Today's Current Affairs 11th July 2023

NATIONAL

Dell joins Intel to launch AI skills lab in India

• Dell Technologies and Intel have joined forces to establish an artificial intelligence (AI) lab in Telangana institute. The partnership aims to bridge the digital skills gap and empower students at Lords Institute of Engineering & Technology in Telangana by integrating Intel’s ‘AI for Youth‘ program into their curriculum. This initiative seeks to prepare students for the industry with the necessary expertise for the future job market and foster an AI-ready ecosystem on campus.
• Dell and Intel’s collaboration focuses on demystifying AI for the next generation by incorporating Intel’s ‘AI for Youth’ program into the existing curriculum. The initiative aims to equip students with the necessary digital skills, reducing the gap between industry demands and the skills possessed by graduates.
• The partnership includes training provided by Intel to selected teachers, enabling them to effectively educate students on AI concepts. Students will benefit from over 170 hours of AI curriculum, which includes bootcamps, AI-Thons, virtual showcases, and other activities designed to enhance their AI skills.
• A key aspect of the collaboration is the establishment of an AI Skills lab on the campus, where students can gain hands-on experience and develop AI-driven solutions. The lab will foster innovation in emerging AI technologies, including natural language processing (NLP), computer vision, and statistical data analytics.

India's first Vedic-themed park opened in Noida

• India's first Vedic-themed park Is inaugurated in Noida's Sector 78, The park, named Ved Van Park, is a unique blend of spirituality, culture, and nature, that offers an immersive experience into the world of the four Vedas: Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, and Atharva Veda.
• The theme park was constructed with a budget of Rs 27 crore, not Rs 28 crore as previously mentioned.
• The park is divided into seven zones, each named after revered sages of the Vedic age such as Vishvamitra, Vasishtha, and Agastya, among others. Each zone offers a unique exploration of the themes and teachings of the Vedas.
• There are over 50,000 plants, all meticulously chosen from Vedic literature, creating a lush and vibrant environment for visitors. These include kalpa vriksha, neem, and banyan, among others, all of which have been mentioned in Vedic literature. For those seeking physical activity, an open gym has also been set up. Additionally, a solar-lit amphitheatre provides a space for cultural performances and gatherings.
• In the evenings, visitors can enjoy a captivating Vedic-themed laser show that narrates stories from the Vedas. Other attractions also include a Rishi zone and a water lazer zone for people to soak into the Vedic culture.

SPORTS

India bags maximum 11 medals in World Archery Youth Championships, 2023

• In the 'World Archery Youth Championship', 2023 held in Ireland, India has secured the second position in the championship by winning the maximum number of 11 medals.
• The 'World Archery Youth Championships', 2023 is scheduled to be held from 3 to 9 July 2023. India finished second in the championship:
• India finished with its highest ever medal tally of 11 medals in this championship. Despite this, India finished second behind Korea in this championship.
• Korea finished first with a total of 10 medals including six gold and four silver while India finished second with a total of 11 medals including six gold, one silver and four bronze.

Max Verstappen Wins For First Time At Silverstone Circuit: British Grand Prix 2023

• Max Verstappen of Red Bull survived an early push from McLaren opponent Lando Norris to win the 2023 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, marking his maiden victory at this event and extending his current winning streak to six races. This also marked Red Bull's 10th consecutive win this season and their 11th consecutive F1 win.
• Norris took the lead from Verstappen soon after the start lights went green, with McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri almost matching Verstappen, leading to a McLaren sandwich with Red Bull as the filling during the opening four laps, but the reigning double world champion quickly fought back for the lost position. Verstappen, with a little help from the DRS of his RB18, reclaimed P1 and cruised to victory with the fastest lap of the race.

Parth Salunkhe becomes first Indian to win Youth World Championship in recurve category

• Top-ranked Parth Salunkhe warded off a strong challenge from Korean Song In Jun 7-3 in the final to become the recurve under-21 men’s individual champion in the World youth archery championships in Limerick, Ireland, on Sunday. He was the first Indian male archer to achieve the feat.
• Fighting back twice, Salunkhe hit the bull’s eye twice to beat the Korean for the world title. Earlier, he received two byes and got the better of Czech Republic’s Richard Krejci 7-1, Turkey’s Mustafa Ozdemir 6-5 (9*-9, shot closer to the centre), Chinese Taipei’s Yang Kai-Han 6-4 and Germany’s Mathias Kramer 6-4.
• Bhajan Kaur defeated Chinese Taipei’s Su Hsin-yu 7-1 to take the women’s under-21 individual bronze.
• Indian archers gathered the most number of medals, a total of 11 including six golds, one silver and four bronzes. It finished second behind Korea, which collected six golds and four silvers.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

K. Rajaraman appointed as new chairperson of IFSCA

• The government has announced the appointment of senior bureaucrat and telecom secretary K Rajaraman as the next Chairperson of the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA), showed an official order.
• Rajaraman is an Indian Administrative Service officer of 1989 batch. His appointment is for a period of three years. He succeeds the first IFSCA Chairperson Injeti Srinivas who led the authority since 2020.
• Rajaraman’s term will be for three years from the date of his assumption of charge of the post, or till attaining the age of 65 years, or until further orders, whichever is the earliest, the order issued by the finance ministry said.
• About: IFSCA - IFSCA was set up in April 2020 under the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019, at GIFT City, Gandhinagar in Gujarat. IFSCA is a unified authority for the development and regulation of financial products, financial services and financial institutions in the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC). At present, the GIFT IFSC is the maiden international financial services centre in India. Prior to the establishment of IFSCA, RBI, SEBI, PFRDA and IRDAI regulated the business in IFSC

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Population Day

• World Population Day is observed on July 11 each year. The global population is increasing rapidly, bringing forth a range of challenges and issues. Poverty, economic concerns, and maternal health are just a few of the areas affected by the growing population. World Population Day serves as a reminder to work towards addressing these issues and striving for a better future for everyone on the planet. The annual observance aims to raise awareness and educate people about the global population and its associated challenges.
• History - The United Nations established World Population Day in 1989. The initiative was proposed by Dr. KC Zachariah to mark the day when the global population reached five billion on July 11, 1987.
• World Population Day was first celebrated on 11 July 1990 in more than 90 countries. From then onwards, in partnership with governments and civil societies, a number of UNFPA country offices and other organizations and institutions commemorate this Day.
• Theme - The United Nations has designated the theme for this year's event as "Unleashing the power of gender Equality: Uplifting the voices of women and girls to unlock our world's infinite possibilities."

BANKING AND ECONOMY

PNB Launches UPI Payments With IVR-Based UPI 123PAY

• State-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) has announced the launch of UPI 123PAY, an IVR-based UPI solution. This offering is in line with the Digital Payment Vision 2025, aiming to propel India towards a cashless and cardless society.
• The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has revolutionized the way transactions are conducted in India, offering customers a seamless, secure, and real-time payment experience. However, until now, UPI services were primarily accessible through smartphones or USSD, relying on robust internet connectivity.
• PNB recognized that this limitation prevented users without smartphones or residing in low internet connectivity zones from accessing UPI services. To address this issue, PNB has introduced UPI 123PAY, an IVR-based UPI solution.