Bazooka June 2022 - Compressed

BAZOOKA – JUNE 2022
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www.practicemock.com 1 info@practicemock.com 9319314079

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Contents
NATIONAL AFFAIRS ........................................................................................................ 2
STATES AFFAIRS .......................................................................................................... 32
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS .............................................................................................. 43
REPORTS & INDICES ..................................................................................................... 56
GOVERNMENT SCHEMES & PROGRAMMES ........................................................................ 77
BUSINESS & ECONOMY ................................................................................................. 87
BANKING & FINANCE .................................................................................................... 95
RBI IN NEWS ............................................................................................................. 108
AWARDS & RECOGNITION ........................................................................................... 113
BOOKS & AUTHORS .................................................................................................... 121
PERSON IN NEWS ....................................................................................................... 121
OBITUARIES .............................................................................................................. 126
SPORTS .................................................................................................................... 132
IMPORTANT DAYS ....................................................................................................... 141
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
1. The Central Government has extended the Prime Minister Employment Generation
Programme (PMEGP) till the financial year 2025-26 (FY26), with a total outlay of Rs.13,554.42
crore. The extension of the scheme is over the 15th Finance Commission Cycle for five years
from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
Other modifications in the scheme:

• The government has increased the maximum project cost for manufacturing units from
Rs. 25 lakh to Rs. 50 lakh, and for service units from Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 20 lakh.
• Territories under Panchayati Raj institutions will be classified as rural, while areas under
municipal jurisdiction will be classified as urban.
• The scheme will create sustainable employment opportunities for about 40 lakh persons
in five financial years.
• PMEGP applicants under aspirational districts and transgender will be treated as special
category applicants and entitled to a higher subsidy.
• For special category candidates such as SC, ST, OBC, women, transgender, physically
challenged, north eastern region, aspirational, and border district applicants, the margin

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money subsidy under the scheme will be 25% of the project cost in urban areas and 35%
of the project cost in rural regions.
• The subsidy is 15% of the project cost in urban areas and 25% of the project cost in rural
regions for general category applicants.
2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has released benefits under the 'PM CARES for Children'
scheme via video-conferencing. He has transferred scholarships to school-going children and
distributed passbooks of the PM CARES for Children to children who have lost their parents
due to Covid-19. He has also handed over a health card for treatment up to Rs.5 lakh under
the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana to the eligible children.
3. Param Ananta, a state-of-the-art Supercomputer, has been commissioned at Indian

Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar, Gujarat. It is capable of offering peak
performance of 838 teraflops. It is a joint initiative of Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology (MeitY) and Department of Science and Technology (DST). It is established under
Phase 2 of the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM). It is based on Direct Contact Liquid
Cooling technology to obtain a high power usage effectiveness and thereby reducing the
operational cost.
4. Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a contract worth Rs 2,971 crore with Bharat Dynamics
Limited (BDL) to procure several batches of the Astra MK-I beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-
air missiles (AAM) and associated equipment. The missiles have been procured for the Indian
Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Navy.
Astra MK-I BVR AAM:

It has been indigenously designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) based on the requirements issued by the IAF. The air-to-air missile with
BVR capability provides large stand-off ranges to the IAF’s fighter jets.
5. The Government of India (GoI) has raised the premium for its flagship insurance schemes
'Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY)' and 'Pradhan Mantri Suraksha
Bima Yojana (PMSBY)'. The new premium rates are effective from 1st June 2022.
• The annual premium for PMJJBY has been increased from Rs.330 to Rs.436.
• The annual premium for PMSBY has been increased from Rs.12 to Rs.20.

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• In percentage terms, the premium increase is 32 percent in case of PMJJBY and 67 percent
for PMSBY.
The number of active subscribers enrolled under PMJJBY and PMSBY as on 31st March 2022 were
6.4 crore and 22 crore, respectively.
6. Indian Naval Air Squadron (INAS) 325, operating the indigenously built Advanced Light
Helicopter (ALH) MK-III aircraft, has been commissioned into the Indian Navy during an event
in an INS Utkrosh, Port Blair of Andaman and Nicobar Island. The newly inducted aircraft flew
for the first time over the Andaman Islands earlier and were officially inducted on 28th
January 2022.
• The ‘Eagle Owl’ is the name of INAS 325. The Squadron derives its name for the keen
sense of observation and tracking of the eagle is exemplified in the sensors and advanced
avionics of the helicopter, while the nocturnal prowess of the owl is personified in the
night vision capabilities of the aircraft.
• It has been developed and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL).
7. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the world's first Nano Urea Liquid Plant at
Kalol in the Gandhinagar district of Gujarat. The plant has been set up by Indian Farmers
Fertilisers Cooperative (IFFCO).
• It has been constructed at a cost of around Rs. 175 crores to provide farmers the means
to boost productivity and help increase their income.
• The plant will produce about 1.5 lakh bottles of 500 ml capacity per day.
• Nano Urea is essentially urea in the form of a nanoparticle.
• One nanometre is equal to a billionth of a metre.
Note: India is the second largest consumer of urea across the globe and third in production of
urea.
8. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has laid the foundation stone of an Olympic-level sports
complex in Naranpura area of Ahmedabad city, Gujarat. This project will be completed in the
next 30 months in 20.39 acres of land at a cost of Rs 631.77 crore. The facility will provide
training in 1012 different Olympic sports.
9. The Government of India (GoI) has constituted a 7-member inter-ministerial panel to work
on regulations for the online gaming industry and identify a nodal ministry to look after the
sector.
• The seven-member panel includes government think-tank Niti Aayog's CEO as well as
secretaries of home affairs, revenue, industries and internal trade, electronics and IT,
information and broadcasting and sports.

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• The panel will look into various aspects to promote online gaming and frame regulatory
mechanisms for the segment, protection of gamers, ease of doing business, among
others.
10. The Central Government has set a target to increase coal gasification to 100 million tonnes
(MT) by 2030 with investments worth over Rs.4 lakh crores. The government has also
prepared a National Mission document to achieve 100 MT Coal Gasification by 2030.
• Coal Gasification is considered a cleaner option compared to the burning of coal. It
facilitates utilization of the chemical properties of coal.
11. The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has developed an IT module for Ministry of Defence
to integrate competent financial authorities and Internal Financial Advisers (IFA) for online e-
concurrence and approval of procurement proposals on the GeM portal. The integration
module has been launched by Rajnish Kumar, Controller General of Defence Accounts
(CGDA), in the presence of Shri Prashant Kumar Singh, Chief Executive Officer of Government
e-Marketplace (GeM) at Defence Accounts Department Headquarters in New Delhi.
Cabinet approval (June 2022):

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved a proposal to
expand the mandate of Government e-Marketplace-Special Purpose Vehicle (GeM-SPV) to
allow cooperative societies to register as buyers on this portal.
• At present, the platform is open for procurement by all government buyers: central and
state ministries, departments, public sector enterprises, autonomous institutions, local
bodies, etc.
• As per existing mandate, GeM is not available for use by private sector buyers. Suppliers
(sellers) can be from across all segments: government or private.
12. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched the 'Har Ghar Dastak 2.0' campaign to
vaccinate and cover the eligible population groups for first, second and precaution doses
through door-to-door campaigns.
• It is a two-month-long door-to-door campaign that is being implemented from 1st June
2022 to 31st July 2022.
• This campaign will be focusing on old age homes, colleges, schools, out-of-school children
(for coverage of children between 12 to 18 years of age), brick kilns, prisons, etc.
• The campaign will also focus on improving sub-optimal coverage of persons aged 60 years
and above with precaution dose.
• The campaign is being supported by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

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So far, 193.57 crore doses have been administered across the country. 3% of all persons above
15 years of age have received at least one dose and 86.3% have received both the doses of
COVID-19 vaccine.
HarGharDastak 1.0 campaign:
It was launched in November 2021 to promote Covid-19 vaccination and protect individual
citizens of India.
13. India has commissioned its first and Asia's largest International Liquid-Mirror Telescope
(ILMT) at the Devasthal Observatory campus owned by Aryabhatta Research Institute of
Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital in Uttarakhand. The 4-meter (m) class telescope will
monitor the sky for transient or variable objects like supernovae, gravitational lenses, space
debris, and asteroids.
• The ILMT is situated at an altitude of 2450 meters.
• It has been designed and built at the Advanced Mechanical and Optical Systems
Corporation and the Centre Spatial de Liege, Belgium.
• The major instrumentation funding of the Liquid Mirror Telescope has been jointly
provided by Belgium and Canada while India is responsible for the operations and the
upkeep of the telescope.
14. The Delhi Airport has become the first Indian airport to introduce an 'RFID-enabled tag' to
track check-in luggage. The Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology will give
passengers real-time information about when and on which belt is their check-in luggage
arriving in the terminal. The bag tags will be called “BAGG TRAX'.
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID):

It refers to a wireless system comprised of two components: tags and readers. The reader is
a device that has one or more antennas that emit radio waves and receive signals back from
the RFID tag. They use radio frequencies ranging from 300 gigahertz (GHz) to as low as 9
kilohertz (kHz). It is also used in toll plazas in India.
15. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has constituted a committee to study the
feasibility of a spectrum band for offering broadcast services directly to users’ smartphones.
“Band 526-582 MHz is envisaged to work in coordination with both mobile and broadcast
services.
• In 2021, Public service broadcaster Prasar Bharati had announced a collaboration with
IIT Kanpur to test the feasibility of the technology called D2M.
Direct-to-Mobile (D2M):
D2M is based on the convergence of broadband and broadcast, using which mobile
phones can receive terrestrial digital TV. It would be similar to how people listen to FM

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radio on their phones, where a receiver within the phone can tap into radio frequencies.
Using D2M, multimedia content can also be beamed to phones directly.
16. Bangalore-based Datair Technology Pvt Ltd (Ambee), a global platform for hyperlocal and
geospatial datasets on air quality, weather, pollen, soil, water vapour and fire, has joined
Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) Mission of National Aeronautics and
Space Administrations (NASA) as an early adopter.
PACE Mission:
It is currently in the design phase of mission development. It is scheduled to launch in 2024.
PACE mission aims to make significant advances to aid air quality improvement and brings
exciting new technology for the study of oceans and atmospheres.
17. The Bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao, BR Gavai and Aniruddha Bose in the Supreme Court
of India has ordered that mining and construction of new permanent structures within Eco-
Sensitive Zone (ESZ) of 1-km radius of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries will not be
permitted.
The court has directed that each protected forest, that is a national park or wildlife sanctuary,
must have an eco-sensitive zone of a minimum of one kilometre measured from the
demarcated boundary of such protected forest in which the activities proscribed and prescribed
in the Guidelines of 9th February 2011, shall be strictly adhered to.
Note: For the Jamua Ramgarh wildlife sanctuary in Rajasthan, ESZ shall be 500 metres so far as
subsisting activities are concerned.
18. President Ram Nath Kovind has paid tributes to Sant Kabir and inaugurated Sant Kabir
Academy and Research Centre and Swadesh Darshan Yojana at Kabir Chaura Dham,
Maghar in Sant Kabir Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh. The foundation stone of this academy
was laid by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018. The Academy has been built at a cost
of Rs. 25 crore.
Sant Kabir:
• He was born in the city of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
• He was a 15th century mystic poet, saint and social reformer and a proponent of the
Bhakti Movement.
• He founded a religious community known as ‘Kabir Panth’ and the members of this forum
are referred to as ‘Kabir Panthis’.
• Literary works: Bijak, Sakhi Granth, Kabir Granthawali and Anurag Sagar.
19. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the ‘Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE)
Movement’, a global initiative, via video conferencing on the occasion of World Environment

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Day (5th June). The idea of LiFE promotes an environmentally conscious lifestyle that focuses
on mindful and deliberate utilization instead of mindless and wasteful consumption.
The idea of LiFE was introduced by the Prime Minister during the 26th United Nations Climate
Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow in 2021.
Aim of the LiFE Movement:

• To bring positive change in the environment by collective action.
• To persuade individuals across the world to undertake simple climate-friendly actions in
their daily lives or adoption of environment-conscious lifestyle.
• To make the best use of social networks to influence social norms surrounding climate.
• To replace the prevalent ‘use-and-dispose’ economy with a circular economy of ‘Reduce,
Reuse and Recycle’.
• To create and nurture a global network of individuals, namely ‘Pro-Planet People’ (P3).
Some of the major achievements of India in the environment sector:

• India’s forest cover is increasing and so is the population of lions, tigers, leopards,
elephants and rhinos.
• India’s commitment to reach 40% of installed electric capacity from non-fossil fuel-based
sources has been achieved, 9 years ahead of schedule.
• The target of 10% ethanol blending in petrol has been achieved 5 months ahead of the
November 2022 target. This is a major accomplishment given that blending was hardly
1.5% in 2013-14 and 5% in 2019-20.
20. Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare and Chemicals & Fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya
has inaugurated National Food Laboratory of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
(FSSAI) at Raxaul in Bihar. It has been established under the Indo-Nepal bilateral agreement
to reduce the time in the testing of imported food samples brought into Raxaul from Nepal.
Earlier, all the imported samples having legal sanctity were being sent to National Food
Laboratory at Kolkata, for testing.
21. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Union
Territory of Chandigarh to set up the ‘IAF Heritage Centre’ in Chandigarh. The objective is
to showcase the role of the Indian Air Force in various wars and its overall functioning. This
heritage centre will have artefact, simulators and interactive boards to highlight various
facets of IAF.
22. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the national portal for credit-linked government
schemes ‘Jan Samarth Portal’. The main purpose of the portal is to encourage inclusive

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growth and development of various sectors by guiding and providing them with the right
type of government benefits through simple and easy digital processes. As of now, at least 12
schemes that granted beneficiaries credit from banks has been included in the portal.
23. Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has announced that India will
introduce a newly approved “made in India” TB infection skin test called ‘c-TB’. This cost-
effective tool will be of immense benefit to other high burden countries as well. A new
initiative, “Adopt people with TB” will also be launched this year, based on Indian values of
collectivism.
24. The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) has signed an agreement with WiSig
Networks Private Limited and VVDN Technologies Private Limited to collaborate in the area
of Open RAN-based Radio Network for 5G solution. This partnership will leverage the
technical competencies of the Indian Research and Development (R&D) industry for
indigenous design, development, manufacturing and deployment of cost-effective 5G
products and solutions.
25. Indian Railways have been awarded by the UIC International Sustainable Railway Awards
(ISRA) in the category of “Best use of Zero-Carbon Technology” for feeding Solar Energy
directly to 25 KV AC Traction System. It has been awarded on the occasion of the World
Environment Day (June 5th) in a gala ceremony held in Berlin, Germany.
26. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a special series of coins of Rs.1, 2, 5, 10 and 20
denominations. These coins will have the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM) design. These
new series of coins will remind citizens of the goal of Amrit Kal. It has been launched on the
occasion of ‘Iconic Week Celebrations’ of Ministry of Finance from 6th June to 11th June 2022.
These coins have also been made visually impaired friendly.
• Note: Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav was officially started on 12th March 2021, and will be
completed on 15th August 2023.
27. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, has
approved the procurement of military equipment and platforms worth Rs 76,390 crore from
domestic industries. This includes:
• Procurement of Rough Terrain Fork Lift Trucks (RTFLTs), Bridge Laying Tanks (BLTs),
Wheeled Armoured Fighting Vehicles (Wh AFVs) with Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs)
and Weapon Locating Radars (WLRs) for the Indian Army.
• Procurement of Next Generation Corvettes (NGC) at an estimated cost of Rs 36,000 crore
for the Indian Navy.

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• Accorded AoNs (acceptance of necessity) for the manufacture of Dornier Aircraft and Su-
30 MKI aero-engines by the Navratna CPSE M/s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited with focus
on enhancing indigenisation, particularly in indigenising aero-engine material.
28. Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has launched the National Air Sport policy
2022 (NASP 2022) to provide safe, accessible, affordable, sustainable, and enjoyable air
sports ecosystem in India. Air sports refers to various sports activities involving the medium
of air.
Vision:
The vision of NASP 2022 is to make India one of the top sports nations by 2030.
Sports under NASP 2022:

NASP 2022 covers 11 different air sports: Aerobatics, Aeromodelling and model rocketry,
Amateur-built and experimental aircraft, Ballooning, Drones, Gliding and powered gliding, Hang
gliding and powered hang gliding, Parachuting (including skydiving, BASE1 jumping and
wingsuits etc.), Paragliding and paramotoring (including powered parachute trikes etc.), Powered
aircraft (including ultralight, microlight and light sports aircraft etc.); and Rotorcraft (including
autogyro).
Under the new policy, there will be a four-tier governance structure for air sports including:
• Air Sports Federation of India (ASFI) is the apex governing body
• National associations for individual air sports or a set of air sports, as appropriate
• Regional (e.g. West/ South/ North East etc.) or State and Union Territory level units of the
national air sports associations, as appropriate;
• District-level air sports associations, as appropriate.
29. India has successfully test-fired a night launch of the nuclear-capable Agni-IV Intermediate
Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha. This test reaffirms
India’s policy of having a ‘Credible Minimum Deterrence Capability’.
30. The indigenously developed sophisticated Agni-IV having 4,000 km strike range is a two-
stage surface-to-surface missile. It is 20 meter long with a weight of 17 tonnes. It is equipped
with advanced Avionics, 5th generation On-Board Computer and distributed architecture.
Agni IV is designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO).

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31. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has chaired a meeting of the Western Zonal Council held
in the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. The meeting has been
held after a gap of two years due to the coronavirus pandemic. Various issues related to
Inter-state boundary, security, infrastructure, transport, and industries have been discussed
in the meeting.
• He has inaugurated the Khukri Memorial museum at decommissioned warship INS

Khukri in Diu. INS Khukri was built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders. It was commissioned
on 23 August 1989 in Mumbai by Krishna Chandra Pant.
• He has also laid the foundation stone for various developmental projects worth Rs 75
crore at Diu.
Western Zonal Council:
It consist of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa and Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and
Daman and Diu. The Zonal Councils provide an excellent forum where irritants between the
Centre and States and amongst the States are resolved through free and frank discussions and
consultations.
The idea of the creation of Zonal Councils was mooted by the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit
Jawahar Lal Nehru in 1956. The five Zonal Councils were set up vide Part-III of the States Re-
organisation Act, 1956. They are Western Zonal Council, Northern Zonal Council, Central Zonal
Council, Eastern Zonal Council, and Southern Zonal Council.
32. Sir M Visvesvaraya Railway Terminal in Bangalore, Karnataka, India's first centralized AC
railway terminal, has become operational. It has been built at a cost of Rs.314 crore. The
Ernakulam Tri-Weekly Express to Ernakulam, became the first train to depart from the
station.
33. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the transfer
of 10 in-orbit communication satellites from Government of India (Gol) to M/s. NewSpace
India Ltd. (NSIL), a wholly owned Public Sector Enterprise of GoI under the administrative
control of the Department of Space.
The Union Cabinet has also approved increasing the authorized share capital of NSIL from
Rs.1000 crore to Rs. 7500 crore.
Other Cabinet approvals (June 2022):

• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and the United Arab
Emirates (UAE) on Cooperation in the field of Industries and Advanced Technologies.
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the National Institute for
Environmental Studies, Japan and Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational

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Sciences (ARIES), India to carry out and implement joint research on air quality and
climate change.
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)signed between S. N. Bose National Centre for
Basic Sciences (SNBNCBS), Kolkata, India and Leibniz-Institut fur Festkorper- und
Werkstoffforschung Dresden e.V. (IFW Dresden e.V.), Dresden, Germany intended to
scientific cooperation in the field of "Novel Magnetic and Topological Quantum Materials".
• A Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Ministry of Housing and Urban
Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
(DFAT), Government of Australia for Technical Cooperation for Australia-India Water
Security Initiative (AIWASI).
• A Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Department of Biotechnology,
Government of India and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and International
AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), USA to contribute towards the development of new,
improved and innovative biomedical tools and technologies to prevent and treat HIV, TB,
Covid-19 and other emerging infectious and neglected diseases.
34. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has inaugurated the National Tribal Research Institute
(NTRI) in New Delhi as part of the celebrations of the “Azadi Ka Amrit” festival. NTRI will be a
premier institution that will provide the tribal communities with the necessary resources and
expertise to address their academic, legislative, and executive concerns mentioned in a
statement by the ministry.
• It will also help in establishing and running effective Tribal Museums. It will collaborate
and network with other institutions and monitor projects of Tribal Research Institutes
(TRIs), Centres of Excellence (CoEs), etc.
• It is being established at a cost of Rs. 10 crores.
Tribal Research Institute (TRI):

It is the research body of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs at the state level. There are 26 Tribal
Research Institutes (TRIs) supported by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
35. The Government of India (GoI) has enhanced the funding under the Technology
Development Fund (TDF) scheme of the Ministry of Defence from Rs 10 crore to Rs.50 crore
per project.
TDF scheme:
It supports the indigenous development of components, products, systems and technologies
by MSMEs and start-ups. It is executed by the Defence Research & Development
Organisation (DRDO). The scheme facilitates up to 90 percent of the total project cost and
allows industry to work in consortium with another industry/academia. Till date, 56 projects
have been sanctioned under TDF scheme.

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Note: The Centre under the Union Budget 2022-23 allocated 25% of defence R&D budget to
private business, startups, and academics.
36. The Government of India (GoI) has finalised deals with Namibia and South Africa to get the
planet’s fastest animals, cheetahs that became extinct in India and will be released into the
wild at Kuno Palpur National Park in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh, possibly by the
end of 2022.
• There will be 12 cheetahs from South Africa and 8 from Namibia.
• Initially, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed for 10 years, which can
be extended for another five years.
• The project to translocate cheetahs from Africa to India is a long-term, one-time project
being implemented by the environment ministry with the help of the Wildlife Institute of
India to reintroduce the cheetah into wild, which became extinct in India in the 1950s.
37. The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has announced that the
National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has created a new Guinness World Record by
completing the longest highway length of 75 km of bituminous concrete in a single lane on
NH53 between Amravati and Akola in 105 hours and 33 minutes. The 75 km of single-lane
continuous bituminous concrete road is comparable to 37.5 km of two-lane paved shoulder
road.
• Earlier, the Guinness World Record for the longest continuously built bituminous was
set in Doha, Qatar in February 2019 for constructing 25.275 km in ten days.
• He has also announced the target of constructing 60 kilometers of highway per day.
38. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has launched ‘Polyversity’ and Bharat
Blockchain Network at an event held at the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)
Auditorium in New Delhi. Both initiatives are supported by AICTE and powered by USA-based
Information Data Systems (IDS).
Bharat Blockchain Network:

It is India’s first nationwide hybrid blockchain network. It is built by IDS. It will enable
blockchain projects of academic interest around Governance, Issuance of verifiable
credentials, Skill badges, Student transfer & Audit Trail along the lines of NEP (National
Education Policy) 2020.
Polyversity:
It is India’s largest Educational Metaverse, with over 100 Academic Partners establishing
virtual campuses to make education more accessible, immersive, and meaningful. Land
parcels will be assigned to academic partners in Polyversity.

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39. Ministry of Finance has launched the Single Nodal Agency (SNA) Dashboard of PFMS
(Public Financial Management System) to ensure effective leveraging of technology in public
finance. The initiative forms part of PFMS reform that was initiated in 2021 with regards to
how funds for Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) are released, disbursed, and monitored. It
has been launched as a part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM) celebrations by the
Ministry of Finance.
SNA Model:
•The SNA model requires the states to notify an SNA for each CSS which will open a unique
bank account at a commercial bank responsible for all transactions related to the
implementation of the particular CSS.
• Now, the SNA dashboard is launched as a system to track the transfer of funds to states
for centrally sponsored schemes and the utilization of funds by central agencies.
• The system would help cut down on the interest expenditure as money would be released
at the stage where it is needed.
Note: The Ministry of Finance is observing the ‘Iconic Week’ celebrations from 6th to 11th June
2022 to celebrate AKAM.
40. The National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has launched a
“CiSS application” under the Baal Swaraj portal to help in the rehabilitation process of
Children in Street Situations (CiSS). The CiSS application is used for receiving data of children
in street situations from all the states and union territories, tracking their rescue and
rehabilitation process.
Baal Swaraj Portal:
It is a portal launched by NCPCR for online tracking and digital real-time monitoring mechanism
of children in need of care and protection. The portal has two functions- COVID care and CiSS.
The initiative is taken under the direction of the Supreme Court of India. It follows six stages
framework for the rehabilitation of children.
• Collection of the child’s details through the portal.

• Investigating the child’s background (Social investigation report (SIR)) under the supervision
of the District Child Protection Unit.
• Allocating the schemes and benefits that the beneficiary can avail of.
• A checklist is made for the evaluation of the progress (Follow Ups).
• The order of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) based on the (Social investigation report).
• Formulating an Individual Care Plan (ICP) for the child.

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41. According to the recently released circular by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), all
“hyper-sensitive” airports in India will have to install a Perimeter Intrusion Detection
System (PIDS) by 31st December 2023.
• The PIDS is a sensor that helps in alerting security agencies of any intrusion through the
airport’s boundary walls.
• Greenfield airports in the country that are not part of the central government’s Regional
Connectivity Scheme (RCS) will install PIDS as well.
• The airports coming up under the RCS will plan the installation of PIDS at the
development stage itself.
Note: The Bengaluru International Airport in Karnataka has recently introduced Artificial
Intelligence-driven, assistance robots. These AI-driven robots have been introduced to
enhance the experience of flyers. At present, ten robots have been deployed under the trial
stage.
42. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the headquarters of the Indian National
Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) in the Bopal area of Ahmedabad,
Gujarat. The project was approved by the Union Cabinet in June 2020.
• IN-SPACe is an autonomous and single window nodal agency in the Department of Space
for the promotion, encouragement and regulation of space activities of both government
and private entities.
• It also facilitates the usage of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) facilities by
private entities.
• It will ensure maximum private participation for the space sector.
43. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-National Research Centre on Equines (NRCE)
has developed India's first indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine for animals named
‘Anocovax’.
• The vaccine is safe for dogs, lions, leopards, mice and rabbits. The vaccine is an
inactivated SARS-Cov-2 Delta (Covid-19) vaccine. It also contains Alhydrogel as an
adjuvant. It is effective against both Delta and Omicron variants.
• The institute has also launched antibody detection kits for animals. ‘CAN-CoV-2 ELISA’
kit is a sensitive and specific nucleocapsid protein-based indirect (Enzyme-Linked
Immunoassay) ELISA kit.
44. Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu has paid a visit to Gabon, Senegal & Qatar nations from
30th May to 7th June 2022. He has been accompanied by a high-level delegation including
Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar and three Members

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of Parliament, Shri Sushil Kumar Modi (Rajya Sabha), Shri Vijay Pal Singh Tomar (Rajya Sabha)
and Shri P. Ravindhranath (Lok Sabha).
• This is India’s first visit at the level of Vice President to all three countries.
• This is the first-ever high-level visit from India to Gabon and to Senegal.
Gabon (Capital: Libreville; Prime Minister: Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda):

• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between India’s Sushma Swaraj
Institute of Foreign Services (SSIFS) and Gabon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• An agreement has signed between both the nations for establishment of a Joint
Commission.
India-Gabon bilateral trade has reached USD 1.12 billion in FY 2021-22.
Senegal (Capital: Dakar; President: Macky Sall):

• Cultural Exchange Program (CEP) between India and Senegal for 2022-26.
• Agreement on mutual exemption from the visa requirement for holders of diplomatic,
official/service passports.
• MoU between India and Senegal on youth cooperation.
Senegal sees India as an integral and reliable partner in its vision of “Emerging Senegal 2035”.
India-Senegal bilateral trade has reached USD 1.65 billion in FY 2021-22.
Qatar (Capital: Doha; Emir: Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani)

• Both sides agreed to promote bilateral parliamentary exchanges.
• An agreement to establish an ICCR Chair of Indian Studies at Qatar University has been
reached.
• VP M. Venkaiah Naidu has inaugurated an “India-Qatar Start-up Bridge” during the India-
Qatar Business Forum, jointly organized by FICCI, CII, ASSOCHAM along with Qatar
Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
India-Qatar bilateral trade has crossed USD 15 billion in FY 2021-22. The year 2022 marks the
50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Qatar.
45. The Government of India (GoI) has decided to extend a Line of Credit (LOC) of USD 55
million to Sri Lanka for the procurement of Urea Fertiliser. This credit line has been extended
in response to an urgent request from the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL), amid the
ongoing economic crisis.
• The LOC agreement has been signed between Sri Lanka and the Export-Import Bank of
India at Colombo, in the presence of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Ranil
Wickremesinghe, the Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera, and the High
Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay.
• This credit line will help Sri Lankan government secure urea fertilizer for the ongoing
paddy sowing ‘Yala’ season.

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46. Union Minister for Finance Nirmala Sitharaman has inaugurated the National Museum of
Customs and GST ‘Darohar’ in Panaji, Goa as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Iconic
week celebration of the Ministry of Finance from 6th-11th June 2022.
• The national museum showcases the journey of the making of Goods and Services Tax
(GST) and depicts custom procedures among others.
• The two-storey ‘Blue building’, which was earlier known as Alfandega, during the period of
Portuguese rule in Goa, has been standing on the banks of the Mandovi River in Panaji for
more than 400 years.
• ‘Dharohar’ has eight galleries viz: Introductory gallery, History of Taxation Gallery,
Guardians of our economic frontiers gallery, Guardians of our Art & Heritage, Guardians
of Flora & Fauna, Custodians of our social well-being, Journey of Indirect taxes –Salt Tax to
GST and the GST gallery.
• GST Gallery is a brand new addition to the Dharohar Museum.
47. The Indian Government has planned to distribute Fortified Rice under Phase II in 291
aspirational and high-burden districts across the country through Public Distribution System
(PDS) by March 2023.
• Under Phase II, which began in April 2022, overcoming all production-related challenges,
90 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) of fortified rice has already been produced.
• The government has planned to provide 175 lakh Metric Tonnes of fortified rice during
Phase II.
• The Phase II of the programme includes Phase I plus Targeted Public Distribution System
(TPDS) and Other Welfare Schemes (OWS).
• 2.20 LMT fortified rice has been distributed till 31st May 2022, under the PDS.
• More than 90 districts in 16 states have started lifting fortified rice.
Under Phase-1, which was completed in 2021-22, nearly 17 lakh Million Tonnes fortified rice
had been distributed under Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and PM-POSHAN.
Rice fortification:
It is a process of adding micronutrients like Iron, Folic Acid and Vitamin B12, is an effective,
preventive and cost-efficient complementary strategy to address the challenge of anaemia.
According to FSSAI, India losses about one percent of GDP, over Rs.2 lakh crore per year due to
iron deficiency anaemia.
Note: Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made an announcement on 75th Independence Day
2021 to mandate rice fortification in all social safety net schemes by 2024.
48. Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar, has
launched the Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF)-2022 in the presence of Dr.

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Sapam Ranjan Singh, Health Minister of Manipur. IDCF programme is being implemented
from 13th June to 27th June, 2022 in all States/UTs. The aim is to attain zero child deaths
due to childhood diarrhoea.
• IDCF is being organized since 2014.

• It consists of a set of activities to be implemented in an intensified manner for prevention
and control of deaths due to dehydration from diarrhoea across all States & UTs.
• These activities mainly include intensification of advocacy & awareness generation
activities for diarrhoea management, strengthening service provision for diarrhoea case
management, establishment of ORS-Zinc corners, prepositioning of ORS by ASHA in
households with under-five children and awareness generation activities for hygiene and
sanitation.
49. The Ministry of Defence has amended the service rule of three defence forces – Army, Navy
and Air Force -- related to the appointment of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), a post that
remains vacant since the death of General Bipin Rawat in a helicopter crash on 8th December
2021 in Coonoor, Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu.
• As per the amendment, the retired three-star generals from Army, Air Force, and Navy
Chief and their second in command in the armed forces are eligible for the post of CDS if
they are not older than 62 years of age.
• This has been done by inserting a new clause.
• The government may extend the services of the CDS for such a period as it may deem
necessary subject to a maximum age of 65 years.
Note: General Bipin Rawat was India’s first CDS.
50. The 38th edition of the India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (IND-INDO CORPAT) Exercise has
commenced in the Andaman Sea and Straits of Malacca from 13th June to 24th June 2022. The
Indian Navy units of Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) and the Indonesian Navy are
participating in the exercise.
• It is the first post pandemic Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) between the two countries.
• It includes a visit by the Indonesian Navy units to ANC at Port Blair from June 13 to 15,
2022 followed by a Sea Phase in the Andaman Sea and visit by Indian Navy Units to
Sabang (Indonesia) from June 23 to 24, 2022.
• The two navies have been carrying out the coordinated patrol along their International
Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) since 2002.
51. Department of Science and Technology has launched the Self Certification Portal for the
Geospatial Data and Maps for India. It is developed in collaboration with National
Informatics Centre (NIC). The portal has replaced the process of prior approvals, security
clearances, and other restrictions for the collection, storage, publication, and/or digitization

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of Geospatial Data and Maps, with self-certification.
52. Union Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Minister Dharmendra Pradhan
along with Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting and Sports Anurag Thakur has
released 2 books titled 'Loktantra ke Swar’ and ‘The Republican Ethic’. The books are a
compilation of selected speeches of the President of India Ram Nath Kovind. This is the
fourth volume of the series featuring the fourth year of the presidency of Ram Nath Kovind.
53. Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman has participated via
virtual mode in the 2nd BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG)
meeting under the BRICS China chairmanship. The agenda of the meeting included
discussions on outcomes of BRICS Financial Cooperation agenda for 2022. During the
meeting, BRICS nations have vowed to deepen financial cooperation and customs
cooperation and Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA).
54. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has recently (June 2022) approved the
increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all mandated Kharif crops for marketing
season 2022-23.
• The MSP of common grade variety of paddy has been increased to Rs. 2,040 per quintal
for the 2022-23 crop year from Rs.1,940 in the previous year.
• The support price of 'A' grade variety of paddy has been hiked to Rs. 2,060 per quintal
from Rs. 1,960.
55. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated India’s first Biotech Startup Expo - 2022
at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. The expo has been organised by the Department of
Biotechnology and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) to mark the
completion of ten years of BIRAC.
• The expo provides a common platform to connect investors, entrepreneurs, scientists,
researchers, industry leaders, manufacturers, bio-incubators, regulators and government
officials.
• Theme: 'Biotech Startup Innovations: Towards AatmaNirbhar Bharat'.
• During the expo, PM Narendra Modi has launched the e-portal of 750 biotech products
along with the biotech products developed during the 75th year of India’s Independence
and a coffee book of 75 women biotech entrepreneurs.
56. Union Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced at the Viva Technology
2022 event that India will get a full-fledged 5G services by March 2023. He said that the
auction of the 5G spectrum will be completed by July 2022.

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57. Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M) have developed a robot
named 'HomoSEP' to eliminate the practice of manual scavenging in India. The aim is to
prevent deaths which are reported annually across India due to manual scavenging in septic
tanks, despite bans and prohibitory orders.
• This robot has been developed by IIT-Madras and Solinas Integrity, an IIT-M incubated
startup, in close coordination with the Safai Karamchari Andolan (SKA), a non-profit
dedicated to the elimination of manual scavenging in India.
58. Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has conferred the first Type Certificate (TC)
under Drone Rules 2021 to IoTech World Avigation Private Limited. It has received the
Type Certificate in barely 34 days after submission of its online application on the DGCA’s
DigitalSky Platform on 11 May 2022.
• IoTechWorld, one of India’s leading manufacturers of kisan drones, was established in
April 2017 in Gurugram, Haryana.
• The Drone Rules, 2021 were notified on 25 Aug 2021 and the ‘Certification Scheme for
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (CSUAS)’ for obtaining Type Certificate (TC) for drones was
notified on 26 Jan 2022.
• The Quality Council of India (QCI) has approved three globally-renowned Certification
Bodies (CB) namely – TQ Cert, UL India and Bureau Veritas, whom drone
manufacturers can approach for testing their drone prototype.
• There are 14 drone prototypes that are currently undergoing certification tests.
• India has set a target to become a drone hub by 2030.
59. Indian Railways has launched India’s first private train under its ‘Bharat Gaurav’ scheme.
The maiden service has started from Coimbatore North railway station in Tamil Nadu to
Sainagar Shirdi in Maharashtra. The train will stop at Tiruppur, Erode, Salem, Yelahanka,
Dharmavaram, Mantralayam Road and Wadi.
• With this, the Southern Railway has become the first zone to get its first Registered
service provider under the ‘Bharat Gaurav’ Scheme.
Bharat Gaurav Scheme:

Indian Railways launched the operation of the theme-based Bharat Gaurav train in
November 2021. The objective of this theme is to showcase India’s rich cultural heritage
and magnificent historical places to the people of India and the world through Bharat
Gaurav Trains.

