Daily Current Affairs and GK | 9 June 2022

Topic: National News

1. Government proposed amendments to the Information Technology Rules, 2021.

• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has issued a draft of amendments to the IT Rules, 2021.
• It proposes to create government-appointed appeal committees. It will be empowered to veto content-moderation decisions taken by social media intermediaries.
• The draft proposes to create a Grievance Appellate Committee. It will consist of a Chairperson and other members.
• Any user who is not satisfied with the content moderation decision taken by social media intermediaries can appeal against the decision before the government-appointed appeal committees.
• It also recommends giving additional responsibilities to grievance officers appointed by social media companies.
• It has also proposed a change in the grievance redressal mechanism. Social media intermediaries will have to address grievances regarding content removal from platforms within 72 hours.
• A new clause has been added to the IT Rules 2021, under which, social media intermediaries have to respect ‘rights guaranteed to users under the Constitution of India’.
• The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics) Rule was notified in February 2021. It came into effect in May 2021.

Topic: Reports and Indices

2. FSSAI’s 4^th State Food Safety Index has been released by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

• Union Health Minister felicitated the winning State/UTs based on the ranking for the years 2021-22.
• Among large States, Tamil Nadu stood first in the list followed by Gujarat and Maharashtra.
• Among the smaller states, Goa topped the list followed by Manipur and Sikkim.
• Among UTs, Jammu & Kashmir, Delhi and Chandigarh achieved 1st, 2nd and 3rd ranks.
• FSSAI’s State Food Safety Index measures performance of States across five parameters of food safety. State Food Safety Index was started in 2018-19.
• The five parameters are:
  • Human Resources and Institutional Data (20% weightage)
  • Compliance (30% weightage)
  • Food Testing- Infrastructure and Surveillance (20% weightage)
  • Training and Capacity Building (10% weightage)
  • Consumer Empowerment (20% weightage)

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

3. Asia’s largest carport type solar plant has been set up by Maurti Suzuki at its Manesar facility.

• The plant set up by Maruti Suzuki India Limited has a 20 MWp solar power capacity.
• In 2020, the company commissioned a 5 MWp carport style photovoltaic solar power plant at its Gurugram factory.
• With addition of solar plant at the Manesar facility, Maurti Suzuki’s total solar power generation capacity, across its plants, is 26.3 MWp.
• NOTE:
  • World’s largest solar power plant is Bhadla Solar Park located in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
  • The solar tree installed at the CSIR-CMERI Centre of Excellence for Farm Machinery in Ludhiana is the world’s largest solar tree.

Topic: Space and IT

4. NASA will launch DAVINCI (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry and Imaging) mission.

• DAVINCI will be the first mission to study Venus with both through flybys and descent.
• It will descent into the harsh atmosphere of Venus in 2029. It will reach the surface of the Venus by June 2031. 
• Pioneer in 1978 and Magellan in the early '90s are only two missions which visited Venus.
• DAVINCI spacecraft will basically serve as a flying chemistry lab. It will detect the composition of Venus' mountain like highlands.
• DAVINCI will drop a probe to the surface. The probe will touch down in the Alpha Regio Mountains.
• The atmosphere of Venus is 90 times thicker than that of Earth. The surface temperature of Venus reaches 864 degrees Fahrenheit (462 degrees Celsius).

Topic: Important Days

5. World Brain Tumour Day 2022: 8 June

• Every year on June 8, World Brain Tumor Day is observed.
• It is observed to raise awareness of brain tumours and to educate people about them.
• The theme of World Brain Tumor Day 2022 is “Together We Are Stronger.”
• The German Brain Tumor Association started the celebration of World Brain Tumor Day on June 8, 2000.
• Last year, 330,000 children and adults worldwide were diagnosed with cancer of the central nervous system.
• About Brain Tumour:
  • A brain tumour develops when cells grow at an abnormal rate, resulting in the formation of a mass of abnormal cells within the brain.
  • Tumors can be categorized into two types: cancerous and non-cancerous.
  • Headaches, seizures, vision problems, vomiting, and mental changes are all common symptoms of a brain tumour.
  • A brain tumour can be treated in different ways- surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, steroid treatment, etc.

Topic: Sports

6. Mithali Raj has announced her retirement from international cricket.

• Mithali Raj, the captain of the Indian women's ODI and Test teams, has announced her retirement from international cricket in all formats.
• She made her international debut in 1999 and made a significant contribution to popularizing the game in women during a career spanning 23 years.
• She became the first Indian woman cricketer and the second in the world to reach 10,000 runs in all forms in March 2021.

Topic: Space and IT

7. The transfer of 10 in-orbit communication satellites from the Government of India to NSIL has been approved by Union Cabinet.

• Further, the cabinet has given the approval to increase the authorized share capital of NSIL from 1,000 crore rupees to 7,500 crore rupees.
• NSIL is the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

• New Space India Limited (NSIL):
  • It is a wholly-owned Public Sector Enterprise of the Centre under the administrative control of the Department of Space.
  • It is a Schedule 'A' Category Company. It is headquartered in Bengaluru. It was incorporated in March 2019.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

8. Union Cabinet approves the signing of the MoU between the Department of Biotechnology, ICMR and IAVI, USA.

• The MoU is to contribute toward the development of new biomedical technologies to treat HIV, TB, COVID-19 and other emerging infectious and neglected diseases.
• The proposal for signing a bilateral MoU between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has also been approved by Union Cabinet.
• This proposal is on Cooperation in the field of Industries and Advanced Technologies.
• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is the apex body for biomedical research in India.
• International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) is a global not-for-profit, public-private partnership organization headquartered in USA.

