Daily Current Affairs July 09 & 10 2023 | Latest News

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

Punjab National Bank Launched India’s First Virtual Branch in Metaverse

• Punjab National Bank (PNB) has launched India’s first virtual branch in
• With this, the bank will be able to deliver a unique experience to its customers, who can now explore bank deposits, digital payments, senior citizen deposits, and flagship schemes of the government of India.
• With the help of this, customers can explore the bank’s products and services such as bank deposits, retail/Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) loans, digital products, women/senior citizens, ‘Do It Yourself’, and government flagship schemes.
• In addition, the bank will offer an immersive 3D experience to customers while they perform traditional banking activities through their digital avatars.

What is Metaverse?

• The metaverse is the emerging 3-D-enabled digital space that uses virtual reality, augmented reality, and other advanced internet and semiconductor technology to allow people to have lifelike personal and business experiences online.

Recent News :

• In June 2023, Punjab National Bank (PNB) has become the first public sector bank to introduce an Interactive Voice Response (IVR)-based Unified Payment Interface (UPI) solution – UPI 123PAY, aligning with the Digital Payment Vision 2025 towards a cashless and cardless society.

About PNB :

• Founded : 19 May 1894
• Headquarters : Dwarka, Delhi, India
• MD & CEO : Atul Kumar Goel
• Tagline : You Can Bank Upon

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Centre to develop carbon markets for green sectors

• India plans to develop carbon markets for renewables, green hydrogen, bio-fuels and clean mobility to facilitate carbon trading between green and polluting sectors.
• The Niti Aayog in India is creating a framework to set up carbon markets for renewable energy, green hydrogen, biofuels, and clean transportation.
• According to the government, the expansion of carbon markets will boost economic activity and open up job opportunities.
• Such markets may initially be voluntary, meaning that carbon credits will be issued, purchased, and sold voluntarily.
• However, over time, the government could set up a framework of regulations to create compliance markets, which compel industries to trade carbon credits and thus produce income.
• According to a report presented at the COP27 climate conference held in Egypt last year, India had the highest growth rate in carbon emissions among the major global warming contributors.
• China and the European Union (EU) are expected to see reductions in emissions of 0.9% and 0.8%, respectively, while India’s emissions are predicted to rise by 6.0% and the US’s by 1.5%.
• The United Nations Development Programme defines carbon markets as trading platforms where carbon credits are offered for sale and purchase.
• Companies or individuals can use carbon markets to compensate for their greenhouse gas emissions by purchasing carbon credits from entities that remove greenhouse gas emissions.

About NITI Aayog

• Formed: 1 January 2015
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Chairperson: Narendra Modi

About UN:

• Founded: 24 October 1945
• Headquarters: New York, United States
• Secretary general: António Guterres

Recent News:

• NITI Aayog announced that its 8th governing council meeting, with the theme ‘Viksit Bharat @ 2047: Role of Team India’, will be held at the “new Convention Centre in Pragati Maidan”.
• The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) has achieved an impressive feat by securing the second position among 66 ministries in the highly influential Data Governance Quality Index (DGQI) assessment for the third quarter of 2022-2023.

Govt launches 3rd edition of National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment

• The third edition of the National e-Government Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) has been released by the Secretary of the Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DAPRG).
• The portal highlights how effectively States, Union Territories (UTs), and particular Central Ministries provide e-Government services to citizens.
• DARPG (under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions) established the NeSDA framework as a tool to assess the effectiveness and value of e-Government services from the perspective of the general public.
• The concept was modified to fit the Indian context of federalism and e-Governance variability among States and UTs using the Online Service Index (OSI) from the UN eGovernment Survey.
• Every two years, DARPG conducts the NeSDA research to assess how well States, UTs, and a few Central Ministries do in providing e-Government services to the public.
• The study assists the governments in identifying the gaps and difficulties in the provision of their services and in learning from the most effective methods used by other States, UTs, and Central Ministries.