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60. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated Jagatguru Sreesant Tukaram Maharaj
Shila Mandir at Dehu Village near Pune, Maharashtra. The Shila Mandir has been rebuilt in
stone masonry with 36 peaks, and also carries an idol of Sant Tukaram. Shila Mandir is a
temple dedicated to a slab of stone or rock on which Sant Tukaram meditated for 13 days.
• PM Narendra Modi has also announced the upgradation of the highways approaching
the temple town from all directs, at a cost of Rs. 1,180 crore.
Sant Tukaram:
He was a 17th-century Marathi Bhakti poet. His work are central to the Warkari sect
spread across Maharashtra. He was famously known for Abhanga devotional poetry and
community-oriented worship through spiritual songs known as Kirtans. His poetry was
dedicated to Vithoba or Vitthala, an avatar of Vishnu, the Hindu God. He composed a
Marathi genre of literature called Abhanga poetry which fused folk stories with spiritual
themes. His master was Saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu of the Bhakti movement. He was
a vocal critic of caste and gender injustice. He was the contemporary of the Maratha ruler
Shivaji.
61. Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions has recently reconstituted the
committee to examine the representation of officials sacked for alleged corruption. The
three-member panel includes:
• Chemical and Petrochemicals Secretary Arti Ahuja has been appointed in place of Leena
Nandan, Secretary of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• Puneet Kansal, Joint Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat has replaced Ashutosh Jindal,
Additional Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat in the panel.
• One member of the panel will be nominated by the cadre controlling authority (under
whose administrative control the alleged corrupt officials come).
The committee will examine the representation of employees who are sacked under
Fundamental Rule (FR) 56 (J), (I) and Rule 48 of the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules 1972.
62. India has successfully test-fired the night launch of a short-range ballistic missile 'Prithvi II'
from an Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Odisha.
• Earlier in 2018, Prithvi-II missile was tested at night of 21st February. After this, two
consecutive tests of Prithvi-II were done on 20th November 2019. All these tests were
done from the range of Chandipur.
Prithvi II:
• It is a surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missile (SRBM).
• It is developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO).
• It is capable of carrying 500-1,000 kilogram of warheads and is powered by liquid
propulsion twin engines.
• It uses advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring trajectory to hit its target.
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• It has a strike range of 250 km.
• It was initially developed for the Indian Air Force (IAF) as its primary user and was later
inducted into the Indian Army.
63. The Union Cabinet has approved a Memorandum of Association (MoA) by India for the
establishment of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic
Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Technology Transfer Centre (TTC) in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The MoA
was signed by BIMSTEC member countries at the 5th BIMSTEC Summit held in Colombo, Sri
Lanka.
• The main objective of TTC is to coordinate, facilitate and strengthen cooperation in
technology transfer among the BIMSTEC member states by promoting the transfer of
technologies, sharing of experiences and capacity building.
Other Cabinet approvals (June 2022):

• Cabinet has approved an agreement between India and United Nations on a ‘Way
Finding Application’ to be used in the Palais des Nations, United Nations Office at
Geneva (UNOG). UNOG, consisting of five buildings and 21 floors, is housed at the
historic Palais des Nations.
• Cabinet has approved an agreement signed among the Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation (SCO) member states on cooperation in the field of youth work among
the authorized bodies of the member states of SCO.
• Cabinet has approved a moratorium of three years (2020-21, 2021-22 & 2022-23) to
Cochin Port Authority (CoPA) towards repayment of the balance outstanding
Government of India (GoI) loans amounting to Rs. 446.83 crore to tide over the
financial crisis due to COVID-19 pandemic.
• Cabinet has approved the proposal for the development of Phase I of New Greenfield
Airport at Dholera in the state of Gujarat at an estimated cost of Rs.1305 crore. The
airport is planned to operationalize from the year 2025-26.
• Cabinet has approved the telecom department's proposal to conduct 5G spectrum
auctions in July 2022. A total of 72,097.85 MHz of spectrum with a validity period of 20
years will be put to auction to be held on July 26, 2022.
64. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), Mumbai has become India’s
first airport to launch a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine & Solar PV hybrid (Solar Mill) to explore the
possibility of utilization of wind energy at the airport. With this, Mumbai has become the first
city in India to establish a one-of-its-kind hybrid power project at its airport.
• This initiative will reduces dependence on conventional electricity which propels its
journey towards ‘Net Zero’ emissions. The hybrid project has been launched in
partnership with WindStream Energy Technologies India Pvt Ltd.

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65. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has inaugurated the
“Industrial Decarbonization Summit 2022”- road map for carbon neutrality by 2070 in New
Delhi. The objective of the summit is to overcome power shortage because it is necessary to
develop alternative fuels.
Decarbonization:
Decarbonization means reduction of carbon. It means the conversion to an economic system
that compensates and sustainably reduces emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂). The long-term
goal of decarbonization is to create a CO₂-free global economy.
66. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has inaugurated the ‘National Yoga
Olympiad 2022’ and quiz competition in New Delhi. It has been organised jointly by the
Ministry of Education and the National Council of Educational Research and Training
(NCERT) from 18th to 20th June 2022.
• Around 600 students from 26 states/UTs and Demonstration Multipurpose Schools of
Regional Institutions of Education have participated in the competition.
• Note: NCERT started the National Yoga Olympiad in 2016.
67. The Ministry of Education initiative to use Information & Communication Technology (ICT)
under the "PM eVidya" scheme during the COVID-19 pandemic has won the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO's) recognition.
68. The Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET), a constituent unit of the NCERT
has been awarded with the UNESCO's King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for the use of
ICT in Education for the year 2021. This award recognises innovative approaches in
leveraging new technologies to expand educational and lifelong learning opportunities for all,
in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Goal 4 on Education.
PM eVidya:
• It was initiated as part of the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan' by the Ministry of
Education (MoE) on 17th May 2020 which unifies all efforts related to digital, online,
on-air education to enable multi-mode access for imparting education by using
technology to minimise learning losses.
• UNESCO's King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize was established in 2005 with the
support of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The prize rewards individuals and organisations
that are implementing outstanding projects and promoting creative use of
technologies to enhance learning, teaching and overall educational performance in the
digital age. Each prize winner receives USD 25,000, a medal and a diploma.

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69. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various
projects worth more than Rs 27000 crore in Karnataka.
Key projects:
• PM Narendra Modi has inaugurated a new campus of Dr B R Ambedkar School of

Economics (BASE) University in Bangalore, Karnataka. The BASE University was set up in
2017 in recognition of BR Ambedkar’s contributions to Independent India on his 125th
birth anniversary.
• He has launched 150 ‘technology hubs’ that have been developed by transforming the
Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across Karnataka. These technology hubs are developed
at a cost of more than Rs 4,700 crore.
• He has inaugurated the Centre for Brain Research (CBR) and laid the foundation for
Bagchi Parthasarathy Multispeciality Hospital at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc),
Bengaluru.
• He has also unveiled a statue of Dr B R Ambedkar at the BASE University.
70. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Eastern Region has inducted the Advanced Light Helicopter
(ALH) Mark-III, indigenously developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), in Chennai,
Tamil Nadu. It will be the first aircraft of the newly created “840 Squadron”. The aircraft is
equipped for carrying out target neutralisation with its mounted heavy machine gun.
• Till date, HAL has delivered 13 out of 16 such aircraft to the ICG.
71. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has organised a National Conference on Cyber Safety
and National Security (Cyber Apradh Se Azadi, Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav) at Vigyan Bhawan
in New Delhi.
• Chief Guest: Amit Shah, Union Minister of Home Affairs and Cooperation
• The conference is part of the efforts to create mass awareness for prevention of cyber-
crimes in the country.
• The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), in the MHA in collaboration with the
Ministry of Culture, Government of India in the run up to the conference has also
organized functions at 75 places in different States/Union Territories on Cyber Hygiene,
Prevention of Cyber Crimes, Cyber Safety and National Security under the banner “Azadi
Ka Amrit Mahotsav” from 8 to 17 June 2022.
72. The Ministry of Culture has organized 'Yoga Mahotsav' in collaboration with the
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at Purana Qila in New Delhi. The event has been held

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as part of the celebrations for the International Day of Yoga 2022 (21st June). The purpose of
the event is to instil the everlasting value of cultural wellbeing among the people.
73. Railway Protection Force (RPF) has rescued 150 women including many girls from becoming
the victims of human trafficking during pan India drive Operation Mahila Suraksha. It has
also arrested over 7000 men for traveling in coaches reserved for women.
• Note: Operation Mahila Suraksha was launched from 3rd to 31st May 2022 to ensure
the safe and secure travel of women over the Indian Railways.
74. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated Jal Bhushan Building at Raj Bhawan in
Mumbai, Maharashtra. He has also inaugurated an underground ‘Gallery of
Revolutionaries’ museum dedicated to the luminaries of the freedom struggle, at the Raj
Bhavan. The gallery includes information on the freedom movement heroes, their role in the
movement, sculptures, rare photographs, murals and details on tribal revolutionaries drawn
by school-kids.
75. National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), Ministry of Earth
Sciences, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Navy, Ministry of
Defence for cooperation on Numerical Model Based Applications in Meteorology and
Oceanology.
76. The Ministry of Tourism has launched the National Strategy for Sustainable Tourism
and the Responsible Traveller Campaign at the National Summit on Developing
Sustainable and Responsible Tourist Destinations held in New Delhi. The summit has been in
partnership with the United Environment Program (UNEP) and Responsible Tourism Society
of India (RTSOI).
77. The Army Training Command (ARTRAC) has collaborated with the Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT) Madras to establish a 5G test bed. It will be established at the Military
College of Telecommunication in Mhow, Indore, to assist the army in implementing 5G
technology for operational application, particularly along international frontiers. This
collaboration will facilitate the Indian Army to utilise the 5G technology for its operational
use, especially along its borders.
78. Apollo Hospitals has tied up with Imperial Hospital Ltd (IHL) to strengthen its presence in
Bangladesh to enable access to world-class treatments. Under this collaboration, Apollo
hospitals will manage IHL, a 375 bedded multi-specialty tertiary care hospital-based out of
Chittagong, Bangladesh.

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• Imperial Hospital and Apollo Hospitals have also signed a Brand licensing, Operations,
and Management (BOMA) agreement to bring healthcare of International standards
within the reach of every individual.
79. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States (US) has
announced a funding of USD 122 million to top three Indian medical research institutions to
prevent avoidable epidemics, early detection of disease threats, and rapid and effective
response.
• These institutions are Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in New Delhi, National
Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune and National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE) in Chennai.
The funding period will be 5 years, from 30th September 2022 to 29th September 2027.
80. Union Culture Minister G. Kishan Reddy has inaugurated Jyotirgamaya, a festival
showcasing the talent of unsung performers in New Delhi. Sangeet Natak Akademi has
organised this festival to showcase the talent of rare musical instruments from across the
country, including street performers and train entertainers. It is a 5-day festival organized
from 21-25 June 2022.
The Sangeet Natak Akademi is India’s national academy for music, dance and drama. It was
created by a resolution of the then Ministry of Education in 1952 with Dr P.V. Rajamannar as
its first Chairman. It is presently an autonomous body of the Ministry of Culture.
• Headquarters: New Delhi

• Chairman: Uma Nanduri
81. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched communication
satellite GSAT-24 from Kourou in French Guiana. It has been built by ISRO for NewSpace
India Limited (NSIL) and has been launched by French company Arianespace. NSIL has leased
the entire satellite capacity to Tata Play.
GSAT-24:
GSAT-24 is a 24-Ku band communication satellite weighing 4180 kg with pan-India coverage for
meeting DTH application needs. It was the first "demand driven" communication satellite
mission undertaken by NSIL post space sector reforms.
82. Union Minister of Earth Sciences Dr. Jitendra Singh has inaugurated a Seismological
Observatory at Udhampur in Jammu & Kashmir. It is an initiative of the National Center for
Seismology (NCS), New Delhi. With this, Udhampur has become India’s 153rd Seismic
Station. This centre will record the data related to the inner activities of the earth’s crust and
will provide data to various seismological stations across the globe.

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• Note: Udhampur district lies between the two major seismogenic faults, namely Main
Frontal Thrust (MFT) and Main Boundary Thrust (MBT), which are among the potential
factors for generating earthquakes in the J&K region
83. Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport, Delhi has become India’s first to run entirely on
hydro and solar energy. The majority of the consumption is hydro-dependent. This reduces
energy emissions by 2 lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide per year which would satisfy the
airport’s goal to achieve the ‘Net Zero Carbon Emissions Airport’ target by 2030.
• The Delhi airport has a 7.84 MW solar power plant on the airside, while it added another
5.3 MW rooftop solar power plant on the cargo terminals of the IGI airport.
• For hydropower, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has signed a long-term power
purchase agreement (PPA) with a Himachal Pradesh-based hydropower producing
company for the supply of hydroelectricity to the airport until 2036.
Note: In 2015, the Cochin International Airport in Kerala became the first airport in the world to
run solely using solar energy.
84. The first India-Nepal Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train has been flagged off from Safdarjung
Railway Station in New Delhi. This tourist train will connect India and Nepal, for the first
time. The train is carrying 500 Indian tourists on board.
• The train started its first trip on Ramayana Circuit for 18 days from 21st June 2022.
• First trip of the train will cover the religious destination of Janakpur (in Nepal), apart from
other popular destinations like Ayodhya, Nandigram, Varanasi, Sitamarhui, Chitrakoot,
Prayagraj, Hampi, Pancvati (Nasik), Rameshwaram and Bhadrachalam.
• Exterior of the coaches of Bharat Gaurav trains have been designed as kaleidoscope of
Bharat Gaurav (Pride of India).
• The train will cover a distance of about 8000 km in the entire Ramayana tour.
The Ramayana Circuit is one of the 15 thematic circuits identified for development under the
Swadesh Darshan scheme of the Ministry of Tourism of India.
85. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the new premises of the Ministry of
Commerce and Industry named ‘Vanijya Bhawan’, and launched a new portal NIRYAT
(National Import-Export Record for Yearly Analysis of Trade), a one-stop place for all info
needed on India’s foreign trade.
Vanijya Bhawan:
• It has been completed in less than the budgeted cost of Rs.226 crore.

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• It will serve as an integrated and modern office complex for its two Departments i.e.
Department of Commerce, and Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
(DPIIT).
NIRYAT:
• It is developed as a one stop platform for stakeholders to get all necessary information
related to India’s foreign trade.
• It will provide important information related to more than 30 commodity groups exported
to more than 200 countries of the world.
86. Ministry of Defence has approved setting up of wayside amenities under the brand of ‘BRO
Cafes’ at 75 locations on different sections of roads with Border Roads Organisation (BRO)
across 12 states and Union territories.
• BRO Cafes are designed to give tourists access to essential amenities & comfort which will
in-return increase economic activity in border regions, and create jobs for the local
populace.
• The contract will have a 15-year term that may be later extended for an additional five
years.
• The 12 states/UTs are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir,
Ladakh, Manipur, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal.
87. Indian Navy and the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) have
successfully test-fired the indigenously developed shipborne weapon system, Vertical
Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM), off the coast of Chandipur in
Odisha.
Features of VL-SRSAM:
• It has been designed to strike at the high-speed airborne targets at the range of 40km to
50km and at an altitude of around 15km.
• Its design is based on Astra missile which is a Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air missile.
• Two key features of the VL-SRSAM are cruciform wings and thrust vectoring.
• It is a canisterised system, which means it is stored and operated from specially designed
compartments.
• It is developed by DRDO facilities of Defence Research and Development Laboratory
(DRDL) and Research Centre Imarat (RCI), both from Hyderabad, and Research &
Development Establishment (Engineers) based in Pune.

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88. The Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, Prahlad Singh Patel, has
inaugurated the National Conference on Millets under the theme ‘The Future Super Food for
India’ in New Delhi. It has been organised by industry body Associated Chambers of
Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM) with the support of Ministry of Food Processing
Industries. The conference has been organised to discuss opportunities and challenges in
ensuring food and nutritional security.
• The production of coarse cereals in the country has increased to 17.96 million tonnes in
2020-21 from 14.52 million tonnes in 2015-16.
• The production of bajra (pearl millet) has also increased to 10.86 million tonnes in 2020-
21.
• The major millets producing states in India include Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh,
Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil
Nadu and Telangana.
Important facts:
• Currently, India is the fifth largest exporter of millets in the world, according to 2020
data and nearly 41% of total global production was met by India in 2020.
• The government has declared 2018 as the National Year of Millets and celebrated 2023 as
the International Year of Millets at Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
89. Indian Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) has authorized two Indian
private firms, Dhruva Space Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad and Digantara research & technologies
Pvt. Ltd. Bangalore, to launch their payloads into space. They are the first set of space start-
ups to receive the authorization.
Two payloads include:
• Dhruva Space Satellite Orbital Deployer (DSOD 1U), a technology demonstration payload
• Digantara's ROBust Integrating Proton Fluence Meter (ROBI), a Proton dosimeter payload
The payloads will be launched by the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM) of PSLV-C53 on
30th June 2022. PSLV-C53 is the 55th mission of ISRO's scheduled to be launched on 30th June
2022 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
90. The Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD), under the Ministry of Fisheries,
Animal husbandry and Dairying, has launched the ‘One Health Pilot’ initiative in Bangalore,
Karnataka.
• Objective: To bring stakeholders from animal, human and environment health on a

common platform to address the challenges through One-Health approach.
• It is being implemented by DAHD in collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation (BMGF) and The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

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• In April 2022, DAHD launched a pilot project in Uttarakhand to implement the One Health
Framework by One Health Support Unit.
91. Entrepreneur Ranjit Bajaj, who earlier owned an I-League club, has been appointed as the
Chairman of an Advisory committee to assist the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of
Administrators (CoA). The 12-member advisory committee was appointed by the CoA to
oversee the day-to-day matters of various departments of the All India Football Federation
(AIFF).
92. Ministry of Communications has launched ‘Dak Karmayogi, an e-learning portal of the
Department of Posts. The objective is to provide better services by upgrading employees and
Gramin Dak Sevaks.
• This portal has been developed ‘In-House’ under vision of ‘Mission Karmayogi’, which was
conceptualized by Prime Minister with a view to bring efficiency of bureaucracy with
‘Minimum Government’ and ‘Maximum Governance’.
• The Portal will enable the trainees to access the uniform standardized training content
online or in blended campus mode to enable them to effectively deliver a number of G2C
(Government to Citizen) services for enhanced customer satisfaction.
During the event, Union Minister of Communications Ashwini Vaishnaw has also
conferred the Meghdoot Awards 2021 to recognise the good performance of employees
of Department of Posts.
8 Postal officials have been conferred with Meghdoot awards for the year 2021:
• Ashok Kumar Sahoo (Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) Branch Postmaster (BPM), Cuttack
South Division, Odisha Circle);
• Prem Lal (Mail Runner, Mandi Division, Himachal Pradesh Circle);
• Dhananjay T (Postal Assistant, Circle Office, Karnataka Circle);
• Vijender Singh Rana (Technical Supervisor, Mail Motor Service, Delhi Circle);
• Sandeep Gundu Kadgaonkar (ASP, Goa Region, Maharashtra Circle);
• Randhir Kumar (Assistant Director, Circle Office, Bihar Circle);
• Challa Sri Nagesh (Deputy Manager, CEPT, Hyderabad); and
• K. Kalaivani (Assistant Director, Southern Region, Madurai, Tamil Nadu Circle).

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93. The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS-Delhi) has developed an anti-gravity
bodysuit, in collaboration with NIT-Jalandhar, which will allow astronauts to perform yoga in
space. It is India’s first bodysuit for astronauts. This bodysuit will increase the weight by more
than 70% in space to prevent them from floating.
94. Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw has launched an e-auction for Commercial
Earning, and Non-Fare Revenue (NFR) contracts in Rail Bhavan, New Delhi. It has been
launched to bring commercial earning and NFR contracts under the ambit of electronic
auction through the Indian Railway e-Procurement System (IREPS), in line with the prevailing
e-auction of scrap sale. This policy will increase Railways earnings and also bolster efforts
being taken by the Government for ease of doing business.
95. Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) V Anantha Nageswaran while addressing an event organized
by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India has said that India will become
a USD 5 trillion economy by 2026-27 and USD 10 trillion by 2033-34. At present India is a
USD 3.3 trillion economy, assuming a 10% nominal GDP growth in dollar terms will get USD
10 trillion by 2033-34 and another doubling with the same rate.
96. Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar has launched the
Honey Testing Laboratory at Dimapur, Nagaland. This lab will help beekeepers and
processors for testing the honey produced.
• Note: India ranks 8th and 9th in the world in honey producing and exporting countries
respectively.
97. Ministry of Culture has received the four holy Kapilvastu Relics of Lord Buddha brought
back from Mongolia. It is also known as ‘Kapilvastu Relics’ since they are from a site in Bihar
first discovered in 1898 which is believed to be the ancient city of Kapilvastu. It has been
placed under the ‘AA’ category of those Antiquities and Art Treasures which should not be
ordinarily taken out of the country for exhibition, considering their delicate nature.
98. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Army have
successfully test-fired an indigenously-developed Laser-Guided Anti-Tank Guided Missile
(ATGM) at KK Ranges near Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. This test has been supported by the
Armoured Corps Centre & School (ACC&S), Ahmednagar.
• ATGM uses a ‘tandem’ High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) warhead.

• It has been developed by two Pune based facilities of the DRDO’s Armament and Combat
Engineering (ACE) Cluster, the Armament Research and Development Establishment

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(ARDE) and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), in association with
Instruments Research and Development Establishment (IRDE), Dehradun.
• It has the capability to defeat the protected armoured vehicles in ranges from 1.5 to 5
kilometre.
STATES AFFAIRS
99. Maharashtra has become the leading producer of sugar in India after a five-year gap. It has
overtaken Uttar Pradesh. During the current season of 2021-22 crushing year (October-
September), Maharashtra has produced 138 lakh tonnes (lt) of sugar, followed by Uttar
Pradesh (104 lakh tonnes), Karnataka (60 lakh tonnes), and Gujarat (12 lakh tonnes).
Reasons for increasing sugar production in Maharashtra:

• The first is the bountiful rainfall Maharashtra has been receiving since the 2019 southwest
monsoon season (June-September).
• The second is higher yields from farmers taking extra care of their crop.
• The third factor is due to the huge jump in “unregistered” cane cultivation.
Note: After Brazil, India is the second-largest producer of sugar in the world.
100. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has completed the excavation of Nechiphu tunnel in
West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh. The last blast was initiated by BRO Director
General Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhury virtually.
• The 500 metre Nechiphu tunnel between Km 82 to 88 along the Balipara-Charduar-
Tawang Road, which connects Balipara in Assam to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh
bordering China, is located at an altitude of 5700 ft.
• The D-shaped tunnel has been excavated under ‘Project Vartak’ and will accommodate
two-way traffic.
• It will be equipped with modern lighting and safety facilities.
• The new Austrian tunnelling method has been used to achieve construction at a fast pace.
101. The government of Tamil Nadu has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
the India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) to obtain life certificate from pensioners through
doorstep services of the Postal Department. Under this MoU, the IPPB has agreed to offer the
doorstep services at Rs.70 per digital life certificate.

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102. The state government of Punjab has abolished physical stamp papers and has launched an
‘e-stamp facility’ to bring efficiency and check the pilferage of State revenue. The stamp
paper of any denomination can now be obtained via ‘e-stamp’, which includes computerised
print-out from any stamp vendor or from banks authorised by the State government.
• The Punjab government will pay a commission of 2% to the stamp vendors on e-
stamps ranging from Rs 1 to Rs 19,999, while the general public would get stamp
paper at the actual rate.
103. The state government of Maharashtra has launched the 'faceless Regional Transport
Offices (RTOs)' to help citizens avail facilities linked to the sector better. Through this
arrangement, driving licences and several other services will be available to people who need
not physically make the rounds of RTOs. This faceless platform will also help in saving paper.
• Note: Delhi is the first city to offer 'Faceless Services' which was launched through the
Transport Department in 2021.
104. The Government of Andhra Pradesh has launched an app named "ACB 14400" to curb
corruption at government offices across the State. The app has been developed by the Anti-
Corruption Bureau (ACB). Through this app, the people can lodge corruption-related
complaints against any government officials in the State.
105. The Meghalaya government key initiative of e-proposal system, part of Meghalaya
Enterprise Architect (MeghEA) has bagged the Best Project Award in the “Role of
Governments in Promoting ICTs for Development” category at the United Nations World
Summit on Information Society Forum 2022. Meghalaya Enterprise Architecture (MeghEA) is
India’s only project to win the award this year.
106. ‘Anchal', a special health care campaign, has been launched for pregnant women in the
Karauli district of Rajasthan. The aim is to provide all necessary medical aid to pregnant
women at the pre and post-natal stage so that maternal and infant mortality rates could be
reduced. It is also ensured that the Auxiliary Nurse Midwife and ASHA workers in the district
will keep in constant contact with the pregnant women of their respective areas and provide
them with necessary counselling and treatment as and when required.
107. The Delhi government has planned to rename the city's streets and colonies with the word
“Harijan” in their names after BR Ambedkar. A proposal to this effect has been tabled by
Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam.

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108. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has flagged off the luxury cruise liner “Empress” from
Chennai port. The 11-storey tourist vessel can accommodate up to 2000 passengers and
about 800 crew members. The packages include going to the high seas from the city port and
to return, and also to anchor at Puducherry and Visakhapatnam harbours. The vessel has a
swimming pool, children’s play area, gym, theatre and a multi-cuisine restaurant. This is
considered the first luxury cruise liner to be operated from the state.
109. The Government of Sikkim has declared the ‘Blue Duke’ as the State Butterfly of Sikkim.
Blue Duke has been selected as the state butterfly securing 57 percent of votes in a recent
online poll conducted by the Forest Department.
Blue Duke:
• Scientific name: Bassarona durga durga
• It is a species of nymphalid butterfly.
• It is unique to Sikkim and the eastern Himalayas. It was discovered in the state in 1858.
• It falls in Schedule 2 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and is a protected species in the
Himalayas.
110. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has announced that the state government is set to
introduce the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award to the state’s sportspersons. He has made
the announcement while addressing the inauguration and player award ceremony at Sawai
Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, Rajasthan. He has also informed that Rajiv Gandhi Rural
Olympics will start from 29th August 2022 and more than 27 lakh players of all ages will take
part in it.
111. The Government of Goa has launched the ‘Beach Vigil App’ to allow users to report
violations like drinking/cooking on the beach, unattended litter, illegal hawking, touting for
services like massages, tattoos as well as illegal services. The app will cover everything from
reporting illegal hawkers and illegal massage services to beach cleanliness.
112. The state government of Karnataka has launched the Farmer Registration & Unified
Beneficiary Information System (FRUITS) software for Aadhar-based, single-window
registration for the schemes.
• The software has been developed by National Informatics Centre, Karnataka unit.
• Through this software, farmers can access benefits of hosts of schemes such as Direct
Benefit Transfer under PM Kisan, payment for Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for crops,
special financial assistance, caste certificate authentication and ration cards.

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113. Sital Sasthi, a sacred Hindu festival, has been observed in the Sambalpur district of
Odisha. This week-long special festival highlights the marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess
Parvati.
• According to the Hindu calendar, Sital Sasthi is observed on the sixth day of the ‘Jyestha’
month during the Shukla Paksha.
• People observing this festival believe that Lord Shiva represents the scorching heat of
summer while Goddess Parvati signifies the first rain.
• This festival is usually celebrated in a form of a grand carnival. The Sambalpur carnival,
which is a popular event, attracts thousands of tourists from all over India and abroad.
• This year, an assembly of more than 6,000 artists from across Odisha as well as other
states have performed in the festival.
114. The Maharashtra State Board for Wildlife (MSBWL) has approved 12 new conservation
reserves and 3 wildlife sanctuaries to boost wildlife conservation and environment
protection movement.
• These protected areas (PAs) will have an area of almost 1,000 sq km (around 692.74 sq
km for conservation reserves and 303 sq km for wildlife sanctuaries), which is twice the
size of Mumbai city’s 482 sq km.
• So far, 15 conservation reserves have been notified in Maharashtra. With new additions,
the number will rise to 27.
• The board has also approved the 10 endangered wildlife habitats.
12 new conservation reserves: Chivatibavari and Alaldari in Dhule; Kalwan, Muragad,

Triambakeshwar and Igatpuri in Nashik; Raigad and Roha in Raigad district; Bhor in Pune; Dare
Khurd (Mahadare) in Satara; Masai plateau in Kolhapur and Mogarkasa in Nagpur.
3 wildlife sanctuaries: Extension of the Lonar wildlife sanctuary (0.8694 sq km), Kolamarka in
Gadchiroli (180.72 sq km) and Muktai Bhawani in Jalgaon (122.74 sq km).
10 endangered wildlife habitats: Mayureshwar-Supe (5.145 sq km), Bor (61.64 sq km), New
Bor (60.69 sq km), Narnala (12.35 sq km), Lonar wildlife sanctuary (3.65 sq km), Gugamal
national park (361.28 sq km), Yedshi Ramlinghat wildlife sanctuary (22.37 sq km), Naigaon-Mayur
wildlife sanctuary (29.90 sq km)) and Deulgaon-Rehkuri blackbuck sanctuary (2.17 sq km).
Note: As per the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, the consent of the wildlife
board is a must before notifying any fresh PAs in the state.
115. The Government of Tamil Nadu has launched a skilling program ‘Nalaya Thiran’
(Tomorrow’s Potential) to help the industry get skilled students. In this program, 50,000
college students will train with knowledge in computer science, electronics and IT domains,
provide them with skills on problem-solving using technologies. This multi-agency
programme has been co-created by Nasscom, ICT Academy and Skill Development
Corporation.

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116. The Baikho festival is observed annually in the state of Assam, which is called as the
gateway to northeast India. It is celebrated by Rabha tribes of India in June. It is celebrated to
bring in an auspicious harvest season and to fill it with abundant crops and good health.
Rabha tribe:
Rabhas are a Tibeto-Burman community. They reside in Lower Assam in the Garo hills and
Dooar region of West Bengal. They are an agriculture-based community.
117. The Himachal Pradesh government has given nod to a drone policy to enable the use of
drones and similar technology for different public services in the hill state. The ‘Himachal
Pradesh Drone Policy 2022’ has been approved by the chief minister Jai Ram Thakur. The
policy envisions creating a holistic drone ecosystem built upon the foundation of
“Governance and Reforms Using Drones (GARUD).”
• With this new drone policy, Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in the country
to formally acknowledge the public use of drones.
• Note: India has witnessed 34.4% surge in number of drone or UAV start-ups between
August 2021 and February 2022.
118. The Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with three leading nationalized banks of India: State
Bank of India, Bank of Baroda and Punjab National Bank and with Small Industries
Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to boost the UP Defence Industrial Corridor. As per the
MoU, the bank will provide financial assistance in the form of ease of doing business to
investors in the UP Defence Industrial Corridor.
• UPEIDA has also signed an MoU with IIT Kanpur Research and Technology Park
Foundation (Technopark@iitk) to address the growing R&D requirements and
opportunities for collaboration of IIT Kanpur with the domestic Aerospace and Defence
ecosystem.
119. Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir has launched an 'Accidental insurance scheme'
under which Jammu & Kashmir bank will extend free group personal insurance cover of Rs 15
lakh for all government employees.
• The lender has also launched the ‘Phone Pe Loan’ facility for government employees.
• Under the ‘Phone Pe Loan’ scheme, the salaried employees can avail personal
consumption loan and cash credit facilities at discounted rate of interest.
• The bank has contracted with Oriental Insurance Company for extending the cover.

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120. The Government of Kerala has launched a vehicle monitoring system 'Suraksha-Mitra
Project'. In case of any accident, the system sends distress messages to the owners’ mobile
phones. The project has been launched by the Motor Vehicle Department under the
Nirbhaya scheme and has become operational in the State, to make road travel safer.
• Kerala govt. has also inaugurated a cancer diagnostics and research centre ‘Karkinos
Healthcare’ in Kochi. It is slated to be the country’s first oncology laboratory for
comprehensive cancer diagnostic services.
121. The Government of Assam has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NLC
India, the public sector navaratna company, to set up a first-of-its-kind joint venture
company (JVC) for generating 1 GW of solar power with an investment of Rs.5000 crore. NLC
India will hold 51 percent stake in the solar JVC.
122. The State Government of Telangana has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with Karnataka-based Elest, a Fortune-500 company, for the establishment of India's first
display fabrication unit ‘Generation 6 AMOLED Display FAB’.
• The display fab unit will be set up in Hyderabad, Telangana with investments worth Rs
24,000 crore.
• It will be set up under the India Semiconductor Mission programme of the Ministry of
Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India.
• AMOLED is a display technology and stands for Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting
Diodes.
123. Tamil Nadu Government has launched the ‘Ennum Ezhuthum’ scheme to fill the
learning gap occurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic among students aged below 8. The
scheme has been launched at an event in Azhinjivakkam panchayat union middle school,
Tiruvallur in Tamil Nadu.
• The scheme ensure foundational literacy and numeracy by 2025.
• Under this scheme, the education department will distribute workbooks to students from
Classes 1 to 3 to assess and bridge the learning gap.
• The children will be trained in 3 subjects: Tamil, English, and Mathematics.
124. The state government of Haryana has launched a pilot project the ‘Sujal’ initiative for
Panchkula to monitor the water supply and control its flow in the region. Under this initiative,
a device will be installed in every drinking water meter, tubewell and connections of Haryana
Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) that will store the water usage data online.

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125. The government of Delhi, in collaboration with the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) India, has set up an oxygen generation plant at G. B. Pant Hospital in the
national capital to augment the oxygen supply capabilities. UN Assistant Secretary General
and UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, Kanni Wignaraja, has inaugurated the
oxygen plant in the presence of Medical Director G. B. Pant Hospital Dr. Anil Agarwal.
• The oxygen plant produces about 1,000 litres of oxygen per minute using pressure swing
adsorption (PSA) technology.
• It will serve about 750 hospital beds, including ventilator-assisted beds and the Intensive
Care Unit.
126. The state government of Haryana has signed a joint declaration with Israel in the field of
integrated water resources management and capacity building. This joint declaration will
strengthen the relationship in the water management sector, preserve water resources in
public water areas in Haryana, improve public health in the region, and cooperate and
coordinate efforts to protect the water resources.
127. India’s first-ever girl Panchayat, “Balika Panchayat”, has been started in several villages of
Kutch district of Gujarat. The aim is to promote the social and political development of the
girls and ensure their active participation of girls in politics.
• This initiative has been started by the Women and Child Development Welfare
department of Gujarat Government.
• It has been launched under the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ campaign.
• Currently, this initiative has been started in Kunaria, Motagua, Maska, and Vadsar villages of
the Kutch district of Gujarat.
• It is managed by people aged 11-21 years.
• The member of Balika Panchayat is nominated just like Gram Panchayat.
128. India’s first 100 MLD (million liters per day) capacity desalination plant has been
inaugurated at Dahej in Bharuch district of Gujarat. It has been set up by the Gujarat
Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) with an investment of Rs 881.19 crore. The plant
can desalinate 100 million litres of water per day. It will supply water to the industries in the
area. Its construction work was awarded to the joint venture company of Larsen & Toubro
and Tecton. The price of 1000 litres of treated water will be Rs.26.
Desalinate plant:
A desalination plant turns salt water into water that is fit to drink. The most commonly used
technology for the process is reverse osmosis where an external pressure is applied to push

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solvents from an area of high-solute concentration to an area of low-solute concentration
through a membrane.
129. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the 'Mukhyamantri Matrushakti Yojna'- a
nutrition scheme for pregnant and lactating mothers, during the public meeting called
'Gujarat Gaurav Abhiyan' held in Vadodara, Gujarat. The scheme will offer monthly supply
of 2 kg of chickpeas, 1 kg of yellow split pigeon peas (toor dal) and 1 kg of edible oil free of
cost from Anganwadi Centres for three years. It will cover 7 lakh women with an outlay of Rs.
800 crore.
During the meeting, PM Narendra Modi has launched schemes worth Rs 21,000 crore in
Gujarat. These are as follows:
• He has laid the foundation stone for Railway projects worth more than Rs 16,000 crore—
works that include a new 357-km long Palanpur-Madar section of a dedicated freight
corridor (DFC).
• He has also laid the foundation stones for the redevelopment of Surat, Udhna, Somnath
and Sabarmati railway stations.
• He has dedicated 138,000 houses worth Rs 1,800 crore in urban areas and Rs 1,530 crore
in rural areas.
• He has laid the foundation stone of Gujarat Central University in Kundhela village of
Dabhoi taluka near Vadodara. It will be constructed at a cost of around Rs 425 crore and
will be able to carry a capacity of over 2,500 students.
• He has inaugurated the redeveloped Kalika Mata temple at Pavagadh Hill in Gujarat s
Panchmahal district. The temple has been renovated at a cost of Rs 125 crore.
130. Assam has become the 36th state/UT to implement the 'One Nation One Ration Card'
(ONORC) program. With this, the ONORC programme has been successfully implemented in
all states and Union Territories, making food security portable throughout the country.
ONORC:
Under the ONORC (One Nation, One Ration Card), beneficiaries covered under the National
Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) can get their quota of subsidised food grains from any
electronic point of sale device (ePoS)-enabled fair price shops of their choice by using their
existing ration cards with biometric authentication. The implementation of ONORC was
initiated in August 2019.
The ONORC will also help achieve the target set under SDG-2: Ending hunger by 2030.

