Today's Current Affairs 15th June 2023

INTERNATIONAL

NATO Begins Largest Air Force Drills in Its History, Air Defender 23

After six years of careful planning, NATO officially launched its 2023 Air Defender military exercise in Germany, NATO countries—including newest member Finland—will participate, as will nonmember Sweden, whose bid to join the alliance has been stalled by Turkey and Hungary. Japan, which last month began talks to establish the bloc’s first liaison base in Asia to counter China, is also participating as an observer.

The 12-day training includes more than 250 aircraft and 10,000 personnel, making it the largest air deployment exercise in the bloc’s history. Officers will test how well aircraft from various nations communicate with one another as well as the effectiveness of cargo and fuel flight crews, both of which are used extensively by Ukrainian troops in Kyiv’s war against Russia. According to German Air Force Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz, who is overseeing the exercise, Air Defender will also include an “evacuation from an airfield”—a direct response to the United States’ chaotic evacuation at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport in August 2021.

World Bank launches its first road safety project in South Asia

The World Bank (WB) launched its first dedicated road safety project in South Asia with a USD 358 million financing agreement signed in Dhaka with the government of Bangladesh. The project seeks to improve road safety and reduce fatalities and injuries from road crashes in selected cities, high-risk highways, and district roads.

Two national highways of Bangladesh, Gazipur-Elenga (N4) and Natore-Nawabganj (N6), will be taken up for the implementation of this project. The project will pilot comprehensive road safety measures, including improved engineering designs, signage and marking, pedestrian facilities, speed enforcement, and emergency care. These measures will help reduce road traffic deaths by more than 30 percent on these two highways.

Road signs, dividers, footpaths, zebra crossings, speed breakers and bus bays will be constructed on the two highways passing through the five divisions of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, Rangpur and Mymensingh to reduce accidents and fatalities.

The project will pilot Ambulance services, including bike-ambulances, with a toll-free number to take road crash victims to the hospital quickly. Further, the project will upgrade trauma care facilities in selected district hospitals, and Upazila Health Complexes.

To control speed, the project will Install CCTV on roads, and construct an electric messaging system. It will make provision for patrol vehicles and crash site cleaning equipment. It will also support the government to strengthen institutions to effectively manage road safety across the country.

SCIENCE & TEHNOLOGY

New flying gecko species found in Mizoram; named after state

A new species of flying gecko, named Gekko mizoramensis after the northeastern Indian state, has been discovered by researchers from Mizoram University and the Max Planck Institute for Biology in Tubingen, Germany. It is a subgenus called Ptychozoon of the Gekko genus and is arboreal, nocturnal and glides from one tree to another.

Researchers of Mizoram University and Max Planck Institute for Biology , Tubingen, Germany have discovered a new species of flying gecko in Mizoram.

The new species has been named Gekko mizoramensis after the northeastern state.

APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS

ACC appoints Sudhansh Pant, as the new health secretary and others

Sudhansh Pant, a 1991-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Rajasthan cadre, has been appointed as the new health secretary, replacing Rajesh Bhushan who retires on 31 July.

Meanwhile, TK Ramachandran, chairman of VO Chidambaranar Port Trust in Tuticorin, has been appointed as the Secretary of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, succeeding Pant in his previous role.

Chanchal Kumar, managing director of National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd, has been named as the new civil aviation secretary.

Pankaj Agrawal, additional secretary and director general (acquisition) in the Ministry of Defence, has been chosen as the new power secretary. Agrawal will take over as secretary of the Ministry of Power upon the retirement of Alok Kumar at the end of this month.

Rameshwar Prasad Gupta, a retired 1987-batch Gujarat-cadre IAS officer, has been appointed as the chairman and managing director of the Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd. on a contract basis for two years.

SUMMIT'S & MOU's

Tata Steel signs MoU with Germany's SMS group to cut carbon emissions

In a bid to cut carbon emission and achieve net zero carbon emission by 2045, Tata Steel signed an agreement with SMS Group. Indian steel major has signed this deal with the German company to collaborate on a technology that may cut carbon emission by more than 50 per cent during steel making process,

As part of the agreement, the two companies will hold technical discussions and demonstrate a decarbonisation technology developed by the SMS group at a blast furnace in Tata's Jamshedpur plant,

Tata Steel went on to add that major goal of this deal is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 50% from the blast furnace's baseline operation,

Steel production generates up to 9% of global carbon emissions, according to the World Steel Association, and producers across the globe are investing in technology that can help reduce their share of pollution.

G20 Agriculture Ministerial Meeting  begin in Hyderabad

The G20 Agriculture Ministerial Meeting is set to begin in Hyderabad. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister of state for Agriculture and Farmers welfare Kailash Choudhary and senior officials of concerned departments will be present during the three-day event.

About 200 delegates from G20 member countries, invitee countries and International Organizations will be attending the meeting. The Agriculture Ministers from various countries and the Director Generals from International Organizations will take part in the meeting.

There will be multiple side events in which in-depth and focussed deliberations will be held on topics like Managing Agribusiness for Profit, People and Planet and Connecting the Digitally Disconnected: Harnessing the Power of Digital Technologies in Agriculture.

Top Indian agriculture-based companies, start-ups and state and central government agencies relating to agri-business companies are likely to take part in these deliberations.

 AWARDS & RECOGNITION

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das Named ‘Governor Of The Year’ at Central Banking Awards 2023 ?

he chief of the Reserve Bank of India, Shaktikanta Das was honoured with the title of ‘Governor of the Year’ for 2023 by Central Banking in London. Central Banking is an international economic research journal. The award recognised his role as the RBI chief in managing inflation and skilfully handling India's banking system during crises like COVID pandemic and global turmoils.

The RBI governor is behind critical reforms, and has ensured smooth management of world-leading payments innovation and led India through difficult times,

Das has also received honorary doctorates from several universities, including Utkal University, the University of Madras, and the University of Mysore

BANKING AND ECONOMY

SBI Mutual Fund gets IRDAI nod to acquire up to 10% stake in ICICI Lombard

Insurance regulator IRDAI has given its approval to SBI Mutual Fund, along with its group entities or body corporate under the same management, for acquiring up to 10% of the total paid up equity share capital of ICICI Lombard General Insurance through market purchase.

Irdai advised SBI Mutual Fund to ensure that the total shareholding of SBI Mutual fund along with its group entities or body corporate under the same management should not exceed 10% of the total paid-up equity share capital of ICICI Lombard. “Further, the approval of Irdai is valid for a period of one year from the date of Irdai approval letter,” according to the stock exchange filing. 

This approval is subject to compliance with applicable provisions of IRDAI (Registration of Indian Insurance Companies) Regulations, 2022, Indian Insurance Companies (Foreign Investment) Rules, 2015, Insurance Act/Rules/Regulations, Orders, Circulars etc.