In 2019 and 2021, NeSDA

• The NeSDA study, published in two iterations, NeSDA 2019 and NeSDA 2021, has shown a striking rise in e-services in all States and UTs. Additionally, they have noted a growing tendency of e-Services delivery to shift from separate departmental portals to integrated/centralized portals.
• The improvement in the nation’s e-Governance environment as a result of the last two NeSDA study editions is highlighted by the following important findings;
• Improvements in e-Service Delivery
• More people are using integrated or centrally located portals to deliver e-services.
• improved results across the board in the assessment
• The number of services examined in NeSDA 2021 increased by more than 60% from 872 in 2019 to 1400 across all States and UTs.
• When asked about their satisfaction with the e-Services offered by the States and UTs, 74% of respondents to the nationwide citizen poll that was done during the study said they are.
• The local government and utility service sectors and financial e-services were the most well-liked by users.

NeSDA 2023

• The third edition of the research, NeSDA 2023, has begun with the establishment of the NeSDA 2023 portal by DARPG.
• The NeSDA 2023 framework has been revised to reflect the needs of modern citizens, the most important developments in digital governance around the world, and UN e-governance Survey findings.
• A comprehensive method to assess the development of India’s e-Government is the NeSDA 2023 framework.
• It attempts to evaluate the effectiveness and usability of online services provided by the Central, State, and City governments.

The Centre will allocate $12,911 crore for the Polavaram project.

• The Union government has given its nod to sanction Rs 12,911 crore to the Andhra Pradesh government to complete the construction works under phase 1 of the Polavaram project.
• The development occurred when Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy was visiting Polavaram to review the project.
• During the visit to the project site, officials apprised the Chief Minister about the Centre’s green signal for the completion of the first phase of the Polavaram project.
• They revealed that the Union Finance Department has issued a memorandum sanctioning Rs 12,911.15 crores and has conveyed this through a letter to the Central Water Resources Department as well.
• The AP government officials informed the Chief Minister that the Polavaram irrigation project has made significant progress, with 79.61 per cent of the work completed.
• They also mentioned that land acquisition and resettlement processes have been completed up to 45.72 metres, covering 22.20 per cent of the required area.
• The officials further informed that the Union government decided to allocate an additional Rs 2,000 crore for the construction of the project because the cofferdam was washed away due to the Godavari floods.
• The Centre has also directed the finance department to sanction the funds for the project at the latest rates instead of the 2013-14 rates.
• It is pertinent to note that the project cost has also increased due to construction delays.
• The Centre has further removed the department-wise restrictions on bill payments.
• CM Jagan had demanded the Centre to sanction Rs 10,000 crores for completing the construction of the Polavaram Dam.

About Andhra Pradesh

• Chief minister: YS Jagan Mohan Reddy
• Capital: Amaravati
• Governor: S. Abdul Nazeer
• NP: Sri Venkateswara National Park, Papikonda National Park, Namdapha National Park, Valmiki National Park, Keoladeo Ghana National Park, Satpura National Park, Manas National Park, Simlipal National Park, Sanjay National Park

Recent News

• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated Sai Hira Global Convention Centre in Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh via video conferencing

CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS

China released its first open-source computer operating system – OpenKylin

• China has rolled out its first-ever homegrown computer operating system called
• It is China’s first open-source desktop operating system (OS).

About OpenKylin :

• It is a Linux-based operating system built by a community of about 4,000 developers and is used in its space programme and industries such as finance and energy.
• OpenKylin users have access to the software’s lines of code and can modify them as they wish, unlike Microsoft and Apple, which keep the workings of Windows and MacOS systems secret.

What is an open-source operating system (OS)?

• The term “open source” refers to computer software or applications where the owners or copyright holders enable the users or third parties to use, see, and edit the product’s source code.
• The source code of an open-source OS is publicly visible and editable.
• The usual operating systems such as Apple’s iOS, Microsoft’s Windows, and Apple’s Mac OS are closed operating systems.
• Closed Operating Systems are built with numerous codes and complex programming and that is called source code.
• This source code is kept secret by the respective companies (owners) and inaccessible to third parties.
• In the case of an Open-Source Operating system, everyone can access and edit the source code.

