- National:
- The Global DPI Summit 2023 was held as a side event of the third meeting of the G20 Digital Economy Working Group in Pune, Maharashtra on June 12-13, 2023. During the summit, India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with four countries namely Armenia, Sierra Leone, Suriname and Antigua and Barbuda on sharing INDIA STACK.
- The Indian Navy warship INS Satpura arrived at Makassar, Indonesia on June 4, 2023 to participate in the 4th edition of the Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo (MNEK 2023). The deployment of INS Satpura to ASEAN countries aims to strengthen defence ties between nations.
- NATO has begun its largest air force drill called “Air Defender 23”. The drill involves 250 aircraft from 25 NATO and partner countries with 10,000 military personnel participating.
- According to a report by MFIN (Microfinance Institutions Network), the gross loan portfolio of the microfinance industry rose 22% in FY23 to 3.5-lakh crore, serving 6.6 crore unique borrowers.
- The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has given its approval to SBI Mutual Fund to acquire up to 10% of total paid-up equity share capital of ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company through market purchase.
- The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the acquisition of a certain shareholding in Ambit Private Limited by Daiwa International Holdings Inc.
- On June 13, 2023, two warships of INS (Indian Naval Ship) ‘Anjadip’, the 3rd of eight indigenously built Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), and INS ‘Sanshodhak’, the 4th and last in the series of Survey Vessels (Large) (SVL) Project, were launched by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd.
- A new species of flying gecko has been discovered in Mizoram, India. It is named Gekko mizoramensis or the Mizoram parachute gecko. It is one of only 14 species of geckos known to have the ability of flight.
- The Tamil Nadu government has withdrawn the general consent given to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) . The consent, given in 1989 and 1992, has now been rescinded, requiring the CBI to seek permission from the state government for investigations conducted within Tamil Nadu.
- The Union government is looking to design a survey that can gauge the Human Development Index (HDI) specifically for about 28 lakh people of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) living in over 22,000 villages across the country.
- The 22nd Law Commission of India is currently examining the Uniform Civil Code on a reference from the Ministry of Law and Justice. The Commission has issued a public notice inviting suggestions from all stakeholders, including public and religious organizations, regarding the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code within the next month.
- According to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2023, there has been a general decline in consumption and sharing of news in India compared with last year.
- The Union Government has recently discontinued the sale of wheat and rice under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS) to state governments, except for some northeastern, hilly, and calamity-hit states.
- The Women 20 Summit took place in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu on 14th - 16th June 2023. The theme of this year’s summit was ‘Women-Led Development- Transform, Thrive and Transcend’.
- Economy:
- India has achieved an all-time high exports of seafood both in terms of volume and value by shipping 17,35,286 metric tonne of seafood worth over 63,969 crore rupees during financial year 2022-23 despite the several challenges to its major export markets like USA and China.
- Labour and Employment Minister Bhupender Yadav addressed the Plenary Session at the 111th International Labour Conference in Geneva on 13th June 2023.
- The Centre has asked state governments to continuously monitor the prices of Tur and Urad pulses. It also directed for verifying the stock positions and taking strict action against those violating the stock limits order.
- World:
- Chinese President Xi Jinping said that his country was establishing “strategic” relations with Palestinians ahead of talks with leader Mahmud Abbas in Beijing.
- Turkey has opposed Sweden’s entry into NATO, accusing the country of supporting Kurdish militant groups, which it deems to be terrorist organizations.
- The World Bank launched its first dedicated road safety project in South Asia with a USD 358 million financing agreement signed in Dhaka with the government of Bangladesh on Wednesday.
- Sports:
- Indian badminton players Lakshya Sen and Kidambi Srikanth cruised into the men’s singles second round at the Indonesia Open 2023 badminton tournament in Jakarta.
- Indian archer Aditi Gopichand Swami broke the Under 18 world record in the women’s compound qualification round at the Archery World Cup 2023 stage 3 in Medellin, Colombia.
- Important Days:
- World Blood Donor Day is celebrated every year on June 14 to thank voluntary blood donors for their altruistic acts of selflessness and to celebrate life and humanity. The slogan for the 2023 World Blood Donor Day campaign is “Give blood, give plasma, share life, share often.”
- Appointments:
- Sudhansh Pant, a 1991-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Rajasthan cadre, has been named as the new Union Health Secretary. He is currently the Secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
- IndiGo’s CEO, Pieter Elbers, has been elected as the chair-elect of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Board of Governors. He will succeed present Chair, Yvonne Manzi Makolo, the CEO of Rwandair with effect from June 2024.
- Awards:
- The Geological Survey of India Training Institute (GSITI) functioning under the Ministry of Mines has been awarded with the accreditation by the National Accreditation Board of Education and Training (NABET) in recognition of the services it has rendered and high standards maintained in the field of earth science training.
Questions:
Q.1 When is World Blood Donor Day celebrated?a. June 14
b. July 14
c. August 14
d. September 14
Q.2 Who has been named as the new Union Health Secretary?
a. Chanchal Kumar
b. Sudhansh Pant
c. Rajesh Bhushan
d. Rajiv Bansal