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131. The Government of Tamil Nadu has launched a skilling programme called ‘Nalaya Thiran’
(Tomorrow’s ability) under the ‘Naan Mudhalvan’ (I am the first). This programme will provide
hands-on experience on problems and help the industry to get skilled students.
• This multi-agency programme has been co-created by the National Association of

Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM), ICT Academy and Skill Development
Corporation.
• In this programme, 50,000 college students will train with the knowledge in computer
science, electronics and IT domains, skilling them on problem solving using technologies.
132. The Government of Karnataka has signed two Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that
will help the economic activities of women self-help groups and facilitate organic farmers to
sell their produce directly to consumers.
• One MoU has been signed with the IIM Bangalore to scale up at least 100-150 existing
women-owned or women-led enterprises in the state.
• Another has been signed with Subhiksha that will create a direct linkage with the
consumers through the online marketing platform ‘Subhiksha Farmers to Consumers’
app.
133. The Assam Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has approved the
formation of a joint venture company, Assam Rail Infrastructure Development
Corporation Limited (ARIDCL), between the Assam government and the Railway Ministry to
increase the railway network in the state. The Assam government will hold a share of 51
percent and the Railway Ministry will hold the remaining 49 percent share in ARIDCL.
134. Sao Joao festival is observed annually on 24th June in Goa to commemorate Saint John the
Baptist, who baptised Lord Jesus on the river of Jordan and is celebrated at the onset of
monsoon. Siolim, a village in North Goa, hosts a traditional canoe parade on the occasion of
Sao Joao. The festival is celebrated by jumping into wells and lakes.
135. The state government of Karnataka has launched the ‘Kashi Yatra’ scheme with a project
outlay of Rs.7 crore. The project provides cash assistance of Rs.5,000 to each of the 30,000
pilgrims, who are willing to take up a pilgrimage to Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi,
Uttar Pradesh.
• Pilgrims who are willing to avail the benefit must be the native of Karnataka.
• The applicants should be above 18 years and must provide a valid age proof.

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136. Ladakh Lieutenant Governor R. K. Mathur has inaugurated the 4-day Sindhu Darshan
Yatra by hoisting a national flag at the Sindhu Ghat. He has also released a 50 rupees worth
of commemorative stamps with Sindhu Ghat and snow-covered mountains in the backdrop,
celebrating the 26th edition of Sindhu Darshan Yatra.
Sindhu Darshan Festival:
• It is organized annually in Shey village of Leh, Ladakh.

• The festival aims to endorse the Sindhu River as an icon of communal harmony and unity
of India.
• It is held every year on Guru Purnima (full moon day).
• It was first started in the October 1997.
137. Jammu & Kashmir will host the G20 leaders' summit in 2023. J&K government has set up
a five-member high-level committee for overall coordination of G20 meetings to be held in
the Union Territory.
• India will hold the G20 presidency from 1st December 2022, and will convene the G20
leaders’ summit in 2023 for the first time.
• Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal was appointed as India’s Sherpa for
the G20 in September 2021.
Additional Information:
G20 is an influential grouping that brings together the world’s major economies. India has been
a member of the G20 since its inception in 1999. G20 member nations are Argentina, Australia,
Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi
Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.
138. Ambubachi Mela, an annual Hindu festival, is observed at the Kamakhya Temple in
Guwahati, Assam. In 2022, the fair has been organized for four days (23 to 26 June). The
festival marks the annual menstruation of the presiding Goddess in the Kamakhya Temple.
The fair is an occasion to promote menstrual hygiene among the visitors through the use of
sanitary pads.
Kamakhya Temple:
• Kamakhya is one of 51 Shakti peethas or holy sites for the followers of the Shakti cult,
each representing a body part of the Sati, Lord Shiva’s companion.
• The temple’s sanctum sanctorum houses the yoni (female genital) symbolised by a rock.
• The temple is situated on the Nilachal Hills, whose northern face slopes down to the
Brahmaputra River.

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• According to the legends, it was built by the demon king Narakasura but records are
available only from 1565 when Koch king Naranarayana rebuilt the temple.
Note: The attainment of womanhood of girls in Assam is celebrated with a ritual called Tuloni
Biya, meaning small wedding.
139. Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister MK Stalin has inaugurated the Tamil Nadu Centre of
Excellence in Advanced Manufacturing (TANCAM), India’s first of its kind Centre of
Excellence (CoE), in the TIDEL Park at Taramani in Chennai. It is a Rs. 212 crore joint venture
between the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO), and the French firm
Dassault Systems.
Other initiatives launched during the Tamil Nadu Advanced Manufacturing Conclave
2022:
• Chief Minister MK Stalin has inaugurated two Industrial Innovation Centres (IICs) in
Sriperumbudur and Hosur.
• He has also launched an Industry 4.0 Maturity Index Survey in partnership with Infosys,
IIT-Madras and University of Nottingham. Through this survey, companies will be able to
evaluate, identify and develop measures to achieve their targets.
• He has also laid the foundation stone for Tidel Neo Parks in Villupuram and Tiruppur
districts.
140. BLS International Services has tied up with West Bengal government for computerization
and e-governance of registration offices in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode in the
Presidency Zone.
• In the project, the company will procure, install and commission the hardware for 81
offices under Presidency Zone.
• Deployment of manpower, management and maintenance of manpower and hardware
will be done for five years.
• BLS will process 7,00,000 transactions per annum in the project.
141. The Chief Minister of Gujarat Bhupendra Patel has launched the 17th ‘Shala Praveshotsav’
to enrol students in primary schools in the state. The three-day enrollment drive has started
from Memadpur primary school in Vadgam taluka of Banaskantha district.

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INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
142. The Central African Republic (CAR) has become the second country in the world to adopt
Bitcoin as official currency, after El Salvador. With this, CAR has become the first African
country to adopt Bitcoin as its official currency. The nation has adopted Bitcoin along with the
existing fiat currency, the Central African Franc.
143. India and Sweden have hosted the Industry Transition Dialogue in Stockholm, as a part of
their joint initiative i.e. Leadership for Industry Transition (LeadIT). The LeadIT initiative
lays specific focus on hard to abate sectors that are key stakeholders in the global climate
action and require specific interventions.
• The event has been addressed by the Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate
Change, India, Bhupender Yadav and Minister for Climate and the Environment, Sweden,
Annika Strandhäll.
• This high level of dialogue has contributed to the UN Conference ‘Stockholm+50’: a
healthy planet for the prosperity of all –our responsibility, our opportunity’, held on 2 and
3 June 2022 and set the agenda for COP27.
• During the event, India has also chaired the roundtable dialogues on Priorities for
implementation 2022-23.
LeadIT:
• It was launched by India and Sweden at the UN Climate Action Summit in September
2019 and is supported by the World Economic Forum (WEF).
• Recently, Japan and South Africa have officially joined the LeadIT. This extends the total
membership of LeadIT to 37 including countries and companies together.
144. The United Nations has agreed to change the Republic of Turkey’s country name at the
organization from “Turkey” to “Türkiye”, following the request from the government of
Turkey. “Türkiye” will now be used in all foreign languages and the country’s full official name
will be ‘Republic of Türkiye’.
145. Ex SAMPRITI-X, a joint military training exercise between the armies of India and
Bangladesh, has commenced recently at Jashore Military Station in Bangladesh from 05 June
to 16 June 2022. The aim of the exercise is to strengthen interoperability between the two
armies and to understand each other’s tactical drills and operational techniques.
• Indian Army is being represented by a Battalion of the DOGRA Regiment and
Bangladesh Army is being represented by Border Guards.

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146. Albania’s parliament has elected a top military official, General Major Bajram Begaj as the
country’s new president after no candidates were nominated in three rounds of voting. He
will become Albania’s 8th President and the 3rd from the military ranks. He will take oath as
the new President on 25th July 2022 to replace the current President Ilir Meta.
147. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has virtually addressed the Rotary International
Convention 2022. The convention has been held in George R. Brown Convention Centre
(GRB), Houston, Texas, the United States of America (USA).
• The 113th annual Rotary International Convention is organized by Rotary International.
• Houston is hosting the Rotary convention for the 3rd time, marking the 50th anniversary of
the 1972 Rotary International Convention.
Note: Melbourne will host the 2023 Rotary International Convention.
148. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has initiated BALTOPS (Baltic Operations)
22, a two-week United States-led naval exercise, on the Baltic Sea with more than 7,000
sailors, airmen and marines from 16 nations, including two aspiring to join the military
alliance, Finland and Sweden.
• The annual BALTOPS naval exercise was initiated in 1972.
• It is an annual exercise that visibly demonstrates NATO’s commitment to preserving
regional peace and security by exercising a team of international forces that can rapidly
respond in a time of crisis.
• It is scheduled to end in the German port of Kiel on 17th June 2022.
149. India and Canada have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to increase
cooperation on climate action, environmental protection and conservation through a range
of initiatives in areas such as renewable energy and plastic pollution. The MoU has been
signed by environment minister Bhupender Yadav and his Canadian counterpart Steven
Guilbeault in Stockholm, Sweden. It has been signed on the margins of the Stockholm+50
conference.
• India has increased its goal of reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP from 35% to
45% and is now aiming to generate half of its electricity from renewables by 2030, up
from 40%.
150. Israel has signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), its
first such deal with an Arab state. Israel Minister of Economy and Industry Orna Barbivay and
the UAE Minister of Economy Abdalla Bin Touq Al Marri have signed the agreement in Dubai.
• Objective: To increase bilateral trade in goods and services, increase Israeli exports to
UAE and provide customs exemption immediately or gradually on 96 percent of trade

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between the countries: food, agriculture, cosmetics, medical equipment, medication
and more.
151. “Ex Khaan Quest 2022”, a Multinational Peacekeeping exercise, has been hosted by
Mongolia. The exercise features participation from military contingents from 16 countries.
Indian Army is represented by a contingent from the LADAKH SCOUTS. The 14-day exercise
is aimed at enhancing interoperability, building military-to-military relationships, developing
peace support operations and military readiness among participating nations.
Note: The year 2021 marked the 66th anniversary of diplomatic ties between India and
Mongolia.
152. India and Poland have signed a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) on criminal
matters. The treaty aims to enhance the effectiveness of both the nations in the
investigation and prosecution of crimes, including those related to terrorism. With this,
Poland has become the 45th country to sign an MLAT on criminal matters with New Delhi.
153. Queen Elizabeth II (Britain) has become the second longest-reigning monarch in the entire
world, right behind French King Louis XIV. She has surpassed Thailand's King Bhumibol
Adulyadej, who reigned for 70 years and 126 days between 1927 and 2016, to set another
record. Louis XIV of France remains the longest-reigning monarch, with a 72-year and 110-
day reign from 1643 until 1715.
154. The 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has adopted a resolution
on multilingualism. The resolution is co-sponsored by India and co-facilitated by Andorra
and Columbia.
• The resolution promoted the UN’s Department of Global Communications to use both
official and non-official languages, including Bangla, Hindi, and Urdu, in its
communications. It also mentioned languages like Portuguese, Kiswahili, and Persian.
• English, Russian, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic and French are the six official languages of the
United Nations.
• India’s Permanent Representative to the UN in New York is TS Tirumurti.
155. Thailand has officially legalized the growing and selling of cannabis or marijuana for
medical and industrial use. With this, Thailand has become the first Asian country to do so.
• Cannabis is a psychoactive drug from the Cannabis plant used primarily for medical or
recreational purposes.
• The main psychoactive component of cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is
one of the 483 known compounds in the plant, including at least 65 other cannabinoids,
including cannabidiol (CBD).

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• It is used by smoking, vaporizing, within the food, or as an extract.
156. Chinese Scientists have released a new comprehensive geologic map of the moon. This is
the world’s "most detailed to date” map of the moon. The new map of scale 1:2,500,000
has been published by Science Bulletin. The map includes 12,341 impact craters, 81 impact
basins, 17 rock types and 14 types of structures, providing abundant information about
geology of the moon and its evolution. It is expected to make a great contribution to scientific
research, exploration and landing site selection on the moon.
157. The New York state legislature in the United States has passed the world's first 'Right to
Repair' law that allows digital electronics manufacturers to make parts, tools, information,
and software available to consumers and independent repair shops. The law does not
include motor vehicles, home appliances, medical devices, public safety communications
equipment like police radios, agricultural equipment, and off-road equipment.
158. India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vietnam on mutual
logistics support. It is the first such major agreement that Vietnam has signed with any
country.
• The MoU has been signed between the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his
Vietnamese counterpart General Phan Van Giang in Hanoi.
• Both the nations have also signed the ‘Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence
Partnership towards 2030′, which will significantly enhance the scope and scale of existing
defence cooperation.
• Both Ministers also agreed for early finalisation of USD 500 million Defence Line of Credit
extended to Vietnam.
• India has handed over 12 High Speed Guard Boats, constructed under India’s USD 100
million Line of Credit, to Vietnam
159. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has officially visited Vietnam from 8-10 June 2022. During
his visit, he visited Tran Quoc Pagoda, a revered Buddhist temple which reaffirmed the age-
old civilizational and people-to-people linkages between the two countries.
The DAVINCI (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gasses, Chemistry, and
Imaging) mission of NASA will launch in 2029. The mission aims to investigate Venus'
atmosphere-climate system and shed new light on the scorching planet's potentially habitable
past.
• It will be the first mission to study Venus by means of both flybys and descent.
• Spacecraft is likely to explore layered Venusian atmosphere. It will reach Venusian surface
by June 2031.

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160. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has elected five countries as non-permanent
members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2023-2024 term. These
countries are Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland. The newly-elected
countries will replace India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico and Norway at the horse-shoe table from
1st January 2023.
• The newly elected nations will join Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana and the United Arab
Emirates as well as the five permanent members China, France, Russia, the UK and the
US as UNSC members for the year 2023.
161. Singapore has hosted the 19th edition of ‘Shangri-La Dialogue’ (Asia Security Summit) from
10-12 June 2022. It has been hosted by the London-based International Institute for Strategic
Studies (IISS). About 500 delegates from more than 40 countries have participated in the
summit. Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, has presented the opening keynote
address in the summit.
• The participating countries include: Singapore, Australia, Cambodia, Brunei, Chile,
France, Canada, China, India, Germany, Japan, Indonesia, Laos, South Korea, Myanmar,
Mongolia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Russia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sweden, Sri Lanka,
Timor-Leste, Thailand, Vietnam, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States.
162. As per the recent data, Iraq has become the top oil supplier to India in May 2022. Russia
has overtaken Saudi Arabia to become India's second-biggest supplier of oil, as Russian crude
is currently available at a deep discount following the war in Ukraine. Indian refiners has
bought about 25 million barrels of Russian oil in May or over 16 per cent of all their oil
imports.
• India’s top oil supplier in 2021: Iraq, Saudi Arabia, UAE, U.S., Nigeria.
• Note: India is the world's third-biggest oil-importing and consuming nation after USA
and China.
163. The first-ever India-European Union (EU) Security and Defence Consultations has been
held in Brussels, Belgium. The consultation has been held in accordance with the decision
taken at India-EU Summit in July 2020. The consultation has been co-chaired by Joint
secretary of Ministry of Defence Somnath Ghosh and Joint Secretary (Europe West) of
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Sandeep Chakravorty from India and Director Security and
Defence Policy, from European Union.
• Both sides discussed various means of increasing India-EU cooperation on maritime
security, implementation of the European code of conduct on arms export to India’s

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neighbourhood, cooperation in co-development and co-production of defence equipment
including India’s participation in Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO).
• Both the sides noted number of positive developments in security and defence
cooperation area in recent years.
164. India has hosted the 8th meeting of the Heads of Border Services of the competent
authorities of member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in New
Delhi. It has been attended by representatives of the border services of India, Kazakhstan,
China, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and the Executive Committee
of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of SCO. India has been represented by Border
Security Force (BSF) Director-General (DG) Pankaj Kumar Singh.
Key highlights:
• The Plan for the preparation and conduct of the Joint Border Operation Friendship
Border 2022 has been reviewed and approved.
• The members has supported the initiative of China to conduct the 9th round of Joint
Border Operations of the border services of the competent authorities of the SCO
member states i.e. ‘Solidarity – 2023’ in 2023.
• The members assessed the situation on the state borders of the SCO member states,
trends, and forecasts of its development.
165. India has hosted the Special ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (SAIFMM) in New
Delhi to mark the 30th anniversary of its dialogue relations & 10 years of its Strategic
Partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The foreign ministers of
India and ASEAN countries have participated in the meeting. Myanmar did not participated
in the meeting.
The ASEAN-India dialogue relations started with the establishment of sectoral partnership in
1992 which graduated to full dialogue partnership in December 1995 and summit level
partnership in 2002. The ties were elevated to a strategic partnership in 2012.
ASEAN:
ASEAN was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN
Declaration (Bangkok Declaration). The motto of ASEAN is “One Vision, One Identity, One
Community”. The members include Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei,
Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia.
• ASEAN Secretariat: Jakarta, Indonesia.

• Secretary-General: Dato Paduka Lim Jock Hoi

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166. Lake Sawa, also known as the ‘pearl of the south’, is located in Muthanna Governorate, Iraq.
Recently, the lake has run dry amid water crisis that is induced by climate change, including
record low rainfall and back-to-back drought.
• Lake Sawa was formed over limestone rock and studded with gypsum formations and has
no inlet or outlet.
• The lake rises 5 meters above sea level and is about 4.5 km long and 1.8 km wide.
• It appears in some old Islamic texts. It is said the lake miraculously formed on the day the
Prophet Muhammad was born in 570 A.D.
167. Egypt has hosted the 8th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians in Sharm El
Sheikh to address climate change. The two-day conference has been jointly organized by the
House of Representatives and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
• The conference provides a platform for young Member of Parliament (MPs) from across
the world to exchange learn and define common and innovative strategies to advance
youth empowerment.
• Around 200 young MPs, from 60 countries have participated in the conference to discuss
strategies to mitigate the impact of climate change and ensure that global warming does
not exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius in line with the Paris Agreement.
• According to official information shared by IPU, there are 35,177 Parliamentary seats
globally but just 2.66 percent of these are held by young MPs.
S. Phangon Konyak, Nagaland's first woman elected as MP to Rajya Sabha, has represented India
at the Conference. She, along with two other young Lok Sabha MPs from India, has shared her
thoughts on the 'Young MPs for Climate Actions'.
168. The 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) has been
held in Geneva, Switzerland. It has been co-hosted by Kazakhstan and chaired by Timur
Suleimenov, Deputy Chief of Staff of Kazakhstan's President. Kazakhstan was originally
scheduled to host MC12 in June 2020 but the conference was postponed due to the COVID-
19 pandemic.
• The focus of WTO MC12 is to review the functioning of the multilateral trading system,
to make general statements and to take action on the future work of the WTO.
• During the meeting, WTO members have agreed on tackling the following food
insecurity concerns, curbing harmful fishing subsidies, temporarily waiving intellectual
property (IP) obligations concerning COVID-19 vaccines, deals on e-commerce,
responding to pandemics and reforming the organization itself.
• Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, has represented India at the
WTO’s MC12 during the Thematic Session on Agriculture.
• He has also attended the ministerial meeting of G33, a coalition of developing
countries of which India is a key member.

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169. The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has
organized an eight-day long Mango Festival in Bahrain to boost the export of Mangoes.
Around 34 varieties of mangoes from eastern states of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar
Pradesh and Odisha, have been displayed at eight different locations of Bahrain's Al Jazira
group supermarket. This show is part of APEDA’s new initiatives to explore international
markets for Indian mangoes under the ‘Mango Festival 2022.
170. Unmesh, a three-day international literary festival, has been organized at Gaiety Theatre in
Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. The festival has been organised by the Union Ministry of Culture
and the Sahitya Akademi with the support of the Himachal Pradesh Department of Art and
Culture as part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
• The festival has been inaugurated by the Union Minister of State for Culture Arjun Ram
Meghawal.
• Around 425 writers, poets, translators, critics and distinguished personalities from 15
countries, representing over 60 languages, have participated in the event.
171. The United States of America (USA) has announced the formation of ‘I2U2’, a new QUAD
group that includes India, Israel, USA, and United Arab Emirates (UAE). This new grouping
will enhance economic, and political cooperation in the Middle East and Asia, especially
through trade, climate change mitigation, energy cooperation, and other vital shared
interests.
• The first summit of the ‘I2U2’ grouping will be virtually hosted by US President Joe
Biden during his visit to West Asia from 13th July to 16th July 2022. The summit will be
attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Israeli PM Neftali Bennet and UAE
President Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The summit will focus on the food security
challenge and other areas of cooperation.
172. Khuvsgul Lake National Park of Mongolia has been added to the World Network of
Biosphere Reserves of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO). The decision has been made during the 34th session of the International Co-
ordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere Programme taking place in Paris, France.
• Khuvsgul Lake, the largest freshwater lake, is located in the northern Mongolian province
of Khuvsgul near the Russian border.
• It is holding nearly 70 percent of Mongolia’s fresh water, or 0.4 per cent of the world’s
total.
• The lake is 1,645 meters above sea level, 136 km long and 262 meters deep.
Additional Information:

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The Man and the Biosphere Programme is an intergovernmental scientific program set up by
UNESCO in the early 1970s with the aim of establishing a scientific basis for enhancing the
relationship between people and their environments.
173. China has launched its third aircraft carrier, named “Fujian” to extend the range of its navy
in Indo-Pacific region. It has been launched at a brief ceremony held at the Shanghai’s
Jiangnan Shipyard.
• The Fujian, which is the “first fully domestically developed and constructed” aircraft
carrier with catapults, has a flat, straight flight deck that has been equipped with
electromagnetic catapults and arresting devices.
• It has been built by China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited.
• It has been named after Fujian province of China.
174. The seventh round of the India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Commission has been
held in New Delhi. It has been co-chaired by External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and his
Bangladesh counterpart Dr. A.K. Abdul Momen.
• Both nations have agreed to expand their strategic partnership to explore cooperation in
areas of AI, cyber security, startups and Fintech and also expand ties in the railways sector
as well as cross-border river management and conservation.
• It is noteworthy that Bangladesh is India’s biggest trade partner in South Asia.
175. The 14th edition of BRICS Summit 2022 has been held in the virtual mode under the
Chairmanship of China. It has been held under the theme "Foster High-quality BRICS
Partnership, Usher in a New Era for Global Development”.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has participated in the summit along with Chinese
President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, President of South Africa Cyril
Ramaphosa and President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro.
• BRICS countries have adopted the ‘Beijing Declaration’ and also called for a push to
expedite implementation of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Key features of Beijing Declaration:

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• Strengthening and reforming global governance based on multilateralism and adherence
to international laws.
• It called for reforms of principal organs of UN and urged developed countries to exercise
“responsible economic policies while managing policy spillovers”.
• Safeguarding Peace and Security through peaceful resolution of disputes and a world free
of nuclear weapons.
• Promote post COVID-19 Economic Recovery and Sustainable Development and intensify
BRICS Partnership on New Industrial Revolution (PartNIR).
• The declaration welcomed the establishment of the Digital Economy Working Group by
upgrading the E-commerce Working Group.
176. The United Kingdom (UK) government has announced a partnership with leading
businesses in India to offer 75 fully funded scholarships for Indian students to study in the
UK from September 2022, in celebration of the 75th anniversary of India's independence.
• The programmes on offer include Chevening scholarships for a one-year Master's

programme, with the opportunity to study any subject at a UK university.
• Additionally, the British Council in India is offering around 18 scholarships for women in
science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) covering over 12,000 courses
across more than 150 UK universities.
• The British Council is also offering six English scholarships.
HSBC India will sponsor 15 scholarships, Pearson India will sponsor 2, Hindustan Unilever, Tata
Sons and Duolingo will sponsor one each as part of the 75 scholarships.
177. The June 2022 plenary session of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has been held in
Berlin, Germany. According to this session, Pakistan will continue to be on the ‘Grey List’ of
countries under increased monitoring of FATF, a French based international watchdog. It will
be removed if the on-site visit finds that its actions are sustainable.
• During the session, Malta was removed from the "Grey List" and Gibraltar was added to it.
• Only North Korea and Iran are black-listed.
178. The National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA), the space agency of the United
States, has launched a NASA Black Brant IX suborbital sounding rocket from the Arnhem
Space Centre on the Dhupuma Plateau near the township of Nhulunbuy in Australia.
• It is the first occasion that NASA has launched a rocket from Northern Territory of
Australia. It is also the agency's first commercial spaceport launch outside the United
States

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• The aim is to observe the Alpha Centauri A and B constellations, the nearest star systems
to the Earth.
179. China has launched the 2nd Batch of three new remote sensing satellites of the Yaogan-35
series by a Long March (LM)-2D carrier rocket, from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre
(XSLC) in Sichuan Province, southwest China. The satellites entered the desired orbit
successfully as the second batch of the Yaogan-35 series.
180. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has launched a new database of the
Information System on Occupational Exposure in Medicine, Industry, and Research
(ISEMIR), which specifically targets workers in industrial processes involving naturally
occurring radioactive material (NORM), which can be termed as ISEMIR-N.
• Globally, there are over 24 million workers in various industries such as mining, oil and
gas production, mineral sands, water treatment, metal refining and recycling, phosphate
production, and geothermal energy, who are monitored to ensure radiation safety as they
are exposed to NORM.
• NORM is any naturally occurring material that contains no significant amounts of
radionuclides other than radionuclides of natural origin such as Uranium-238 (U-238),
Thorium-232 (Th-232), and Potassium-40 (K-40).
181. Iran has successfully launched a solid-fuelled rocket named “Zuljanah” into space. It is a
25.5 meter-long rocket and is capable of carrying a satellite of 220 kilograms that will
ultimately gather data in low-earth orbit and promote Iran’s space industry.
• Zuljanah is named for the horse of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet
Muhammad.
• It is the third civilian Satellite Launch Vehicle, developed in Iran, after Safir and Simorgh.
182. The two African countries, Gabon & Togo have joined the Commonwealth Group of
Nations, as its 55th & 56th members, respectively, at the closing session of the 26th
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) held in Kigali, Rwanda under the new
chairmanship of Rwandan President Paul Kagame. Both countries are former French
colonies.
• Rwanda was the last country to join the Commonwealth, in 2009.
• Gabon is bordered by Cameroon, a Commonwealth member, and Equatorial Guinea, and

the Republic of Congo.
• Togo is bordered by Ghana, a Commonwealth member, and Benin and Burkina Faso.
26th CHOGM:
• It has been held in Kigali, Rwanda.

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• Theme: “Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming”
• External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has represented India in the summit.
Note: The 2024 CHOGM will be hosted by Samoa.
183. The 34th International Co-ordinating Council (ICC) of the Man and the Biosphere (MAB)
Programme of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
has approved the designation of 11 new biosphere reserves in 9 countries, including three
countries for the first time: Chad, Georgia and Zambia. The meeting has been held in Paris,
France.
List of 11 new biosphere reserves:
• Chimanimani Biosphere reserve (Zimbabwe)

• Kafue Flats Biosphere Reserve (Zambia)
• Harrat Uwayrid Biosphere Reserve (Saudi Arabia)
• Khuvsgul Lake Biosphere Reserve (Mongolia)
• Markakol Biosphere Reserve (Kazakhstan)
• Burabay Biosphere Reserve (Kazakhstan)
• Three Alazani Rivers Biosphere Reserve (Georgia)
• Dedoplistskaro Biosphere Reserve (Georgia)
• Sena Oura Biosphere Reserve (Chad)
• Doumba-Rey Biosphere Reserve (Cameroon)
• Sunshine Coast Biosphere Reserve (Australia)
Two existing biosphere reserves in Spain have also been extended. These are El Hierro
Biosphere Reserve and Sierra del Rincón Biosphere Reserve.
With the new designations, the World Network of Biosphere Reserves totals 738 sites in 134
countries.
184. The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation
Experiment (CAPSTONE) mission of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA) has been successfully launched on Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from the Rocket Lab
Launch Complex 1 on the Mahila Peninsula, New Zealand.
• The mission will study a specific orbit where NASA plans to build a small space station for
astronauts to stop at before and after going to the moon’s surface.
• CAPSTONE spacecraft is owned and operated by a private company, Advanced Space,
based in Westminster, Colorado.

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The 48th edition of the G7 Summit 2022 has been held at Schloss Elmau in Bavarian Alps,
Germany. It has been held under the theme "Progress towards an Equitable World". It is based on
five areas of action: a sustainable planet, economic stability and transformation, healthy lives,
investment in a better future, and strong together.
Germany held the G7 presidency for the seventh time this year.
Participants:
• German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has invited India, along with Argentina, Indonesia, Senegal,
and South Africa to the 2022 Summit as partner countries.
• A number of international organisations, including the UN, WHO, WTO, IMF and the World
Bank have participated in the Summit.
• Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi has attended the summit.
Key Highlights:
• The G7 countries have launched the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and
Investment (PGII), a joint initiative to fund infrastructure projects in developing
countries. PGII aim to mobilise USD 600 billion over the next 5 years to narrow the global
investment gap.
• The G7 leaders committed to a highly decarbonised road sector by 2030, a fully or
predominantly decarbonised power sector by 2035, and prioritise the acceleration of the
phase-out of domestic unabated coal power.
• The G7 leaders endorsed the goals of an international Climate Club to accelerate the
implementation of the Paris Agreement.
• The G7 leaders re-emphasised their condemnation of Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable war
of aggression against Ukraine. G7 countries have pledged and provided EUR 28 billion in
budget aid and are strongly committed to support Ukrainian reconstruction through an
international reconstruction plan.
• The G7 countries will also increase global food and nutrition security through the Global
Alliance on Food Security.
• The G7 nations will work towards new Just Energy Transition Partnerships with
Indonesia, India, Senegal and Vietnam.
Note: Japan will hold the presidency of the G7 in 2023.
185. South Korea has launched its first domestically built space rocket in second attempt using
a domestically developed rocket. The three-stage ‘Nuri’ rocket has been launched from Naro
Space Centre at a launch site in Goheung, Joellanam-do province, South Korea.

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• With this, South Korea has become the 10th country to place a satellite into space with
its own technology.
186. The world's largest recorded freshwater fish, a giant stingray, has been caught in the
Mekong River in Cambodia. This stingray, measured almost four meters (13 feet) from snout
to tail and weighed slightly under 300 kilograms (660 pounds). The previous record for a
freshwater fish was a 293-kilogram (646-pound) Mekong giant catfish, discovered in Thailand
in 2005.
REPORTS & INDICES
187. As per the official data from government on aggregate GST registrations in the 2017-22
period, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh have topped in Goods and Services Tax (GST)
registration by businesses and dealers followed by Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.
• Maharashtra and UP have recorded 1.69 million GST registrations.
• Gujarat has 1.09 million normal and composition tax payers, while Tamil Nadu has 1.06
million GST registrations.
• Uttar Pradesh has the largest share of small businesses with the state accounting for over
357,000 composition dealers, while Maharashtra has over 122,000 composition dealers,
while Rajasthan has over 137,000 composition dealers.
188. National Statistical Office (NSO) has released Provisional Estimates (PE) of National Income
and Quarterly Estimates of GDP (Q4) for 2021-22. Also, Controller General of Accounts (CGA)
has released revenue-expenditure data for 2021-22.
• As per the data, India's GDP is estimated to grow at 8.7 percent in FY22 as against 6.6
percent in 2020-21.
• India’s GDP has declined to 4.1 percent year-on-year in the January-March period of 2021-
22 (Q4 FY22). The growth was 20.1 per cent, 8.4 per cent, and 5.4 per cent, in the first,
second and third quarters, respectively.
• India's real GDP grew to Rs.147.36 lakh crore from Rs.135.58 lakh crore in 2020-21.
• Nominal GDP is estimated to grow 19.5 percent in FY22 to Rs 236.4 trillion.
• Gross value added (GVA) at basic prices grew at 3.9 percent in the fourth quarter and 8.1
percent in FY22.
• Fiscal deficit has improved to 6.7% in FY22 as against revised budget estimate of 6.9%
mainly on account of higher tax realisation.
• The combined Index of Eight Core Industries stood at 143.2 in April 2022, which is an
increase of 8.4% (provisional) as compared to the Index of April 2021.
GDP & GVA:

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a measure of a country’s national income by adding up the
expenditures in the economy. Whereas Gross Value Added (GVA) is a measure of total output

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and income in the economy and adds value to all goods and services produced in the
economy.
• GDP= GVA + taxes earned by the government – subsidies provided by the government.
189. According to the 59th edition of the Top500 list of world’s most powerful supercomputers,
Frontier, a supercomputer built using Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) architecture and
equipped with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) processors, outperformed Supercomputer
Fugaku (Japan) to become the world’s fastest supercomputer. The supercomputer Frontier,
built for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), has reached
Linmark benchmark score of 1.1 exaflops.
• Frontier is followed by Fugaku (442 petaflops), LUMI system, installed at the EuroHPC
centre at CSC in Finland (151.9 petaflops); Summit, an IBM-built system at ORNL in
Tennessee, U.S. (148.8 petaflops); and Sierra, a system at the Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory in the U.S. (94.6 petaflops).
• 1 exaflop is equivalent to 1000 petaflops.
190. The Times Higher Education (THE) has announced the 'THE Awards Asia 2022'. The three
Indian institutes have been recognized in 'THE Awards Asia 2022'.
• Savitribai Phule Pune University: 'THE Datapoints Research Improvement Award'
category
• Amity University (Online): ‘Student Recruitment Campaign of the Year’ category
• Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences (Solan, Himachal
Pradesh): ‘Outstanding Support for Students’ category
Other awardees:
• Nanyang Technological University, Singapore: Leadership and Management Team of the
Year category
• Seoul National University: Workplace of the Year category
• Izmir Institute of Technology: International Strategy of the Year category
• Hong Kong Polytechnic University: Teaching and Learning Strategy of the Year category
• Diponegoro University: THE Datapoints Impact Award category
• Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS): Excellence and Innovation in the Arts
category
• Burapha University: Technological or Digital Innovation of the Year category
• Taylor’s University: Outstanding Support for Students category
THE Awards Asia recognise the achievements of higher education in Asia. It is awarded under 10
categories.
191. According to the latest Bloomberg's Billionaires Index, Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of
Reliance Industries, has become the richest man in India as well as in Asia with a net worth of

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USD 99.7 billion, surpassing Gautam Adani, chairman and founder of the Adani Group
whose net worth was at USD 98.7 billion.
• Globally, Mukesh Ambani has been ranked 8th and Gautam Adani has been ranked 9th
richest man in the world.
• Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has topped the index with a net worth of USD 227
billion, followed by Jeff Bezos (USD 149 billion), and Bernard Arnault (USD 138 billion).
192. A report titled 'Digital payments in India: A $10 trillion opportunity' has been prepared by
PhonePe in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The report states that
digital payments in India will reach $10 trillion in value by 2026 from $3 trillion now. Digital
payments (non-cash) will constitute two out of three payment transactions by 2026.
• UPI (Unified Payments Interface) will surge from 35% in FY21 to 75% in the next 5 years.
• Digital payments will constitute nearly 65% of all payments by 2026, up from the current
40%.
• UPI saw about 9 times transaction volume increase in the past 3 years, increasing from 5
billion transactions in FY19 to about 46 billion transactions in FY22. This accounts for
more than 60% non-cash transaction volumes in FY22.
• Tier 1-2 cities have witnessed the high acceptance of digital payments. The next wave of
growth will now come from Tier 3-6 locations.
193. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has released a new
report titled 'Global Plastics Outlook Policy Scenarios to 2060'. The report states that
global plastic waste will almost triple by 2060 due to economic and population growth.
• The report estimates that the OECD countries will double their plastic use while Sub-
Saharan Africa and Asia are expected to have the largest increase.
• The annual production of fossil-fuel based plastics is set to top 1.2 billion tonnes by 2060
and waste to exceed 1 billion tonnes.
• The absence of new policies will result in an increase in global plastic consumption from
460 million metric tons in 2019 to 1.2 billion metric tons in 2060.
The full report will be launched on 21st June 2022 at the OECD Green Talks Live webinar series.
194. According to the analysis of key financial parameters of Public Sector Banks (PSBs)
conducted by Bank Unions, the 12 PSBs have collectively doubled their net profit during the
financial year 2021-22 to Rs. 66,539 crore, a 110 percent increase from Rs 31,816 crore in the
financial year 2020-21.
• The State Bank of India’s (SBI’s) net profit was the highest at Rs 31,675 crore, which is
55 percent higher than the previous year. It accounted for 47 percent of the total profits
of public sector banks.