Topic: National News

9. Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia launched National Air Sports Policy.

• The National Air Sport Policy 2022 (NASP 2022) will create a safe, accessible, affordable, and sustainable air sports ecosystem in India.
• It aims to generate annual revenue of over Rs 8,000 cr and to give 1 lakh direct jobs.
• It will help attract air sports enthusiasts from worldwide, especially from North America, Europe, and Australia.
• The National Air Sport Policy 2022 has been drafted based on the inputs received from policymakers, air sports practitioners, and the public.
• Key Highlights of National Air Sport Policy 2022:
  • Air Sports Federation of India (ASFI) will be the apex governing body for Air sports in India.
  • Regional or State and Union Territory level units will be also formed.
  • It will cover many air sports including Ballooning, Aerobatics, Parachuting, etc.
  • It will help in increasing the participation and success of Indian sportspersons in global air sports events.
  • It will promote the design, development and manufacturing of air sports equipment in India.
  • It will help in the adoption of international good practices in safety, air sports infrastructure, equipment, and operations.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Defence

10. Defence Acquisition Council approved proposal worth Rs 76,390 crore.

• The Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by the Defense Minister Shri Rajnath Singh approved the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for Capital Acquisition Proposals for the Armed Forces worth Rs.76,390 crore.
• The proposals have been accepted under the 'Buy (Indian)', 'Buy and Build (Indian)' and 'Buy (Indian-IDDM)' categories.
• Defence Acquisition Council has approved new AONs for procurement of Rough Terrain Fork Lift Truck (RTFLT), Bridge Laying Tank (BLT), Wheeled Armored Fighting Vehicles (WH AFV) and Weapon Locating Radar (WLR) for the Indian Army through domestic sources.
• The 'Digital Coast Guard' project under the 'Buy (Indian) Category' has been approved by DAC for achieving the Government's vision for Digital Transformation in the Defence Sector.
• Under this project, a secure network for digitising various surface and aviation operations, logistics, finance and HR processes in Coast Guard will be established.

Topic: International News

11. Defence Minister of India and Vietnam signed ‘Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030’.

• It will help in enhancing the defence cooperation between both countries.
• It is an important step towards simplifying procedures for mutually beneficial logistic support.
• It is the first such major agreement signed by Vietnam with any country.
• Both countries agreed on the early finalization of a 500 million dollar Defence Line of Credit to Vietnam.
• India announced to gift two simulators and a monetary grant for setting up of Language and IT Lab at the Air Force Officers Training School.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also holds bilateral talks with his Vietnamese counterpart in Hanoi.
• India and Vietnam are Comprehensive Strategic partners since 2016 and defence cooperation is a key pillar of this partnership.
• Vietnam is an important partner nation in India's Act East policy and Indo-Pacific vision.

Topic: International News

12. BIMSTEC celebrated its 25th foundation day in Dhaka.

• The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) acts as a bridge of friendship between South and South-East Asian countries.
• The 25^th Founding Day of BIMSTEC was celebrated in Dhaka on 6 June.
• The establishment of the BIMSTEC Secretariat in Dhaka and the adoption of the BIMSTEC charter at the 5^th summit are the major achievements of the BIMSTEC.
• BIMSTEC:
  • It is an international organization of South Asia and Southeast Asian countries.
  • Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand are members of BIMSTEC.
  • It was formed on 6 June 1997 and its headquarters is located in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Sports

13. Avani Lekhara bagged gold medal at the Para Shooting World Cup.

• She created a world record by scoring 250.6 in the women's 10-meter air rifle standing SH1 event. She broke her own world record of 249.6.
• Emilia Babska won the silver medal with a total score of 247.6 and Anna Normann won the bronze medal with a score of 225.6
• She has secured her spot at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
• Sriharsha Devaraddi Ramakrishna won a gold medal in the mixed 10m air rifle SH2 event.
• 13 para shooters from India are taking part in the Para Shooting World Cup in Chateauroux, France.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Indian Economy

14. RBI increases repo rate by 50 basis points to 4.90%.

• The Reserve Bank of India has increased the repo rate from 4.40% to 4.90%.
• RBI left its FY23 GDP growth forecast unchanged at 7.2%.
• The Standing Deposit Facility and Marginal Standing Facility rates have been also increased by 50 basis points.
• At present, the Standing Deposit Facility rate is 4.65% and the Marginal Standing Facility rate is 5.15 per cent.
• The inflation projection for FY23 has been revised to 6.7 per cent from 5.7 per cent earlier.
• Other highlights of RBI's third monetary policy review are given below:
  • Credit cards will be linked with UPI. RuPay credit cards will be linked first.
  • Housing loan limits of co-op banks have been doubled.
  • Urban Co-op banks have been allowed to offer door-step banking.