About China :

• President : Xi Jinping
• Capital : Beijing
• Currency : Renminbi

Taiwan to open 3rd Taipei Economic & Cultural Centre in Mumbai, India

• The Taiwanese government will establish a Taipei Economic and Cultural Center (TECC) in Mumbai, Maharashtra as part of a broader aim to further deepen cooperation with India.
• At present, Taiwan has TECCs in Delhi and Chennai.
• The main aim of opening the Cultural Centre is to enhance cooperation between both countries.
• Also, the move to set up the TECC in Mumbai comes at a time when major companies in Taiwan are increasingly looking at relocating their production bases to India from China.

History :

• India and Taiwan do not maintain formal diplomatic ties, but the two sides opened representative offices in 1995 – a Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre (TECC) in New Delhi and an “India Taipei Association” in Taipei.
• Taiwan has set up an office in Chennai in December 2012.
• Trade volume between both the countries increased from USD 2 billion in 2006 to USD 8.9 billion in 2021.
• India and Taiwan’s cooperation has increased in the area of trade, critical supply chains, science and technology, culture, and education in recent years.
• India has expressed interest in setting up manufacturing facilities of top Taiwanese companies, especially world’s largest chip maker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (TSMC) in India.
• India became the world’s 5th -largest economy in 2022, and became the most populous nation this year.

About Taiwan :

• President : Tsai Ing-wen
• Capital : Taipei
• Currency : New Taiwan dollar

FAO, UNEP, WHO and WOAH launched One Health research agenda for antimicrobial resistance

• The ‘Quadripartite’ – comprising the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) have released the One Health Priority Research Agenda on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) through a webinar.

Aim :

• To guide a variety of stakeholders in generating new evidence to address antimicrobial resistance, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries.

What is One Health?

• One Health is an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals, and ecosystems.
• It recognizes the health of humans, domestic and wild animals, plants, and the wider environment (including ecosystems) are closely linked and interdependent.

About One Health Priority Research Agenda on Antimicrobial Resistance :

• The agenda will act as a guide for countries, research institutes and funding bodies to support One Health AMR research.
• It will also allow policymakers, researchers, and the multidisciplinary scientific community to collaborate.
• With the mixed method approach, global experts have identified 5 key pillars as well as 3 cross-cutting themes namely gender, vulnerable populations, and

List of 5 key pillars :

• Transmission: It focuses on the environment, plant, animal, and human sectors where AMR transmission, circulation and spread occur.
• Integrated surveillance: It aims to identify cross-cutting priority research questions in order to improve common technical understanding and information exchange among One Health stakeholders.
• Interventions: It focuses on programmes, practises, tools, and activities aimed at preventing, containing, or reducing the incidence, prevalence, and spread of AMR.
• Behavioural insights and change: It focuses on research addressing human behaviour that affects AMR, including ways to combat it.
• Economics and policy: It takes into account the cost-effectiveness of an AMR investment case, financial sustainability, and long-term financial impact.

Recent News :

• In June 2023, WHO also launched a global research agenda for AMR in human health & the agenda prioritises 40 research topics for evidence generation to inform policy and interventions by 2030.

About UNEP :

• Established : 5 June 1972
• Headquarters : Nairobi, Kenya
• Executive Director : Inger Andersen

About WHO :

• Established : 7 April 1948
• Headquarters : Geneva, Switzerland
• Director-General : Tedros Adhanom
• The WHO is a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health.

About WOAH :

• Established : 25 January 1924
• Headquarters : Paris, France
• Director General : Dr Monique Eloit
• The WOAH, formerly the Office International des Epizooties (OIE), is an intergovernmental organisation coordinating, supporting and promoting animal disease control.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS

India’s 1st Tele-MANAS chat-bot to ensure 24X7 services of health counsellors launched in J&K

• Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha launched India’s first Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (Tele-MANAS) Chatbot for the Union territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
• The initiative will ensure round-the-clock services of Health Counsellors, Clinical Psychologists and Consultants.
• The service was launched after Sinha inaugurated ‘J-K Health Conclave’ on mental health and non-communicable diseases at Srinagar, J&K.