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• SBI is followed by Bank of Baroda, with a net profit of Rs 7,272 crore, earned 10 percent of
PSBs’ profits, followed by Canara Bank, which stood at Rs 5,678 crore, which was 8 percent
of total net profit.
• The highest revenue growth was reported by Bank of Baroda, followed by UCO Bank.
• The collective dividend of public sector banks is more than Rs 8,000 crore.
• The Bank of Maharashtra has shown the highest improvement in deposits and advances
and is the only PSB to have a net non-performing asset (NPA) of less than 1 percent. It has
also recorded the highest growth in advances of 25 percent, driven by the retail segment,
which rose by 23 percent.
• Private Banks registered a net profit of over Rs 91,000 crore, up 29 percent from Rs
70,435 crore in the previous year. Private Banks were led by HDFC Bank (Rs 36,961 crore),
ICICI Bank (Rs 23,339 crore), Axis Bank (Rs 13,025 crore), Kotak Mahindra Bank (Rs 8,572
crore), IndusInd Bank (Rs 4,611 crore) and Federal Bank. 1889 crores).
195. The world's first Fishing Cat census has been conducted outside the protected area network
in Chilika Lake in Odisha. The census has been conducted by the Chilika Development
Authority (CDA) in collaboration with The Fishing Cat Project (TFCP). As per the census, Chilika
Lake has 176 fishing cats. A range of 131-237 species have been recorded as Schedule I
species during the survey.
Fishing Cat:
• Scientific Name: Prionailurus viverrinus
• The fishing cat is nocturnal (active at night) and apart from fish also preys on frogs,
crustaceans, snakes, birds, and scavenges on carcasses of larger animals.
• It is an adept swimmer and enters water frequently to prey on fish.
• They are mainly found in the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans, on the foothills of the
Himalayas along the Ganga and Brahmaputra river valleys and in the Western Ghats.
• It is listed as 'Endangered' on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)'s
Red List.
196. Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings 2022 has been released by the Times
Higher Education (THE). India is the third most-represented country, behind Japan and
mainland China with 71 of its institutes figuring in the list. Out of these, four Indian
Universities have made it to the top 100 and 17 Indian universities topped the list under top
200.
Top 4 Indian universities under top 100:

• Indian Institute of Science Bangalore (42nd)
• JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research (65th)
• Indian Institute of Technology Ropar (68th)
• Indian Institute of Technology Indore (87th)

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Japan is the most-represented nation again this year, with 118 institutions, up from 116 last
year. China is home to the continent’s top two universities for the third consecutive year, with
Tsinghua and Peking universities holding on to first and second place, respectively.
Palestinian university is ranked for the first time and Saudi Arabia has increased its
representation in the top 100 from four to six institutions.
197. As per the latest estimates by outsourcing consultancy Everest Group, Tata Consultancy
Services (TCS) has retained its 10th position among the top global BPM (Business Process
Management) providers in 2021. The ranking is based on a composite score of revenue,
which was over $3 billion for TCS, and revenue growth, which grew by 14-16% over 2020.
• The top 5 BPM players in terms of revenue were Automatic Data Processing (ADP),
Teleperformance, Accenture, Concentrix, and Sitel Group.
• The top 5 fastest-growing companies year-on-year were Tech Mahindra, Telus
International, Majorel, Teleperformance, and Comdata.
• The BPM businesses of Infosys, Wipro, and Tech Mahindra were ranked at 20, 21, and 22
with revenue of $1.3 billion, $1.4-$1.5 billion, and $675 million respectively.
198. The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) has released a report titled ‘‘Road
accidents in India- 2020′’. The report highlights that the number of road accidents has been
on decline since 2016 except for a marginal increase of 0.46% in 2018.
• In India, road accident parameters decreased in 2020 compared to 2019.
• According to the report, compared to the previous year’s average, total road accidents
decreased by 18.46 percent. The number of deaths due to road accidents also decreased
by 12.84 percent and the number of injuries also decreased by 22.84 percent.
• The Union Territories and the States have reported a total of 3,66,138 road accidents in
the year 2020. The reported accidents have caused 1,31,714 deaths and 3,48,279 injuries.
• Young adults in the18-45 age group accounted for 70 percent of the total victims in 2020.
People in the 18-60 working-age group have accounted for 86 percent of all total fatalities
related to road accidents.
• The highest number of road accidents on the National Highways was in Tamil Nadu in
2020. The number of people killed in road accidents was highest in Uttar Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Rajasthan.
• The states that reported fewer fatalities and road accidents in 2020 are Kerala, Tamil
Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.
• According to the report, across the national highways in the country, there are 5,803 black
spots. The maximum number of black spots are located in Tamil Nadu (748) and West
Bengal (701).
• According to the report, the highest accident severity has been reported in Mizoram (79),
Bihar (78), and Punjab (75). The severity of road accidents is calculated by the number of

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deaths caused per 100 accidents. The national average of the country increased to 36 in
2020 from 33.7 in 2019, the highest in the last two decades. In 2000, it was 20.2.
199. The Tracking SDG 7 – The Energy Progress Report 2022 has been released by the
International Energy Agency (IEA), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), United
Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), World Bank, and World Health Organization (WHO). The
report highlights that the Russia-Ukraine war and Covid-19 crisis have considerably slowed
down efforts towards attaining the Seventh Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 7) target.
SDG 7 has a target of universal access to clean and affordable energy by 2030.
Key highlights:
• The share of the world’s population with access to electricity has increased from 83% in
2010 to 91% in 2020, increasing the number of people with access by 1.3 billion globally.
• With the current rates of progress, the world will reach only 92% electrification by 2030.
• The share of the global population with access to clean cooking fuels and technologies
has increased to 69% in 2020, an increase of 3% points over last year 2021.
• Rising commodity, energy and shipping prices, as well as restrictive trade measures, have
increased the cost of producing and transporting solar photovoltaic (PV) modules, wind
turbines, and biofuels, adding uncertainty for future renewable energy projects.
• From 2010 to 2019, global annual improvements in energy intensity averaged around
1.9%, well below the target.
• International public financial flows to developing countries in support of clean energy
decreased for the second year in a row, falling to USD 10.9 billion in 2019.
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, are a
universal call for action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy
peace and prosperity.
The SDGs were born at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio
de Janeiro in 2012. It was adopted in 2015 and came into effect in January 2016. They are
meant to be achieved by 2030.
The 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) to transform our world:

GOAL 1: No Poverty
GOAL 2: Zero Hunger
GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being
GOAL 4: Quality Education

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GOAL 5: Gender Equality
GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
GOAL 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality
GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
GOAL 13: Climate Action
GOAL 14: Life below Water
GOAL 15: Life on Land
GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions
GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal
200. The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2022 has been released by the researchers
at the Earth Institute of Yale and Columbia University. The index has ranked the 180
countries on 40 performance indicators across the 11 issue categories on environmental
health, climate change performance, and ecosystem vitality.
• Denmark has topped the index with a total score of 77.90.
• Denmark is followed by United Kingdom (77.70 score) and Finland (76.50 score).
India’s performance:
• India has been ranked at 180th position with a total score of 18.9.
• India’s Category wise score: Ecosystem vitality (19.30), Health (12.50), and Climate policy
(21.70).
• India’s neighbouring nations: Pakistan (176), Bangladesh (177), Nepal (162), and Sri
Lanka (132).
Note: India ranked 168 in the EPI 2020 and 177 in EPI 2018.
201. World Bank in its latest Global Economic Prospects report has lowered India's GDP forecast
for FY23 to 7.5% from 8% projected in April 2022. This is due to rising inflation, supply chain
disruptions, and geopolitical tensions. World Bank has also projected India's GDP at 7.1% for
FY24 and 6.5% for FY25.
• World Bank has also lowered its global growth forecast for calendar year 2022 to 2.9%
from 4.1% (January 2022 forecast).

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202. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has released the 4th edition of the State Food
Safety Index (SFSI) 2022 on the occasion of World Food Safety Day (7th June). The report has
been prepared by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to measure the
performance of States across five parameters of food safety.
Five parameters of food safety: Human resources and institutional data; compliance; food
testing facility; training and capacity building; and Consumer empowerment.
• Larger states: Tamil Nadu has topped the list with a score of 82, followed by Gujarat,
and Maharashtra.
• Smaller states: Goa has topped among smaller states with a score of 56, followed by
Manipur and Sikkim.
• UTs: Jammu & Kashmir has topped the list with a score of 68.5, followed by Delhi and
Chandigarh.
The State Food Safety Index (SFSI) was started in 2018-19 to create a competitive and positive
change in the food safety ecosystem in the country.
Ayurveda Aahar:
During the occasion of World Food Safety Day, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has
also launched the logo for ‘Ayurveda Aahar’. This logo is meant to create a unique identity of
‘Ayurveda Aahar’ and aims to facilitate its easy identification. The logo contains the initials of
Ayurveda and Ahara with 5 leaves symbolizing five elements of nature.
Ayurveda Aahar refers to food prepared following the recipes or ingredients and/or processes as
per methods described in the books of Ayurveda listed under ‘Schedule A’ of the regulations.
203. Union Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya has awarded the winners of Eat Right
Challenge for Cities and Districts 2021-22 organized by the Food Safety and Standards
Authority of India (FSSAI). 75 cities and districts of the country have been chosen as winners
with the objective of recognizing the efforts to adopt food security initiatives, promote rules
and change.
• Indore (Madhya Pradesh) has secured the first position along with Varanasi (Uttar
Pradesh) with a total score of 79.
• Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) has secured the second position with a score of 77, followed by
Vadodara Municipal Corporation (Gujarat) and Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) with a total score
of 74.
He has also awarded the 11 winning smart cities of the Eat Smart Cities Challenge, launched
by FSSAI in 2021-22 in association with the Smart Cities Mission (SCM) under the aegis of
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). The cities are: Rajkot (Gujarat), Rourkela
(Odisha), Sagar (Madhya Pradesh), Surat (Gujarat), Tumakuru (Karnataka), Ujjain (Madhya

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Pradesh), Chandigarh, Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh), Jammu (Jammu &
Kashmir), and Panaji (Goa).
204. The Global Sustainable Development Report 2022 has been released by a group of
independent experts at the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). The report
is tracking and ranking the performance of 163 UN member states on Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) since 2015.
Key highlights:
• For the second year in a row, world is no longer making progress on the SDGs.
• Based on 2022 International Spillover Index, rich countries generate negative
international spillovers notably through unsustainable consumption.
• Peace, diplomacy, and international cooperation are fundamental conditions for the world
to progress on the SDGs towards 2030 and beyond.
• In the 2022 Global Index of SDGs, India has been ranked at 121st position among the 163
countries. It had ranked 117 in 2020 and 120 in 2021.
• India has achieved 2 SDG goals (SDG 12 & 13), challenges remain in 1 (SDG 4), significant
challenges remain in 3 (SDG 1, 7 & 10) and major challenges remain in 11 out of total 17
SDGs (SDG 2, 3, 5,6,8,9,11,14,15,16 & 17).
United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN):
It was launched in 2012 by the then UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to mobilize global
scientific and technological expertise to promote practical problem solving for sustainable
development and implement SDGs. It works closely with UN agencies, multilateral financing
institutions, the private sector, and civil society.
Annual reports: Sustainable Development Report (SDR) and World Happiness Report (WHR).
205. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in its ‘OECD
Economic Outlook, June 2022’ has lowered India’s GDP growth forecast to 6.9% in FY23 from
8.1% estimated earlier. Real GDP is projected to rise by 6.9% in FY23 and 6.2% in FY24.
• OECD expects the global economy to expand 3% in 2022, down from 4.5% it predicted
in December 2021, while inflation is forecast at around 9%.
• Note: India's Gross domestic product (GDP) grew 8.7% in FY22, making it the fastest-
growing major economy in the world.
206. According to Mercom India Research’s newly released report Mercom India Solar Open
Access Market Report Q1 2022, India has added 513 MW of new open access solar capacity in
the first quarter (Q1) of the calendar year (CY) 2022. It has registered a growth of 58%
quarter-over-quarter (QoQ), compared to 324 MW installed in Q4 2021. The year-over-year
(YoY) installations increased by 22% compared to 422 MW in Q1 2021.

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• The country’s development pipeline of open access solar projects is 2 GW at the end of Q1
2022.
• The top five states accounted for 86% of the total installations for the quarter.
• Karnataka was the largest market in Q1, accounting for 30% of the total open access
installations. The state accounted for 37% of the total installations.
• Maharashtra was the second-largest market in Q1 2022, with a massive jump of 131%
QoQ in solar open access installations compared to Q4 2021.
• Gujarat accounted for 12.7% of the market, making it the third-largest market.
207. London-based Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) has released the 19th edition of QS World
University Rankings 2023. It ranks the top 900 universities based on 8 key ranking
indicators.
Rank University Overall

Score
1 Massachusetts Institute of 100
Technology (MIT). Cambridge,
United States
2 University of Cambridge, UK 98.8
3 Stanford University, USA 98.5
India’s performance: Forty one (41) Indian universities have featured in this highly regarded
university ranking system this year.
• Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore has emerged as the highest-ranked Indian
institute in the QS World University Rankings 2023. It has ranked at 155th position and
emerged as the fastest-rising South Asian University among the top 200 Universities.
• IISc Bangalore is followed by IIT Bombay (172nd), and IIT Delhi (174th).
• OP Jindal Global University is the highest-ranked private university for the 3rd consecutive
year.
208. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in its latest World
Investment Report highlights that India has become the 7th largest recipient of Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI) in 2021 despite FDI inflows into the country declining.
• FDI inflows into India have declined to $45 billion in 2021 from $64 billion in the
preceding year.
• Outward FDI from India rose 43 percent to $15.5 billion in 2021.
• The United States ($367 billion) has remained the top recipient of FDI, followed by China
($181 billion) and Hong Kong ($141 billion).
209. According to the latest data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation, India's retail inflation based on Consumer Price Index (CPI) has come

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down to 7.04% in May 2022 from 7.79% in April 2022. In May 2021, the retail inflation stood
at 6.3 percent.
• The overall food inflation has grown by 7.97% in May 2022 as against 8.31% in April 2022
and 5.01% in the corresponding period of last fiscal (FY22).
• The CPI-based inflation has breached the upper limit of RBI’s tolerance band, ranging
from 2-6%, for the fifth consecutive month.
• Whereas, India’s wholesale price index (WPI)-based inflation has increased to 15.88% in
May 2022 as against 15.08% in April 2022. This comes as food prices accelerated while
commodity rates hardened further.
210. The annual report of the Periodic Labour Force Survey for July 2020 to June 2021, released
by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, showed that India’s
unemployment rate, as per usual status (reference period of last 365 days preceding the
survey), has declined by 0.6% to 4.2% in 2020-21 from 4.8% in 2019-20. It is 2.1 percent for
women and 3.9 percent for men in rural areas. In metropolitan regions, it is higher among
women, at 8.6%, than among men, at 6.1 percent.
• The overall Labour force participation rate (LFPR) for people of all ages in typical status
in India has grown slightly from 40.1 percent in 2019-20 to 41.6 percent in 2020-21.
• The LFPR in usual status for persons of age 15-29 years in India is 41.4%, while for persons
of age 15 years and above in India, it is 54.9%.
• The all-India female labour force participation rate (LFPR) in usual status has increased
2.3% in 2021 to 25.1% as compared to 22.8% a year ago.
• For rural, female LFPR has increased 3% to 27.7%, while urban women participation rate
has seen a 0.1 rise to 18.6%.
• Worker Population Ratio (WPR) in usual status for persons of all ages in India is 39.8%
(Rural-41.3%, Urban-36.3%; Male-54.9%, Female-24.2%) from 38.2% in 2019-20.
Important terms:
• The usual status of a person is defined as the activity status on which he or she spent a
significant amount of time in the 365 days prior to the survey date.
• WPR is defined as the percentage of employed persons in the population.
• LFPR is defined as the percentage of persons in the labour force (i.e. working or seeking or
available for work) in the population.
• Unemployment Rate (UR) is defined as the percentage of persons unemployed among the
persons in the labour force.
211. US-based open online course provider Coursera has released the Global Skills Report
(GSR) 2022. The report benchmarks three of the most in-demand skill areas driving
employment in the digital economy – business, technology, and data science.

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• As per the report, Switzerland ranks first with 99% in business, 94% in technology, and
97% in data science. It is followed by Denmark, Indonesia, Belgium, and Singapore.
• The report ranks the USA 29th in overall skills proficiency, lagging behind countries in Asia
and Europe.
India’s position:
• India has slipped 4 places to be ranked at the 68th position globally. In Asia, India stands
at the 19th position.
• The report shows an increase in India’s technology proficiency levels from 38% to 46% and
proficiency in data science has dipped from 38% in 2021 to 26% in 2022, leading to a 12-
rank drop.
• State-wise, West Bengal leads in terms of skills proficiency. Karnataka ranks number
four in technology and number 6 in data science. Andhra Pradesh is one of the top three
performing states with high proficiency in business and technology skills.
Note: The report estimates that 28 million new technology jobs will be created in India by 2025.
212. The Institute for Management Development has recently compiled and released the 34th
edition of the World Competitiveness Index 2022. The major 4 factors in ranking are
Economic performance, Government efficiency, Business efficiency, and Infrastructure.
• Denmark has topped the index among 63 economies. It was ranked at third position in
2021.
• Denmark is followed by Switzerland and Singapore.
• India has improved 6 positions from 43rd in 2021 to 37th in the 2022 ranking.
• India’s ranking in Economic performance has increased from 37 in 2021 to 28 in 2022,
Government efficiency has increased from 46 to 45, and Business efficiency has increased
from 32 to 33. Infrastructure remains at 49.
213. As per the latest data released by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, India’s total
exports, merchandise and services combined, have increased by 24.03 percent year-on-year
to USD 62.21 billion in May 2022. The overall exports in April-May 2022 are estimated to be
USD 124.59 Billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 25.90 percent over the same period last.
The merchandise exports in May 2022 were USD 38.94 Billion, as compared to USD 32.30
Billion in May 2021.
Imports:
India’s overall imports (Merchandise and Services combined) in May 2022 are estimated to be
USD 77.65 Billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 59.19 percent over the same period last
year. The overall imports in April-May 2022 are estimated to be USD 151.89 Billion, exhibiting
a positive growth of 45.44 percent over the same period last year. The merchandise imports

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in May 2022 were USD 63.22 Billion, which is an increase of 62.83 percent over imports of
USD 38.83 Billion in May 2021.
Trade deficit:
The merchandise trade deficit in May 2022 was estimated at USD 24.29 Billion as against
USD 6.53 Billion in May 2021, which is an increase of 271.96 percent.
214. Start-up Genome, a world-leading innovation policy advisory and research firm, has
released the Global Start-up Ecosystem Report (GSER) 2022. The report has been created
by Start-up Genome in partnership with the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) and
Crunch base.
Key Highlights:
• Silicon Valley has ranked 1st in GSER 2022, followed by New York and London in 2nd
position and Boston in 4th and Beijing in 5th position.
• North America dominates the global ranking with around 47% of the top 30 ecosystems in
the region.
• A record 540 companies achieved unicorn status in 2021, up from 150 in 2020.
• As per the report, Bangalore has ranked 22nd on the global ranking, while Delhi has
ranked 26th and Mumbai has ranked 36th.
• The ecosystem value of Bangalore is USD 105 billion which is higher than Singapore (USD
89 billion) and Tokyo (USD 62 billion).
• Kerala has ranked first in Asia and 4th in global ranking in Affordable talent in the Global
Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) 2022. While Telangana has ranked 4th in Asia in
Affordable Talent.
Start-up Genome published the first edition of GSER in 2012. It is based on 5 factors: Performance,
Funding, Connectedness, Market reach, Knowledge, Talent & Experience.
215. Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN) has released the 41st issue of its Micrometer
Report for Q4 Financial Year 2021-22. As per the report, Tamil Nadu has become the largest
state in terms of portfolio outstanding followed by Bihar and West Bengal. Tamil Nadu’s gross
loan portfolio (GLP) was Rs. 36,806 crore as of 31st March 2022.
• As of 31st March 2022, the gross loan portfolio of India’s microfinance industry has
increased by 10% in 2021-22 to Rs. 2.85 trillion.

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• As per the report, the East, Northeast, and Southern regions account for around 64% of
the microfinance portfolio.
• The data showed that 12 banks held the largest share of portfolio in micro-credit with
total loan outstanding of Rs.1.14 trillion, about 40% of total micro-credit universe.
• NBFC-MFIs are the second largest provider of micro-credit with a loan amount
outstanding of Rs.1 trillion, accounting for 35.2% of the total industry portfolio.
216. SkyTrax, an aviation rating firm, has announced the 2022 winners for its annual World
Airport Awards, which reveals the World’s Best Airports 2022. The winners have been
announced at the Passenger Terminal EXPO in Paris, France. Hamad International Airport
in Doha, Qatar has been named the World’s Best Airport 2022 for the second year. It has
been followed by Tokyo Haneda International Airport, Japan (2nd place) and Changi Airport
Singapore (3rd place).
Other winners:
• Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru has bagged the Best Regional Airport in
India and South Asia title.
• World’s Best Airport Staff Service and World’s Best Airport Dining: Singapore Changi
Airport
• World’s Best Airport Shopping and Most Family-Friendly Airport: Istanbul Airport
• Tokyo Haneda Airport has won awards as the World’s Cleanest Airport, the World’s Best
Domestic Airport, the Best Airport in Asia, and the Best Airport PRM & Accessible Facilities.
• King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh has secured the award as the World’s Most
Improved Airport.
• Nagoya’s Chubu Centrair International Airport has named the World’s Best Regional
Airport.
• Copenhagen Airport has won the World’s Best Airport Immigration Processing award.
• Zurich Airport has won the World’s Best Airport Security Processing award.
217. As per Kantar Brandz, 2022 ‘Most Valuable Global Brands report’, 4 Indian companies
namely, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), HDFC Bank, Infosys, and Life Insurance
Corporation (LIC) have been featured among the top 100 global biggest brands.
• TCS has jumped 12 positions to 46th position from 58th in 2021. Its brand value was up
61 percent.
• HDFC Bank’s rank has raised 5 positions to 61 along with an increased brand value of
35%.
• Infosys for the 1st time entered the list at 64th position at a brand value of USD 33,551
billion.

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• LIC has slipped 19 positions to 92nd rank with a decrease of 4% of brand value compared
to 2021.
Apple has retained its 1st position to become the first trillion-dollar brand with a brand value of
USD 947.1 billion. It is followed by Goggle, Amazon, and Microsoft.
218. Burgundy Private, a private banking platform of Axis Bank, and Hurun India, has launched
Burgundy Private Hurun India 500 – Special Report (SR)”. The update has been for the
period of October 2021-April 2022.
• As per the report, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has become India’s most valuable
company with a value of Rs.18.9 lakh crore. It is followed by Tata Consultancy Services
(TCS) with Rs.12.9 lakh crore and HDFC Bank with Rs.7.7 lakh crore.
• Among the Unlisted companies, National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) has become
most valuable company with a value of Rs.2,28,100 crore. It is followed by Serum Institute
of India, and BYJU’s.
• Among Industrial Group, Tata Group has become most valuable company with a value of
Rs.22,02,823 crore. It is followed by Adani Group, and Aditya Birla Group.
• The companies featured in the report come from 15 states, led by Maharashtra (195),
Karnataka (60), and Tamil Nadu (43).
• In term of cities, Mumbai led the list with 159 companies followed by Bangalore with 59
companies, Gurugram with 38 and Chennai and Delhi with 36 each.
219. REN21, a global renewable energy community, has published the Renewables 2022 Global
Status Report (GSR 2022). As per the report, India has been ranked 3rd in the world for total
renewable power capacity additions with 15.4 GW in 2021. It is third highest after China (136
GW) and the US (43 GW).
• India is now the third-largest market in the world for new solar PV capacity and ranked
fourth in the world for total solar energy installations (60.4 GW) following China (305.9
GW).
• India ranked 2nd in new Solar Water Heating Capacity addition, 3rd in Hydropower
capacity addition and 5th in Ethanol production addition in 2021.
• USD 24.3 billion was allotted for its solar energy schemes, providing incentives to
domestic and international companies to set up battery manufacturing plants.
• India has invested USD 11.3 billion in renewables in 2021.

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REN21 is the only global community of actors from science, governments, NGOs and industry working
collectively to drive the rapid uptake of renewables. It was created in 2004 as an outcome of the Bonn
2004 International Conference on Renewable Energy.
220. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has published its “2022 annual
Global Trends Report”. As per the report, nearly 5 million people in India were internally
displaced due to climate change and disasters in 2021.
• The report highlights that globally 100 million people were forced to flee their homes last
year due to violence, human rights abuses, food insecurity, the climate crisis, war in
Ukraine and other emergencies from Africa to Afghanistan.
• The United States of America (USA) was the world’s largest recipient of new individual
applications (188,900), followed by Germany (148,200), Mexico (132,700), Costa Rica
(108,500) and France (90,200).
• According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), in 2021, there were
23.7 million new internal displacements globally due to disasters (these are in addition to
those internally displaced due to conflict and violence). This represented a decrease of
seven million, or 23 percent, compared to the previous year.
• The largest displacements in the context of disasters in 2021 occurred in China (6.0
million), the Philippines (5.7 million) and India (4.9 million).
• By the end of 2021, those displaced by war, violence, persecution, and human rights
abuses stood at 89.3 million, up 8 percent on a year earlier.
221. Union Minister of State Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Dr. Jitendra
Singh, has released the second edition of the National e-Governance Service Delivery
Assessment 2021 (NeSDA 2021). It has been prepared by the Department of Administrative
Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG).
NeSDA has followed the Good Governance Index 2021 grouping of the States and UTs.
• Group 1: North-East and Hill States

• Group 2: Union Territories
• Group 3: Remaining States – Group A
• Group 4: Remaining States – Group B
In NeSDA 2021, 1400 services across all States and UTs were assessed as compared to 872 in
2019, an increase of over 60%. It covers services across seven sectors: Finance, Labour &
Employment, Education, Local Governance & Utility Services, Social Welfare, Environment and Tourism
sectors.
The states and UTs were assessed on four parameters, viz., Accessibility, Content Availability, Ease
of Use, and Information Security & Privacy. The Services Portals were assessed on an additional

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three parameters, viz., End-service Delivery, Integrated Service Delivery, and Status & Request
Tracking.
Ranking of State / UT Portals: Top 3
Ra North- Remaini Remainin Union

nk East and ng g States – Territori
Hill States – Group B es
States Group A
1 Nagalan Kerala Odisha Jammu

d &
Kashmir
2 Meghalay Tamil Uttar Andama

a Nadu Pradesh n &
Nicobar
Islands
3 Assam Punjab Bihar Puduche

rry
Ranking of State / UT Services Portals: Top 3
Rank North-East Remaining Remaining Union

and Hill States – States – Territories
States Group A Group B
1 Meghalaya Punjab Rajasthan Jammu &

Kashmir
2 Tripura Tamil Nadu Uttar Andaman

Pradesh & Nicobar
Islands
3 Assam Haryana Madhya Delhi

Pradesh
Ranking of Central Ministries: Top 3
Rank Ministry Ministry Services Portal

Portal
1 Home Affairs Finance – Central Public

Procurement Portal (CPPP)

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2 Rural Home Affairs - Digital Police
Development
3 Education Personnel, Public

Grievances & Pensions –
Bhavishya Portal
Key highlights:
• In the Union Territories category, Jammu & Kashmir has been assessed for the first time
in NeSDA 2021 and has scored the highest amongst all UTs for six sectors with an overall
compliance of nearly 90%.
• Amongst all the States and UTs, Kerala has the highest overall compliance score.
• Kerala, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh has a compliance of
more than 85%.
• Among the North-East and Hill States, Meghalaya and Nagaland are the leading State
Portals with an overall compliance of more than 90%.
• Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan are the leading states with compliance of more than
75% across all parameters for their Services Portals.
• Among the Services Portals for North-East and Hill States, the highest-ranking states of
Meghalaya and Tripura showed improvement across all six sectors compared to NeSDA
2019.
• Among Remaining State Category: The overall score of Tamil Nadu increased the most in
2021 compared to 2019. Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Punjab, Goa, and Odisha also improved
the compliance of their services portals by 100%.
222. Switzerland ranks first in the Global Skills Report (GSR) 2022 with 99% in business, 94% in
technology, and 97% in data science. It is followed by Denmark, Indonesia, Belgium, and
Singapore.
223. The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has published the Global Liveability Index 2022. The
index examined 173 cities worldwide.
• Vienna (Austria) has topped the index with a score of 99.1 and became the ‘most liveable
city’ in the world once again.
• Vienna has been followed by Copenhagen (Denmark), and Zurich (Switzerland).
• Damascus (Syria) has retained its title as the least liveable city in the world.
• Six of the top ten cities are located in Europe.
Note: Kyiv (Ukraine) and Beirut (Lebanon) are excluded from the Global Liveability Index
2022.

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224. According to the latest report by rating agency CRISIL, the data centre capacity in India is
expected to double to around 1,700-1,800 megawatt (MW) by fiscal 2025 from 870 MW in
fiscal 2022. This will require investments of over Rs 40,000 crore.
• Of the Rs 40,000 crore odd investments, a third will be to acquire land, a fifth for
substations, and the balance for civil work, purchase of equipment and fit-outs.
• The share of renewables in data centre power consumption is expected to increase to
about 35-40% by fiscal 2025 from less than 15% in fiscal 2022.
• The data centres will focus on an optimum mix of grid power and renewables, since
electricity accounts to 45-50% of the operating expense of data centres.
225. The World Gold Council (WGC) has published the ‘Gold refining and recycling’ report. As per
the report, India has become the fourth largest gold recycler country in 2021. In 2021, it has
recycled 75 tonnes of gold.
• In the report, China has been ranked first in global gold recycling chart after recycling 168
tonnes of gold in 2021.
• China is followed by Italy (80 tonnes of gold), and USA (78 tonnes of gold).
• As per the report, India’s gold refining capacity has increased from 300 tons in 2013 to
around 1,800 tons in 2021.
226. The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India has released the data from the
Sample Registration System (SRS)-Abridged Life Tables 2015-19. As per the latest data,
India’s life expectancy at birth has improved from 68.6 years to 69.7 years in the 2015-19
period. However, it is still below the global average of 72.6. It has increased by 20 years, from
49.7 in 1970-75 to 69.7 in 2015-2019.
Key findings:
• The highest life expectancy at birth has been estimated for NCT of Delhi with 75.9 years. It
is followed by Chhattisgarh with 65.3 years.
• Expectation of life at birth is highest in Delhi (74.3 years) for males and in Kerala (78.0
years) for females, whereas it is lowest in Chhattisgarh (63.7 years) for males and Uttar
Pradesh (66.2 years) for females.
• Odisha has witnessed the highest increase from 45.7 to 69.8 years. It is followed by Tamil
Nadu (increased from 49.6 to 72.6).
• Uttar Pradesh has the lowest life expectancy at birth of 43 years in 1970-75 which has
increased to 65.6 in 2015-2019.

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• Urban women from Himachal Pradesh has the highest life expectancy at birth of 82.3
years.
• Rural men of Chhattisgarh has the lowest life expectancy at birth of 62.8 years.
• There of a gap of 8 years in life expectancy between rural and urban areas of Assam. It is
followed by Himachal Pradesh with a gap of five-years.
• Kerala is the only state where rural life expectancy at birth is higher as compared to
urban for both women and men.
• Bihar and Jharkhand are the only states where male life expectancy is higher than
women in both urban and rural areas.
227. The report titled 'Financing India's 2030 Renewables Ambition', has been published by
research company BloombergNEF (BNEF) in association with the Power Foundation of India.
Key highlights:
• As per the report, India will need USD 223 billion of investment to meet its goal of wind
and solar capacity installations by 2030. The government has set a target of increasing
non-fossil power capacity to 500 GW by 2030.
• The report has noted that corporate commitments from Indian companies could help
India achieve 86 percent of its 2030 goals of building 500GW of cumulative non-fossil
power generation capacity.
• The Central Electricity Authority has forecasted that the country's reliance on coal to drop
from 53 percent of installed capacity in 2021 to 33 percent in 2030, whereas solar and
wind together make up 51 percent by then, up from 23 percent in 2021.
• By 2021, 165 GW of zero-carbon generation had already been installed in the country.
228. The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog has launched a report
titled ‘India's Booming Gig and Platform Economy’. It is a first-of-its-kind study that
presents comprehensive perspectives and recommendations on the Indian gig-platform
economy.
Key highlights:
• According to the report, India's gig workforce is expected to expand to 2.35 crore by
2029-30.
• The report estimates that in 2020–21, 77 lakh (7.7 million) workers were engaged in the
gig economy. They constituted 2.6% of the non-agricultural workforce or 1.5% of the total
workforce in India.
• At present, around 47% of the gig work is in medium skilled jobs, around 22% in high
skilled, and around 31% in low skilled jobs.

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• The report recommends extending social security measures for such workers and their
families in partnership mode as envisaged in the Code on Social Security.
Gig Economy:
A Gig economy is a free market system in which temporary positions are common and
organizations contract with independent workers for short-term engagements. Gig
Worker is a person who performs work or participates in a work arrangement and earns
from such activities outside of traditional employer-employee relationship.
229. The Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSE and L), Ministry of Education (MoE)
has released the Performance Grading Index for Districts (PGI-D) for 2018-19 and 2019-
20. PGI-D assesses the performance of school education system at the district level by
creating an index for comprehensive analysis. The report has graded 725 districts in 2018-19
and 733 districts across the states/UTs.
Basis of PGI-D Report:
• The PGI-D structure comprises a total weightage of 600 points across 83 indicators, which
are grouped under six categories: Outcomes, Effective Classroom Transaction, Infrastructure
Facilities & Student’s Entitlements, School Safety & Child Protection, Digital Learning and
Governance Process.
• These categories are further divided into 12 domains.
• The PGI-D grades the districts into 10 grades. The highest achievable grade is ‘Daksh’,
which is for districts scoring more than 90% of the total points in that category or overall.
• It is followed by ‘Utkarsh’ (81% to 90%), ‘Ati Uttam’ (71% to 80%), ‘Uttam’ (61% to 70%),
‘Prachesta-1’ (51% to 60%) and ‘Prachesta-2’ (41% to 50%).
• The lowest grade in PGI-D is ‘Akanshi-3’ which is for scores up to 10% of the total points.
Key Highlights of the report:

• Three districts from Rajasthan performed the best in the assessment. They are Sikar,
Jhunjhunu, and Jaipur, figured in ‘Utkarsh’ grade in 2019-20 in contrast to a year before
when no district featured in that category.
• Rajasthan has the highest 24 districts in this grade, followed by Punjab (14), Gujarat (13),
and Kerala (13).
• The districts with the lowest scores (1 out of 50) in this category are South Salmara-
Mankachar (Assam), Alirajpur (Madhya Pradesh), North Garo Hills and South Garo Hills in
Meghalaya, and Khowai (Tripura) in 2019-20.
• The 12 states/ UTs which don’t have a single district in the Ati-Uttam and Uttam are Bihar,
Goa, Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland,
Sikkim, Tripura and Uttarakhand.
• None of the districts figured in the highest ‘Daksh’ grade in both these years.

