gave the concept of LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) at the World Leaders' Summit in Glasgow at COP26.
• Under Mission LiFE, a list of 75 individual LiFE actions has been identified across 7 themes.
• These themes are save water, save energy, reduce waste, reduce e-waste, reduce single-use plastics, adopt sustainable food systems, and adopt healthy lifestyles.
• Manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of identified single use plastic items have been banned by India in 2022.
• Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Bhupender Yada talked about the ‘Unbottled’ initiative of Indian Oil.
• Under this initiative, uniforms will be prepared by recycling around 28 Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles.
• He said that International Big Cat Alliance was also launched recently.
• The month-long Mass Mobilization Campaign was organised. It culminated in World Environment Day on 5th June, 2023.
• Over 13 lakh events with participation of around 2 crore persons took place across the country during this one month-long campaign.
• 75 wetlands from India have been included in the list of Ramsar sites i.e. Wetlands of International Importance. Only 26 were included in year 2014.
• Now India is home to the second largest network of Ramsar sites in Asia.
• Government announced ‘Amrit Dharohar’ initiative under this year’s Budget to promote the unique conservation values of Ramsar Sites.
• Implementation Strategy of “Amrit Dharohar” related to Ramsar sites was launched on 05 June 2023.
• MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes) was announced in the Union Budget 2023-24.
• MISHTI programme was launched on 05 June 2023 with participation of coastal States and UTs.
• Under the programme, approximately 540 sq km area across nine coastal States and four UTs will be covered in five years (2023-2028).
• 5 winners of NITI Aayog’s Global Call for Ideas and Papers were also felicitated by Union Minster Shri Yadav.
• He also released three compendiums prepared by NITI Aayog.
• The names of the compendiums are Thinking for Our Planet, Mindful Living, and Thought Leadership for LiFE.

Topic: International News

9. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius hold a delegation-level talk in New Delhi on 06 June 2023.

• India and Germany have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation.
• Two nations have also reaffirmed their commitment to explore ways to further enhance the defence-industrial partnership.
• In the meeting, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh highlighted the possibilities for German investments in the two Defence Industrial Corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. 
• The bilateral meeting was preceded by a Tri-Service Guard of Honour to the visiting dignitary.
• German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius laid a wreath at the National War Memorial in New Delhi.
• German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius is on a four-day visit to India.
• He is likely to visit the Headquarters of the Western Naval Command and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited in Mumbai.
• India and Germany have a strategic partnership since 2001. Bilateral Defence Cooperation Agreement between India and Germany was signed in 2006.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

10. Government has permitted 2,000 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies to open Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras (PMBJAK).

• 1,000 PMBJAKs will be opened by August 2023 and the remaining 1,000 will be opened by December 2023.
• The decision was taken in a meeting of Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah with Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on 06 June 2023.
• Over 9,400 PMBJAKs have been opened across the country till now.
• 1,800 types of medicines and 285 other medical devices are available in these Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras.
• Medicines at PMBJAKs are available at a 50% to 90% lesser rate in comparison to branded medicines.
• Having D. Pharma or B. Pharma is the eligibility criteria for the individual applicants to open PMBJAK.
• Any organization, NGO, charitable organization and hospital can apply for PMBJAK.
• At least 120 square feet of space either privately owned or rented should be available for opening PMBJAK.
• The application fee for PMBJAK is 5,000 rupees. Applicants from special categories and special areas are exempt from the application fee.
• Special categories include Women Entrepreneurs, Divyang, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Ex-Servicemen.
• Special areas include Aspirational Districts, the Himalayan Mountain Region, North-Eastern States, and Islands.
• The incentive for PMBJAK is five lakh rupees, 15% of monthly purchases or a maximum of 15 thousand rupees per month.
• In special categories and areas, one time additional incentive of two lakh rupees as reimbursement for IT and infra expenditure is provided.
• Primary Agricultural Cooperative credit societies (PACS):
  • They form the lowest tier of the three-tier Short-term cooperative credit (STCC) in India.
  • The other two tiers are State Cooperative Banks and District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs).