About Tele-MANAS :

• Tele-MANAS is a two-tier system.
• Tier 1 comprises State Tele MANAS cells, which includes trained counsellors and mental health specialists.
• Tier 2 comprises specialists at District Mental Health Programme (DMHP)/Medical College resources for physical consultation and/or eSanjeevani for audio visual consultation.
• The MoU inked between the J-K Health and Medical Education Department and the Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre will provide significant technical support to improve cancer care services in the UT and help us to establish preventive oncology service, day care centres and palliative care service at district hospitals.
• Another important MoU signed with NIMHANS Bengaluru will improve mental health services, training and capacity building of medical officers and nursing staff.
• He also rolled out and launched several new initiatives to strengthen health system resilience including T3 – Test, Treat and Talk, anaemia camps, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease programme and scan and share service for OPD registration.

About J&K :

• Lieutenant Governor : Manoj Sinha
• Capital : Srinagar, Jammu
• National Park : Kishtwar High Altitude National Park, Kazinag National Park, Dachigam National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries : Ramnagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched ‘Ama Pokhari’ to rejuvenate water bodies

• Odisha Chief Minister (CM) Shri Naveen Patnaik launched ‘Ama Pokhari’ project to rejuvenate all water bodies in the urban areas of Odisha.
• The project was inaugurated at Lokseva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar and is expected to effectively address water scarcity by rejuvenating water bodies in a natural and sustainable manner.
• Under the Ama Pokhari scheme, 2,000 large water bodies in 115 urban areas will be rejuvenated and its periphery will be renovated for healthy space for the public.
• Rs 120 crore has been allocated to the implementation of the initiative.

Key Highlights :

• The project will be implemented using natural and organic methodology to improve the climate of surrounding areas.
• The renovation and maintenance of these water bodies will be done in collaboration with members of Mission Shakti.
• The water bodies will also be developed for the recreation of citizens.
• It will also help in strengthening the ecological fabric of cities.
• This initiative will also help in improving the quality of life in urban areas.
• This initiative was implemented by Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, and Berhampur Municipal Corporation as a pilot project.
• The chief minister also felicitated Anand Malligavad, known as the ‘lake man’ of India.

Recent News :

• In June 2023, The Government of Odisha, in collaboration with the Quality Council of India (QCI) and industry associations such as ASSOCHAM, FICCI, EEPC, OASME, PHDCCI, CIPET, and FHRAI, launched the Odisha Gunvatta Sankalp (Odisha Quality Mission) in

About Odisha :

• Governor : Ganeshi Lal
• Chief Minister : Naveen Patnaik
• Capital : Bhubaneswar
• National Park : Simlipal National Park, Bhitarkanika National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuary : Ushakothi Wildlife Sanctuary, Tikarpada Wildlife Sanctuary

Tourism Minister Atishi Marlena inaugurated 32nd Annual Mango Festival in Delhi Haat

• Tourism Minister Atishi inaugurated the 32nd Annual Mango Festival (3-day festival) at Dilli Haat, Janakpuri.
• It will conclude on July 9, 2023.
• The event is organised by Delhi Tourism in association with Delhi government.
• The last mango Festival in Delhi was held in 2019.

Key Highlights :

• TheMango Festival is a unique initiative by the Kejriwal government to promote tourism in the city, familiarise the public with various varieties of mangoes, and provide a platform for small and large mango producers to expand their business.
• During this 3-day festival, people can enjoy various cultural programs along with different types of mangoes from 12 pm to 10 pm.
• There is no entry fee for the festival, & a free shuttle service from Tilak Nagar Metro Station has been arranged for the convenience of visitors.