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GOVERNMENT SCHEMES & PROGRAMMES
230. Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP):

• It is a central sector scheme being administered by the Ministry of Micro, Small, and
Medium Enterprises (MoMSME).
• It was launched in 2008 by combining two schemes, namely Prime Minister’s Rojgar
Yojana (PMRY) and the Rural Employment Generation Programme (REGP), for the
generation of employment opportunities through the establishment of micro-enterprises
in rural and urban areas.
• It is being implemented by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) at the
national level.
• It is being implemented through banks, District Industries Centres (DICs), State KVIC
Directorates, and State Khadi and Village Industries Boards (KVIBs) at the state level.
231. PM CARES for Children scheme:

• It was launched on 29th May 2021.
• The scheme benefits those children who lost their parents to the Covid-19 pandemic.
• It is being implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
• The scheme provides monetary support of Rs.4000 per month to meet the daily needs of
children (between the age of 18 to 23 years), as well as financial assistance for schooling, a
higher education scholarship.
• The scheme also provides lump sum amount of Rs 10 lakh on attaining 23 years of age.
232. National Supercomputing Mission (NSM):

• It was established in 2015.
• It is being jointly steered by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• It is implemented by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune,
and the IISc, Bengaluru.
• The target of the mission is set to establish a network of supercomputers ranging from a
few Tera Flops (TF) to Hundreds of Tera Flops (TF) and three systems with greater than or
equal to 3 Peta Flops (PF) in academic and research institutions of National importance
across the country by 2022.
233. Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY):

• It is a life insurance scheme that offers coverage for death due to any reason.
• Any individual in the age group of 18-50 years having a savings bank or a post office
account are eligible to enroll under the scheme.
• It provides life insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh.

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Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY):
• It is accidental insurance scheme that offers coverage for death or disability due to
accident.
• Any individual in the age group of 18-70 years having a savings bank or a post office
account is eligible to enroll under the scheme. It provides accidental death cum disability
cover of Rs.2 lakh for death or disability due to an accident. Rs.1 lakh is provided in case of
partial disability.
Both the above mentioned schemes were launched on 9th May 2015 from Kolkata, West
Bengal.
234. Government e Marketplace (GeM):

• It was launched on 9th August 2016 by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry,
Government of India to create an open and transparent procurement platform for
Government buyers.
• A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) by the name of Government e- Marketplace (GeM SPV)
was set up as the National Public Procurement Portal on 17th May, 2017 in pursuance of
the approval, of the Union Cabinet accorded on 12th April, 2017.
235. The Government of India (GoI) has approved new guidelines for the Central Sector Scheme
"Promotion of MSMEs in the North East Region and Sikkim". The scheme will be
implemented during 15th Finance Commission Cycle (2021-22 to 2025-26). The Scheme is
envisaged to provide financial support for enhancing the productivity and competitiveness as
well as capacity building of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the NER and
Sikkim.
Components of Scheme:
• Setting up of new and modernization of existing Mini Technology Centres: Under
this, maximum financial support to state governments for setting up new and
modernizing existing Mini Technology Centres has been increased from Rs 10 crore to Rs
13.50 crore. The financial assistance of Central Government will be 90%. The projects with
total project cost more than Rs. 15.00 crore, will also be considered.
• Development of new and existing Industrial Estates: Under this, financial assistance
for development of new and existing industrial estates, flatted factory complexes has
been increased to Rs 9 crore for new industrial estates and Rs 13.50 crore for existing
ones. Earlier, the upper limit was Rs 8 crore for both new and existing estates. The
financial assistance of Government will be 90%. The maximum project cost for calculation
of assistance shall be Rs.15.00 crore for development of new industrial estate whereas
Rs.10.00 crore for development of existing Industrial Estate.

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• Development of Tourism Sector: The financial assistance of Central Government will be
90% for projects with maximum assistance limited to Rs. 4.50 crore.
236. Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched the “SHRESHTA” scheme for
residential education for students in High school in Targeted Areas. It has been launched at
an event in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
• SHRESHTA stands for ‘Scheme for Residential Education for Students in Targeted
Areas’
• Objective: To provide quality education and opportunities for even the poorest
Scheduled Caste students, as per the Constitutional mandate.
• The students, belonging to Scheduled Castes, studying in class 8th and 10th in the current
academic year are eligible for availing the benefits of scheme for admission in class 9th
and 11th.
• Students belonging to marginalized income group within the SC community, whose
parental annual income is upto Rs.2.5 Lakh are eligible.
• The scholarships will be funded by Government of India (GoI), which will cover the school
fee, hostel fee via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). The maximum limits set to cover all these
expenses are: 9th class: Rs.1 lakh p.a. per student, 10th class: Rs.1.10 lakh p.a. per
student, 11th class: Rs.1.25 lakh p.a. per student and 12th class: Rs.1.35 lakh p.a. per
student.
• Approximately 3000 students will be selected through National Entrance Test for
SHRESHTA (NETS). They will be admitted in Best Private Residential-CBSE affiliated School
in classes 9th and 11th, for completion of education till 12th standard.
• Another feature of this scheme is the “provision for bridge course”. This will help students in
adapting to the new school environment. This course will be provided for 3 months to
students from state schools and rural areas.
237. Union Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy, Bhagwant Khuba, has launched the
Pan-India Rooftop Solar Awareness Campaign named “Ghar Ke Upar Solar Is Super” during
an event at Bidar, Karnataka.
• The campaign is initiated by National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI) with the
support of the German Solar Association (BSW) and the German Federal Ministry of
Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) under the Sequa KVP Programme.
• It is a 3-year long campaign.
• It aims to raise awareness of Solar Rooftops among 100 Indian towns and cities, especially
tier 2 and tier 3 towns/cities.
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is providing 40% of subsidy for households to install
solar. Under PM-KUSUM scheme, the farmers will be given 30% subsidy each by centre and
state to install solar pumps.

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238. Sagarmala Young Professional (SYP) scheme for engagement of Young Professionals in
Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) has been formulated to engage talented,
forward-thinking and dynamic young professionals in various divisions of the Ministry. Under
this scheme, initially, more than 25 young professionals will be hired for 2 years (extendable
to 2 more years) to deliver high-quality inputs in areas such as infrastructure, data analysis,
project management, start-up, innovation, skill development, digital transformation and the
environment, among others.
Sagarmala Project:
It is an ambitious national initiative, launched in 2015, to transform India’s Logistics Sector
performance. The project aims to harness the 7500 km long coastline of the country to
unleash its economic potential. The vision is to reduce logistics costs for EXIM (Export-Import)
and domestic trade with minimal infrastructure investment.
239. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has reduced the
capital required by insurance companies offering policies under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan
Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) by almost 50 percent. This has been done to enable insurers to
offer more policies under the scheme, and provide financial security to the bottom-of-the-
pyramid segment in India.
PMJJBY:
It is a one-year life insurance scheme renewable from year to year offering coverage for
death due to any reason. Individuals in the age group of 18-50 years having a savings bank or
a post office account are entitled to enroll under the scheme. The scheme provides life cover
of Rs.2 lakh in case of death due to any reason against a premium of Rs. 436 per annum
(earlier Rs.330).
Important data:
According to government data, the number of active subscribers enrolled under PMJJBY as of
March 31, 2022, is 64 million. The claims ratio (percentage of amount of claims paid to
premium earned) for PMJJBY was 145.24 percent as of March 31, 2022. About Rs 9,737 crore
has been collected as premium under the scheme while claims of Rs 14,144 crore have been
paid.
240. Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala has
launched a Management Information System (MIS) dashboard for Pradhan Mantri Matsya
Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) for aggregating information on one platform. The project
investment of Rs 7,242.90 crore has been made in FY20-FY22 under PMMSY.

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Note: India aims to double marine product exports to Rs.1 lakh crore in the next 5 years from
the present around Rs.50,000 crore.
PMMSY:
It was launched in 2020. It is a flagship scheme for focused and sustainable development of the
fisheries sector in the country with an estimated investment of Rs 20,050 crore for its
implementation during a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25 in all States/Union
Territories, as a part of AatmaNirbhar Bharat Package.
241. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has launched the fifth edition of Enhanced
Access and Service Excellence-EASE 5.0, which provides the Common Public Sector Banks
(PSBs) Reforms Agenda for FY23 under the EASENext Program. It has been launched in New
Delhi as part of the Iconic Week celebration of the Ministry of Finance from 6th-11th June
2022.
EASE has evolved for four annual editions from FY 2019 to FY 2022. It has also catalysed
reforms in diverse areas in Public Sector Banks.
• Under EASE 5.0, PSBs will be investing in new-age capabilities. It will also deepen the
ongoing reforms for responding to evolving customer needs, technology environment and
changing competition.
• It will focus on digital customer experience, as well as integrated & inclusive banking. It
will also emphasise on supporting agriculture and small businesses.
• All PSBs will create a bank-specific 3-year strategic roadmap, which will entail strategic
initiatives beyond EASE 5.0.
• The initiatives will be implemented across diverse themes namely, business growth, risk,
profitability, operation, customer service, and capability building.
The EASENext program will comprise of two initiatives: EASE 5.0 (common PSB reforms agenda),
and Bank specific strategic 3-year roadmap (on the basis of individual bank’s business priorities).
Other initiatives launched during the Iconic Week celebration:

• Ministry of Finance has launched the ‘NETRA (New e-Tracking and Remote
Administration)’ Portal and Mobile Application for Indian Development and Economic
Assistance Scheme (IDEAS).
• A short film ‘Sahyog se Samriddhi’ on Externally Aided Projects has been released.
• NSDL’s outreach initiative ‘Market Ka Eklavya – Express’ has been screened. It is a
programme specially designed to introduce students to the basics of investing and
financial markets.
• A symposium on ‘Jaagruk Niveshak: Samridha Bharat ki Neev’ has been organised by
SEBI in collaboration with Department of Economic Affairs.

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• Union Minister of State (MoS) for Finance Dr. Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad has released an e-
book titled “Pratidhwani”. The e-book showcases policy initiatives and changes in the
Income Tax Department and the growth of the nation through the lens of the
Department’s outreach programmes during the period 2000 to 2022.
242. UdeDeshkaAamNagrik (UDAN) scheme has observed its 5th anniversary in 2022. It is the
flagship Regional Connectivity Scheme of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
• UDAN was launched on 21 October 2016 by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

• The objective is to connect small and medium cities with big cities through air service and
enhance aviation infrastructure and air connectivity in tier II and III cities.
• The first flight under UDAN scheme took off on 27 April 2017 from Jubbarhatti Airport,
Shimla to New Delhi.
• It is a key component of the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP), 2016.
• Under the scheme, the fare for 500 km is Rs.2500.
• It is being implemented by the Airport Authority of India (AAI).
At present, 415 UDAN routes connect 66 underserved/unserved airports, including heliports and
water aerodromes, and over 92 lakh people have benefited from it.
Note: The Ministry of Civil Aviation plans and commits to construct 100 new airports by 2024 in
India with 1,000 new routes under UDAN scheme by the year 2026.
243. The Cabinet Committee on Security has approved the new recruitment scheme called
‘Agneepath’. It is a pan-India merit-based recruitment scheme for enrolling soldiers, airmen
and sailors. Initially, it was named as ‘Tour of Duty’.
Key features:
• Under this new scheme, the soldiers will be inducted for a service duration of 4 years
including training period.
• The starting annual package will be Rs 4.76 lakh, which can be increased to 6.92 lakh by
the end of service.
• The age range to be eligible for the scheme is 17.5-21 years. However, the upper age limit
has been relaxed to 23 years for the current year’s (2022) recruitment.
• The scheme provides Non-contributory life insurance cover of Rs 48 lakhs for the
duration of their engagement period in the Indian Armed Forces.
• On completion of the service period, the soldiers will receive a tax free service fund
package of Rs.11.71 lakh as Seva Nidhi Package.
• Only 25% of them will be allowed to continue for another 15 years under permanent
commission.
• Women will also be inducted into armed forces under this scheme.
• Around 45,000 to 50,000 soldiers will be recruited annually.

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The process of recruitment will commence in 90 days with a planned intake of about 46,000
young men and women in 2022. This will reduce the defence pension bill.
Central Government has approved following support measures to accommodate Agniveers after
their 4-year of service:
• Ministry of Home Affairs has approved a 10% reservation for Agniveers in the Central
Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and Assam Rifles recruitment. The Ministry of Home Affairs
has also decided to grant a three-year age relaxation to Agniveers in the CAPFs and Assam
Rifles who are between the ages of 17.5 and 21.
• Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has announced avenues for smooth
transition of Agniveers in various roles of the merchant navy.
• Ministry of Defence has approved a 10% reservation in the Indian Coast Guard and
defence civilian posts, and all the 16 Defence PSUs.
244. Union Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology,
Ashwini Vaishnaw, has launched Indian Railway Innovation Policy - “Start-ups for Railways”
in Rail Bhavan, New Delhi. This policy aims to bring scale and efficiency in the field of
operation, maintenance and infrastructure creation through participation of very large and
untapped startup ecosystem.
Key features:
• Under this policy, Indian railways ensures for 50%, up to Rs.1.5 crore capital grant on
equal basis in milestone-wise payment.
• Complete process from floating of problem statement to development of prototype is
online with defined time line to make it transparent and objective.
• Trials of prototypes will be done in Railways. Enhanced funding will be provided to scale
up deployment on successful performance of prototypes.
• Selection of Innovator/s will be done through online portal.
• Developed Intellectual property rights (IPR) will remain with innovator only.
• Assured developmental order to innovator.
• De-centralization of complete product development process at divisional level to avoid
delays.
Out of over 100 problem statements received from different divisions, field offices/zones of
Railways, 11 problem statements like rail fracture, headway reduction etc. have been taken up
for phase 1 of this policy. These will be presented before the start ups to find innovative
solutions.
245. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has launched the “National Initiative
for Promoting Upskilling of Nirman workers' (NIPUN) initiative. It has been launched by
Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri.

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• NIPUN is an initiative under the flagship scheme of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-
National Urban Livelihoods Mission DAY-NULM to train over 1 lakh construction workers,
through fresh skilling and upskilling programmes and provides them with work
opportunities in foreign countries also.
• It will be implemented by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).
• NIPUN project has been divided into three parts: Training by means of Recognition of
Prior Learning (RPL) at construction sites, Training through Fresh skilling by Plumbing and
Infrastructure SSC, and International Placement through builders, industries, and
contractors.
• Under the RPL certification, onsite skill training will be provided to around 80,000
construction workers through industry associations, while 14,000 candidates will receive
fresh skilling through plumbing and infrastructure Sector Skill Council (SSC). It also aims to
place at least 12,000 people in foreign countries like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, UAE,
and other GCC countries.
• It will provide trainees with ‘Kaushal Bima’, a 3-year accidental insurance with coverage
of Rs 2 lakhs, digital skills like BHIM app and cashless transactions, orientation regarding
entrepreneurship, and EPF and BOCW facilities.
• A project committee with members from both NSDC and MoHUA will be formed under
the chairmanship of the Additional Secretary-cum-Mission Director, DAY-NULM to oversee
and monitor project.
DAY-NULM:
It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme and a flagship mission under the Ministry of Housing
and Urban Affairs. It is being implemented since 2014-15. Its objective is to reduce poverty
and vulnerability of the urban poor households by enabling them to access gainful self-
employment and skilled wage employment opportunities, resulting in an appreciable
improvement in their livelihoods on a sustainable basis, through building strong grassroots
level institutions of the poor.
246. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has recently (June 2022) extended the
production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for telecom equipment manufacturing by one year.
It has also amended the scheme to raise the incentive rate by an additional 1 percent, aimed
towards incentivising design-led manufacturing in the sector. The government has opened
applications from 21st June 2022 to 20th July 2022.
Other amendments:
• 11 new telecom and networking products has been approved to the existing list, on the
basis of suggestions of stakeholders.
• Guidelines for PLI Scheme for Telecom & Networking Products have also been amended,
in order to introduce Design-led Manufacturing along with additional incentive rates.
• Allocation for MSMEs has been increased from Rs 1000 crore to Rs 2,500 crore.

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• Existing PLI beneficiaries will have an option to select either FY 2021-22 or FY 2022-23 as
first year of incentive.
• For design-led manufacturing, incentives will be given for five years, commencing from 1st
April 2022.
• The minimum investment threshold under the scheme is Rs 10 crore for MSMEs while Rs
100 crores for non-MSMEs applicants (Land and building costs will not be counted under
investments).
• Eligibility of the investment is subject to incremental sales of manufactured goods over
base year FY 2019-20.
The telecom PLI scheme, with an outlay of Rs 12,195 crore was notified in 2021, under which 31
global and local companies were selected to undertake incremental production worth Rs 1.82
trillion over five years.
247. Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan (GKRA) has completed 2 years on 20th June 2022. It was
launched on 20th June, 2020 for a period of 125 days with a resource envelop of Rs. 50,000
crore, to boost employment and livelihood opportunities for returnee migrant workers and
similarly affected workers in the rural area, in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.
• Objective: To provide immediate employment and livelihood opportunities to the

distressed, to saturate the villages with public infrastructure and to create public assets to
boost the income generation activities.
• It enhances long term livelihood opportunities by giving focus on 25 works in 116 selected
districts across six states Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar
Pradesh.
• A total of 12 Ministries and Departments of Government of India participated in GKRA and
a total of 50.78 crore person-days employment was generated.
• Ministry of Rural Development is the nodal Ministry of GKRA scheme.
Measures taken by GoI:
• Increase of wage under MGNREGA to Rs. 202 a day from Rs.182 to benefit nearly 13.62
crore families.
• Government also created 39.51 lakh new job opportunities by crediting 2,583 crores in
EPF accounts under Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana (ABRY).
248. Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0, which is being implemented by the Ministry of
Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), has launched the revised Swachh Certification
Protocols for Open Defection Free (ODF), ODF+, ODF++, and Water+ certifications. The
revamped revised protocol is aligned with SBM-2.0 objectives.
Key interventions against each certification are:

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• ODF - Robust monitoring mechanism ensured by increasing the number of survey sample
size and location types.
• ODF+ - Focus on functionality of CT/PT and innovative O&M business model for their
sustainability in long run.
• ODF++ - Emphasis on mechanized cleaning of septic tanks and sewers. Safe collection &
treatment of used water as well as safe management of faecal sludge.
• Water+ - The focus is on collection, transportation, treatment, and reuse of both used
water and faecal sludge to prevent environmental pollution.
Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban:
It was launched on 2nd October 2014. The objectives of the Mission were-Achieving 100%
open defecation free (ODF) status, and 100% scientific management of municipal solid waste
in all statutory towns.
• SBM-U 2.0 was launched on 1st October 2022 with the overall vision of creating ‘Garbage
Free Cities’. The mission has introduced Used Water Management as a newly funded
component for towns with less than 1 lakh population.
249. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has organised a virtual event to
celebrate 7 years of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U), which was launched
by Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25th June 2015. The event has been presided
by Manoj Joshi, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
Key initiatives launched during the event:
• An e-book ‘7-years of PMAY-U 2015-2022’ has been released by Secretary, MoHUA.

• PMAY-U field inspection module in dashboard has also been launched on the occasion to
assist visitors to inspect PMAY-U project sites/houses construction by beneficiaries with
the help of just a mobile phone. The module can be used by the Ministry, Central Nodal
Agencies, PMU members, State officials and respective SLTCs/CLTCs staff.
• The winners of Khushiyon Ka Aashiyana Short Film Contest have also been declared. A
total of 34 participants have been selected under three categories for recognition. The
winners of the contest will get a cash prize and a certificate of recognition. The 1st Prize
carries a cash reward of Rs.25,000, 2nd prize Rs.20,000 and the 3rd prize Rs.12,500.
Achievements under PMAY-U:
• With a total investment of Rs.8.31 Lakh Crore PMAY-U has so far sanctioned Rs.122.69
lakh, out of which more than 1 crore houses have been grounded and over 61 lakh
houses have been completed and delivered to the beneficiaries.
• Owing to the construction work under PMAY-U, 423 lakh MT Cement and 96 lakh MT Steel
has been consumed while 239 lakh jobs have been created.

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• Six Light House Projects (LHPs) under Global Housing Technology Challenge India
(GHTC-India) is one such initiative to promote globally available construction technologies
that are sustainable, eco-friendly and disaster-resilient. The project in Chennai has been
completed in all respects while LHPs in Rajkot, Indore, Lucknow, Ranchi and Agartala are
currently in the making.
• MoHUA has also launched Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHCs), a sub-
scheme under PMAY-U for urban migrants/poor. Under Model 1, a total of 5,478 existing
government-funded vacant houses have been converted into ARHCs in Chandigarh,
Gujarat (Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Surat), Rajasthan (Chittorgarh) and in Jammu. Under
Model 2, 80,273 new ARHC units with TIG of Rs.178.28 crore have been sanctioned for
construction by Public/Private entities. Meanwhile, construction of 22,689 new ARHC units
are in progress in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu.
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) was launched in 2015 which intends to
provide housing for all in urban areas by year 2022. The scheme adopts a demand-driven
approach wherein the housing shortage is decided based on demand assessment by
States/Union Territories (UTs). It is divided into four verticals:
• In-situ Slum Redevelopment (ISSR)
• Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS)
• Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP)
• Beneficiary-led Individual House Construction/ Enhancement (BLC-N/ BLC-E)
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
250. Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Limited (TPEML), a subsidiary of Tata Motors Ltd, and Ford
India Private Limited (FIPL), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the
Government of Gujarat (GoG) for the potential acquisition of FIPL's Sanand vehicle
manufacturing facility, including land, buildings, vehicle manufacturing plant, machinery and
equipment.
• TPEML will invest into new machinery and equipment. With the proposed investments,
it will establish an installed capacity of 300,000 units per annum, which will be scalable
to more than 400,000 units.
251. According to the latest data released by the Ministry of Finance, the Goods and Services
Tax (GST) revenue collected in the month of May 2022 is around Rs 1.41 lakh crore. This is a
44 percent increase in comparison to May 2021 (Rs. 97,821 crore).
• GST revenue in May 2022 is 15% lower than the record high collection of Rs 1.68 lakh
crore in April 2022. GST revenue in March was Rs 1.42 lakh crore, while in February it was
Rs 1.33 lakh crore.

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• In May 2022, the GST revenue collected is Rs 1,40,885 crore which is divided into: CGST: Rs
25,036 crore, SGST: Rs 32,001 crore, IGST: Rs 73,345 crore which includes Rs 37469 crore
collected on import of goods, and Cess: Rs 10,502 crore which includes Rs 931 crore
collected on import of goods.
Goods and Services Tax (GST):

• GST is an indirect tax used in India on the supply of goods and services. It is a value-added
tax levied on most goods and services sold for domestic consumption.
• It was launched in India on 1 July 2017 as a comprehensive indirect tax for the entire
country.
• It is of three types i.e. CGST to be levied by the Centre, SGST to be levied by the States, and
IGST a tax levied on all Inter-State supplies of goods and/or services.
• The GST Council headed by the Union Finance Minister is the governing and key
decision-making body for GST.
252. Blue Dart Express, an Indian logistics company and a part of the Deutsche Post DHL
Group, has signed the 'Climate Neutral Now' (CNN) pledge by the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The pledge highlights the
organisation's commitment to ambitious CO2 reduction targets.
• Deutsche Post DHL Group has adopted a package of measures worth up to Euro 7 billion
to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 in line with the Paris Climate Agreement.
• CNN was launched in 2015. This Initiative encourages and supports interested
stakeholders to act now in order to achieve a climate neutral world by 2050 as enshrined
in the Paris Agreement.
253. The Government of India (GoI) has approved 8.1 percent rate of interest on employees'
provident fund (EPF) deposits for 2021-22 to each member of the EPF scheme. The 8.1
percent EPF rate of interest is the lowest since 1977-78, when it stood at 8 percent.
• In March 2022, the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) had decided to
lower the interest on provident fund deposits for 2021-22 to 8.1 percent from 8.5
percent provided in 2020-21.
Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO):

It is the statutory body under the Government of India’s Ministry of Labour and Employment. It
is responsible for regulation and management of provident funds in India. It is located in New
Delhi.
254. Bajaj Finance Limited, the lending arm of Bajaj Finserv Limited, a leading conglomerate in
financial services, has launched the financial education awareness initiative 'Har Time EMI
On Time'. It is a digital campaign to drive awareness around the need and benefits of
adopting good financial habits for a healthy financial future.

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• The brand campaign features the endearing Gupta Ji, of 'Savdhaan Rahein. Safe Rahein.'
fame teaching Tinku Ji, the simple ways of paying his monthly EMIs on time, in an
entertaining and melodious style.
• 'Har Time EMI On Time' is an extension of its original educational series, 'ABC of EMI'
launched during the observance of the Financial Literacy Week in February 2022.
255. Airtel Payments Bank has partnered with Muthoot Finance to offer gold loans through
Airtel Thanks app. Under this partnership, there will be no-processing charge on the loan and
Muthoot Finance will provide up to 75 percent of the pledged gold value as a loan. The loan
facility will also be available at the 5 lakh banking points for Airtel Payments Bank.
256. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved acquisition of shareholding in
Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. by HCJI Holdings G.K., Citrus Investments, HCJ
Holdings 2 G.K., Japan Industrial V – GP K.K., and other investors. It has been proposed to
acquire 26% in the Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. from Hitachi Ltd., on a fully
diluted basis.
257. Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) has installed a 20 MegaWatt Peak (MWp) carport-type solar
power plant at its Manesar facility in Gurugram, Haryana to ensure the maximum utilisation
of renewable energy in its operations. This plant will produce 28,000 MWh per annum of
solar power. It can accommodate at least 9,000 finished vehicles inside the facility.
• Earlier in 2014, the company installed its first solar power plant of 1 MWp capacity at its
Manesar facility, which was later expanded to 1.3 MWp.
• Maruti Suzuki commissioned a 5 MWp carport style photovoltaic solar power plant at its
Gurugram factory in 2020.
258. The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) in partnership with Indian agri-
land marketplace SFarmsIndia has launched India's first Agri Land Price Index named ‘IIMA-
SFarmsIndia Agri Land Price Index’ (ISALPI). This will record and present 'quality
controlled' data of prices of agricultural land across the country.
Currently, ISALPI is based on land listing data from states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana,
Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.
259. WhatsApp India has launched the SMBSaathi Utsav at Johri and Bapu Bazaar in Jaipur,
Rajasthan. The aim of this initiative is to support small businesses by providing training on

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various aspects of running the business online. It has been launched in collaboration with
Josh Talks. The SMBSaathi Utsav is the second phase of the SMBSaathi campaign.
260. The Government of India and WhatsApp India have also collaborated to expand the
features of WhatsApp Chatbot to include dedicated medical opinion for cancer consultation
online, or electronic history capturing of patients.
The Technology Development Board (TDB) has planned to launch Rs. 1,000 crore startup
fund under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.
• The objective of the fund is to invest in startups across various sectors. The new fund will
also invest in early stage startups.
• The fund will be launched in two phases.
• In the first phase, a corpus of Rs.400 crore will be set up, of which Rs.200 crore will be
contributed by a private limited company that has not been named yet.
• In the second phase, TDB will partner with more companies to raise money for the fund
and invest the equal sum of money together with the companies.
261. Spices Board has signed a Terms of Understanding (ToU) with Flipkart to enable national
market access and help promote farmers and grassroots organisations working in the spices
sector. This ToU has been signed under the Flipkart Samarth programme, which aims to
empower Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) artisans, entrepreneurs, and rural
seller, and farmer communities.
262. Bangalore-based XPay.Life, a fintech stratup, has launched India's first blockchain-enabled
transaction Unified Payments Interface (UPI) services, as it completes three years of
operations. It aims to make financial facilities accessible for people in rural areas who need
financial support the most.
Rohit Kumar is the Founder & CEO of XPay.Life.
263. Adani New Industries Ltd (ANIL), a subsidiary of Adani Group, has collaborated with
TotalEnergies of France to build the world's largest green hydrogen ecosystem.
• ‘Total Energies’ will invest at least USD 12.5 billion to acquire a 25% minority interest in
ANIL from Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL) as part of this partnership.
• Over the next ten years, ANIL plans to invest USD 50 billion on green hydrogen.
• Before 2030, ANIL will build a production capacity of 1 million tonnes a year for green
hydrogen.
264. Amara Raja Power Systems, a part of Amara Raja group, has bagged a contract from the
National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) to set up India's first green hydrogen fuelling

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station in Leh, Ladakh. Amara Raja will run and maintain the fuelling station for three years
at a cost of Rs 41 crore.
• This pilot project is being set up at a height of 3,600 meters above sea level.
• The pilot project will produce a minimum of 80kg/day of 99.97 percent pure hydrogen
which will be compressed, stored and dispensed.
• This is in line with the government's vision of achieving net-zero carbon emission by 2070.
265. LinkedIn, the world's largest professional network, has partnered with UN Women for the
LINK Women project with an investment of USD 5, 00,000 (Rs 3.88 crore) to advance women's
economic empowerment.
• Aim: To create a cadre of women who will acquire new digital and employability skills,
leading to better jobs.
• This is a 15-month pilot project launched in Maharashtra, after which UN Women and
LinkedIn will incorporate lessons learned and evaluative feedback to improve the
programmes.
266. Bharti Airtel has launched ‘Xstream multiplex’ India’s first multiplex on the Partynite
Metaverse platform. It is an extension of Airtel’s Xstream Premium offering. It is a 20-screen
platform with access to content portfolios from leading OTT partners available on the
application. It will enable sampling of top original shows and movies with content pieces.
• The idea of the multiplex was initiated by Essence, Airtel’s integrated media agency of
record, and developed by Gamitronics, the creator of Partynite, a blockchain-powered
digital parallel universe.
267. Google has launched a start-up accelerator program for women founders named 'Google
for Start-ups Accelerator - India Women Founders' to help them address challenges such
as fundraising and hiring.
• The program will accept up to 20 women-founded / co-founded start-ups in the country,
and support them through a three-month program.
• The program will run from July 2022 to September 2022.
268. CASHe, a financial wellness platform, has launched an industry-first credit line service using
its AI-powered chat capability on WhatsApp. The objective is to offer customers with a fast,
seamless and convenient way to access instant credit line by merely typing their name
without the need for any documents, app downloads or filling up tedious application forms.
269. China has become the biggest importer of Indian broken rice during the COVID-19
pandemic, with the import of 7.7 percent of India’s total rice export in financial year 2021-22.

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The analysis shows that out of China’s total rice import from India of 16.34 LMT, nearly 97
percent was broken rice.
Rice exports of India:
• In 2021-22, India's total rice exports, both basmati and non-basmati, stood at 212.10 LMT,
which is 19.30 per cent higher than the 177.79 LMT exported in 2020-21.
• Of India’s total rice export in 2021-22, Basmati rice was 39.48 LMT, which was 14.73
percent lower than 46.30 LMT exported in 2020-21.
• Non-basmati rice accounts for the lion’s share in the basket of Indian rice exports.
• The export of rice other than Basmati was 172.62 LMT during 2021-22, an increase of
31.27 percent from 131.49 LMT in 2020-21.
270. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has declared the
Information Technology (IT) resources of ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, and National Payments
Corporation of India (NPCI) as ‘Critical Information Infrastructure (CII)’ under Section 70
of the IT Act, 2000. The computer resources of their associated dependencies will also be
regarded as the protected systems.
• The IT resources under CII include Core Banking Solution, Real Time Gross Settlement
and National Electronic Fund Transfer (NEFT) comprising Structured Financial
Messaging Server.
Critical Information Infrastructure (CII):
According to Information Technology Act of 2000, “Critical Information Infrastructure” is a

“computer resource”. Incapacitation or destruction of such resource have debilitating
impact on national security, public health, economy, or public safety”. The Union
government has the power to declare any data, IT network, database, or communications
infrastructure as CII. In India, CIIs are protected through a nodal agency “National Critical
Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC)”.
271. Pontaq, an innovation fund, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the
Tamil Nadu Start-up and Innovation Mission (TANSIM) – StartupTN backed by Micro,
Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Department, Government of Tamil Nadu. Under this
MoU, the government of Tamil Nadu will help the Pontaq-supported companies to expand
their business operation in Tamil Nadu.
• In June 2022, Tata Technologies has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with
the Tamil Nadu government for five years to transform 71 government industrial
training institutes (ITIs) across the state into technology centres with modern
infrastructure and training facilities to meet the industry 4.0 standards. The total
proposed investment under this project would be Rs 2,204 crore.

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272. The BRICS Partnership on New Industrial Revolution (PartNIR) Innovation Centre has
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the BRICS New Development Bank
(NDB) to facilitate bilateral cooperation and promote the common development of BRICS
countries.
• The MoU has been signed between Huang Wenhui, executive vice chairman of the
BRICS PartNIR Innovation Centre council, and Marcos Troyjo, President of the NDB
during a meeting held via virtually in the port city of Xiamen, East China’s Fujian
Province.
273. DBS Bank India has acquired a 9.9 percent stake in the micro businesses-focused non-bank
finance company Svakarma Finance for an undisclosed sum.
274. GE Steam Power has inked a USD 165 million contract with Bharat Heavy Electricals
Limited (BHEL) for the supply of three nuclear steam turbines out of six units for Nuclear
Power Corporation of India (NPCIL’s) domestic nuclear program- phase 1 being developed at
Gorakhpur, Haryana (units - 1 to 4 (GHAVP)) and Kaiga (Kaiga-5&6) Karnataka.
• This domestic program includes 12 units of 700 MWe (Megawatts electric) being
developed by NPCIL with their own nuclear reactor technology i.e., Pressurized Heavy
Water Reactors (PHWR).
• In total, it will provide India with 8.4GW of CO2-free electricity for the country, enough to
power more than 14 million homes.
275. The GST Council, chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and comprising
state Finance Ministers, has extended the period for levy of GST compensation cess under
sub-section (1) of Section 8 of the Goods & Services Tax (Compensation to States) Act, 2017
under 28% slab by nearly 4 years from 1st July 2022 to 31st March 2026.
• This will enable states/UTs to repay the loans they had taken in the past two years.
• The Central govt. has borrowed and released Rs 1.1 lakh crore in FY21 and Rs 1.59 lakh
crore in FY22.
Cess is levied on certain goods such as fossil fuel-based automobiles which fall into the category
of 28% and collected in a fund called compensation fund.
276. The Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has imposed a penalty of Rs.30 lakh on
Reliance Industries (RIL) and its compliance officers, Savithri Parekh and K. Sethuraman,
for failing to clarify on news or promptly disclose information with regard to stake purchases
in the company’s subsidiary Jio Platforms by FaceBook, Silver Lake and Vista equity partners.

