Current Affairs One-Liner : 17th June 2023

• National:
• Jettwings Airways, a Guwahati-based airline, has received the no objection certificate (NOC) to operate Schedule Commuter Air Transport Services in the country. It will be the first-ever company from the Northeast region to start airline operations in the country.

• The Indian Footwear Industry will have to comply with Quality Control Orders (QCOs) from July 1, 2023. The Union Minister Piyush Goyal, Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) interacted with the representatives from the Indian Footwear Industry in New Delhi.
• The Indian Government has launched a new fellowship programme called Vaishvik Bhartiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV) to connect the Indian STEMM diaspora with Indian academic and R&D institutions for collaborative research work leading to sharing of knowledge, wisdom, and best practices in the frontier areas of science & technology.
• Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL), the renewable energy arm of the diversified Adani portfolio, has been ranked first in Asia and among the top 10 companies globally in the renewable energy sector by ISS ESG.
• India has become a global leader in achieving LEED Zero green building projects, with 73 out of 150 certified projects. Haryana and Tamil Nadu are leading the way in certifications. The US and China follow with 47 and 15 certifications, respectively.
• ‘A Kerala-based startup, Farmers Fresh Zone (FarmersFZ), has been selected for the ‘Accelerator Programme’ by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the UN
• China launched a Long March 2D carrier rocket on Thursday afternoon to send a total of 41 satellites into space, setting a new national record for the most spacecraft transported on a single mission.
• NITI Aayog and the United Nations in India signed the Government of India - United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (GoI-UNSDCF 2023-2027) on June 16, 2023.
• Kerala University has announced the list of undergraduate (UG) programmes that will be piloted in the four-year degree mode this academic year.
• The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has recently introduced guidelines for rectifying accident-prone spots on the national highways by implementing short-term measures.
• Economy:
• The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) intends to introduce a plan during the second half of this fiscal, to allow the subscribers of the National Pension Scheme (NPS) to withdraw 60% of the accumulated corpus in a systematic manner instead of the current system of a one-time withdrawal.
• SEBI has recently introduced guidelines to regulate product offerings by online bond platform providers (OBPPs). These guidelines aim to ensure compliance, protect investors’ interests, and streamline the functioning of the bond market.
• The Centre has recently amended the IBC provision to remove moratorium protection for certain oil companies.
• World:
• The Biden administration has eased norms by releasing policy guidance on the eligibility criteria for those waiting for green cards to work and stay in America.
• Japan has recently passed laws to overhaul sex crime laws and raise the age of consent from 13 to 161. The reform also clarifies the grounds for rape prosecutions.
• The inaugural edition of India’s first-ever Women’s Kabaddi League (WKL) commenced with great fanfare in Dubai on June 16.
• Sports:
• India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty stunned top seed Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto in straight games to sail into the men’s doubles semifinals of the Indonesia Open World Tour Super 1000 event in Jakarta.
• The Indian recurve men’s team won the bronze medal at the Archery World Cup 2023 stage 3 in Medellin, Colombia on Thursday. The archery team of Dhiraj Bommadevara, Mrinal Chauhan and Tushar Shelke, seeded fourth, defeated the People’s Republic of China 5-3 to finish on the podium.
• K.M. Deeksha executed a well-planned tactical race to upset 1500m National record holder Harmilan Bains for the gold medal in the National inter-state athletics championships at the Kalinga Stadium.
• Banking:
• PhonePe has launched its Payment Gateway with a special limited-period offer for new MSME merchants. They are offering free onboarding to new merchants with no hidden charges, setup fees, or annual maintenance fees.
• Kotak Mahindra Bank has launched a sweep facility for savings accounts called ActivMoney that will provide depositors with a return of 7 per cent per annum.
• IndusInd Bank has partnered with Wise, a global technology company specializing in moving and managing money around the world, to offer online inward remittance services to Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) residing in the US and Singapore.
• Important Days:
• The International Day of Family Remittances is an observance recognized by the United Nations that celebrates the contributions of migrants to supporting their families. The day occurs every year on June 16th,The theme for the 2023-2024 IDFR campaign is "Digital remittances towards financial inclusion and cost reduction".
• Appointments:
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the re-appointment of P N Vasudevan as the managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of Equitas Small Finance Bank (SFB) for a 3 year term.
• The Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) has recommended Ramaswamy Narayanan as the Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re) and Rajeshwari Singh for the position of CMD in National Insurance Company Limited (NICL).
• A royal decree has been issued to reappoint Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah as Kuwait’s Prime Minister1. The Emiri decree was signed by Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
• Gopichand Hinduja, who is 83 years old, has taken over as the Chairman of the Hinduja Group after the recent demise of his brother Srichand P Hinduja.
• Obituary:
• Glenda Jackson, the double Oscar-winning actor and former Labour MP, has died aged 87 after a “brief illness” at her home in Blackheath, south-east London 1. She was a fearless actor and politician.

Questions:

Q.1 When is the International Day of Family Remittances celebrated?
a. June 16th
b. July 16th
c. August 16th
d. September 16th

Q.2 Who has taken over as the Chairman of the Hinduja Group?
a. Srichand P Hinduja
b. Gopichand Hinduja
c. Prakash Hinduja
d. Ashok Hinduja