Today's Current Affairs 19th June 2023

INTERNATIONAL

To Get More Funds From IMF, Bangladesh Floats Currency For First Time

• In a historic move, Bangladesh’s central bank has decided to allow its currency, the taka, to float freely for the first time. The decision comes in response to demands from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and aims to unlock additional funds from a $4.7 billion loan program. While Bangladesh is not heavily indebted, the country joins a growing list of nations, including Pakistan, Egypt, and Lebanon, that have opted to loosen control over their local currencies to secure financing from the Washington-based lender.
• The new market-driven exchange rate regime is expected to bring greater transparency and efficiency to foreign exchange transactions, benefiting businesses, individuals, and the overall economy. Despite concerns of depreciation, the central bank does not anticipate a significant decline in the value of the taka, which has already experienced a slight 5% decrease this year.

IREDA participates in “Intersolar Europe 2023” Exhibition

• IREDA, a Mini Ratna (Category – I) enterprise under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, participated in the prestigious three-day “Intersolar Europe 2023” exhibition held in Munich, Germany.
• The inauguration of the pavilion was carried out by CMD, IREDA, Pradip Kumar Das, who expressed the firm’s dedication towards a greener future.
• During the exhibition, IREDA officials attended meetings with KfW Development Bank and Commerz Bank to review current progress and explore partnership opportunities.
• IREDA officials also visited RCT GMbH to discuss the technology, milestones, and costs related to the Indosol Solar Manufacturing project.
• IREDA’s participation highlights their ongoing dedication to the global Renewable Energy landscape and sustainable development practices, contributing towards India’s Renewable Energy goals and climate change challenges.

 NATIONAL

Akashvani and Doordarshan emerge as most trusted electronic media organization in country as per Reuters Institute's Digital News Report 2023

• DD India and All India Radio have been acknowledged as the most dependable electronic media entities in the nation in accordance with the 2023 issue of the Reuters Institute’s Digital News Report. The report indicates that although overall news trust has decreased by 3 percentage points, public broadcasters and print brands have managed to preserve a comparatively higher level of credibility among the public.
• DD India and All India Radio are specifically highlighted as electronic media organizations with the greatest level of trust, which highlights their significance in the media ecosystem and their influence on shaping public opinion.
• This recognition reflects the trust that these public broadcasters have gained from their audiences and is a reflection of their long-standing reputation for providing precise and-unbiased news coverage.

146th Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath starts in Ahmedabad

• The 146th Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath commenced in the city of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, with tight security measures in place. A large number of devotees gathered along the 18-kilometer procession route to catch a glimpse of the deity. This year, the Gujarat Police employed advanced 3D mapping technology to monitor the entire route and utilized anti-drone technology to prevent the unauthorized use of drones during the event.
• In the morning, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel performed the ‘Pahind Vidhi,’ a symbolic ritual of cleaning the path for the chariots, using a golden broom. Subsequently, the chariots carrying Lord Jagannath, his brother Balbhadra, and sister Subhadra began the yatra from the 400-year-old Jagannath Temple located in Jamalpur. These preparations were made prior to the commencement of the annual event.

 SPORTS

Egypt wins Squash World Cup title

• Egypt have been crowned the SDAT (Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu) WSF(World Squash Federation) Squash World Cup Champions after beating Malaysia.
• The championship was held from 13 to 17 June in Express Avenue Mall in Chennai, ‎Tamil Nadu.
• Eight countries including India participated in the tournament – Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Egypt, South Africa, Australia, and Colombia.
• Egypt beat Malaysia 2-1 in the final.Malaysia secured the silver medal in the championship.Third place was shared jointly by hosts India and Japan.
• The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister awarded the winning team with the golden cup.

Indonesia Open 2023: Satwik-Chirag script history, beat world champions for men's doubles title

• Satwiksairaj Rankireddy & Chirag Shetty emerged as men’s doubles champions in the Indonesia Open after beating Malaysian world champion duo of ‘Aaron Chia’ and ‘Soh Wooi Yik’ by 21-17 & 21-18 respectively.
• The 2023 Indonesia Open took place at the Istora Gelora Bung Karno in Jakarta, Indonesia, from 13 to 18 June 2023.
• World’s no. 6 pair ‘Satwiksairaj Rankireddy’ & ‘Chirag Shetty’ from India beat World’s no. 3 pair’Aaron Chia’ and ‘Soh Wooi Yik’ from Malaysia.The final match was completed in 43 minutes.

 OBITURY

Telugu choreographer Rakesh Master passes away at 53 in Hyderabad

• Renowned Tollywood choreographer S. Rama Rao, widely known as Rakesh Master, has sadly passed away. With an impressive portfolio of choreographing around 1,500 movies and creating numerous popular songs, Rakesh Master initially started his career in dance reality shows. Born as S. Rama Rao in Tirupati, he gained experience working with Master Mukku Raju in Hyderabad before embarking on his journey as a dance master. He was 53 years old at the time of his demise.
• Master was born in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, in 1961. He started his career as a dancer in the early 1980s, and soon became one of the most sought-after choreographers in Telugu cinema. He worked on over 500 films, and his work was known for its energy, creativity, and technical precision.

 APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS

Kamal Kishore Chatiwal takes over as IGL Managing Director

• Kamal Kishore Chatiwal began his role as Managing Director of Indraprastha Gas Ltd. (IGL), the country’s largest CNG distribution company with City Gas Distribution networks operating across 30 districts in four states, including NCT of Delhi.
• Chatiwal, a Chemical Engineer from IIT Delhi, has over 32 years of Oil & Gas Sector experience, particularly in Project Execution and Commissioning of Mega Petrochemical Projects, Operation & Maintenance of Gas Processing units, Natural Gas Compressor Station and cross-country LPG Pipeline. Chatiwal worked as Executive Director (O&M-JLPL) & Head of Zonal Marketing of GAIL in Jaipur previous to joining IGL.
• Chatiwal also has experience in Corporate planning and strategy, Project Development and Corporate training. Sanjay Kumar previously held the role of Managing Director and has taken on the role of Director (Marketing) in GAIL (India) Ltd. IGL is a collaboration between GAIL (India) Ltd. and BPCL, while the Govt. of NCT of Delhi owns a 5% equity stake.

IPS officer Ravi Sinha appointed as new RAW chief

• Ravi Sinha, a senior IPS officer, has been appointed as the new chief of India’s external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). Sinha will take over from Samant Kumar Goel, who is completing his four-year term on June 30. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved Sinha’s appointment as Secretary of RAW for a period of two years.
• Ravi Sinha, a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the 1988 batch of the Chhattisgarh cadre, is presently serving as the Special Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat. With over two decades of experience, Sinha has been associated with the intelligence agency for a significant period. Prior to his promotion, he held the position of heading the operational wing of RAW. Sinha has gained extensive experience through his work in regions such as Jammu and Kashmir, the northeast of India, as well as other countries.

 IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict: 19th June 2023

• International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict is a United Nations observance on June 19 to raise awareness of the need to put an end to conflict-related sexual violence.
• The theme of this year is “Bridging the gender digital divide to prevent, address and respond to conflict-related sexual violence“.
• This day is commemorated every year to mark the date of adoption of first UN Security Council resolution to recognize conflict-related sexual violence as a threat to international peace and security.
• It highlights the issue of conflict related to sexual violence and inspire efforts to prevent it.
• According to the United Nations, ‘conflict-related sexual violence’ includes sexual slavery, forced prostitution, rape, forced pregnancy, forced marriage, enforced sterilization, forced abortion and other forms of sexual violence that are carried out against men, women, girls or boys.