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277. The World Bank has approved a USD 250 million loan for ‘India State Support Program
for Road Safety’ for seven States under which a single accident reporting number will be set
up to better manage post-crash events.
• The loan has a maturity of 18 years including a grace period of 5.5 years.
• It will be implemented in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar
Pradesh and West Bengal.
• It will establish a national harmonised crash database system in order to analyse
accidents and use that to construct better and safer roads.
As per the World Bank report, road crashes are estimated to cost the Indian economy
between 5% to 7% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) a year.
278. BSE Limited has collaborated with the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry
and Agriculture (MACCIA) to promote and create awareness in Maharashtra on the benefits
of listing on Small & Medium Enterprises (SME) platform.
• Under this partnership, BSE will provide intellectual and manpower support to enterprises
registered with MACCIA to get listed on the BSE SME platform.
• BSE SME will also provide training and capacity-building programmes to MACCIA officials.
279. World Bank has approved 5 loans/ funding towards India catering to different sectors. This
include three loans of USD 562 million to fund an education project in Gujarat, a social
protection program in Tamil Nadu, and a project to help recovery in the fisheries sector post
the pandemic.
List of funding approved by World Bank:
• USD 250 million funding to Gujarat Outcomes for Accelerated Learning (GOAL), an
education project in Gujarat.
• USD 150 million funding to support the recovery of India’s fisheries sector.
• USD 162 million for the RIGHTS project in Tamil Nadu.
• USD 245 million funding to support India’s Rail Logistics project.
• Rs.1000 crore for Uttarakhand Climate Responsive Rain-fed farming project.
280. Bajaj Finance Limited (BFL), the lending arm of Bajaj Finserv Limited, has partnered with
Worldline, a global firm in payment services, to develop point-of-sales (POS) payments
acquiring solutions for its merchant network. Under this partnership, BFL aims to enhance its
relationship with both existing and new network of merchant partners, by providing point-of-
sale terminals and enabling acceptance of a wide range of payment instruments.

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281. Garuda Aerospace Pvt Ltd has tied up with Malaysia-based HiiLSE Global Sdn Bhd (HiiLSE
Drones) to set up a 2.42 hectares drone factory in Malaysia with a daily production capacity
of around 50 drones. The total outlay of the project is Rs 115 crore. This partnership will
establish a drone ecosystem with cutting-edge artificial intelligence, machine learning, and
deep learning technology.
282. Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has introduced ‘Surya Nutun’, a stationary, rechargeable and
indoor cooking stove that uses the sun's energy to cook food while always being kept in the
kitchen. It has been developed by IOC's research and development division at Faridabad.
• The stove currently costs between Rs 18,000 to Rs 30,000.

• The stove has a 10-year life with no maintenance.
• It does not have a traditional battery that needs replacement. Also, the solar panel has a
25-year life.
• It can run on both solar and auxiliary energy sources simultaneously.
283. Tata Power Solar Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Power, has commissioned
India's largest floating solar power project in Kayamkulam, Kerala. The project is installed on
a 350-acre water body, backwaters area, having an installed capacity of 101.6 Megawatt
Peak.
• This project is the first one in the Floating Solar Photovoltaic (FSPV) through Power
Purchase Agreement category.
• This plant boasts a floating inverter platform having a 5 Megawatt (MW) capacity.
Note: India has set a target to achieve 500 GW of energy through solar power by 2030.
BANKING & FINANCE
284. Tata AIA Life Insurance Company Limited (Tata AIA Life), a joint venture company
established by Tata Sons and AIA Group (AIA), has launched a 'Smart Value Income Plan', a
non-linked, participating life insurance savings plan where the bonus can be adjusted against
premium payments. It is first of its kind in the industry.
• Individuals between the age group of 1 and 65 can buy the Smart Value Income Plan,
with a maximum maturity age of 100 years. The policyholder may also be eligible for
tax advantages under Sections 80 C and 10 (10 D) of the Income Tax Act of 1961.
285. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI has restructured its Risk Management
Review Committee (RMRC), which reviews the risk management framework for the cash
and derivatives, including commodity derivatives.
• The 14-member committee will be headed by IIM Ahmedabad Professor Jayanth R
Varma.

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• The members of the committee include SEBI officials, managing directors of NSE Clearing,
Indian Clearing Corporation, Metropolitan Clearing Corporation of India, Multi Commodity
Exchange Clearing Corporation, National Commodity Clearing, Clearing Corporation of
India and the president of Commodity Participants Association of India (CPAI).
• Other members of the committee are: Sriram Krishnan, Managing Director, Head of
Securities Services at Deutsche Bank, Anup Bagchi, Executive Director, ICICI Bank, Kuryan
G Stephanos, Vice President – Finance and MIS at ITC Ltd and Gopalarethinam, Head
Commercial and Bullion Management of Titan Company Ltd.
286. HDFC Limited has partnered with Accenture to digitally transform its lending business by
using a cloud-native platform for application, processing, credit underwriting and
disbursement. Under this partnership, HDFC Limited will deploy machine learning,
automation, and advanced analytics to make it a straight-through and paperless process for
the customer.
287. Kotak Investment Advisors, a subsidiary of Kotak Mahindra Bank, has launched a one-stop
curated open architecture investment management platform named ‘Kotak Cherry’. The
platform aims to be an open architecture platform, which will help investors in choosing from
a wide array of offerings beyond the ones manufactured by Kotak group companies.
288. ICICI Home Finance Limited has entered into a co-lending partnership with Easy Home
Finance Limited to provide affordable home loans in India. This partnership will enable
speedy disbursement of affordable home loans, allowing people to realise their dream of
owning a home.
289. CarTrade Tech Limited has tied up with IDFC First Bank to provide easy and smart
financing for used cars. Under this partnership, IDFC First Bank will become the preferred
financier for customers purchasing used vehicles from CarWale abSure's dealers with
customized offerings to suit their needs. CarWale abSure is the used car platform of
CarTrade Tech.
290. Ashwani Bhatia has been appointed as Whole Time Member (WTM) of the Securities and
Exchange Board of India (SEBI). He will handle the department of debt and hybrid securities
(DDHS), alternative investment fund and foreign portfolio investors department (AFD),
market intermediaries’ regulation and supervision department (MIRSD), corporation finance
investigation department (CFID) and office of investor assistance & education (OIAE). He was
previously the Managing Director (MD) of state-owned State Bank of India (SBI).
• SEBI now has three WTMs. The government is yet to appoint the fourth member.

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291. SBI General Insurance, a subsidiary of the State Bank of India (SBI), has launched a new
health insurance vertical, through which the company plans to focus on new innovative
health products, in-house claim settlement process, among others, to boost customer
experience.
Recent Partnerships:
• SBI General Insurance has partnered with Apollo 24/7 to provide its customers with
access to a variety of services offered by Apollo 24/7.
• SBI General Insurance has also partnered with Sevamob, an organisation working
extensively to address health issues faced by women, children, and senior citizens in
North India, especially Uttar Pradesh.
292. Kiya.ai, a digital solutions provider to financial institutions and governments, has launched
India’s first-ever banking metaverse named Kiyaverse in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It intends
to merge use cases of real-world banking with metaverse banking through an avatar (virtual
humanoid) based interactions.
• Kiyaverse will provide 3-dimensional analysis of data for Banks including CMO Insights,
Product Performance, Risk Analysis and Channel Analytics.
• It will interface its Open API connectors with Aggregators, and Gateways to enable a
Super-App and Marketplace on the metaverse.
• It uses tokens as NFTs (Non-fungible token) and to support Central Bank Digital Currency
(CBDC) to enable open finance in a Web3.0 environment.
293. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) Chairman Dr GR Chintala
has launched ‘My Pad My Right’ (MPMR) project in Leh, Ladakh. The project has been
launched by NABARD’s NabFoundation with machinery and materials of a cost of 7.5 lakh.
• The project is an initiative of NABARD and NAB Foundation, to provide better livelihood
and menstrual hygiene to women in rural areas through grants-in-aid, wage support and
equipment.
• Under the initiative, one sanitary pad making machine, raw materials for two months,
wages for 50 days, packaging material with accessories and a five-day training in three
phases are provided.
• The project aims to help rural women improve menstrual hygiene.
294. The Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has reconstituted its Advisory Committee
on Mutual Funds. The committee is mandated to advise SEBI on issues related to regulation
and development of the mutual fund industry.

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• The 25-member advisory committee will be chaired by Usha Thorat, former Deputy
Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• Earlier, the panel had 24 members.
• SEBI has inducted Chairman of NJ India Invest Neeraj Choksi in the advisory committee.
• Other members include Independent Trustee at SBI Mutual Fund Sunil Gulati and
Independent Trustee at DSP Mutual Fund Dharmishta Narendraprasad Raval, Tata Asset
Management MD and CEO Prathit D Bhobe, SBI Funds Management MD and CEO Vinay
Tonse, Mirae Asset Investment Managers (India) CEO Swarup Mohanty, Sundaram Asset
Management Company MD Sunil Subramaniam, among others.
295. Suryoday Small Finance Bank has tied up with Mobisafar Services Pvt. Ltd. to provide
banking services through all Mobisafar’s franchisees and Business Correspondent networks
across India. It aims to strengthen financial inclusion by providing key banking services
digitally to the underbanked customers even in the remote parts of the country.
296. SBI Foundation has introduced UpSchool, a digital learning program for students from
class 1-10, in partnership with Khan Academy, an educational non-profit. This program will
be available in English, Hindi and Kannada languages. The program aims to reduce learning
gaps and build a solid foundation in math and reading for their current academic year.
297. DBS Bank India has launched its first credit card in India in collaboration with Bajaj
Finance Limited, namely ‘Bajaj Finserv DBS Bank SuperCard’. It is powered by Visa. It is
designed to de-clutter customers’ wallets by eliminating the need to have multiple credit
cards.
• The SuperCard will provide its customers with benefits and rewards across different
product categories and exclusive benefits on the Bajaj Finserv’s range of products and
services.
298. Tamilnad Mercantile Bank has received the Securities and Exchange Board of India's (SEBI)
approval to launch and raise funds through an initial public offering (IPO). The Initial Public
Offer (IPO) comprises a fresh issue of 1,58,27,495 equity shares and an Offer For Sale (OFS) of
up to 12,505 equity shares by shareholders, according to the Draft Red Herring Prospectus
(DRHP).
299. Bharat BillPay, the wholly-owned subsidiary of National Payments Corporation of India
(NPCI), has on-boarded CRED as a key agent institution (AI) to provide bill payment solutions
to CRED users. As an Agent Institution, CRED will create member touchpoints, provide
member assistance (registration, Quickpay, complaint resolution), instant confirmation,
awareness (payment and charges), BBPS brand visibility, etc.

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300. Axis Bank and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) have announced the launch of a co-
branded RuPay contactless credit card named ‘INDIAN OIL AXIS BANK RuPay Credit Card’ in
partnership with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
• Users of this card will be entitled to 100% cashback up to Rs.250 on all fuel spent
within the first 30 days of issuing of the card. It will also provide a surcharge waiver of
1% on fuel spent between Rs.200 to Rs.5000.
301. CoinSwitch Kuber, India's largest crypto-trading platform, has launched ‘CRE8’ (Crypto
Rupee Index), India's first benchmark index that will track the performance of the rupee-
based crypto market.
• CRE8 tracks the performance of eight crypto assets such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple,
Binance coin, and Cardano that represent over 85 percent of the total market
capitalization of cryptos traded in the Indian Rupee. It doesn’t include stablecoins and
derivatives of other index components.
302. Electric two-wheeler manufacturer Ather Energy has collaborated with the State Bank of
India (SBI) to provide customers with vehicle financing. This collaboration will enable the
customers of Ather Energy to get instant loans at interest rates as low as 9.55 percent per
annum. Pre-approved loans will also be administered, depending on the buyer’s
creditworthiness. The customers, depending on their profiles, will be eligible to avail of loans
up to 85 percent of the on-road prices of the electric two-wheelers.
303. Fino Payments Bank has tied up with Go Digit General Insurance to offer shop insurance
policy to small and medium businesses. Fino Payments Bank is associated with Go Digit as a
corporate agent.
• This tie-up will allow small and medium businesses to avail the benefits of Digit's My
Business Policy in case of any adverse event.
• The policy will be valid for one year.
• It will cover loss or damage to the inventory or stock due to burglary, earthquake, fire,
lightning, storm, flood, riots, among others.
304. ICICI Bank has partnered with ZestMoney, a digital EMI/pay-later platform to expand its
‘Cardless EMI’ facility for purchases at retail and e-commerce platforms. Customers can
convert transactions up to Rs 10 lakh into Equated Monthly Instalments (EMIs).
• With this partnership, the bank’s customers will be able to use ZestMoney’s flagship
‘Pay-in-3’ offering, where they can split the bill into three EMIs without extra cost.

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305. HSBC India, a retail banking and financial services provider, has announced USD 250
million in lending support for high-growth, technology-led start-ups in India, which has the
world’s third largest start-up ecosystem. HSBC India will administer the lending through its
commercial banking division.
306. Indian Bank has launched its KCC Digital Renewal scheme to enable eligible customers to
renew their Kisan Credit Card (KCC) accounts via digital modes.
• This initiative is part of the bank’s digital transformation under project ‘WAVE’ - World of
Advanced Virtual Experience.
• The account renewals can be done using Indian Bank’s IndOASIS mobile app, internet
banking and via its website.
• Currently, it is being offered to customers having outstanding loans below Rs.1.60 lakh.
307. HDFC Bank has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a leading early-stage
venture capital firm, 100X.VC to support start-ups.
• Under this MoU, HDFC Bank will extend its full suite of specialised services and facilities
tailored for start-ups, known as Smart-Up, to all the firms associated with 100X.VC.
• It will also extend additional credit facilities and evaluate investment opportunities in
these startups.
308. NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) has signed an agreement with Lyra
Network, a provider of payment solutions in France, to allow Indians to pay using UPI and
Rupay cards at Lyra Networks terminals and ATMs, making payment easier for Indian
students and visitors. With this, France has become the first country in Europe to accept the
UPI payment system and RuPay Cards.
• NPCI International was established in 2020 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the
National Payments Corporation India (NPCI), which was created in 2018.
Internationally, RuPay and UPI are being rolled out by the international arm. The
current CEO is Ritesh Shukla.
309. Edelweiss General Insurance (EGI) has launched an “out-of-network cash advance"
facility to help customers with monetary support at any hospital which is not part of EGI’s
network. This facility will provide up to Rs 10000 to customers to take care of admission
charges or other expenses during the hospitalization. The advance will be adjusted at the
time of claim.
310. Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) Life Insurance has rebranded and renamed
itself as Canara HSBC Life Insurance. It has also launched its first brand campaign

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#PromisesKaPartner aligned to its new positioning. The campaign tagline is ‘Powering India
to re-imagine their dreams and aspirations’.
• At present, Canara Bank holds 51% of stake in the insurance arm, and HSBC holds 26%
and PNB 23%. Following PNB’s exist, the stake will be acquired by existing
shareholders.
311. In June 2022, SEBI has imposed a penalty of Rs 10.9 crore on seven entities, including
Teledata Technology Solutions Ltd, in a case pertaining to irregularities in the issuance of
Global Depository Receipts (GDRs) of the company. The penalty includes Rs 10.1 crore on
Teledata, Rs 20 lakh each on K Padmanabhan and Arun Panchariya and Rs 10 lakh each on N
Sakthivel, M S Ramakrishnan, R Ravichandran and G Jagadish.
312. Fitch Ratings has revised the Outlook to Stable from Negative on the Long-Term Issuer
Default Ratings (IDR) of 9 India-based banks. These banks are State Bank of India (SBI), ICICI
Bank, Axis Bank, Bank of Baroda (BOB), Bank of Baroda (New Zealand) Ltd, Bank of India,
Canara Bank, Punjab National Bank (PNB), and Union Bank of India.
313. In June 2022, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled the license of Millath Co-
operative Bank Ltd., Davangere in Karnataka, due to inadequate capital and earning
prospects, and its continued operations is prejudicial to the interests of depositors.
314. The Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has constituted a Building Advisory
committee to advise and assist on premises related matters like planning, acquisition, and
furnishing.
• The 7-member committee will be headed by BK Katyal, former Chief General Manager at
RBI.
• Other members: K. V. Krishna Rao, former head of department Civil Engineering at Indian
Institute of Technology, Mumbai; Rajiv Mishra, Principal, Sir JJ College of Architecture,
Mumbai; K M Soni, former ADG, Central Public Works Department, Delhi; and Rajesh
Bhagwani SE (Electrical), Central Public Works Department, Mumbai.
315. Equitas Small Finance Bank has launched an exclusive saving account for kids, ‘ENJOI’
with effect from 19th June 2022 to coincide with Father’s Day. The objective is to introduce
kids to the financial world and encourage them to develop the saving habit early.
Key features:
• ENJOI will allow kids of 0-18 years to open a savings account under the supervision of their
parents.
• The account offers 7% interest for savings balances between Rs.5 Lakh to Rs.2 crore.

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• The account offers flexibility to choose the mode of savings either as a savings account,
balance starting as low as Rs. 1,000; RD (recurring deposit) for Rs.500 monthly; FD (fixed
deposit) for Rs. 10,000.
316. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has amended its following regulation
for certain revision:
• IBBI (Grievance and Complaint Handling Procedure) Regulations, 2017 which provide
mechanism for redressal of complaints filed against insolvency professionals (IPs),
insolvency professional agencies (IPAs) and information utilities (IUs).
• IBBI (Inspection and Investigation) Regulations, 2017 which provide mechanism for
carrying out inspections and investigations on IPAs, IPs and IUs.
• IBBI (Insolvency Resolution Process for Corporate Persons) (Second Amendment)
Regulations, 2016
• IBBI (Information Utilities) Regulations, 2017
The amended rules provides for revisions in various timelines related to enforcement process
for addressing the issue of delay in the present mechanism. These amendments are effective
from 14th June 2022.
IBBI was established in 2016 under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), 2016 as one of the key
pillars of the ecosystem responsible for implementation of IBC. It is headquartered in New Delhi and
the present Chairman is Ravi Mittal.
317. BOB Financial Solutions Limited (BFSL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of Baroda and
Nainital Bank have launched co-branded contactless RuPay Credit Card that is designed to
reward customers for everyday spend categories like grocery and departmental stores. It has
been launched in the centenary year of Nainital Bank.
318. The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) has tied up with the National Bank for
Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to activate e-commerce in the agricultural
domain. It is one of the first initiatives to drive ONDC enablement in the domain.
Under this, ONDC & NABARD will organise a Grand Hackathon from 1-3 July 2022 to connect
agritech players with market-ready Farmers Producers Organisations (FPOs) and to bring e-
commerce to agriculture domain.
319. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has extended the
‘Use and File’ procedure for most of Life Insurance products to make insurance more
accessible to the general public. However, board-approved product management and pricing
policy (BAPMPP) is required.

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• Earlier, IRDAI has extended similar relaxations for all Health insurance products and
almost all the General insurance products.
320. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has constituted a 20-member Hybrid
Securities Advisory Committee (HySAC), which will make recommendations for boosting
the growth of such instruments, including measures focusing on ease of issuance and
attracting domestic and global capital.
• The committee will be chaired by K V Kamath, Chairperson of the National Bank for
Financing Infrastructure and Development.
• Other members: Harsh Shah, Sanjay Grewal, Tushar Kawedia, Mathew George, Preeti
Chheda, Aravind Maiya, Samarth Jagnani, Kranti Mohan, Pratichi Mishra, Rakesh Vyas, and
MS Gopikrishnan.
• In addition, the committee comprises top level officials of infrastructure investment trusts
(InvITs), real estate investment trusts (REITs), finance as well as legal experts and
representatives of SEBI.
321. Liberty General Insurance has partnered with Peerless Financial Products Distribution
Ltd (PFPDL) to enable the distribution of Liberty’s retail and commercial line of products
through Peerless’ network of 42 branches across the country.
322. Acemoney has launched UPI 123Pay payment and wearable ATM cards. It is the first
company in India that has launched UPI 123Pay services in Malayalam and Tamil.
• RBI launched UPI123Pay in March 2022.

• The UPI 123Pay payment allows people to carry out cashless transactions without
smartphones or internet connections using feature phones.
• The wearable ATM cards are gadgets designed as key chains and rings that enable people
to carry out cashless transactions without ATM cards and phones.
323. Food delivery platform Zomato has announced the acquisition of instant grocery startup
Blinkit (formerly Grofers) for a cash consideration of Rs. 4,447 crore ($569 million) in an all-
stock deal. As part of the deal, Zomato will issue up to 629 million shares, amounting to an
equity stake of 6.88% on a fully-diluted basis, at an allotment price of Rs.70.76 per share.
324. Protean eGov Technologies Limited, formerly NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure Limited,
has collaborated with PayNearby to offer Permanent Account Number (PAN) related services
through Aadhar and biometric or SMS based OTP authentication for their customer. This

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collaboration aims to improve service delivery for the citizens as they enter the formal
financial sector.
325. The state government of Kerala has launched the ‘MEDISEP’, a health insurance scheme
for State Government employees, pensioners and their eligible family members. The scheme
will provide cashless medical assistance with a comprehensive coverage up to 3 lakhs per
year.
• The annual premium will be Rs 4,800 plus 18 percent GST for the policy period of 2022-24.
• Monthly premium of Rs.500 will be deducted from the salary of June and pension of July
onwards.
• It is being implemented by Oriental Insurance Company.
• About 30 lakh people will be benefitted by the scheme.
326. The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and National Stock Exchange (NSE) have approved the
merger of multiplex chain PVR and Inox Leisure. PVR and Inox Leisure have received
observation letters from the BSE on 20th June and 21st June with “no unfavourable
observations” and “no objection,” respectively. According to the documents, the Competition
Commission of India must provide the necessary regulatory licences before the merging plan
can forward (CCI).
• The combined entity will be named PVR INOX Ltd.

• As per the agreement, the swap ratio is 3:10 i.e., 3 shares of PVR for 10 shares of Inox.
• Promoter families will have equal participation on the board with two seats each, and the
board of directors of the combined firm will be reconstituted with a total of 10 members.
• PVR promoters will have a 10.62% stake while INOX promoters will have a 16.66% stake in
the combined entity.
• The merged firm would run 1,546 screens over 341 buildings in 109 cities.
327. AU Small Finance Bank has launched an innovative Credit Card called ‘AU Bank LIT’ (Live-
It-Today), which combines the features of multiple credit cards into a single card, ushering in
a new revolution in the credit card landscape. This credit card allows cardholders to
customise their choice of credit card features as per their ever-changing lifestyle
requirements instead of predefined features.
328. Syngenta India in association with the Agriculture Insurance Company of India (AIC) has
launched a price guarantee scheme for chili farmers of Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. The
agreement will facilitate guaranteeing a fair price to the farmers for their crop produce by
indemnifying them for losses incurred due to a fall in market prices.

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329. The State Bank of India (SBI) has received in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank of
India (RBI) to set up an operations support subsidiary aimed at bringing down the cost-to-
income ratio. The lender will soon start a pilot run in a few regions before launching the new
subsidiary pan India.
• SBI’s cost-to-income ratio has increased by 240 basis points to 53.3% in the FY22 from
FY19 levels.
330. The Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has provided an additional payment option
of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) mechanism to retail investors to apply in the public
issue of Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvITs) and Real Estate Investment Trust (REITs) for a
payment of up to Rs.5 lakh with effect from 1st August 2022.
• SEBI in January 2019 laid down the process for payment for applications in the public
issue of units of these new investment instruments through the facility of Applications
Supported by Blocked Amount (ASBA).
• REITs comprises a portfolio of commercial real assets, a major portion of which is already
leased out, InvITs comprise a portfolio of infrastructure assets, such as highways and
power transmission assets.
331. Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a defence Public Sector Unit (PSU) under the Ministry of
Defence (MoD), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Defence
Initiatives (DI) of Belarus, and Defence Initiatives Aero Pvt Ltd. India, a part of DI Belarus.
The MoU is aimed at co-operation between the three companies for supply of Airborne
Defence Suite (ADS) for the helicopters of the Indian Air Force (IAF). ADS is used for providing
protection to helicopters.
332. ICICI Bank has launched a digital platform called ‘Campus Power’ to help students aspiring
to pursue higher education in India and abroad. It is also available for other bank customers
also.
• The new Campus Power platform assists users to explore financial products matching
their needs ranging from bank accounts including overseas accounts, education loans and
its tax benefit, foreign exchange solutions, payment solutions, cards, other loans, and
investments.
• The first branch of ICICI on student ecosystem has been set up at IIT Kanpur and seven
more will be added.

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333. The Department of Pension & Pensioners' Welfare (DoPPW), Ministry of Personnel, Public
Grievances and Pensions, has announced to collaborate with the State Bank of India (SBI)
to create an integrated pension portal to enhance ease of living of pensioners.
• A session on pension policy reforms and digitisation regarding the disbursement of
pensions to central government pensioners has been organised with the objective of
updating SBI field functionaries during the two-day bankers' awareness programme in
Udaipur, Rajasthan.
334. Karnataka Bank has launched an online savings bank (SB) account opening facility through
'Video-based Customer Identification Process (V-CIP)'. This V-CIP facility will elevate the
customer experience by eliminating the need for a customer’s physical presence at the
branch to complete the Know Your Customer (KYC) process.
335. CARD91, a global Payment Issuance Infrastructure company, has partnered with Yes Bank
and RuPay, the flagship product of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), to
help simplify payment management. Under this partnership, CARD91 will create a card
management system that will allow companies to launch a variety of co-branded card
instruments as well as maintain a real-time dashboard to generate insights.
336. The Government of India (GoI) has made it mandatory for couples planning to become
parents through surrogacy to buy a health insurance plan for 36 months (three years) for
surrogate mothers. This insurance plan should be availed from an insurance company or an
agent recognized by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).
• As per the Surrogacy Regulation Act 2021, insurance means an arrangement by which a
company, individual or intending couple undertakes to provide a guarantee of
compensation for medical expenses, health issues, specified loss, damage, illness or
death of a surrogate mother and such other prescribed expenses incurred on such
surrogate mother during the process of surrogacy.
• The couple who wants surrogacy should be married for more than 5 years.
337. South Indian Bank has launched a new portal called 'SIB TF Online' for its corporate EXIM
customers. The portal facilitates a platform for trade-related payments to foreign entities
remotely.
• The portal has been launched in phases, with the first phase allowing three types of
import remittances such as advance remittance for Imports, remittance against import bill
received from overseas bank for collection, and payment against Import documents
received by the importer directly from overseas suppliers.
• The portal has been hosted on the home page of Corporate Internet Banking (SIBerNet)
and will allow corporates to transact 24x7, in a safe and paperless manner.

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338. The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has launched a Dhan Sanchay Savings plan, a
non-linked, non-participating, individual savings life insurance plan offering protection and
savings.
• The plan is available for a term of a minimum of 5 years to a maximum of 15 years.

• The minimum sum assured under this plan for options A and B is Rs.3,30,000, option C is
Rs.2,50,000 and option D is Rs.22,00,000.
• The minimum age at entry is three years (complete) depending upon chosen policy term.
339. Bangalore-based Neobank Freo has launched a digital savings account app ‘Freo Save’, in
collaboration with Equitas Small Finance Bank. With this, Freo has become the first
consumer neobank in India to provide full-stack neobanking products, including smart savings
account, credit and payments products, cards, and wealth-growth products.
• Freo Save App is 100% digital with seamless UPI Integration.

• It offers 7% interest on customer savings for balances above Rs.5 lakh up to Rs.2 crore.
Freo was co-founded by second-time founders and Indian School of Business alumni Anuj Kacker
and Kunal Verma in 2015 as a personal loan platform. It is backed by investors including Sequoia
Capital and Prime Venture Partners.
340. Max Life Insurance Company has launched the ‘Max Life Smart Fixed-return Digital Plan’,
a non-linked, non-participating, individual life insurance savings plan, in partnership with
Policybazaar. It has a minimum policy tenure of 5 years.
• The plan offers guaranteed tax-free returns up to 6.14% along with life cover protection at
monthly premiums as low as Rs.3000.
• Special benefits for women customers: 0.25% additional maturity benefit for five years’
policy term; 0.5% for ten years’ policy term.
• Provides option of taking a loan against policy in case of financial emergencies.
341. The State Bank of India (SBI), HDFC Bank, and ICICI Bank have acquired a 9.54% stake
each in Perfios Account Aggregation Services Private Limited (Perfios AA).
• The three banks have acquired 8,05,520 equity shares each by paying Rs 4.03 crore each
for the stakes.
• The lenders bought the shares at a price of Rs.50 apiece.
• The investments will be subject to the approval of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

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RBI IN NEWS
342. The Reserve Bank had launched its first global hackathon - “HARBINGER 2021 – Innovation
for Transformation” with the theme ‘Smarter Digital Payments’.
The results of the Hackathon are as follows:
343. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued new guidelines regarding Provisioning for
Standard assets by Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC)-Upper Layer (UL). They have
to set aside 0.25%-2% of the loan amount for standard assets as provisions. These guidelines
will come into effect from 1st October 2022.

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Category of Assets Rates of Provision
Individual housing loans and 0.25%
loans to Small and Micro
Enterprises (SMEs)
Housing loans extended at 2% which will decrease to 0.40%
teaser rates after 1 year from the date on
which the rates are reset at
higher rates.
Advances to Commercial Real 0.75%
Estate – Residential Housing
(CRE –RH) Sector
Advances to Commercial Real 1%
Estate (CRE) Sector (other than
CRE-RH)
Restructured Advances As stipulated in the applicable
prudential norms for
restructuring of advances.
All other loans and advances 0.40%
not included above, including
loans to Medium Enterprises
344. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recently (June 2022) cancelled the certificate of
registration (CoR) of three Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), including two housing
finance companies (HFCs).
HFCs:
• North East Region Housing Finance Company Limited in Aizawl, Mizoram.
• Aryarth Housing Finance Limited in Gurugram, Haryana.
NBFCs:
• Noida-based Malik Motor Finance Limited
• Ernakulam-based Empower India Capital Investments Private Limited
• Kolkata-based Mangalmayee Garments Private Limited (presently known as Abhijeet
Ferrotech Limited).
RBI has also cancelled the licence of the Mudhol Co-operative Bank, Bagalkot (Karnataka) citing
inadequate capital situation.
345. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the appointment of R Subramaniakumar,
former MD & CEO of Indian Overseas Bank, as the new Managing Director (MD) and Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of RBL Bank for three years. He has succeeded Vishwavir Ahuja.

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346. The Central Government has nominated 4 part-time non-official directors on the Central
Board of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The appointment will remain valid for four years
with effect from 14th June 2022.
• Anand Mahindra: Chairman of the Mahindra Group, non-executive chairman of
Mahindra & Mahindra and Tech Mahindra.
• Venu Srinivasan: Chairman emeritus of two-wheeler maker TVS Motor Company.
• Pankaj Patel: Chairman and Managing Director of Zydus Lifesciences.
• Ravindra Dholakia: Former member of the Monetary Policy Committee.
With the appointments, the RBI’s central board now consists of 5 official directors and 10 non-
official directors.
• RBI governor Shaktikanta Das and deputy governors Mahesh Kumar Jain, MD Patra, M
Rajeshwar Rao and T Rabi Sankar are the official directors.
• Revathy Iyer, Sachin Chaturvedi, Satish Kashinath Marathe, Swaminathan Gurumurthy,
Ajay Seth and Sanjay Malhotra are non-official directors of RBI.
347. In June 2022, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has lifted the restrictions imposed on
Mastercard. The Central bank had announced restrictions on Mastercard in 2021 for failing
to comply with the local data storage norms. Under RBI Mastercard restrictions, the US-based
payment gateway was barred from on boarding the new customers (debit, credit, or prepaid)
onto its card network from July 22, 2021.
348. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved Shriram Group's composite scheme of
arrangement and amalgamation of financial services business. The scheme was announced
in 2021. The approval has been given for the merger of Shriram City Union Finance (SCUF),
and Shriram Capital Limited (SCL) with Shriram Transport Finance Company (STFC), to form
India’s largest non-banking financial company (NBFC).
349. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released “Payments Vision 2025” document to
provide every user safe and affordable e-payment options. The theme of the document is ‘E-
payments for Everyone, Everywhere, Everytime (4Es). The document includes:
• Regulations for BigTechs and fintechs in payments

• Guidelines on payments along with “Buy Now Pay Later” (BNPL) services
• Introducing Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)
• Linking credit cards as well as credit components of banking products with the Unified
Payments Interface (UPI).
Activities which will be taken up by RBI up to 2025 have been categorised under five goal posts
namely, “integrity, innovation, inclusion, institutionalisation and internationalisation”. These goal
posts comprise of 47 initiatives by which RBI aims to achieve 10 outcomes, including increasing

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the number of digital payment transactions three times, the UPI registering 50 percent
annualised growth, Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) and National Electronic Fund Transfer
(NEFT) registering 20 percent growth, and debit card usage surpassing credit card usage.
Expected outcomes of various initiatives proposed under the 5 goal posts:
• Volume of cheque-based payments to be less than 0.25% of the total retail payments;
• More than 3 times increase in number of digital payment transactions;
• UPI to register average annualised growth of 50% and IMPS / NEFT at 20%;
• Increase of payment transaction turnover vis-à-vis GDP to 8%;
• Increase in debit card transactions at PoS by 20%;
• Reduction in Cash in Circulation (CIC) as a percentage of GDP; among others.
350. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the extension of the tenure of Equitas Small
Finance Bank (SFB) Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO) P.N.
Vasudevan for one year with effect from 23rd July 2022.
351. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the timeline for implementation of certain
provisions of the master directions it issued on issuance of debit cards and credit cards by
three months from 1st July 2022 to 1st October 2022.
Key provisions:
• The card issuers will have to seek one-time password (OTP)-based consent from the
cardholder for activating a credit card, if the same has not been activated by the customer
for more than 30 days from the date of issuance.
• The card issuers will not capitalize on unpaid charges for compounding of interest.
• The card issuers will have to ensure that the credit limit as sanctioned and advised to the
cardholder is not breached at any point in time without seeking explicit consent from the
cardholder.
352. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released data on India’s Balance of Payments (BoP)
for the fourth quarter (Q4), i.e., January- March 2021-22.
Key Features of India’s BoP in Q4:2021-22:
• As per it, India’s current account deficit (CAD) has decreased to USD 13.4 billion (1.5% of
GDP) in Q4:2021-22 from USD 22.2 billion (2.6% of GDP) in Q3:2021-22.
• Net foreign direct investment (FDI) at USD 13.8 billion was higher than USD 2.7 billion in
Q4:2020-21.

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• Net foreign portfolio investment (FPI) has recorded an outflow of USD 15.2 billion, mainly
from the equity market.
• Net external commercial borrowings (ECBs) to India were lowered at USD 3.3 billion in
Q4:2021-22 as compared with USD 6.1 billion a year ago.
• The foreign exchange reserves (on a BoP basis) was decreased by USD 16.0 billion as
against an accretion of USD 3.4 billion in Q4 FY21.
BoP during FY22:
• On an annual basis, CAD has recorded a deficit of 1.2% of GDP in 2021-22 as against a
surplus of 0.9% in 2020-21 as the trade deficit widened to USD 189.5 billion from USD
102.2 billion a year ago.
• Net FDI inflows at USD 38.6 billion in 2021-22 were lower than USD 44.0 billion in 2020-
21.
• Net FPI recorded an outflow of USD 16.8 billion in 2021-22 as against an inflow of USD
36.1 billion a year ago.
• Net ECBs to India recorded an inflow of USD 7.4 billion in 2021-22 as compared with USD
0.2 billion in 2020-21.
• In 2021-22, there was an accretion of USD 47.5 billion to foreign exchange reserves (on a
BoP basis).
353. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed Venkat Nageswar Chalasani, former
Deputy Managing Director of SBI, as a member of the Advisory Committee of SREI
Infrastructure Finance Limited (SIFL) and SREI Equipment Finance Limited (SEFL). He has
succeeded R Subramaniakumar, former MD & CEO, Indian Overseas Bank.
• The other two members of the committee are: T T Srinivasaraghavan (former
Managing Director, Sundaram Finance Limited) and Farokh N Subedar (former Chief
Operating Officer and Company Secretary, Tata Sons Limited).
354. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the card-on-file (CoF) tokenisation deadline by
three months to 30th September 2022 from 30th June 2022 for all Payment System Providers
and Payment System Participants.
• Card-on-file, or CoF, refers to card information stored by payment gateway and

merchants to process future transactions.
• Tokenisation refers to replacement of actual card details with an alternate code called the
token, which shall be unique for a combination of card, token requester, and device.
Note: Till 24th June 2022, around 19.5 crore tokens have been created.

