Today's Current Affairs 12th June 2023

NATIONAL

GeM to organise District level Buyer-Seller workshops in Uttar Pradesh

Government e-Marketplace (GeM), India's premier online procurement platform, is organizing Buyer-Seller Workshops in all the 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh from 12 June to 31st August, 2023. These workshops aim to enhance the understanding of GeM's functionalities among buyers and sellers in the state, as well as provide a platform to address any queries or concerns they may have.

The Buyer-Seller Workshops are a significant step towards ensuring accessibility and participation from every corner of the state. GeM believes in empowering buyers and sellers in the remotest districts of Uttar Pradesh by providing them with the necessary knowledge and resources to leverage the benefits of the platform effectively. These workshops will serve as a platform to address queries, provide guidance, and discuss any issues faced by the users at the district level.

During the workshops, participants will receive comprehensive training on GeM's features, registration processes, and various aspects of online procurement. GeM experts will be available to provide hands-on assistance and address specific concerns faced by buyers and sellers.

The workshops will also facilitate networking opportunities, enabling participants to connect with potential partners and explore business collaborations.

SPORTS

Asia Cup 2023: India clinches maiden Women's Junior title,

The Indian Junior Women's Hockey Team achieved a remarkable triumph in the Women's Junior Asia Cup 2023, which took place in Kakamigahara, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. They secured the championship title by defeating Korea in a captivating final match on Sunday, with a score of 2-

For India, Annu and Neelam scored a goal each while Park Seoyeon breached the net once for Korea.

At the end it was a combined efforts of the entire team that ultimately paved the way for their victorious outcome in this crucial encounter.

In a remarkable feat, the Indian Junior Women's Hockey Team has achieved their first-ever victory in the Women's Junior Asia Cup, marking a historic milestone.

In acknowledgment of the team’s exceptional performance and their undefeated streak in the tournament, leading them to secure a spot in the FIH Women’s Junior World Cup 2023 in Chile, the Hockey India has declared a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh for each player, while the support staff will receive Rs 1 lakh each as a token of appreciation.

FIH Pro League 2023: India beat Argentina 2-1 in final

The Indian hockey team beat Argentina 2-1 in its final FIH Pro League 2022-23 match in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, on 11 June. Akashdeep Singh and Sukhjeet Singhscored goals for India while Lucas Toscani netted the only goal for Argentina.

With the win in this tie, India have further consolidated their top spot in the FIH Pro League 2022-23 points table with 30 pointsfrom 16 matches. While Argentina are fifth in the table with 13 points from 14 matches.

India now lead second-placed Great Britain by four points in the FIH Pro League 2022-23 standings but the European team still has four games to play.

The Indian men's hockey team finished fourth in their maiden FIH Pro League campaign in 2020-21. At the same time, in this competition, it achieved the third position in the 2021-22 season, performing best.

Australia wins the World test championship :2023

Australia won the title of World Test Champions 2023 in a commanding fashion, securing a resounding 209-run victory over India in the thrilling WTC Final at The Oval.

Travis Head and Steve Smith’s remarkable centuries in the first innings laid the foundation for Australia’s early control of the Test. Despite India’s valiant response, the match extended to a fifth day, but they fell short of an extraordinary record chase, ultimately being bowled out for 234. Australia scripted history on Sunday, June 11 as they became the first men’s team in world cricket to win an International Cricket Council (ICC) world title in all three formats.

Player of the Match: Travis Head (163 off 174 balls in 1st innings, 18 off 27 balls in 2nd innings). Australia won the ICC Test Championship mace for the first time, and were also awarded the cash prize of US$1.6 million, while India won US$800,000.

APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS

Amit Agrawal appointed UIDAI CEO, Subodh Kumar Singh named DG NTA

Senior IAS officers Amit Agrawal and Subodh Kumar Singh have been appointed as CEO Unique Identification Authority of India and director general of the National Testing Agency, respectively, as part of a bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the Centre. Both Agrawal (1993 batch) and Singh (1997 batch) are Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers of the Chhattisgarh cadre.

Agrawal, additional secretary in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, has been appointed as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Unique Identification Authority in the rank and pay of additional secretary to the Government of India,

Singh, who is currently additional secretary in the Department of Food and Public Distribution under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, has been named as the NTA's director general,

Nitin Agarwal Kerala cadre IPS officer appointed as new DG of BSF

Nitin Agarwal, an IPS officer of the 1989 Kerala cadre, has been appointed as the new director general of the Border Security Force (BSF) on Sunday night. This appointment comes after a vacancy of over five months in the position, Presently serving as the Additional DG of operations at the headquarters of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Delhi, Agarwal will now assume the role of leading the BSF.

About: BSF - Border Security Force  is India's leading security agency responsible for safeguarding the 4,096-kilometer-long international borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh. In addition, it carries out various responsibilities in the realm of internal security. The BSF comprises a workforce of over 2.65 lakh personnel serving in diverse roles.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Day Against Child Labour

The World Day against Child Labour has been observed annually on 12 June since 2002. This significant day was established by the International Labour Organization (ILO), and all United Nations member countries have since been commemorating it.

World Day against Child Labour serves as a call to action, urging individuals, organizations, and governments to take decisive steps in combating child labour and promoting awareness about its detrimental effects. It is a reminder for collective efforts to be made towards eradicating child labour and creating a better future for children worldwide.

Theme - This year, the theme for World Day Against Child Labour is 'Social Justice for All. End Child Labour!'. It emphasized the link between social justice and child labour.

Significance - This day holds significance because it serves as a platform to amplify the message of ending child labour. By supporting and observing this day, individuals and organizations can contribute to the global movement against child labour, advocating for the rights and well-being of children.

SUMMIT'S & MOU's

Second summit of Supreme Audit Institutions of G20 countries began in Goa

The second summit of the Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) of the G20 countries began on 12 June in Panaji, the capital city of Goa, The inaugural address at the summit was delivered by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) Girish Chandra Murmu. Goa Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai and India's G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant also attended the meeting.

SAIs from Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, South Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Nigeria, Oman, Spain, UAE, Morocco and Poland participated in the summit.

Apart from the proceedings of the summit, the CAG is expected to sign MoUs with SAIs of Indonesia and Turkey to strengthen cooperation and knowledge sharing.

Apart from SAI, over 80 national and international delegates as well as representatives from Think20 and Youth20 Engagement Groups are participating in the three-day summit.

The two primary areas of focus at the summit are Blue Economy and Responsible Artificial Intelligence, with Girish Chandra Murmu discussing these topics.