Today's Current Affairs 22nd June 2023

INTERNATIONAL

India-United States Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS X) launched in Washington DC

India-United States Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS X) was launched at an event in Washington DC, USA on 21 June 2023. The INDUS X event was co-organised by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), Ministry of Defence, and US Department of Defence (DoD) and hosted by US-India Business Council (USIBC).

Shri Anurag Bajpai, Joint Secretary (Defence Industries Promotion), MoD, led the Indian delegation in the two-day INDUS-X event on 20-21 June 2023. A reception for Indian and US Government representatives, defence start-ups, think tanks, incubators, investors, industries and other stakeholders was orgainsed on 20 June 2023. Amb. Eric Garcetti, the US Ambassador to India, gave the keynote address. Mr. Frank Kendall, US Secretary of the Air Force, gave the opening keynote address on 21 June at the INDUS-X event.

The Joint Secretary stressed on the co-development and co-production of advanced technologies by Indian and US start-ups. He further asked the participants to develop mechanisms for future collaboration across industries, academia, and investors. The Joint Secretary also gave an overview of the Make in India initiative, focussing on Aatmanirbhar Bharat and the philosophy of “Make in India, for the world”. The event also saw a first-of-its-kind joint showcasing of innovative technologies by Indian and US start-ups. 15 Indian start-ups and 10 US start-ups, from multiple domains of maritime, AI, autonomous systems, and space, showcased their technologies to Indian and US stakeholders

NATIONAL

Rajnath Singh inaugurates integrated simulator complex 'Dhruv' at Southern Naval Command

Defence Minister Mr. Rajnath Singh inaugurated DHRUV, an Integrated Simulator Complex (ISC), at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi,

It hosts state-of-the-art indigenously built simulators, which will significantly enhance practical training in the Indian Navy. These simulators are envisaged to give real-time experience on navigation, fleet operations and naval tactics. These simulators will also be utilised for training personnel from friendly foreign countries.

The ISC ‘Dhruv’ features a range of modern simulators aimed at enhancing practical training for naval personnel. These simulators will enable trainees to gain hands-on expertise in various aspects of naval operations. Among the simulators showcased during the inauguration were the Multi-Station Handling Simulator (MSSHS), Air Direction and Helicopter Control Simulator (ADHCS), and Astronavigation Dome.

SPORTS

India’s historic win over Pakistan: 2023 SAFF Championship, and more

In SAFF Championship 2023, the Indian men’s football team defeated arch-rival Pakistan 4-0 at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru last night. For India, captain Sunil Chhetri scored a hat-trick while Udanta Singh Kumam scored the fourth goal in the 81st minute. Chhetri scored the first goal in the 10th minute, the second goal in the 16th minute and the third penalty goal in the 74th minute. With this, India has begun its tournament journey on a winning note.

Earlier in the day, Kuwait defeated Nepal 3-1 in the tournament opener. The eight teams, which are taking part in the 14th edition of the SAFF Championship, have been divided into two groups. Group A comprises India, Kuwait, Nepal and Pakistan while Group B consists of Lebanon, Maldives, Bhutan and Bangladesh. Sunil Chhetri-led India are the highest-ranked team in Group A. They are 101st in the FIFA rankings. Kuwait are world No. 143 followed by Nepal at 174. Nepal were the runners-up in the last edition in 2021. Pakistan are ranked lowest at 195th.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Hasmukh Adhia appointed as Chairman, GIFT City

Senior retired bureaucrat and former Union Finance Secretary & Revenue Secretary, Hasmukh Adhia, has been appointed Chairman of GIFT City Ltd, the entity responsible for developing India’s first smart city Gujarat International Finance-Tec City in Gandhinagar. As GIFT City Chairman, Adhia replaces Sudhir Mankad, former chief secretary of Gujarat.

Besides GIFT City, Adhia has also been appointed Director and Chairman of the boards of State public sector undertakings Gujarat Alkalies & Chemicals Ltd (GACL) and Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation Ltd (GMDC) with immediate effect, the regulatory filings said. The appointments are as non-executive chairman.

Adhia, a Gujarat cadre IAS officer of the 1981 batch, currently serves as an advisor to the Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. He was part of the panel appointed by the Gujarat government to recommend measures for the post-Covid economic revival of the State. The panel had recommended divestment of state PSUs, except the ones in the strategic sectors.