About Delhi :

• Governor : Vinai Kumar Saxena
• Chief Minister : Arvind Kejriwal
• Capital : New Delhi
• Wildlife Sanctuaries : Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, National Chambal Sanctuary

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

OECD marginally raises India’s GDP growth forecast to 6% for FY24

• The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has marginally raised its 2023-24 (FY24) growth forecast for India to 6 per cent, from 5.9 per cent estimated earlier, while maintaining that “weak global demand and the effect of monetary policy tightening will constrain” growth in the world’s fifth-largest economy in the current fiscal year.
• Moderating inflation and monetary policy easing in the second half of 2024 will help discretionary household spending regain momentum.
• This, along with improved global conditions, will help economic activity to accelerate, with a growth of 7 per cent in real gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024-25
• Global GDP growth in 2023 is projected to be 2.7 per cent, the lowest annual rate since the global financial crisis, except for the 2020 pandemic period.
• The robust FY23 GDP data and encouraging signs of high-frequency indicators led to a spate of upward revisions in FY24 GDP growth forecasts by analysts.

About OECD:

• Headquarters: Paris, France
• Founded: 30 September 1961
• Secretary-General: Mathias Cormann.

Recent News:

• While State Bank of India revised its growth projection for FY24 to 6.7 per cent, from 6.2 per cent
• JP Morgan revised its growth projection to 5.5 per cent, from the 5 per cent estimated earlier

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

The University of Jaffna and IIT Madras establish an agreement to boost academic cooperation and research projects.

• To foster academic collaboration and promote research initiatives, the University of Jaffna and the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras have signed a Memorandum of Understanding.
• The signing took place at the Kilinochchi campus, where the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Jaffna, Dr. K Pirapaharan, handed over a copy of the MoU to Indian Consul General Raakesh Natraj.
• The MoU entails a range of opportunities for both institutions, including student and faculty exchanges.
• Initially, the exchange program will facilitate the transfer of approximately 10 students and faculty members each year at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. This initiative aims to enhance cross-cultural learning experiences and promote academic diversity.
• Moreover, the collaboration highlights specific areas of joint research, with a particular focus on renewable energy. Further, IIT Madras has generously offered its expertise to support the establishment of joint research platforms in this domain.
• Additionally, the University of Jaffna intends to establish an incubation cell, modelled after the successful unit at IIT Madras.
• The renowned institution has pledged to provide guidance and operational support to ensure its smooth implementation.
• This partnership signifies a remarkable milestone in the journey towards academic excellence and research advancements for both institutions.

Recent News

• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation has partnered with ‘Vidya Shakti’ to take education to the rural areas of Uttar Pradesh (UP) through the use of Online Classes and Virtual Reality (VR) .
• The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras will set up its first International campus in Zanzibar, Tanzania.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND REPORTS

Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have the most number of rich households in India

• Ten Indian states account for more than 80 per cent of the rich households, according to a newly released study.
• Maharashtra houses a majority of them – 2.62 millio
• It is followed by Tamil Nadu with 0.9 million.
• This is according to a recently released study by the think tank People Research on India’s Consumer Economy (PRICE), titled The Rise of the Middle Class: A Force to Reckon With.
• It also notes that close to 4 per cent of India’s households are rich.
• That is 10.67 million households in India as of FY21.

About Tamil Nadu

• Chief minister: M. K. Stalin Trending
• Capital: Chennai
• Governor: R. N. Ravi
• NP: Guindy National Park, Mudumalai National Park, Mukurthi National Park, Indira Gandhi National Park (Annamalai), and Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park.

About Maharashtra

• Governor: Ramesh Bais
• Chief Minister: Eknath Shinde
• Capital: Mumbai
• National Park: Tadoba National Park, Navegaon National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnala Bird Sanctuary, Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary
• UNESCO Heritage Sites: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, The Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai, Ajanta Caves, Elephanta Caves, Ellora Caves

Recent News

• Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad in Maharashtra topped the list of 40 prominent cities in terms of ease of movement and ease of reaching destination in 2022, according the second edition of ‘Ease of Moving Index’ by the Ola Mobility Institute (OMI) Foundation. In the list, Mumbai ranked second and Coimbatore came third, followed by Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Indore.

