Today's Current Affairs 28th June 2023

NATIONAL

CCI approves acquisition of TCNS Clothing by Aditya Birla Fashion 

• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Tuesday approved the acquisition of TCNS Clothing Co Limited by Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited, The proposed combination involves the acquisition of 51 per cent of the “expanded share capital”.
• The acquirer Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited is a listed company and is part of the Aditya Birla conglomerate. It is engaged in retailing of branded products within the apparel, footwear and accessories segment, through its retail stores, online retail platforms and e-commerce marketplaces.
• The target company TCNS Clothing Co. Limited is a listed firm engaged in the business of manufacturing, distribution and sale of women’s apparel, jewellery, footwear, and beauty products, currently undertaken under the brands — W, Aurelia, Wishful, Elleven and Folk Song.

CJI Dr. Justice D Y Chandrachud to lay foundation stone of new complex of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court in Raika 

• The Chief Justice of India Dr Justice D Y Chandrachud will lay foundation stone of new complex of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court in Raika area in the outskirts of Jammu city, The complex equipped with modern facilities is estimated to cost over 800 crore rupees and will be completed in shortest possible time.
• Union Law Minister, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Supreme Court Judges Sanjay Kishan Koul and Pankaj Mithal, Lieutenant Governor of UT of J&K, Manoj Sinha and Lieutenant Governor of UT of Ladakh B D Mishra and all the Judges of J&K and Ladakh High Court will attend the ceremony. Our Jammu Correspondent reports, the new campus has been conceptualized as a self-contained integrated complex with all multi-disciplinary facilities for an effective judicial eco-system. The new High Court complex will have 35 courtrooms and will also have chambers for 1000 lawyers with space for expansion in future.

Yogi Adityanath launched "Operation Conviction" in Uttar Pradesh 

• The Uttar Pradesh Police has recently initiated a comprehensive program named ‘Operation Conviction‘ to combat criminals and organized crime in the state. This strategic initiative aims to expedite the conviction process, particularly in cases related to heinous crimes such as rape, murder, cow slaughter, religious conversion, and those registered under the POCSO Act. By ensuring immediate arrests, robust evidence collection, meticulous investigations and effective representation in courts, the authorities seek to minimize the time taken for criminals to face justice.
• A web portal is currently under development to facilitate the weekly review of identified cases. This portal will enable senior police officials at the Directorate General of Police (DGP) office in the state capital to closely monitor the progress of these cases. The portal’s real-time updates and comprehensive data will help identify any bottlenecks and enable prompt actions to maintain the momentum of the conviction process.

SCIENCE & TEHNOLOGY 

Narayan Rane launches ‘CHAMPIONS 2.0 Portal’, ‘Mobile App 

• Shri Narayan Rane launches ‘CHAMPIONS 2.0 Portal’, ‘Mobile App for Geo-tagging of Cluster Projects,Technology Centers’ and 'MSME Idea Hackathon 3.0' for women entrepreneurs
• On the occasion of International MSME Day, The Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, MSME celebrated ‘Udyami Bharat-MSME Day’ .The Union Minister for Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Shri Narayan Rane graced the occasion as Chief Guest of the programme along with the Union Minister of State for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Shri Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma as Guest of Honor.
• The event showcased the launch of various initiatives of the Ministry of MSME, dedicated towards growth and development of MSMEs such as ‘CHAMPIONS 2.0 Portal’ and ‘Mobile App for Geo-tagging of Cluster Projects and Technology Centers’ by the Chief Guest and Guest of Honor. Further, results for 'MSME Idea Hackathon 2.0' were declared and 'MSME Idea Hackathon 3.0' for women entrepreneurs was launched.

OBITURY

Goodenough, Nobel laureate who gave the world Li-ion batteries, passes away 

• Renowned American scientist John Bannister Goodenough, the co-inventor of Lithium-ion batteries and a co-winner of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, has sadly passed away. Goodenough was just a month shy of his 101st birthday. His British-American counterpart, Stan Whittingham, shared the Nobel prize with Goodenough for their groundbreaking work. Whittingham initially discovered that lithium could be stored in titanium sulphide sheets, and Goodenough perfected the concept by incorporating a cobalt-based cathode, resulting in a product that has become an integral part of people’s lives today.
• In addition to his groundbreaking work on Lithium-ion batteries, John Goodenough played a significant role in the development of Random Access Memory (RAM) for computers. His contributions to the field of computer technology further solidified his legacy as a pioneering scientist.
• Autobiography and the Intersection of Science and Spirituality - In 2008, John Goodenough penned his autobiography, titled “Witness to Grace,” which delved into his personal history. The book offered insights into his scientific pursuits as well as his spiritual beliefs. Goodenough explored the intersection between science and spirituality, providing readers with a glimpse into his unique perspective.

 APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS

DBS Bank India appoints Rajat Verma as head of institutional banking 

• DBS Bank India on Monday said it has appointed Rajat Verma as managing director and head of institutional banking in India.
• The current head of institutional banking Niraj Mittal has recently moved to a new role as country head of DBS Bank in Australia. The bank said Mittal will focus on growing the DBS franchise there, including improving linkages with South-East Asia and South Asia.
• Verma was, till recently, with HSBC India where he was managing director and country head of commercial banking in India. The statement said Verma brings a wealth of knowledge and deep industry expertise to DBS. He holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, and a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from the Delhi College of Engineering.

SUMMIT'S & MOU's

International Conference on Green Hydrogen to be held in New Delhi from July 5 – 7, 2023 

• The Government of India is organizing an International Conference on Green Hydrogen (ICGH-2023) during 5th – 7th July 2023 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, to bring together the global scientific and industrial community to discuss recent advances and emerging technologies in the entire green hydrogen value chain. The conference will enable the sector stakeholders to explore the evolving green hydrogen landscape and innovation-driven solutions in the sector.
• The conference is being organized by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, in partnership with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and Office of Principal Scientific Advisor to Government of India.
• Aim - The fundamental aim of the Conference is to explore how we can establish a Green Hydrogen ecosystem and foster a systemic approach for meeting the global goals for decarbonization through Green Hydrogen. Apart from domain-specific research interactions on hydrogen production, storage, distribution and downstream applications, the conference will also discuss green financing, human resource upskilling and startup initiatives in this area. The conference will enable to share and learn from international best practices in the sector.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Priya A.S. gets Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award for children’s literature 

• Priya A S, a talented writer, has been honored with the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2023 in the Malayalam language for her novel “Perumazhayathe Kunjithalukal” (The Children Who Never Withered). This recognition adds to her previous achievement of winning the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Children’s Literature in 2020 for the same novel.
• About: Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar - The Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar, awarded by the Sahitya Akademi, carries a cash prize of Rs 50,000 and an engraved copper plaque. The winners in each language are selected by panels of three members. Dr. Paul Manalil, B S Rajeev, and Mundoor Sethumadhavan served as the jury members for Malayalam. Priya’s novel emerged as the winner among the ten recommended books considered for the award.
• Priya A S’s literary prowess has earned her previous accolades as well. In 2014, she was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize for her Malayalam translation of Arundhati Roy’s Booker Prize-winning novel, “The God of Small Things.” This recognition further highlighted her talent and contribution to the literary world.

RANKING

IIT Bombay ranked 1st in India and 149th in world in QS World University Rankings 

• IIT Bombay has been ranked 1st in India and 149th in world in QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) World University Rankings. It has moved significantly up from 172nd rank last year to 149th rank this year. For the first time ever, IITB has been ranked within top 150 and top 10% in QS rankings.
• IITB has a score of 81.9 in employer reputation, 73.1 in citation per faculty, 55.5 in academic reputation, 47.4 in employment outcome, 54.9 in sustainability. Among the various 9 parameters employer reputation indicated the strongest one for IIT Bombay with a rank of 69 globally. Director of IIT Bombay Prof. Subhasis Chaudhuri said, excellence in teaching is the key driving point for IIT Bombay. He said, efforts lie in providing an ambience and infrastructure that is conducive to achieving excellence by students and faculties.

BOOKS & AUTHOR

Rupa Pai wrote a new book called - The Yoga Sutras for Children 

• A new book titled "The Yoga Sutras for Children" by Indian author Roopa Pai was published by Hachette India on 27 June. Roopa Pai's book,"The Gita for Children" was an award-winning bestseller. Now the book "Yoga Sutras for Children" focuses on uncovering the secrets of Patanjali's 2,000-year-old treatise on yoga.
• The book shares Maharishi Patanjali’s techniques to “nurture energies and attitudes, enabling them to do small and big things in a focused and balanced way”. Featuring black-and-white artwork by illustrator Sayan Mukherjee, the book helps young readers to approach their increasingly complex lives with positivity and confidence. According to the publishers, Pai, in this “surprising” and “sparkling” book, unravels the secrets of Patanjali’s compact 2,000-year-old text in ways both fun and accessible.