At present Adhia is a non-executive Chairman of Bank of Baroda, and also the Chancellor of Central University of Gujarat. He serves as a member of the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore. He also serves as Vice-President in Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute (GERMI) and Pandit Deendayal Energy University, Gandhinagar.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Rainforest Day

June 22nd is celebrated as, World Rainforest Day. This global observance reminds us of the immense value and significance of rainforests, which are not only breathtakingly beautiful but also vital for the health of our planet. Today, we come together to celebrate these lush green ecosystems and raise awareness about the urgent need to protect and preserve them. Join us on this journey as we explore the wonders of rainforests, their essential role in maintaining biodiversity, and the collective responsibility we hold to ensure their survival.

History - The roots of World Rainforest Day can be traced back to 2017 when the Rainforest Partnership, a non-profit environmental organization based in Austin, Texas, launched the global event. This initiative was aimed at raising awareness about the importance of rainforests and their invaluable contributions to the planet.

Theme - The theme for this year’s World Rainforest Day is “Conserve. Restore. Regenerate." It encapsulates the collective efforts required to ensure the long-term thriving existence of rainforests. The theme emphasizes the need for everyone to participate in the conservation and restoration of rainforests to guarantee their survival for centuries to come.

SUMMIT'S & MOU's

A two-day G20 Labour Engagement Group meeting begin today ( 22 June ) in Patna, Bihar

The two-day meeting of the G-20 Labour Engagement Group begins today at Patna in Bihar. Around 150 delegates from G-20 members and eight guest countries are going participate in the meeting. Governor of Bihar Rajendra Viswanath Arlekar inaugurated the function organised at Ashoka Convention Centre in Patna.

Union Minister for Labour and Employment Bhupendra Yadav and State Labour Resource Minister Surendra Ram also addressed the Inaugural session. The Chairman of L-20 Group, Hiranmaya Pandya told media persons that besides several issues the main agenda of discussion will be the universalisation of social security and enhancement of women’s participation in the workforce which is around 32 per cent globally.

India and the (UNWTO) have signed MoU ot enhance cooperation and identify areas of mutual interest

India and the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) have signed an agreement / MoU to enhance cooperation and identify areas of mutual interest, on the sidelines of the two key events of the influential bloc being hosted in Goa, Besides, nearly 15 bilateral meetings in total are planned to be held between India and various G20 member countries and international organisations on the sidelines of the these key events being held from June 19-22,

A bilateral meetings were held with Oman and United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), a senior official said.

The Ministry of Tourism on Tuesday tweeted that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Government of India and the UNWTO.

"Government of India and United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) signed a MoU to enhance cooperation and identify.

BANKING AND ECONOMY

World Bank approves $150-million loan for Resilient Kerala programme

The World Bank’s Board of Directors has approved a $150-million loan to support the Resilient Kerala programme designed to strengthen Kerala’s preparedness for natural disasters, climate change impact, and disease outbreaks.

‘’This additional financing will further deepen Kerala’s resilience in the critical areas of coastal erosion and water resource management,’‘ the World Bank said in a statement.

The loan, from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), has a final maturity of 14 years, including a grace period of six years. It complements the World Bank’s earlier investment of $125 million and the overall support is expected to protect nearly 50 lakh people from the impact of floods, the bank said.

“Through this additional financing, the World Bank will continue supporting Kerala in increasing its resilience to climate change,” Auguste Tano Kouame, the bank’s Country Director for India said. “The project will focus on addressing coastal erosion along vulnerable areas of the State – impacting millions of lives.

Axis Bank launches new feature to manage multiple accounts on one platform

Axis Bank has launched the ‘one-view’ feature on its mobile application which enables account management across multiple bank accounts, including non-Axis accounts.

The feature has been launched using the open banking principle leveraging the account aggregator (AA) ecosystem-an industry-first initiative, the private sector bank said.

AA or data aggregator platforms provide secure sharing of information while maintaining customer consent and data privacy.

Customers can link their non-Axis Bank accounts and get a comprehensive view of their balance, transactions and statements on a real-time basis, thus simplifying the process of managing finances and providing access to multiple bank accounts on one platform.

The feature will eliminate the need for multiple mobile banking applications and also allow customers to download and e-mail transaction details from their linked accounts, the bank said.