Topic: Defence

11. India-US prepared roadmap for defense industrial cooperation.

• On 5 June, India and the US have agreed to start negotiations for a 'Security of Supply' (SOS) arrangement and a 'Reciprocal Defense Procurement' (RDP) agreement.
• It will promote long-term supply chain stability.
• The deal to assemble the General Electric GE-414 jet in India is likely to be concluded during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to the US.
• During US Defense Secretary Lloyd J Austin's visit to India, the both sides laid out a roadmap for 'Defence Industrial Cooperation', which will guide the policy direction for the next few years.
• During the talk, capacity building, including Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), strategic infrastructure and infra development facilities were among the top issues.
• India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (Indus-X), a new initiative to advance cutting-edge technology collaboration is set to be launched by the US-India Business Council on June 21.
• It has been designed to complement existing government-to-government cooperation by fostering innovative partnerships between US and Indian companies, investors, start-up accelerators, and academic research institutions.

Topic: Important Days

12. World Food Safety Day 2023: 7 June

• Every year on 7 June, World Food Safety Day is observed.
• It is celebrated to promote awareness about the health hazards associated with unsafe food.
• This year fifth edition of World Food Safety Day (WFSD) has been celebrated.
• The theme of World Food Safety Day 2023 is "Food Standards Save Lives".
• In 2018, United Nations had declared this day to draw global attention to the health consequences of contaminated food and water.

Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking

13. NHAI released First ‘Sustainability Report’ on Environmental Responsibility.

• NHAI has released its first ‘Sustainability Report for FY 2021-22’, which highlights the initiatives taken for Environment Sustainability.
• It covered NHAI’s governance structure, stakeholders, environment and social responsibility related initiatives.
• This report was released by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on 5th June.
• Due to reduction in consumption, the direct emissions have reduced by 18.44% and 9.49% in the financial years 2019-20 and 2021-22.
• NHAI is continuously working towards reducing indirect emissions by moving to clean and green energy sources.
• Green House Gas (GHG) emissions from energy consumption, operations, transport and travel have reduced by 9.7% in FY 2020-21 and 2% in FY 2021-22.
• NHAI has also achieved a substantial decrease in energy intensity. It has decreased by 37 per cent in FY 2020-21 and 27 per cent in FY 2021-22.
• Electronic Toll Collection through FASTag has also contributed to reducing the carbon footprint.
• In the last three years, NHAI has actively used recycled materials like fly ash and plastic waste for constructing national highways. The use of recycled asphalt (RAP) and recycled aggregates (RA) has also increased
• For protecting wildlife and mitigate man-animal conflict, in the last three years, NHAI has constructed more than 100 wildlife crossings across 20 states.
• The report has also highlighted NHAI's commitment to eco-friendly practices, such as planting saplings along national highways.
• The number of saplings planted to offset direct emissions from vehicles has also increased.
• The report has also highlighted NHAI’s commitment to creating inclusive and responsible work practices.
• During the last three years, there has been an increase in providing employment to women and people from disadvantaged communities in NHAI.
• This Sustainability Report will open new opportunities for ‘Green Finance’.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

14. More than one-third of total energy is likely to be produced from renewable sources by 2026-27.

• Renewable energy sources are predicted to produce 710 billion units in 2026-27.
• Renewable energy is predicted to account for more than one-third of total energy generation in the country by 2026-27. It will be around 44% by 2031-32.
• Renewable energy sources are predicted to generate 710 billion units of electricity. It will account for 35% of total energy generation in 2026-27.
• This is predicted to rise to 44%, or 1,172 billion units, by 2031-32.
• Solar energy will be the most significant contributor, followed by hydro and wind energy.
• Renewable energy generation stood at 203.55 billion units in FY23. It increased from 170.91 billion units in FY22.
• It accounted for 12.53% percent of total energy generated (1,624.47 billion units) in India.
• During the period, solar energy contribution was 6.28% in total generation, while wind energy accounted for 4.42%.
• Rajasthan led the states in renewable energy generation, with 41 billion units generated.
• Rajasthan was followed by Gujarat and Karnataka, each with 30 billion units.
• The overall renewable energy generation in Tamil Nadu was 28 billion units.
• In FY23, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra produced 16 billion and 17 billion units, respectively. Overall, the southern region generated the most renewable energy (83 billion units), followed by the northern region and western region.