Performance Grading Index (PGI): Assessment for school education, Chandigarh made a comeback to join Punjab, which kept first place.

• Chandigarh made a comeback to join Punjab, which retained its top position, to be among the best performing states in the latest Performance Grading Index (PGI) report for school education.
• Last years’ top performing states – Kerala and Maharashtra-are among the second best performing states/ UTs in the grading.
• But none of the states/UTs could achieve the top five grades in the overall category, based on various domains like access, learning outcomes, infrastructure, equity, teachers’ training and governance processes.
• PGI, revamped in 2021-22 in the wake of National Education Policy, has classified states/UTs into ten grades.
• The highest achievable grade is Daksh, which is for states/UT scoring more than 940 out of 1000 points.
• The subsequent grades are Utkarsh (881-940), Atti-Uttam (821-880), Uttam (761-820), Prachesta 1 (701-760), Prachesta 2 (641-700), Prachesta 3 (581-640), Akanshi 1 (521-580), Akanshi 2 (461-520) and Akanshi 3 (401-460).
• The two domains – access and equity- are the only ones where any state (Delhi) managed the top grade (Daksh).
• For learning outcomes, one of the key indicators of good performance, the top performers are Punjab, Chandigarh and Rajasthan while no states/ UTs could achieve the top grade for teacher education and training.

India best-performing in South Asia in terms of trade facilitation: UNESCAP

• India is now the best-performing nation amongst all the countries of South Asian region in terms of trade facilitation, as per the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific’s (UNESCAP) report.
• As per the Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation, India improved its score compared to 2021 survey.
• The 2023 survey, covering more than 140 economies and evaluating 60 trade facilitation measures, has positioned India at the forefront of global trade facilitation reports, with an impressive score of 93.55 per cent in 2023 vis a vis 90.32 per cent in 2021.
• The 2023 survey has recognised India’s exceptional progress across various sub indicators, with the country achieving a perfect score of 100 per cent in four key areas: Transparency, Formalities, Institutional Arrangement and Cooperation, and Paperless Trade.
• These remarkable scores are a testament to India’s relentless e?orts in streamlining trade processes, enhancing transparency, and promoting cooperation among stakeholders through initiatives such as Turant Customs, Single Window Interface for Facilitation of Trade (SWIFT), Pre-Arrival data processing, e- Sanchit, Coordinated Border Management etc.
• India has witnessed a substantial improvement in the score for ‘Women in Trade Facilitation’ component from 66.7 per cent in 2021 to 77.8 per cent in 2023, thereby indicating commitment to gender inclusivity and the empowerment of women in the trade sector.

About UNESCAP:

• The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) is the Secretariat of the United Nations for the Asian and Pacific region. One of the main functions of UNESCAP is to promote economic and social development through regional and subregional cooperation and integration.
• The commission was originally located in Shanghai, Republic of China, from its foundation until 1949, when it moved its headquarters to United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, Thailand

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

GK Satish becomes 1st Indian Appointed By Russian Oil Giant Rosneft On Its Board

• Russian energy giant Rosneft has appointed Govind Kottieth Satish, former Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) director, to its board.
• Satish, 62, is the first Indian to be appointed to the board of Rosneft.
• The appointment comes as a sign of Russia’s strategy aimed at boosting trade links with India.
• Rosneft in its annual general meeting held on June 30, 2023 announced the appointment of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) director G.K. Satish as a member of its board which consists of a total 11 members.

About Govind Kottieth Satish :

• Satish has more than three decades of experience in the areas of marketing, operations, logistics and business development.
• He was appointed to the board of IOC on September 1, 2016, is one of the five independent directors on the Rosneft board.
• He was also chairman of IndianOil Adani Gas Pvt Ltd – the joint venture IOC had formed with Adani Group for retailing CNG and piped cooking gas.
• GK Satish, retired from the post of director for business development at IOC in 2021.
• According to the data Russian Oil company supplies Indian firms with approximately 2 million barrels per day of crude oil which is equivalent to 100 million tonnes.
• IOC is India’s largest importer of Russian oil and the only company with a long-term delivery deal in place with Rosneft.