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355. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had invited entries under the Award scheme for writing books
originally in Hindi on Economics/Banking/Financial subjects for 2020–21. On evaluation of the
entries received, it has been decided to jointly award Professor Renu Jatana, former Dean,
Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur, Rajasthan and Dr. Sagar Sanwariya, Assistant
Professor, Government Girl’s College, Nathdwara, Rajasthan under this scheme for their book
‘Vittiye Prabhand’.
356. As per the latest data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), credit card spending in
May 2022 was Rs 1.14 lakh crore, 7.8% higher than the Rs 1.05 lakh crore spent in April
2022. It increased by 118 percent year on year and by 8 percent month-on-month, due to
strong e-commerce spending and higher-value spending on travel and tourism and
discretionary purchases.
• IndusInd Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank saw the highest growth of 17 percent and 15
percent respectively in terms of credit card spending. American Express, on the other
hand, saw a 2 percent month-on-month decline.
• In terms of new card additions, HDFC Bank added the highest number of incremental
cards, with 38,000 new cards added in the same month.
• The bank’s market share in credit card spending stood at 27.7 percent in May 2022, up
from 27.6 percent in April and 26.6 per cent in March.
357. On June 30, 2022, the Reserve Bank has released the 25th issue of the Financial Stability
Report (FSR).
The Reserve Bank of India published the first Financial Stability Report (FSR) in March 2010. To
be published every six months, these reports are an attempt at institutionalizing the implicit
focus and making financial stability an integral driver of the policy framework.
• Banks as well as non-banking financial institutions have sufficient capital buffers to
withstand shocks.
• The capital to risk weighted assets ratio (CRAR) of scheduled commercial banks (SCBs)
rose to a new high of 16.7 per cent, while their gross non-performing asset (GNPA) ratio
fell to a six-year low of 5.9 per cent in March 2022.
• Macro stress tests for credit risk reveal that SCBs would be able to comply with the
minimum capital requirements even under severe stress scenarios.
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
358. Rashmi Sahoo, director of Ruchi Foodline, Eastern India’s leading food brand and Odisha’s
No.1 spices company, has won the Times Business Award 2022. She has been given the
award by renowned Bollywood actor and social activist Sonu Sood. The award has been given

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in the category of Eastern India’s Leading READY -TO-EAT brand. She also started and
established Frozit – Odisha’s first frozen food company.
359. Salman Rushdie, an Indian-born British novelist and the author of the 1981 Booker Prize-
winning novel ‘Midnight’s Children’, leads a list of over 40 professionals and community
champions of Indian-origin to be honoured in the Queen's Birthday Honours list 2022. He will
be awarded the ‘Companion of Honor’ by Queen Elizabeth II of Britain, for his service in the
literary world.
• The ‘Companion of Honor’ given by the Queen is a special award which is given for
notable contribution in the fields of arts, science, medicine etc.
Other Indian-origin awardees among the Queen’s Birthday Honours list 2022:
• Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE): Avnish Mitter Goyal
• Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBEs): Kishorkant (Vinu) Bhattessa for
charitable and voluntary services, particularly during COVID-19, and Rohit Naik for
services to education.
• Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE): Pranav Bhanot, Chila Kumari Singh
Burman, Sandeep Mahal, Professor Daljit Nagra and Dr Chithra Ramakrishnan, etc.
360. The International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) 2022 has been held in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
It has been hosted by Salman Khan, Maniesh Paul, and Riteish Deshmukh.
Winners of IIFA 2022:

• Best Actor (Male): Vicky Kaushal (Sardar Udham)
• Best Actor (Female): Kriti Sanon (Mimi)
• Best Director: Vishnuvaradhan (Shershaah)
• Best Film: Shershaah
• Best Playback Singer Female: Asees Kaur for ‘Raataan Lambiyan’, (Shershaah)
• Best Playback Singer Male: Jubin Nautiyal for song ‘Raataan Lambiyan’, (Shershaah)
• Best Lyrics: Kausar Munir for ‘Lehra Do’, 83
• Best Music Direction: A R Rahman for Atrangi Re and Jasleen Royal, Javed-Mohsin,
Vikram Montrose, B Praak, Jaani for Shershaah
• Best Male Debut: Ahan Shetty (Tadap)
• Best Female Debut: Sharvari Wagh (Bunty Aur Babli 2)
• Best Story Adapted: Kabir Khan, Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan for 83
• Best Original Story: Ludo by Anurag Basu
• Best Supporting Actor Female: Sai Tamhankar (Mimi)
• Best Supporting Actor Male: Pankaj Tripathi (Ludo)

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361. The 2nd edition of the Awards for Excellence in District Skill Development Planning has
been organized at Dr Ambedkar International Centre. 30 districts have been awarded with
District Skill Development Planning (DSDP) Awards 2022 for their innovative best practices in
skill development in the region.
• Rajkot in Gujarat, Cachar in Assam, and Satara in Maharashtra, respectively have
been ranked among the top three districts.
Awards have been given under 3 categories:

Category 1: Awards for Excellence in District Skill Development Planning – 8 Winners
Category 2: Certificate for Excellence in District Skill Development Planning – 13 Winners
Category 3: Letter of Appreciation for District Skill Development Planning – 9 Winners
DSDP awards were instituted under the Skill Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for
Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) Scheme in June 2018 for promoting decentralized planning,
acknowledging and rewarding the extraordinary and innovative work done by the districts in the
field of skill development. The first edition of DSDP awards was held in 2018-19.
362. The World Health Organization (WHO) has given the Regional Director Special Recognition
Award to the Resource Centre for Tobacco Control (e-RCTC) of the Department of
Community Medicine and School of Public Health at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical
Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh. The Resource Centre for Tobacco Control
provides information related to tobacco control in India, including circulars and orders,
policies and legislations, multidisciplinary publications.
363. The Union Government of India has launched the Rashtriya Puruskar Portal for inviting
nominations for various awards of the various Ministries, Departments and agencies to
ensure transparency and public partnership. This common portal has been developed by the
government to bring together all the awards under one digital platform. It aims to facilitate
citizens to nominate individuals and organizations for various awards instituted by the
Government of India.
364. American-Canadian writer Ruth Ozeki has won the prestigious 2022 Women's Prize for
Fiction for the novel ‘The Book of Form and Emptiness”. The book tells the story of a thirteen-
year-old boy who, after the tragic death of his father, starts to hear the voices of objects
speaking to him. She has been announced as the winner of the £30,000 prize at a ceremony
in London, UK.
• Other books by her: ‘A Tale for the Time Being’, ‘My Year of Meats and All Over
Creation’, etc.

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365. The Ministry of AYUSH has announced the ‘Prime Minister’s Award for Outstanding
Contribution towards the Development and Promotion of Yoga’ for 2021 to two
individuals and two organisations in recognition of their contributions in the space. The
winners have received a cash prize of Rs.25 lakh, a trophy, and a certificate.
List of Winners:
• Bhikkhu Sanghasena from Ladakh. He is the founder of the Mahabodhi International

Meditation Centre in Leh.
• Marcus Vinicius Rojo Rodrigues from Sao Paulo, Brazil
• “The Divine Life Society” from Rishikesh, Uttarakhand
• “The British Wheel of Yoga” from United Kingdom
The award was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of the 2nd
International Day of Yoga celebrations at Chandigarh in 2016.
366. The 2022 UN Public Service Award winners have been announced by Liu Zhenmin, United
Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, during a virtual event to
commemorate the United Nations Public Service Day (23rd June).
• Ten initiatives from Brazil, Canada, India, Ireland, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Saudi
Arabia, Thailand, and Ukraine have been recognised this year.
• From India, Mo Bus, a public transport bus service in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, has won the
2022 UNPSA. An e-rickshaw system called ‘Mo E-Ride’ has been introduced as a last-mile
feeder service. 40 percent of Mo Bus conductors are women and 100 percent of Mo E-
Ride drivers are women, transgender people, and people from disadvantaged
communities.
367. Delhi based, Drone enterprise platform company IG Drones has been felicitated with the
“Best Drone Organization – Start-up Category” by Airwards. IG Drones has been selected
for the award for its approach of helping local communities and giving access to technology
to various stakeholders during natural disasters and calamities.
368. The 21st edition of the Transilvania International Film Festival has been held in the Unirii
Square in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The film Utama, the director's debut Alejandro Loayza Grisi,
has been named the big winner of this year and has been awarded the 10,000 euro
Transylvania Trophy.
Other winners:
• Best Director Award went to filmmaker Guomundur Arnar Guomundsson, awarded for
the “credible, original and brilliant universe” he created in Beautiful Beings.

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• For their exceptional roles in ‘The Night Belongs to Lovers’, actors Laura Müller and
Schemci Lauth, have been awarded the Best Performance Award by Conceptual Lab by
Theo Nissim.
369. Former Indian tennis player, promoter, and humanitarian, Vijay Amritraj has been
honoured with the Golden Achievement Award 2021 by the International Tennis Hall of
Fame and the International Tennis Federation (ITF) in London, UK. He is first recipient from
India and he joins an esteemed list of tennis leaders who have received the honour, including
Brian Tobin of Australia, Eiichi Kawatei of Japan, and Peachy Kellmeyer of the United States.
The Golden Achievement Award is presented annually to a person who has made important
contributions internationally to tennis in the fields of administration, promotion, or education
and has devoted long and outstanding service to the sport.
370. Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini

Vaishnaw has inaugurated the India pavilion at the technology exhibition Vivatech 2022, held
in Paris, France. Around 65 start-ups from India have participated in Vivatech 2022 with
government support.
• Europe’s biggest startup conference, “Vivatech 2022” has recognized India as the
“country of the year.”
371. The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Department, Government of
Odisha has been awarded first prize in the category “National MSME Award 2022 to
States/UTs for outstanding contribution in the promotion and Development of MSME Sector”
by virtue of various developmental initiatives taken up for the development of MSMEs. It has
been followed by Bihar & Haryana.
Other awardees:
• Kalahandi has been awarded third prize in the category “National MSME Award 2022 to
Aspirational districts for outstanding contribution in the promotion and Development of
MSME Sector”.
• Sumeet Mohanty M/s Saferisk Insurance Brokers Private Limited, Bhubaneswar has been
awarded first prize in the category “Award for Service Entrepreneurship – Service Small
Enterprise (Overall)”.
• Sibabrata Rout M/s Amarnath Pest Management Technology, Cuttack has been awarded
third prize in the category “Award for Service Entrepreneurship – Service Micro Enterprise
(Overall)”.

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372. Former chief minister of Karnataka S M Krishna, founder of Infosys & IT industry veteran N
R Narayana Murthy, as well as former badminton player Prakash Padukone, have been
honoured with the Kempegowda International Award 2022”. The award has been presented
on the occasion of the 513th birth anniversary of Kempegowda, the architect of Bengaluru
city.
Kempegowda International Award:
Kempegowda Award, also known as Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Award, is a civilian award

which is presented by Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), annually. This award
carries a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh and a plaque. The award has been named after ruler of
Vijayanagara Empire, Nadaprabhu Hiriya Kempe Gowda. He built the Bengaluru city in 1537.
373. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has announced the fourth cycle of
National Highways Excellence Awards (NHEA) 2021 at an event organized under the ‘Azadi
Ka Amrit Mahotsav’. The theme of the 2021 awards is “Innovation and Excellence in Road
Construction”.
List of Winners of NHEA 2021
S. No. Company Name Project Name State Award
Excellence in Project Management-PPP
1 Welspun Enterprises Ltd Delhi- Meerut Delhi and U.P. Gold

Expressway
(Package-I)
2 KrishnagiriWalajahpet Krishnagiri- Tamil Nadu Silver

Tollway Pvt Ltd Walajahpet section
Excellence in Project Management-EPC
1 BIPL - BVEPL JV Bordumsa- Namchik Arunachal Gold

road of NH-215 Pradesh
Excellence in Operation and Maintenance – Flexible
1 WalayarVadakkancherry Walayar- Kerala Silver

Expressways Pvt Ltd Vadakkancherry
section
Excellence in Operation and Maintenance – Rigid
1 Godhra Expressways Pvt Godhra to Gujarat, Gujarat Silver

Ltd Madhya Pradesh

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border section of
NH- 59
Excellence in Toll Management
1 FarakkaRaiganj Highway Lakshmipur Toll West Bengal Combined

Ltd Plaza Gold
Bagasarai Toll Plaza
2 Ashoka Buildcon Ltd Hirebagewadi Toll Karnataka Silver

Plaza
Excellence in Highway Safety- Plain
1 Simhapuri Expressway Chilakaluripet- Andhra Pradesh Silver

Ltd Nellore section of
NH-5
Green Highway
1 GR Infra projects Ltd Four Laning of NH- Uttar Pradesh Special Award
56 bypass
connecting NH-2
with NH-56 as part
of Varanasi Ring
Road, Phase-2, PKG-
1
Outstanding Work in Challenging Condition
1 Dineshchandra R Rehabilitation and Andaman & Gold

Agrawal Infracon Pvt Ltd up-gradation of Nicobar
Beodnabad-
Ferragunj section of
NH-223
Dibang Infra Projects Dibang river system Arunachal

Ltd and connecting road Pradesh
between Bomjur-
Meka (NH-52) and
construct bridge
across river Lohit at
AlubariGhat and
connecting road
between
Chowkham- Digaru

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2 Dhola Infra Projects Ltd Bridge between Arunachal Silver
Dhola and Sadia Pradesh
ghatsalong with 2
lane connecting
roads from near
about Dhola to
IslampurTinali
3 M/S Ceigall India Ltd Rehabilitation of Punjab Special Award

Ramdas to
Gurdaspur (PKG-V)
Project and
Construction of
Kartarpur Corridor
(Indian Territory)
374. The Dutch documentary film “Turn Your Body to the Sun” has won the prestigious Golden
Conch award for the Best Documentary Film at the Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF)
2022. The Award carries a Golden Conch, a Certificate and cash prize of Rs 1 million (Rs 10
lakhs). The film is directed by Aliona Van der Horst. The film tells the incredible life story of a
Soviet soldier of Tatar descent, who was captured by the Nazis during World War II.
Other winners at MIFF 2022:

Best Short-fiction: (Silver Conch, a certificate and cash prize of Rs. 2.5 lakhs)
• ‘Saakshatkaaram’ (Malayalam) by Sudesh Balan
• ‘Brother Troll’ (Faroese language) by Gudmund Helsmsal
Best Animation Film: (Silver Conch, a certificate and cash prize of Rs.5 lakhs)
‘Prince in a Pastry Shop’ (Poland) by Katarzyna Agopsowicz
Pramod Pati - Most Innovative / Experimental Film: (Cash prize of Rs.1 lakh along with a
trophy and certificate)
‘Closed to the Light’ directed and produced by Italian film maker Nicola Piovesan
Special mention by International Jury:
• ‘Ghar Ka Pata’ by Madhulika Jalali
• Films Division production ‘Who Says The Lepchas Are Vanishing? ’ by Abhuydaya Khaitan
National Competition Awards:

• ‘Admitted’ directed by Ojaswwee Sharma has won the Silver Conch award for Best
Documentary Film (above 60 minutes) in National Competition section.
• Screaming Butterflies’ directed by Assamese Director Aimee Barua and produced by
Mala Barua has won the Silver Conch award for Best Documentary Film (below 60
minutes) in National Competition section.
• ‘Geru Patra’ directed by Shristipal Singh has won the Silver Conch for ‘Best Short Fiction
Film’ (upto 45 minutes) in National Competition section.

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• ‘Kandittundu (Seen It)’ directed by Adithi Krishnadas has been awarded the Silver Conch
for Best Animation Film in National Competition section for its subtly hilarious take on the
fantasy folklore of Kerala.
Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari Award for Best Debut Director:

Bimal Poddar for his film ‘Radha’. The award carries a trophy, certificate and prize money of
Rs. 1 lakh.
IDPA Award for Best Student Film:

‘Megha’, a Bengali film, directed by Rishi Bhaumik. The award carries a trophy, certificate and
prize money of Rs. 1 lakh.
BOOKS & AUTHORS
375. Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Dr Jitendra Singh has
released 2 e-books titled ‘E-book on 8 years Achievements of DoPPW-2014-2022’ and ‘E-
book on 8 years Achievements of Department of Administrative Reforms & Public
Grievances (DARPG)’, during the webinar on Administrative and Pension reforms -2014-2022
in New Delhi.
376. International Institute of Sports Management (IISM), India’s sports management college,
has launched India's first-ever book on Sports Marketing titled 'Business of Sports: The
Winning Formula for Success'. The book has been authored by Vinit Karnik, Head - Sports,
Esports & Entertainment at GroupM South Asia. The book has been launched as part of a
knowledge series. The book has been published under the banner of Popular Prakashan.
377. A new book titled “Gautam Adani: The Man Who Changed India” has been authored by
journalist-author RN Bhaskar. The book is the biography of billionaire industrialist, Gautam
Adani, The book will be released in October 2022 and will be published by Penguin Random
House (PRHI).
378. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has released the book 'Bharatiya Samvidhan: Ankahi
Kahani' by senior journalist Ram Bahadur Rai. The book will be in the tradition of New
India’s efforts to remember the forgotten thoughts to ensure that in the India of the future,
the consciousness of the past remains strong.
PERSON IN NEWS

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379. The Government of India (GoI) has appointed Pankaj Sharma, Joint Secretary in
Department of Financial Services (DFS) as part-time member of the Pension Fund Regulatory
& Development Authority (PFRDA). He has succeeded Vandita Kaul.
• PFRDA consist of a Chairman, 3 whole-time members, and 3 part-time members.
• Anne George Matthew, Additional Secretary in Finance Ministry is the other part-time
member in PFRDA Board.
The GoI has also appointed Suchindra Mishra, Additional Secretary in the Department of
Financial Services as a member of the Board of International Financial Services Authority (IFSCA).
It has also appointed Shashank Saxena, Senior Economic Advisor in the Department of
Economic Affairs as a member in IFSCA, which is currently the Gift City regulator.
380. Senior IAS officer Vandita Sharma (Punjab) has been appointed as the 39th Chief Secretary
of Karnataka. She has succeeded P Ravi Kumar. She will hold the office till November 2023.
With this, she has become the fourth woman to occupy the post, after Teresa Bhattacharya in
2000, Malathi Das in 2006, and K Ratna Prabha in 2017.
• She is a 1986-batch IAS officer and is currently serving as the Additional Chief Secretary
and Development Commissioner, Karnataka.
381. Former State Bank of India (SBI) executive Natarajan Sundar has been appointed as the
MD & CEO of the National Asset Reconstruction Company (NARCL) with effect from 30th May
2022. He has been appointed to replace the incumbent CEO Padmakumar M Nair.
• Karnam Sekar, who headed Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) till June 30, 2020, has been
appointed non-executive chairman of NARCL.
• Malvika Sinha, who retired as executive director of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), also
joined the NARCL board as an independent director.
382. Senior scientist Rajesh Gera has been appointed as the Director-General of the National
Informatics Centre (NIC), Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY). He joined
NIC as Deputy Director General (DDG) in 2020.
National Informatics Centre (NIC):

It is an Indian government organization under the Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology. It was established in 1976 with the objective to provide technology-driven
solutions to central and state governments. It is headquartered in New Delhi.
383. Indian former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar will continue as 'Goodwill Ambassador' of United
Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for a record 20th year, working for the welfare of
underprivileged children. He has been associated with UNICEF for over 2 decades for various
causes.

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• In 2003, he was chosen to take lead in the initiative to create awareness and promote
polio prevention in India.
• In 2008, he was roped in to create and promote hygiene and sanitation among
communities and has been continuing to do so over the years.
• In 2013, he was appointed UNICEF Ambassador for South Asia to advocate good hygiene
and sanitation across the region.
384. Senior IPS officer S L Thaosen has been appointed as the new Director-General of
Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). He has been appointed for a tenure up to his superannuation on
30th November 2023 or till further orders, whichever is earlier. He is a 1988 batch IPS officer
of Madhya Pradesh-cadre.
• The SSB chief’s post has been lying vacant after incumbent DG Kumar Rajesh Chandra
retired on 31st December 2021.
• Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) DG Sanjay Arora has been holding the additional charge
of the SSB since then.
385. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of MD &
CEO of Union Bank of India (UBI), Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), and Punjab & Sind Bank.
Union Bank of India:

The Centre has approved the appointment of A. Manimekhalai, executive director, Canara
Bank as Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer (MD&CEO) in Union Bank of India for
three years. With this, she has become the first woman MD and CEO of Union Bank of India.
She has succeeded Rajkiran Rai. G who retired on 31st May 2022.
Indian Overseas Bank:

The Centre has approved the appointment of Ajay Kumar Srivastava, executive director,
Indian Overseas Bank as MD & CEO of the bank for three years. He will replace Partha
Pratim Sengupta whose term will end on December 2022.
Punjab & Sindh Bank:

The Centre has approved the appointment of Swarup Kumar Saha, executive director,
Punjab National Bank as MD & CEO in Punjab & Sind Bank for three years. He has succeeded
S. Krishnan who retired on 31st May 2022.
386. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has appointed Indian cricketer Yash Dhull as the ECI
State Icon for the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi to motivate youngsters to get
enrolled to exercise their right to vote. As the ECI State Icon Yash Dhull will educate and
motivate the youngsters to enrol themselves in the electoral roll.

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387. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the proposal of the
Department of Financial Services for appointment of Alok Kumar Choudhary, former SBI’s
Deputy Managing Director (DMD), as Managing Director (MD) in State Bank of India (SBI)
with effect from the date of assumption of office and up to the date of his superannuation
i.e. 30 June 2024, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He will be handling the Retail
Business and Operations of the lender in SBI.
• He has replaced former MD Ashwani Bhatia who took charge as the whole time
member of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
388. Hindalco Industries MD Satish Pai has been appointed as the new chairman of the
International Aluminium Institute (IAI), the body representing the global primary aluminum
industry. He has succeeded Ben Kahrs.
389. Doordarshan and Doordarshan News Director-General Mayank Kumar Agrawal has been
given the additional charge of Chief Executive Officer at the country's public broadcaster
Prasar Bharati. He has succeeded Shashi Shekhar Vempati.
390. Music composer A R Rahman has been named the ambassador of the British Council's
'India-UK Together Season of Culture'. The Season of Culture aims to strengthen India-UK
collaboration in the areas of arts, English, and education. It was officially launched by Britain's
Deputy High Commissioner to India Jan Thomson and Director (India) of the British Council
Barbara Wickham. The launch marks the 75th anniversary of India's independence.
391. International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva has announced
the appointment of Indian economist Krishna Srinivasan as Director of the Asia and Pacific
Department (APD) with effect from 22nd June 2022. He will succeed Changyong Rhee.
392. Ambassador Rabab Fatima, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United

Nations, has been appointed as the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and also
appointed as High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing
Countries, and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS). She has succeeded Courtenay
Rattray of Jamaica who was appointed as the Chef de Cabinet. With this, she has become the
first woman diplomat from Bangladesh to be appointed to this post.

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393. Shreyas G. Hosur has become the first officer from the Indian Railways to complete the
gruelling ‘Ironman’ Triathlon, considered to be the toughest single-day sports event in the
world. This event includes 3.8 km of swimming, 180 km of cycling and 42.2 km of running. He
has completed the event in 13 hours and 26 minutes on 5th June 2022, in Hamburg,
Germany.
• Shreyas G. Hosur, is an Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS) officer of the 2012
Batch. He is returned from deputation to National Technical Research Organization
(NTRO), Delhi and is currently serving as Dy. FA&CAO in Construction/SWR.
394. Ramkrishna Mukkavilli, the Founder and Managing Director of Maithri Aquatech, has
become the first Indian to be recognized by the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) as a
Global Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Pioneer for Water Stewardship.
• The UNGC has announced 10 new SDG Pioneers-business leaders who are doing an
exceptional job to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the
implementation of the UN Global Compact Ten Principles on human rights,
environment, labor and anti-corruption. It has been announced during the UN Global
Compact Leaders’ Summit 2022.
395. Rahul Srivatshav P of Telangana has become India’s 74th Grandmaster, achieving the title
after breaking the 2500 (Elo points) barrier in live FIDE ratings during the 9th Cattolica Chess
Festival 2022 held in Italy. His current Elo rating is 2468.
• Note: Bharath Subramaniyam had become the country’s 73rd GM in January 2022.
396. President of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has appointed a former chairman of the
Jubbaland state election commission Hamza Abdi Barre as the country's new Prime
Minister. He has replaced Mohamed Hussein Roble.
397. Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, a former judge of the Supreme Court, has been selected
for the post of the Press Council of India (PCI) Chairperson. The post was lying vacant since
Justice Chandramauli Kumar Prasad (retd.) completed his term in November 2021. She
recently headed the Delimitation Commission on J&K which was set up to redraw the
Assembly constituencies of the Union Territory.
• With this, she has become the first women chairperson of PCI.

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398. Gustavo Petro has been elected as the new President of Colombia. He has become the
first leftist President of Colombia. He will assume office in August 2022. He will succeed Iván
Duque Márquez.
• Francia Marquez will be the country’s first Afro-Colombian woman Vice-President.
399. Sowmyanarayan Sampath, an Indian American, has been appointed as the new Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of Verizon Business with effect from 1st July 2022. He is currently
serving as the Chief Revenue Officer of Verizon Business.
400. Pramod K Mittal, President of Reliance Jio Infocomm, has been appointed as the new
Chairperson of the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) for 2022-23. He will replace
Ajai Puri.
401. P Balaji, Chief Regulatory and Corporate Affairs Officer of Vodafone Idea (VIL), has been
appointed as the Vice-Chairperson of COAI for 2022-23.
402. The President of India Ram Nath Kovind has appointed new Chief Justices for six High
Courts in exercise of the power conferred under clause (1) of Article 217 of the Indian
Constitution, after consultation with the Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana.
• Justice Vipin Sanghi from the Delhi High Court has been appointed as the Chief Justice of
the Uttarakhand High Court.
• Justice Amjad A Sayed from the Bombay High Court has been appointed as the Chief
Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court.
• Justice S S Shinde from the Bombay High Court has been appointed as the Chief Justice
of the Rajasthan High Court.
• Justice Rashmin M Chhaya from the Gujarat High Court has been appointed as the Chief
Justice of the Guwahati High Court.
• Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, a judge from the Telangana High Court, has been appointed as the
Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court.
• Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, the chief justice of the Telangana High Court, has been
appointed as the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court.
OBITUARIES
403. Eminent Urdu scholar, linguist, literary critic, and former Chairperson of Sahitya Akademi,
Gopi Chand Narang has recently passed away in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. He was
born on 11th February 1931 in Dukki village near Baluchistan, Pakistan. He was known as the
Ambassador of Urdu language.
• He was conferred the title of Padma Bhushan (2004) and Padma Shri (1990) in India.

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• He was conferred with Sitara-i-Imtiaz in 2012 in Pakistan and he received the Sahitya
Akademi Award in 1995.
• He is the only Urdu writer honoured by the Presidents of both India and Pakistan.
• He was also a scholar of Hindi and English language.
• He served as Professor Emeritus at the University of Delhi and Jamia Millia Islamia.
Books written by him: Ghalib, Kaghaz-e Atish Zadah, Urdu Zaban aur Lisaniyat, Hindustan ki
Tehreek-e-Azadi aur Urdu Shairi, Puraanon ki Kahaaniyan, etc.
404. Veteran photojournalist R. Raveendran has recently passed away in New Delhi. He is
known for his iconic photo of Rajiv Goswami setting himself on fire during the Mandal
agitation in New Delhi. He has worked in AFP and ANI.
405. Senior diplomat Ruchira Kamboj has been appointed as the next Permanent
Representative of India to the United Nations in New York. She will succeed TS Tirumurti.
• Ruchira Kamboj is a 1987-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer.

• She is presently serving as India's envoy to Bhutan. She is the first female Ambassador of
India to the Kingdom of Bhutan.
• She has been Permanent Representative of India to UNESCO in Paris, Indian High
Commissioner in South Africa, and Chief of Protocol in New Delhi.
406. Mohammed Jalood of Iraq has been elected as the new President of the International
Weightlifting Federation (IWF). He is also the first Asian who became President in IWF. He has
succeeded Michael Irani.
Other appointments:
• Ursula Papandrea (United States) has become the first female Vice-President of the IWF.
• Jose Quinones (Peru) has been elected as the General Secretary Treasurer.
407. P Udayakumar, Director (Planning & Marketing), NSIC has assumed the additional charge
of Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC)
with effect from 20 June 2022.
408. Shreya Lenka (Stage-name: Sriya), a 18-year old from Odisha, has become the first-ever
Indian to become a professional K-pop artiste. She is now a part of popular South Korean girl
group Blackswan along with a Brazilian girl called Gabriela Dalcin.

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409. Anil Khanna has been appointed the acting President of Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
The Delhi High Court has ordered that Narinder Dhruv Batra cannot continue as the
President of the IOA and appointed Anil Khanna as acting president.
410. The Appointment Committee of Cabinet (ACC) has appointed Nitin Gupta, currently a
Member in the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), as the new chairman of the Central
Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). He has succeeded Sangeeta Singh, who currently holds the
additional charge of the chairman, will continue to be Member, CBDT.
411. Samant Kumar Goel has been re-appointed as the head of the Research & Analysis Wing
(RAW). The Central govt. has extended his tenure for a period of one year i.e. 30th June 2023.
He is an IPS officer from the Punjab cadre class of 1984.
Other appointment:
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has appointed Tapan Kumar Deka, a
1988 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer as Director, Intelligence Bureau for a period of
two years, till June 2024. He has succeeded Arvinda Kumar.
412. Former Australia cricketer Lisa Sthalekar has become the first female president of the
Federation of International Cricketers' Association (FICA). She has succeeded former England
batter Vikram Solanki.
• Lisa Sthalekar received Australia's best woman international cricketer award in both 2007
and 2008.
• She played 187 matches for the national side from 2001 to 2013.
• She scored 2,728 runs in ODIs and picked 146 wickets, and 769 runs in T20Is apart from
claiming 60 wickets.
413. Khushi Patel, a biomedical student from the United Kingdom, has won the title of Miss
India Worldwide 2022, the longest-running Indian pageant outside of India. The event has
been organized by the New York-based India Festival Committee (IFC).
• First runner-up: Vaidehi Dongre (USA)

• Second runner-up: Shrutika Mane
414. Former foreign secretary Shyam Saran has been elected the new president of the India
International Centre (IIC) with effect from 23rd June 2022. He has succeeded N N Vohra.

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• The President of IIC is elected once in five years from among the Life Trustees
following the time-honoured principle of rotation of the presidency.
• Note: Shyam Saran was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award
of India, in 2011 for his contributions in the field of civil service.
415. New Development Bank (NDB) of the BRICS countries has appointed former bureaucrat Dr.
D J Pandian as the Director-General of its India Regional Office in Gujarat International
Finance Tec-City (GIFT City). He earlier served as the Vice President and Chief Investment
Officer of the Beijing-based Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
416. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
has appointed former Punjab Director General of Police (DGP), Dinkar Gupta as the Director-
General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The ACC has approved his appointment
till 31st March 2024 which is the date of his retirement. He is a 1987-batch IPS officer of the
Punjab cadre.
• Central Reserve Police Force director general DG Kuldiep Singh was handling the
additional charge of DG NIA after the post fell vacant following retirement of 1984
batch officer YC Modi.
• Swagat Das has been appointed special secretary (internal security) in the Home
Ministry. He is a 1987 batch IPS officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre and is presently
working as Special Director in Intelligence Bureau. He has been appointed to the post
till 30th November 2024 that is the date of his superannuation.
417. Avinash Kulkarni, CEO of India Resurgence Asset Reconstruction Company (IRARC), has
been appointed as the CEO of India Debt Resolution Company (IDRCL) for a period of 3 years
with effect from July 2022. He has succeeded Manish Makharia.
418. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of
Parameswaran Iyer as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NITI Aayog for a period of 2
years or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
• He is a 1981 batch IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre and had led the Swachh
Bharat Mission of the government between 2016 and 2020.
• He has succeeded Amitabh Kant who has completed his 6-year term as CEO of NITI
Aayog till the end of June 2022.
419. The board of directors of Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. has approved the appointment of
Akash M. Ambani, non-executive director, as chairman of the board. He has succeeded his
father Mukesh Ambani who resigned as the company director on 27 June 2022.

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• Mukesh Ambani will continue to be the Chairman of Jio Platforms Ltd., which owns all
Jio digital services brands, including Reliance Jio Infocomm.
• Pankaj Mohan Pawar has been appointed Managing Director of Reliance Jio
Infocomm for five years with effect from 27 June 2022.
• Former Union Finance Secretary Raminder Singh Gujral and former CVC KV
Chowdary have been appointed independent directors.
420. “Shabaash Mithu”, a Taapsee Pannu-starrer biopic on former India women’s cricket team
captain Mithali Raj, will be released on 15th July 2022. The film has been written by Priyan
Aven and directed by Srijit Mukherji.
421. Noted singer Krishnakumar Kunnath, popularly known as KK, has recently passed away in
Kolkata, West Bengal. He was born on 23rd August 1968 in Delhi.
• He made his film debut with an A.R. Rahman soundtrack.
• He launched his debut album titled ‘Pal’ in 1996, from which songs “Pal” and “Yaaro”
became very popular.
• His popular songs included "Tadap Tadap" from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), "Dola
Re Dola" from Devdas (2002), "Kya Mujhe Pyaar Hai" from Woh Lamhe (2006), "Aankhon
Mein Teri" from Om Shanti Om (2007), "Khuda Jane" from Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008),
"Piya Aaye Na" from Aashiqui 2 (2013), "India Wale" from Happy New Year (2014) and "Tu
Jo Mila" from Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015), among others.
422. Santoor player and renowned music composer Pandit Bhajan Sopori has recently passed
away in Gurugram, Haryana. He was born in 1948 in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir.
• He belonged to the Sufiana gharana of Indian classical music.
• He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2004, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1992 and
the Jammu and Kashmir State Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.
• The Indian Postal Department honoured Bhajan Sopori with a Rs.5 stamp in 2011 as a
tribute for his exceptional work in the world of art and culture.
423. Prof Bhim Singh, founder of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP)
and former legislator, has recently passed away in Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir. He was born
on 17th August 1941 in Bhugterian village, J&K.
• He was the first Indian to have travelled through 150 countries across the world by a
motorcycle from 1967 to 1973.
• He was also the first Indian to be elected as secretary of the University of London
Students Union in 1971.
• He had been a leading campaigner against Article 370, which provided a special status to
J&K.

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424. Freedom fighter and veteran of Indian National Army (INA) Anjalai Ponnusamy has
recently passed away in Sentul, Malaysia. She had joined the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, the
women’s unit of the INA, during the World War II and fought for India’s freedom from the
British. She witnessed both India and Malaysia obtain freedom in 1947 and 1957,
respectively.
425. Former Sony president and CEO Nobuyuki Idei has recently passed away due to liver
failure in Tokyo, Japan. He was born on 22 November 1937 in Seijo, Tokyo, Japan. He headed
Japan's Sony from 1998 to 2005.
426. India’s Long-Distance Running legend, Hari Chand, has recently passed away in Jalandhar,
Punjab. He was a two-time Olympian and also won two gold medals in the 5000m and
10000m races at the 1978 Bangkok Asian Games. He had also created a national record for
the 25-lapper set in the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games and it had stood for 32 years. He was
conferred with the Arjuna Award in 1975.
• Bhogeshwara, an elephant with the longest tusks in Asia, has recently passed away at
the age of 60 due to natural causes in the Gundre range of the Bandipur Tiger
Reserve in Karnataka. The wild elephant was also known as Mr Kabini. According to
forest department officials, Bhogeshwar’s tusks were 2.54 meters and 2.34 meters
long.
427. Eminent Urdu scholar, linguist, literary critic, and former Chairperson of Sahitya Akademi,
Gopi Chand Narang has recently passed away in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. He was
born on 11th February 1931 in Dukki village near Baluchistan, Pakistan. He was known as the
Ambassador of Urdu language.
• He was conferred the title of Padma Bhushan (2004) and Padma Shri (1990) in India.
• He was conferred with Sitara-i-Imtiaz in 2012 in Pakistan and he received the Sahitya
Akademi Award in 1995.
• He is the only Urdu writer honoured by the Presidents of both India and Pakistan.
• He was also a scholar of Hindi and English language.
• He served as Professor Emeritus at the University of Delhi and Jamia Millia Islamia.
Books written by him: Ghalib, Kaghaz-e Atish Zadah, Urdu Zaban aur Lisaniyat, Hindustan ki
Tehreek-e-Azadi aur Urdu Shairi, Puraanon ki Kahaaniyan, etc.
428. Veteran photojournalist R. Raveendran has recently passed away in New Delhi. He is
known for his iconic photo of Rajiv Goswami setting himself on fire during the Mandal
agitation in New Delhi. He has worked in AFP and ANI.

