Today's Current Affairs 2nd July 2023

NATIONAL

Defence ministry inks Rs 2,725 cr contract with MDL for refit of submarine

• The defence ministry on has inked a Rs 2,725 crore contract with the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) for refit of submarine INS Shankush,- Shankush is a Sub-Surface Killer (SSK) class submarine.
• It said the submarine post MRLC will be delivered in 2026.
• After completion of MRLC, INS Shankush will be combat ready and will join the active fleet of the Indian Navy with upgraded combat capability,
• This project is an important step towards development of MDL as Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Hub for supporting the industrial ecosystem of India,

India’s first ‘Police Drone Unit’ launched in Chennai

• In what is believed to be first of its kind initiative in India, Greater Chennai Police on Thursday established a ‘Drone Police Unit’ to assist cops in aerial surveillance. This will particularly be helpful in case of large gatherings, real-time checking of vehicle registration data and spotting of suspects.
• The project, which costs approximately Rs 3.6 crore according a press release by the GCP, was inaugurated by outgoing Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP) C Sylendra Babu, in the presence of Chennai Police Commissioner Shankar Jiwal at Besant Avenue, Adyar.
• According to the police, a total of nine drones under three categories are available in this unit: Quick Response Surveillance Drones (6), Heavy Lift Multirotor Drone (1) and Long Range Survey Wing Place (2). These are all equipped with built-in artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and can be operated up to a distance of 5-10 km from the ground station.

SPORTS

Neeraj Chopra clinches second Diamond League title of the year with best throw of 87.66m

• Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra obtained the top spot in Lausanne Diamond League 2023 with a best throw of 87.66 m . The star Indian player is coming back from a muscle injury he had sustained during training. The injury forced Chopra to withdraw from three events in the month of June namely FBK Games, Paavo Nurmi Games and the Ostrava Golden Spike.
• Neeraj Chopra looked a little out of sorts on his first attempt, which was ruled a foul. He opened his account with a throw of 83.52m in his second attempt, which put him in third place behind Julian Weber (86.20m) and Jakub Vadlejch (84.71m).
• Chopra moved into second place with a throw of 85.04m on his third attempt, just behind Weber, and had the chance to take the lead on his fourth attempt. However, the 25-year-old failed to make a mark on his fourth attempt.

SCIENCE & TEHNOLOGY

   Virgin Galactic completes first manned mission to space:

• Virgin Galactic, the space venture established by British entrepreneur Richard Branson, has achieved a significant milestone as it successfully completed its first manned mission to the edge of space. The inaugural commercial flight, which took place on June 29, marks a momentous achievement for Virgin Galactic after two decades of dedicated efforts
• he mission featured two Italian Air Force personnel who were funded by the organisation. Colonel Walter Villadei, who is also slated for a future paid SpaceX mission to orbit, and Lieutenant Colonel Angelo Landolfi, a physician trained as a crew surgeon for Russian cosmonauts, were among the passengers.
• Unlike its competitor Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, this particular mission had a research-oriented focus rather than catering to celebrities and affluent thrill-seekers, according to CNN. Nevertheless, future flights by Virgin Galactic are anticipated to encompass a diverse array of high-profile clientele.
• The journey unfolded in multiple stages, commencing at Virgin Galactic's spaceport in New Mexico. The passengers boarded VSS Unity, which was securely attached beneath the wing of the enormous twin-fuselage mothership known as VMS Eve.

OBITURY

Alan Arkin, Oscar-winning actor, passes away at 89

• Actor Alan Arkin, who won an Oscar award for his performance in “Little Miss Sunshine", has died at the age of 89, his sons have said in a statement. Alan Arkin was known for his wry wit and improvisation skills.
• Alan Arkin, born to Russian-German Jewish immigrant parents in Brooklyn on March 26, 1934, embarked on his acting journey at a tender age by enrolling in acting classes.
• His family relocated to Los Angeles in the 1950s, and Alan Arkin won scholarships to various Los Angeles drama colleges before dropping out to form a folk music band, The Tarriers, in 1955.
• The group had a hit with 1956's "The Banana Boat Song," and he continued to pursue a music career as well as acting for the next decade.
• Alan Arkin was also a member of Chicago's storied Second City improvisational troupe, and appeared on the big screen for the first time with The Tarriers in 1957's "Calypso Heat Wave."

APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS 

UN chief appoints Xu Haoliang of China as deputy head of UNDP 

• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has announced the appointment of Xu Haoliang from China as the new Undersecretary-General and Associate Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
• Xu will succeed Usha Rao-Monari of India, to whom the Secretary-General has expressed his appreciation for her service and commitment during her tenure as Associate Administrator.
• Xu has been serving as the UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support at the UNDP since 2019.
• Prior to that, from 2013 to 2019, he held the position of UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific.
• Before joining the United Nations, Xu worked in the field of civil engineering in China and the United States.
• The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the leading agency of the United Nations. 

Anurag Verma assumes charge as Punjab chief secretary 

• IAS officer Anurag Verma took charge as the Punjab chief secretary on Saturday. Verma, a 1993-batch IAS offiJanjua and other IAS officers, including Malwinder Singh Jaggi, Kumar Rahul and Sonali Giri, were present at the Punjab Civil Secretariat when Verma took charge.
• Verma previously held the charge of additional chief secretary, home affairs and justice, along with some other additional charges. The IAS officer, who belongs to Patiala, has earlier served as the deputy commissioner of Bathinda, Ludhiana and Jalandhar districts.
• Interacting with the media after assuming office, Verma said his foremost priority would be to successfully implement pro-people policies of the elected government with a motive of benefiting those who deserve it.
• “As this government has successfully delivered on health, education and war against corruption, through my administrative secretaries, my effort would be to work with more vigour to take further these schemescer, succeeded Vijay Kumar Janjua, who retired on June 30.

 SUMMIT'S & MOU's

PM Modi inaugurates 17th Indian Cooperative Congress

• The Prime Minister inaugurated the 17th Indian Cooperative Congress (ICC) in New Delhi. Speaking on this occasion, the Prime Minister said, several steps have been taken by the government for strengthening of the cooperative sector in the country.
• He said that the Government is working for the welfare of farmers and striving to make each and every sector of agriculture, developed and self-reliant. He said the Central Government spends over six lakh 50 thousand crore rupees every year on agriculture and farmers’ welfare. He said, small and medium farmers have benefited immensely from the government schemes. He said, under the BJP government, the farmers are guaranteed to receive 50 thousand annually through different schemes.
• Talking about the various initiatives taken for the welfare of farmers, the Prime Minister said, crores of small farmers are getting the benefits of PM-KISAN scheme. He said, over two lakh 50 thousand crore rupees have been directly transferred in bank accounts of farmers under the scheme.

BANKING AND ECONOMY

World Bank Approves $1.5 Billion in Financing to Support India’s Low-Carbon Transition

• The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved $1.5 billion in financing to accelerate India’s development of low-carbon energy. The financing will help India promote low-carbon energy by scaling up renewable energy, developing green hydrogen, and stimulating climate finance for low-carbon energy investments.
• India is one of the fastest-growing large economies in the world. While the country’s energy consumption per capita is only one-third of the global average, India’s energy demand is expected to grow rapidly as the economy expands. This calls for a phasing down of fossil-based energy sources in line with India’s goal of achieving net-zero by 2070.
• The industrial sector is the main driver for future growth of energy demand and emissions, and green hydrogen can play a critical role in initially decarbonizing the hard-to-abate industrial sectors, such as fertilizer and refinery industries, and later heavy industries, including iron and steel. India has achieved impressive progress in renewable energy installed capacity and a decline in costs. Scaling up the production of renewable energy will accelerate the transition to low-carbon electricity and support the emergence and expansion of the green hydrogen sector.