About Rosneft :

• Founded : 1993
• Headquarters : Moscow, Russia
• CEO : Igor I Sechin
• Rosneft specialises in the exploration, extraction, production, refining, transport, and sale of petroleum, natural gas, and petroleum products.
• The Rosneft board also includes representatives from Qatar and the Philippines.

ASICS ropes in Shraddha Kapoor as brand ambassador for India

• Japanese sports performance brand ASICS has appointed Bollywood actor Shraddha Kapoor as the new brand ambassador for India.
• The actor will be endorsing the brand’s footwear and women’s sportswear segment.
• ASICS India continues to strengthen its philosophy of ‘sound mind, sound body’ and also build a stronger brand prominence among Indian female fitness enthusiasts.

About ASICS :

• Headquarters : Kobe, Japan
• Managing director at Asics India : Rajat Khurana
• Asics sells in India through its website along with leading e-commerce platforms and currently has 88 stores spread across India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS ; DEFENCE NEWS

Ministry of Defence & Hindustan Aeronautics Limited signs Rs 458 crore contract for two upgraded Dornier Aircraft for Indian Coast Guard

• The Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the procurement of two Dornier Aircraft for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) along with an associated engineering support package at an overall cost of Rs 458.87 crore.
• The aircraft will be procured under the Buy (Indian) Category.

Key Highlights :

• The Dornier aircraft are being indigenously manufactured at HAL (Transport Aircraft Division), Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh (UP).
• It will significantly contribute in achieving Atma Nirbharta in defence, in consonance with the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Government.
• The aircraft will be fitted with a number of advanced equipment viz., Glass Cockpit, Maritime Patrol Radar, Electro Optic Infra-Red device, Mission Management System
• The addition will further bolster the aerial surveillance capability of maritime areas of responsibilities of the ICG.
• According to ICG, the high winged aircraft is operated in two variants in 228–100 and 228–200 series.
• The government has set the target of achieving defence manufacturing worth Rs 175,000 crore including defence exports of Rs 35,000 crore by the year 2024-25.

Recent News :

• In March,2023 a contract for the procurement of 6 Dornier-228 aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) from HAL at a cost of ₹667 crore was signed by the defence ministry.

About Ministry of Defence : 

• Defence Minister :  Rajnath Singh
• Minister of State : Ajay Bhatt
• Defence Secretary : Giridhar Aramane

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

India compound women archers win U-18, U-21 gold medals in World Youth Championships, in Ireland

• India’s women compound archers reigned supreme, winning the Under-18 and U-21 team titles at the World Youth Championships in Limerick, Ireland.
• India women’s under-18 compound team of Aishwarya Sharma, Aditi Swami and Ekta Rani defeated their opponents from USA for their first gold medal of the day.
• The women’s team bounced back from behind to edge past Olivia Dean, Liko Arreola and Leann Drake 214-212.
• U-21 trio of Avneet Kaur, Parneet Kaur and Pragati prevailed over Mexico’s Adriana Castillo, Jimenez Valdez and Selene Rodriguez 222-214 to complete its dominance.
• The U-21 women’s team had a strong start, taking a four-point lead in the opening end.
• By the halfway mark, the trio extended its lead to 10 points and went on to seal the issue with a handsome eight-point margin.
• This was India’s third gold medal in the competition.
• Priyansh and Avneet Kaur won gold in the junior mixed team compound event.
• However, the men’s U-18 compound team of Manav Jadhao, Pawan Gat and Ganesh Thirumuru failed to replicate the success of the women’s team, settling for a silver after going down against Mexico.
• India also had won two bronze medals.
• Manav Jadhav and Aishwarya Sharma won a bronze medal defeating Mexico in the cadet mixed compound event.
• Parth and Ridhi won bronze in the junior recurve mixed team.

