- National:
- India and the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) have signed an agreement to enhance cooperation and identify areas of mutual interest. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of two key events of the influential bloc being hosted in Goa.
- The Government of India has withdrawn a draft Live-stock and Live-stock Products (Importation and Exportation) Bill after concerns over a provision in the legislation to allow for the import and export of "live animals".
- The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has launched a ‘Knowledge Sharing’ platform for sharing of knowledge and innovative best practices.
- On June 20, 2023, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) introduced modifications to the existing ‘use and file’ procedure for life insurance products.
- Alibaba Group announced that its top leader Daniel Zhang will resign from his positions as CEO and chairman to concentrate on its cloud division, which is one of the six business units that the Chinese e-commerce giant plans to split into.
- The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has granted its approval to mortgage lender HDFC to acquire a certain stake in HDFC Life Insurance Company and HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Ltd.
- HDFC Limited has signed a deal to sell 90% of its education loan arm, HDFC Credila, to a consortium of private equity firms for Rs 9,060 crore. The deal is subject to regulatory approvals and will see HDFC Credila become a private company
- A new Guinness World Record was created for ‘most nationalities in a yoga session’ at an event led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on International Day of Yoga. People from across 135 nations gathered at the UN Headquarters in New York to perform yoga.
- After the amendment to Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Act 2015, as many as 2,250 Child adoption orders have been issued by the District Magistrates across the country.
- The National Medical Commission (NMC) has introduced changes to the undergraduate medical curriculum. The changes include a time limit of 9 years to complete the MBBS course, a fixed number of attempts to clear failed papers, compulsory attendance for both theory and practical papers, and a family outreach programme.
- On June 21, the Odisha Cabinet approved a 1,000 crore increase in total cost outlay for an ABADHA scheme that aims to transform basic infrastructure in Puri town which is famous for the Lord Jagannath Temple.
- Economy:
- The World Bank will start offering a pause in loan repayments to the “most vulnerable” countries when they are hit by catastrophic events including climate-related disasters.
- India’s rising imports of Russian oil hit a record high of about 1.95 million barrels per day (bpd) in May. Russian oil accounted for about 40% of India’s crude imports in May, cutting imports from Iraq to a three-year low and from Saudi Arabia to their lowest since September 2021.
- According to a report by TeamLease Digital, a subsidiary of TeamLease Services, although India had 40,000 job openings for cybersecurity professionals as of May 2023, 30% of these vacancies could not be filled due to a huge skill shortage.
- World:
- At the 26th edition of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), held last week in Russia’s second-largest city and former imperial capital, the Kremlin made its message clear to the entire world: the economy is holding up despite unprecedented Western sanctions.
- Two US Air Force Rockwell B-1B Lancer supersonic strategic bombers landed at Luleå Kallax Airbase, Sweden for the first time in history on June 19, 2023. They will participate in a joint exercise with the Swedish Air Force and Army.
- Sports:
- Sunil Chhetri captained Team India to a 4-0 win against Pakistan in their SAFF Championship opener at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru . He scored a hat-trick and became the second-highest Asian goal-scorer in international football.
- Venus Williams, the five-time Wimbledon singles champion, has been given a wild card and will feature at the upcoming Wimbledon 2023 Championships
- Appointments:
- Hasmukh Adhia, a senior retired bureaucrat and former Union Finance Secretary & Revenue Secretary, has been appointed as the Chairman of GIFT City Ltd
- After consultations with the parliamentary parties, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis nominated Marcel Ciolacu, the president of PSD (Social Democratic Party), to form a new government following the resignation of Nicolae Ciucă from the position of prime minister.
- Awards:
- Star Alliance has won the title of World’s Best Airline Alliance at the Skytrax 2023 World Airline Awards. The Skytrax World Airline Awards are decided through international customer voting.
- Important Days:
- World Hydrography Day is celebrated annually on June 21 to raise awareness of the importance of hydrography and the work of hydrographers. The theme for World Hydrography Day 2023 is "Hydrography – underpinning the digital twin of the ocean".
- International Day of the Celebration of the Solstice is observed every year on June 21. The holiday was instituted by the United Nations to spread awareness on the solstices across religions and cultures.
- International Yoga Day 2023 is a special day to celebrate and raise awareness about the benefits of yoga for the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of people. It will be observed on Wednesday, 21 June with the theme of "Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam".
- World Music Day is celebrated annually on June 21 to celebrate and promote the global language of music and to bring together people of different nationalities.
Questions:
Q.1 Which airline alliance won the title of World’s Best Airline Alliance at the Skytrax 2023 World Airline Awards?a. Oneworld
b. Star Alliance
c. SkyTeam
d. Air India
Q.2 When is World Music Day celebrated?
a. June 21
b. July 21
c. August 21
d. September 21