About Ireland

• Capital: Dublin
• Currency: Euro
• Indian-origin Leo Varadkar is new Prime Minister of Ireland

Recent News

• India Under-18 men’s recurve team downed Colombia 6-0 to clinch a bronze medal at the archery World Youth Championships

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

Legendary artist, illustrator and sculptor Namboothiri passed away

• The famous illustrator, sculptor and line sketch artist,Karuvattu Mana Vasudevan Namboothiri,commonly known as Artist Namboothiri passed away at the age of 97 in Kottakkal, Malappuram district, Kerala.

About Namboothiri :

• Namboothiri was born on 13 September 1925 in Malappuram district of the south Indian state of Kerala, India.
• He began his career as an illustrator in 1955, and held wide respect as an illustrator.
• He illustrated for many Malayalam writers such as Thakazhy Shivasankara Pillai, Kesavadev, M. T. Vasudevan Nair, Uroob, S. K. Pottekkatt, Edasseri Govindan Nair, and K.N.
• He was also a chairman of the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi.

Awards & Honors :

• The Kerala Lalithakala Akademi awarded him the Raja Ravi Varma Award in 2003.
• Namboothiri received the Kerala State Film Award for art direction for his work in the film ‘Uttarayanam’ in 1974.

Daily CA One- Liner: July 9 & 10

• India plans to develop carbon markets for renewables, green hydrogen, bio-fuels and clean mobility to facilitate carbon trading between green and polluting sectors India plans to develop carbon markets for renewables, green hydrogen, bio-fuels and clean mobility to facilitate carbon trading between green and polluting sectors.
• The third edition of the National e-Government Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) has been released by the Secretary of the Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DAPRG).
• The Union government has given its nod to sanction Rs 12,911 crore to the Andhra Pradesh government to complete the construction works under phase 1 of the Polavaram project.
• The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has marginally raised its 2023-24 (FY24) growth forecast for India to 6 per cent, from 5.9 per cent estimated earlier, while maintaining that “weak global demand and the effect of monetary policy tightening will constrain” growth in the world’s fifth-largest economy in the current fiscal year.
• To foster academic collaboration and promote research initiatives, the University of Jaffna and the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras have signed a Memorandum of Understanding.
• Ten Indian states account for more than 80 per cent of the rich households, according to a newly released study.
• Chandigarh made a comeback to join Punjab, which retained its top position, to be among the best performing states in the latest Performance Grading Index (PGI) report for school education.
• India is now the best-performing nation amongst all the countries of South Asian region in terms of trade facilitation, as per the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific’s (UNESCAP) report.
• India’s women compound archers reigned supreme, winning the Under-18 and U-21 team titles at the World Youth Championships in Limerick, Ireland.

• Punjab National Bank (PNB) has launched India’s first virtual branch in
• China has rolled out its first-ever homegrown computer operating system called
• The Taiwanese government will establish a Taipei Economic and Cultural Center (TECC) in Mumbai, Maharashtra as part of a broader aim to further deepen cooperation with India.
• The ‘Quadripartite’ – comprising the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) have released the One Health Priority Research Agenda on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) through a webinar.
• Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha launched India’s first Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (Tele-MANAS) Chatbot for the Union territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
• Odisha Chief Minister (CM) Shri Naveen Patnaik launched ‘Ama Pokhari’ project to rejuvenate all water bodies in the urban areas of Odisha.
• Tourism Minister Atishi inaugurated the 32nd Annual Mango Festival (3-day festival) at Dilli Haat, Janakpuri.
• Russian energy giant Rosneft has appointed Govind Kottieth Satish, former Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) director, to its board.
• Japanese sports performance brand ASICS has appointed Bollywood actor Shraddha Kapoor as the new brand ambassador for India.
• The Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the procurement of two Dornier Aircraft for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) along with an associated engineering support package at an overall cost of Rs 458.87 crore.
• The famous illustrator, sculptor and line sketch artist,Karuvattu Mana Vasudevan Namboothiri,commonly known as Artist Namboothiri passed away at the age of 97 in Kottakkal, Malappuram district, Kerala.