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429. Noted industrialist Pallonji Mistry, chairman of Shapoorji Pallonji group, has recently
passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2016.
• He is the largest shareholder in the Tata Group with 18.37% holding in the over $100
billion conglomerate.
• As per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, he accumulated a net-worth of almost USD 29
billion.
• In 2021, he sold its consumer durable business under the Eureka Forbes label that
operates with brands like Aquaguard and Forbes to the American private equity fund
Advent International.
430. Writer, lyricist and scenarist Chowalloor Krishnankutty has recently passed away in
Thrissur, Kerala. He was born on 11th July 1936 at Variyath, Chowalloor in Thrissur, Kerala. He
won the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi and Kerala Sahitya Akademi awards.
431. Noted Indian hockey player Varinder Singh has passed away in Jalandhar, Punjab. He was
part of the gold medal-winning 1975 World Cup team. He was also part of the silver medal-
winning 1973 World Cup team that lost the final to hosts Netherlands on penalties. He was
also part of the bronze medal-winning Indian men's hockey team at the 1972 Munich
Olympics. He was conferred with the prestigious Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement
Award in 2007.
SPORTS
432. Grandmaster Wesley Barbossa So, a Filipino-American chess grandmaster, has won the
10th edition of the 2022 Norway Chess Blitz tournament by defeating Grandmaster Magnus
Carlsen (Norway). The tournament has been held in Finansparken, Stavanger, Norway.
• The Indian Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand has defeated GM Magnus Carlsen and
has secured 4th position in the tournament.
433. Indian Para Canoeist Prachi Yadav has won the bronze medal in the women’s VL2 200m
event at the 2022 ICF Paracanoe World Cup. The tournament has been held in Poznan,
Poland. With this, she has become the first-ever Indian to win a medal in the International
Canoe Federation (ICF) World Cup.
• Prachi Yadav hails from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.
• She had become the first para-canoeist from the country to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo
Paralympics.

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• She had bagged gold in VL2 200m at the Asian Canoe Sprint Championships in Thailand.
434. International Hockey Federation’s (FIH) World Rankings 2022 has ranked the Indian
Women's Hockey Team, captained by Savita Punia, at the 6th position, for the first time,
with 2029.396 points. The women’s ranking is topped by the Netherlands (Rank 1), followed
by Argentina (Rank 2), and Australia (Rank 3).
• Indian Men’s Hockey Team has slipped to the 4th rank in the FIH World Rankings
2022. The men’s ranking is topped by Australia, followed by Belgium, and the
Netherlands.
435. Harini Logan, a 14-year-old Indian origin teenager, has won the Scripps National Spelling
Bee 2022. She has participated in this competition for the fourth time. She correctly spelt 22
words in the historic spell-off and won 50,000 USD. She hails from San Antonio, Texas.
• Vikram Raju, a 12-year old Indian origin boy, has finished second place and spelt 15
words correctly.
436. Former West Indies captain, Daren Sammy has been honoured with the ‘Sitara-i-Pakistan
Award’, Pakistan's third-highest civilian award, for his excellent contribution to the revival of
international cricket in Pakistan. He represented West Indies in 38 Tests, 126 ODIs, and 68
T20Is.
• Earlier (2020), he received the highest civilian medal of Pakistan, Nishan-e-Pakistan, for his
part in helping bring international cricket back to Pakistan.
• He was also awarded honorary Pakistani citizenship by the President of Pakistan Arif Alvi.
437. Team Hockey of South Korea has won the 2022 Men's Hockey Asia Cup title after
defeating Malaysia in the final match held in Jakarta, Indonesia. This is the fifth time the
South Korean team has lifted the prestigious trophy. The tournament has been organized by
the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF).
• India has won the bronze medal by defeating Japan in the Men’s Hockey Asia Cup
2022.
Awards & Recognition (2022 Men's Hockey Asia Cup):

• Top scorer: Razie Rahim of Malaysia
• Promising Goalkeeper: Akmal Hussain of Pakistan
• Best Goalkeeper: Takashi Yoshikawa of Japan
• Rising Star: Uttam Singh of India
• Hero Best Player: Jang Jonghyun of Korea
• AHF Athlete Ambassador: SV Sunil (India), Razie Rahim (Malaysia), and Mubashar Ali
(Pakistan)

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Note: India will host the 2023 Men's FIH Hockey World Cup.
438. The Appointment Committee of Cabinet (ACC) has extended the tenure of Sports Authority
of India (SAI’s) Director-General Sandip Pradhan to another two years till 30th September
2024. He is a 1990 batch IRS-IT officer. He became the Director General of SAI in 2019.
439. According to Forbes, LeBron Raymone James Sr., an American professional basketball
player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association, has officially become
a billionaire with a net worth of USD 1 billion. He has become the 1st active NBA player to
become a billionaire. He has won 4 NBA championships and has been named NBA Most
Valuable Player (MVP) Award 4 times.
• Note: Michael Jordan became the first NBA player to become a billionaire in 2014,
almost 11 years after he retired as a player.
440. The 2022 French Open, a Grand Slam tennis tournament, has been held at the Stade
Roland Garros in Paris, France.
French Open 2022

Title Winner
Men’s Singles
Rafael Nadal (Spain)
(14th French Open title)

Women’s Singl
es Iga Świątek (Poland)
(2nd French Open title)

Men’s doubles Marcelo Arévalo ( El Salvador), Jean-Julien Roj
er (Netherlands)
Women’s doub Caroline Garcia (France), Kristina Mladenovic (
les France)
Mixed doubles Ena Shibahara (Japan), Wesley Koolhof (Nethe
rlands)
441. Indian men's hockey team, captained by Gurinder Singh, has won the inaugural edition of
the FIH Hockey 5s tournament held in Lausanne, Switzerland. India has won the tournament
by defeating Poland in the final match. The two-day tournament has been organized by the
International Hockey Federation (FIH).

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Hockey 5s:
It is a hockey variant that features five players on each team (including a goalkeeper). The field of
play is also 55 m long and 41.70 m wide which is approximately half the size of a regular pitch.
442. Indian women’s cricket team captain, Mithali Raj, has announced her retirement from all
forms of cricket. She played 12 Tests, 232 ODIs, and 89 T20Is spread across three decades
from 1999 to 2022. She hails from Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
• She announced her retirement from T20Is in 2019.
• She made her One Day International debut in 1999 against Ireland at Milton Keynes.
• She is the only female cricketer to surpass the 7,000 run mark in Women's One Day
International matches.
• She is ranked 6th in the ICC Women’s ODI Batting Rankings (June 2022).
Awards & Honours: Wisden Leading Woman Cricketer in the World in 2017, Arjuna Award in
2003, the Padma Shri in 2015, and Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in 2021.
443. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has unveiled the mascot and the logo for the 44th FIDE
Chess Olympiad 2022. The Official Mascot of 44th Chess Olympiad is 'Thambi'. The word
'Thambi' in Tamil language means - little or younger brother. The international event will be
held at Mamallapuram near Chennai from 28th July to 10th August 2022.
• The mascot 'Thambi' is a knight dressed in the traditional Tamil attire veshti (Dhoti)
with a shirt and is seen with folded hands, apparently extending the Tamil greeting
'Vanakkam'. The words "Chess Believe" are seen on its shirt.
444. The 44th edition of Stuttgart Open 2022 has been held at the Tennis Club Weissenhof in
Stuttgart, Germany. It is the men’s and women’s tournament that includes:
2022 BOSS Open (Men): Played on outdoor grass courts

• Matteo Berrettini (Italy) has won the men's singles title after defeating Andy Murray
(Britain).
• Hubert Hurkacz (Poland) and Mate Pavić (Croatia) have won the doubles title.
2022 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (Women): Played on clay courts

• Iga Swiatek of Poland has won the women’s singles title after defeating Aryna Sabalenka
(Belarus).
• Desirae Krawczyk (America) and Demi Schuurs (Netherlands) have won the doubles title.
445. The International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) World Cup 2022 has been held in Baku,
Azerbaijan. The Republic of Korea has topped the medal tally with 5 Gold and 3 Bronze,
followed by USA with 4 Gold, 3 Silver, and 1 Bronze.
• India has finished 5th in the championship with 5 medals (2 Gold and 3 Silver).
Indian medal winners:

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• Elavenil Valarivan, Ramita and Shreya Agrawal: Gold (Women’s team’s 10m air rifle)
• Swapnil Kusale and Ashi Chouksey: Gold (50m rifle 3 positions mixed team)
• Swapnil Kusale: Silver (Individual men’s 50m rifle 3 positions)
• Anjum Moudgil: Silver (Individual women’s 50m rifle 3 positions)
• Swapnil Kusale, Deepak Kumar and Goldie Gurjar: Silver (Men’s rifle 3 positions team)
446. The 10th edition of the Norway Chess 2022 has been held at Finansparken in Stavanger,
Norway. Magnus Carlsen (Norway) has won the Norway Chess Tournament for a fourth
time in a row and for the fifth time in 10 editions after beating Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria) in
Armageddon.
• Indian GM Vishwanathan Anand has won the final round against Norwegian chess
player Aryan Tari to place 3rd with 14.5 points in the Norway Chess Tournament.
• Indian GM R Praggnanandhaa has won the Norway Chess Group ‘A’ Open Chess
Tournament with 7.5 points from nine rounds.
447. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced Sri Lanka's batting star Angelo
Mathews as the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for May 2022 and Pakistan's debutante spin
sensation Tuba Hassan as the ICC Women's Players of the Month for May 2022.
448. The 4th edition of Khelo India Youth Games 2021 has been held from 4th June to 13th June
2022 in Panchkula, Haryana. The mascot of the game is ‘Dhakad’. Five indigenous sports -
mallakhamb, gatka, kalaripayattu, thang-ta and yogasana - made their KIYG debut this
season.
Around 4,700 athletes, including 2,262 women, from all of India’s 36 states and Union Territories
have participated at KIYG 2021.
• Haryana has won the title of Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) 2021 with 137 medals (52
Gold, 39 Silver and 46 Bonze).
• This is Haryana’s second KIYG title. Haryana won the inaugural title in 2018 but finished
second to Maharashtra in the next two seasons.
• Haryana is followed by Maharashtra with 125 medals (45 gold, 40 silver and 40 bronze)
and Karnataka with 67 medals (22 gold, 17 silver and 28 bronze).
• A total of 33 states won at least one medal at KIYG 2021 while 28 won at least one gold.
Key players in the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) 2021:
• Maharashtra’s Sanyukta Kale swept all the five gold medals on offer in rhythmic
gymnastics.
• Weightlifter Harshada Garud broke the youth national record in the girls’ 45kg category
by lifting 83kg to win the gold.
• Haryana’s Shiva Narwal won the gold medal in the air pistol event.

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• Haryana athlete Unnati Hooda won the girl’s badminton title.
Note: Khelo India programme's inaugural edition was held in New Delhi in 2018.
449. The 2022 Indonesia Masters, a badminton tournament, has been held at the Istora Gelora
Bung Karno, Jakarta, Indonesia.
Category Winners of 2022 Indonesia

Masters
Men’s singles Viktor Axelsen (Denmark)
Women’s singles Chen Yufei (China)
Men’s doubles Fajar Alfian & Muhammad Ria
n Ardianto (Indonesia)
Women’s doubles Chen Qingchen & Jia Yifan
(China)
Mixed doubles Zheng Siwei & Huang Yaqion
g
(China)
450. The 23rd FIFA World Cup 2026 will be hosted by USA, Canada and Mexico. FIFA
(International Federation of Association Football) has selected 16 cities from these countries
through a bid.
• Los Angeles (USA), Toronto (Canada), and Mexico City (Mexico) are among the host cities
for the tournament.
• The tournament will be the first to feature 48 teams, after FIFA approved expansion from
32 teams.
• Canada and Mexico will host 10 matches each, while the United States will host the other
60, including all matches from the quarterfinals onward.
• Note: FIFA World Cup 2022 will be hosted by Qatar from 21st November to 18th December.
451. Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra will lead a 37-member
Indian athletics team in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, which will be held in Birmingham,
England from 28th July to 8th August 2022. He will be the flag bearer in the games.
452. Former world billiards champion Sourav Kothari (India) has won the 2022 Lance Pannell-
Pacific International Snooker Championship title. He has won the title by defeating
Australian cueist Johl Younger in the final match held in Melbourne, Australia. He has also
won the Pacific International Billiards Championship title.

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453. Indian men’s football team captain Sunil Chhetri has become the joint fifth highest
goalscorer in international football history. He achieved this feat during the Asian Football
Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers clash against Hong Kong, where he scored his
84th goal. He has equalled the record of Real Madrid and Hungarian player Ferenc Puskas.
He is now the third highest goal scorer in international football, after Portugal’s Cristiano
Ronaldo and Argentina’s Lionel Messi.
454. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (Netherlands) has won his 6th Formula One (F1) Canadian
Grand Prix 2022 held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada. He has won the four of
the previous five Grand Prix this season. Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz (Spain) has finished 2nd
and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton (UK) has finished 3rd in the event.
455. The Paytm-sponsored 5 match Twenty20 International (T20I) has been hosted by India
against South Africa. The 5-match T20I series ended in a tie-breaker (2-2) as the first two
matches have won by the South African Cricket team led by Temba Bavuma and 3rd & 4th
match was won by the Indian cricket team led by Rishabh Pant.
• India and South Africa have shared the trophy of the Paytm T20I series
• The final match has been held in M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, Karnataka.
• Senior India fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been named the Players of the Series
for his prolific performance with the ball by picking up a total of 6 wickets in 4 matches.
456. Indian javelin ace and Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra has won the gold medal by wining
javelin throw event (86.69 meters) at the Kuortane Games 2022 in Kuortane, Finland. He has
won the gold by defeating Anderson Peters of Grenada.
457. Rumeli Dhar, the India seam-bowling all-rounder, has announced her retirement from
international cricket. She played her last international match in the tri-nation women’s T20I
series between India, Australia and England, at Brabourne in 2018. She made her
international debut in 2003, against England in Lincoln.
458. Madhya Pradesh team has won their maiden Ranji Trophy title after defeating
heavyweights Mumbai team by six wickets in the final match held at the M.Chinnaswamy
Stadium in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Under the captaincy of Aditya Shrivastava, the team has
defeated 41-time champions Mumbai. The team has been coached by former India
wicketkeeper-batsman Chandrakant Pandit. This is his sixth Ranji title as coach.
• Man of the Match (final): Shubham Sharma (Madhya Pradesh)

• Man of the Series: Sarfaraz Khan (Mumbai) with 982 runs.

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• Other Top batters: Rajat Patidar of Madhya Pradesh (658 runs), Chetan Dinesh Bisht of
Nagaland (623 runs), Yash Dubey of MP (614 runs) and Shubham Sharma (608 runs).
• Shams Mulani of Mumbai has scored the top position in the bowling chart with 45 wickets.
• Other Top bowlers: Kumar Kartikeya of MP (32 wickets), spinner Shahbaz Nadeem of
Jharkhand (25 wickets), medium pacer Gaurav Yadav of MP (23 wickets) and spinner
Satyajeet Sunil Bachhav of Maharashtra (21 wickets).
The Ranji Trophy is named after one of India’s first test cricketers, Ranjitsinhji, who played for
England and Sussex. It is a domestic first-class cricket championship played in India between
multiple teams representing regional and state cricket associations. It currently consists of 38
teams, with all 28 states in India and 4 of the eight union territories having at least one
representation. The first edition of this trophy was played in 1934–35.
459. Indian squash player Anahat Singh from Delhi has won the gold medal in the girl’s Under-
15 category at the Asian Juniors Squash Championships after defeating Kwong Ena of Hong
Kong in the final match held in Pattaya, Thailand.
• So far, Anahat Singh, a 14-year old, has won 46 national circuit titles, 2 national
championships and 8 international titles.
• She is the only Indian girl to win the US Junior Open in any category and the British Junior
Open.
460. The Asian Track Cycling Championship 2022, the 41st Senior, 28th Junior Asian, and 10th
Para Track Cycling Championships has been held from 18th to 22nd June 2022. The
championship has been hosted by India in New Delhi.
• Japan has topped the overall medals tally (senior, junior and para combined) with 18
gold, seven silver and two bronze medals.
• South Korea has finished second with 12 gold, 14 silver and three bronze medals, and
Kazakhstan has finished third with 4 gold, 4 silver, and 3 bronze.
• The Indian cycling team has finished its campaign with 23 combined medals, including
two gold, six silver and 15 bronze, which is the best-ever performance by India at the
championships.
• Women’s 4km team pursuit: Bronze (Swasti Singh, Chayanika Gogoi, Meenakshi and
Monika Jat)
• Men’s 4km team pursuit: Bronze (Vishwajit Singh, Dinesh Kumar, Venkappa K and
Anantha Narayan)
• Men’s team sprint: Bronze (Ronaldo Singh Laitonjam, David Beckham and Rojit Singh)

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• Women's team sprint: Bronze (Trishya Paul, Shushikala Agashe and Mayuri Lute)
• Women’s 500m time trial: Bronze (Mayuri Lute)
• Men’s 4km individual pursuit: Bronze (Vishwajit Singh)
• Men's 1km time trial: Bronze (Ronaldo Singh)
• Men’s individual sprint: Silver (Ronaldo Singh)
• Women’s scratch race: Bronze (Chayanika Ghosh)
Major achievement:
Ronaldo Singh has become the first Indian cyclist to win silver in a continental championship
in the senior category on the final day of the Asian Track Cycling Championships (ATCC) 2022,
coming second in the sprint event.
461. The Bolat Turlykhanov Cup 2022 has been held in Almaty, Kazakhstan. India has
concluded the United World Wrestling’s ranking series with 11 medals (six golds, one silver,
and four bronze). Five of the Gold medals have been won by women.
Women: Mansi Ahlawat (57kg) – Gold, Sarita Mor (59kg) – Gold, Sakshi Malik (62kg) – Gold,
Manisha (65kg) – Gold, Divya Kakran (68kg) – Gold, Bipasha (72kg) – Silver, Pooja Sihag (76kg)
– Bronze, Sushma Shokeen (55kg) – Bronze
Men’s freestyle: Aman Sehrawat (57kg) – Gold, Bajrang Punia (65kg) – Bronze, Mohit
Grewal (125kg) – Bronze
Greco-Roman: Neeraj (63kg) - Bronze
462. Indian cricket team led by Hardik Pandya for the Ireland series-2022 has defeated Ireland
cricket team led by Andrew Balbirnie in both the Twenty 20 International (T20I) and has won
‘Joy E-Bike Electrifying Cup’.
• Venue: Malahide Cricket Club, Ireland.

• Player of the Match: Yuzvendra Chahal (1st T20I) and Deepak Hooda (2nd T20I)
• Player of the Series: Deepak Hooda
Records in the series:
• Hardik Pandya has become the first Indian Captain to pick a wicket in T20I.
• Deepak Hooda and Sanju Samson broke the record of highest-ever partnership in T20I
cricket by making 176 runs stand.

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463. Skalzang Rigzin has become the first Indian Mountaineer to climb Mount Annapurna
peak without supplemental Oxygen. With 16 days of gap between climb of Mt Annapurna on
April 28 and Mt Lhotse on May 14, Skalzang Rigzin has set a record to conquer two summits
without oxygen supplements.
Mt Annapurna:
Annapurna is a mountain situated in the Annapurna mountain range of Gandaki Province,

north-central Nepal. It is the tenth highest mountain in the world at 8,091 metres above sea
level. It is also known as the Killer Mountain due to its fatality to summit rate.
IMPORTANT DAYS
464. World Milk Day is observed annually on 1st June to recognize milk as global food and to
celebrate the dairy industry. The goal of World Milk Day is to reach ‘Dairy Net Zero’ by
lowering greenhouse emissions and improving waste management over the next 30 years.
The day was established by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) in
2001.
• Note: India is the largest producer of milk followed by the US, Pakistan, and China, and
also accounts for 22 percent of the global milk production.
465. Global Day of Parents is observed annually on 1st June to honour all parents around the
world for their selfless commitment and lifelong sacrifice they make for their children. It also
aims to raise awareness about the importance of quality parenting and family life. The day
was first observed in 2013.
• Theme 2022: “Appreciate All Parents Throughout the World”.
466. Telangana Formation Day is observed annually on 2nd June to celebrate the foundation of
the youngest state of India which was formed on the same day in 2014. The year 2022 marks
the 8th Formation Day of Telangana.
• Telangana became India’s 29th state, however, at present, it is the 28th state as Jammu
and Kashmir were made UT in 2019.
• The day commemorates the official separation of Telangana from the state of Andhra
Pradesh.

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467. World Bicycle Day is observed annually on 3rd June to recognise bicycling as a way to get a
sustainable form of travelling that also ensures one’s physical well-being. The day was first
observed in 2018.
• Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Anurag Thakur has launched a nationwide ‘Fit
India Freedom Rider Cycle rally’ on World Bicycle Day 2022.
• The aim of cycle rally is to encourage and motivate people to adopt cycling in their daily
lives for physical fitness and keep them immune to health disorders including obesity,
stress, anxiety, and diseases.
468. International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression is observed annually on

4th June to acknowledge the pain suffered by children throughout the world who are victims
of physical, mental, and emotional abuse. The day was first observed on 19th August 1982. At
that time, the day was focused on victims of the Lebanon War.
469. World Environment Day (WED) is observed annually on 5th June to create awareness
among people about the importance of nature. The day is organized by the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP), and held annually since 1973. The day was established in
1972, which was the first day of the Stockholm Conference on the human environment.
• Theme 2022: ‘Only One Earth’
• The year 2022 marks the 50 year anniversary of the 1972 Stockholm Conference.
• WED 2022 is hosted by Sweden with the focus on “Living Sustainably in Harmony with
Nature”.
470. International Day for the Fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing is
observed annually on 5th June to draw attention to the threats posed by Illegal, Unreported,
and Unregulated (IUU) fishing activities to the sustainable use of fisheries resources as well
as to ongoing efforts to fight these activities. The day was first observed in 2018.
• According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) IUU fishing activities are
responsible for the loss of 11–26 million tonnes of fish each year, which is estimated to
have an economic value of US$10–23 billion.
• The United Nations has declared 2022 as the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and
Aquaculture.
471. World Pest Day is observed annually on 6th June to spread awareness about the need for
pest management and the role of pest management organisations in protecting public
health. The day was first observed in 2017.

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472. The UN Russian Language Day is observed annually on 6th June to spread awareness
about the history, culture, and development of the Russian language. The day also marks the
birth anniversary of the Great Russian poet A.S. Pushkin, the father of modern Russian
literature.
• It is one of the six official languages used by the United Nations throughout the
Organization.
• The day was established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) in 2010.
Note: Six official languages of the UN are English, Arabic, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and
French.
473. World Food Safety Day is observed annually on 7th June to draw attention and mobilize
action to prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks and improve human health. The World
Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
(FAO) jointly facilitate the observance of World Food Safety Day, in collaboration with
Member States and other relevant organizations. The day was first observed in 2019.
• Theme 2022: ‘Safer food, better health’
474. World Oceans Day is observed annually on 8th of June to inform the public of the impact
of human actions on the ocean, develop a worldwide movement of citizens for the ocean,
and mobilize and unite the world’s population on a project for the sustainable management
of the world's oceans. The concept of World Oceans Day was first proposed by the United
Nations in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. The day was first observed in 2009.
• Theme 2022: “Revitalization: collective action for the ocean”.
475. The 25th Founding Day of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and
Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) has been observed in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Diplomats
from BIMSTEC and other countries, Ministers, government officials, eminent citizens and the
media have participated in the event.
BIMSTEC:
BIMSTEC is a regional organization comprising seven Member States lying in the littoral and
adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal constituting a contiguous regional unity. This sub-regional
organization came into being on 6 June 1997 through the Bangkok Declaration. It constitutes
seven Member States: five deriving from South Asia, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal,
Sri Lanka, and two from Southeast Asia, including Myanmar and Thailand.
• Secretariat: Dhaka, Bangladesh
• Secretary-General: Tenzin Lekphell

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476. World Accreditation Day is observed annually on 9th June to highlight the value of
accreditation in the economy. It is a global initiative jointly launched by the International
Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).
The day was first observed in 2008. The year 2022 marks the 15th anniversary of World
Accreditation Day.
• Theme 2022: "Accreditation: Sustainability in Economic Growth and the Environment."
477. The 14th International Level Crossing Awareness Day (ILCAD) has been observed on 9th
June 2022 to create awareness about level crossing safety. The motto of 2022 ILCAD is “Don’t
put your life at risk, stay away from tracks!”
• The 13th ILCAD was observed on 10th June 2021 and the 12th edition was observed on
11th June 2020.
478. World Day Against Child Labour is observed annually on 12th June to raise awareness
and activism to prevent child labour. The International Labour Organization (ILO) launched
this day in 2002 to spread awareness about the harmful mental and physical problems faced
by children forced into child labour, all over the world.
• Theme 2022: “Universal Social Protection to End Child Labour”
• “Week of Action against Child Labour” has been observed from 3-12 June 2022.
479. World Blood Donor Day is observed annually on 14th June to spread awareness of the
need for safe blood and blood products and to thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for
their life-saving gifts of blood. The day also marks the birth anniversary of Karl Landsteiner.
This day was first initiated and established on 14 June 2004 by the World Health
Organization (WHO).
In May 2005, WHO with its 192 member states established Blood Donor Day at the 58th World
Health Assembly.
• For 2022, the World Blood Donor Day slogan is “Donating blood is an act of solidarity. Join
the effort and save lives”
• The host country for World Blood Donor Day 2022 is Mexico.
480. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) is observed annually on 15th June to spread
awareness about abuse and neglect of older persons and raise awareness of the cultural,
social, economic, and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect.
• This year, WEAAD coincides with two important events. The first is the start of the United
Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030) and the second is the 20th milestone of

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the Second World Assembly on Ageing and the fourth review and appraisal of the
implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA).
• Theme 2022: “Combatting Elder Abuse”
481. The International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA) initiated and
designated the 15th June as WEAAD in June 2006. The day was first observed in 2012.
482. Global Wind Day is observed annually on 15th June to acknowledge the potential of wind
power. The day was first observed in 2007 by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA)
and the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).
483. International Day of Family Remittances is observed annually on 16th June to recognise
the importance of over 200 million migrant workers who send money home to over 800
million family members. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the
resolution on 12th June 2018 and proclaimed the 16th June of every year as the International
Day of Family Remittances.
• Theme 2022: “Recovery and Resilience through Digital and Financial Inclusion”
484. World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is observed annually on 17th June to
promote public awareness of international efforts to combat desertification. The day was first
observed in 1995.
• Spain has hosted the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2022.
• Theme 2022: “Rising up from drought together”
485. World Sea Turtle Day is observed annually on 17th June to spread awareness about sea
turtles and their conservation. The day also marks the birth anniversary of Dr. Archie Carr
who is widely known as “the father of sea turtle biology.” The day highlights the impacts of
climate change on sea turtles and how sea turtles hear and the importance of their hearing.
• Sea Turtle Week has been observed from 13th to 17th June 2022.
486. International Day for Countering Hate Speech is observed annually on 18th June to
promote inter-religious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance in countering hate speech.
The year 2022 marks the celebration of the first International Day for Countering Hate
Speech.
• On the first observance of International Day for Countering Hate Speech, Morocco and
the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention has organised a high-level event

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with the theme: “Role of education to address the root causes of hate speech and
advance inclusion, non-discrimination, and peace”.
487. Sustainable Gastronomy Day is observed annually on 18th June to recognize the practices
associated with sustainable food consumption, especially with the art of collecting and
preparing the food we eat. The day was recognised on 21 December 2016 after the United
Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/71/246, and declared 18
June as Sustainable Gastronomy Day.
• Gastronomy refers to local food and cuisine.
488. International Picnic Day is observed annually on 18th June. On this day, people spend
time with their loved ones and go for picnics to get a break from their monotonous everyday
routine. The word “picnic” gets its origins from the French language, specifically from the
word “pique-nique”.
489. National Reading Day is observed annually on 19 June to encourage the habit and culture
of reading and to promote literacy. The day also marks the death anniversary of Puthuvayil
Narayana Panicker, who is considered as the Father of Kerala’s Library and Literacy
Movement.
• The year 2022 marks the observance of the 27th National Reading Day.
• National Reading or Digital Reading Month has been observed across India from 19th June
to 18th July 2022.
PN Panicker:
He was born in a Nair family on 1st March 1909 at Neelampeeror, Kerala. He started the
‘Granthashala Sangam’ in 1945 to promote literacy movement and libraries in the state. He
was famous for the message of - “Vayichu Valaruka” which means “Read and Grow”. He made
the literacy movement into a popular socio-cultural movement. He founded the Kerala
Association for Non-Formal Education and Development (KANFED) in 1977. Granthasala Sangam
won the ‘Krupsakaya Award’ from UNESCO in 1975.
490. International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict is observed
annually on 19th June to spread awareness about conflict-related sexual violence. The year
2022 marks the observance of the 8th International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence
in Conflict.
• Theme 2022: ‘Prevention as Protection: Enhancing structural and operational
prevention of conflict-related sexual violence’

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491. World Sickle Cell Day is observed annually on 19th June to spread awareness of sickle cell
disease and the challenges experienced by people with sickle cell diseases. A sickle cell is a
red blood cell that has contorted into a sickle shape.
• ‘Shine the Light on Sickle Cell’ is a national awareness campaign to celebrate this day.
492. World Refugee Day is observed annually on 20th June to commemorate the obstacles
faced by refugees all over the world. The day was first observed in 2001 by the United
Nations on the 50th anniversary of the 1951 UN Refugee Convention regarding the status of
refugees. The day was previously known as ‘Africa Refugee Day’, but in 2000, UN officially
designated the day as ‘World Refugee Day’.
• Theme 2022: ‘The Right to Seek Safety’

• The day focuses on ‘Whoever, Whatever, Whenever. Everyone has the right to seek safety’
493. The year 2022 marks the observance of the 8th International Day of Yoga. Yoga is an ancient
physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India.
• The idea of International Day of Yoga was first proposed by Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi during his speech at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 27th
September 2014.
• The day was first observed in 2015.
• Theme 2022: ‘Yoga for Humanity’
494. International Day of the Celebration of the Solstice is observed annually on 21st June to
spread awareness about solstices and equinoxes and their significance for several religions
and ethnic cultures. The Summer Solstice is the shortest day of the year in the Southern
Hemisphere and the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. It occurs on June
21st this year.
495. World Music Day is observed annually on 21st June to encourage young and amateur
musicians to perform. The day was first observed in 1982 on the Summer Solstice in France,
when the former French minister of art and culture, Jack Lange, along with Maurice Fleuret
started the Fête de la Musique in Paris. The year 2022 marks the 40th anniversary of the
celebration of ‘World Music Day’.
• Theme 2022: “Music on the intersections”

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496. World Hydrography Day is observed annually on 21st June to spread awareness about
Hydrography and its importance in improving knowledge of the seas and oceans. The day
was first observed in 2005.
• Theme 2022: “Hydrography – contributing to the United Nations Ocean Decade”.
497. International Olympic Day is observed annually on 23rd June to promote sports and
health. The day commemorates the foundation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
in 1894 at the Sorbonne, Paris, where the Olympic Games were revived by Baron Pierre de
Coubertin.
• Theme 2022: 'Together, For a Peaceful World'
498. United Nations Public Service Day is observed annually on 23rd June to highlight the
contribution and role of public service in the development of all sectors around the world.
The day was first observed in 2003.
• Theme 2022: ‘Building back better from COVID-19: Enhancing innovative partnerships
to meet the Sustainable Development Goal’
499. International Widows' Day is observed annually on 23rd June to gather support for
widows and to spread awareness about their situation. The day was established by The
Loomba Foundation. The day was formally adopted as International Widows’ Day by the
United Nations on 21 December 2010. The day was first observed in 2011.
500. Day of the Seafarer (DotS) is observed annually on 25th June to honour the vital
contribution that seafarers make to global trade and the economy, frequently at
considerable personal sacrifice to themselves and their families. The day was first observed
in 2011. The year 2022 marks the observance of the 12th Day of the Seafarer. The day is
organized by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
• Theme 2022: 'Your voyage - then and now, share your journey’
501. World Vitiliigo Day is observed annually on 25th June to spread awareness about vitiligo, a
long-term skin condition caused due to lack of melanin. The day was first observed in 2011 in
memory of American singer and songwriter late Michael Jackson “the King of Pop” and his
struggle with vitiligo.
• Theme 2022: “Learning to Live With Vitiligo”

• Purple is the official colour representing the Vitiligo.

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502. International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, also known as World Drug
Day, is observed annually on 26th June to highlight the physical and psychological impact of
substance abuse, drug overdose deaths and drug-related humanitarian crises with an aim to
eliminate the menace from society. The day was first set by the United Nations General
Assembly (UNGA) in 1987.
• The “#CareInCrises” campaign has been organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs
and Crimes (UNODC) for this year’s celebration of World Drug Day.
• Theme 2022: “Addressing drug challenges in health and humanitarian crises”
503. International Day in Support of Victims of Torture is observed annually on 26th June to
create awareness about torture and help victims receive the support they need. The day was
first observed in 1998.
504. World Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSME) Day is observed annually on
27th June to spread awareness of the tremendous contributions of micro-, small and
medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). This year, the International Trade Centre (ITC) marks the 5th
anniversary of MSME Day. The day was first observed in 2017.
• Theme 2022: “Resilience and Rebuilding: MSMEs for sustainable development at the
forefront of building back better and stronger from the impacts of the COVID-19
pandemic, climate crisis and conflicts”
• It is noteworthy that MSMEs account for 90% of businesses, 60 to 70% of employment and
50% of GDP worldwide.
505. National Statistics Day is observed annually on 29th June to raise awareness about the
use of statistics in everyday life and policy-making. The day marks the celebration of the birth
anniversary of Late Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, known as the “Father of
Indian Statistics”. The day was first observed in 2007.
• Theme 2022: “Data for Sustainable Development”
Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis:
He was born in Kolkata on 29th June 1893. He died on 28th June 1972. He is famous across
the world for "Mahalanobis Distance."
• He is one of the members of the first Planning Commission.
• He established the Indian Statistical Institute in 1931.
• He was honoured with the Padma Vibhushan in 1968 for literature and education.

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506. National Insurance Awareness Day is observed annually on 28th June to raise awareness
about Insurance which offers security in several situations and to make people aware of the
benefits of investing in insurance plans.
507. The International Day of the Tropics is observed annually on 29th June to highlight the
significance of the tropic regions and the environmental and socio-economic challenges
faced by them. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted resolution in 2016,
which declared that 29 June of each year is to be observed as the International Day of the
Tropics.
508. World Asteroid Day is observed annually on 30th June to raise awareness about the risks
of an asteroid impact. The day also marks the anniversary of the Tunguska asteroid impact
over Siberia on June 30, 1908. The day was first observed in 2017.
Asteroids:
They are the celestial rocks that are smaller than a planet, however, revolve around the sun
like them. The asteroids usually orbit between planets Mars and Jupiter and that is referred
to as the ‘Asteroid Belt’.
509. International Day of Parliamentarism is observed annually on 30th June to highlight the
importance of the Parliament in securing the democratic rights of citizens. The day also
commemorate the date on which the Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) was
founded. The day was established in 2018 through a United Nations General Assembly
Resolution.
• Theme 2022: Public Engagement

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BAZOOKA – JUNE 2022

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Other modifications in the scheme:

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3. Param Ananta, a state-of-the-art Supercomputer, has been commissioned at Indian

Astra MK-I BVR AAM:

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Cabinet approval (June 2022):

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Radio Frequency Identification (RFID):

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Aim of the LiFE Movement:

Some of the major achievements of India in the environment sector:

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Sports under NASP 2022:

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• He has inaugurated the Khukri Memorial museum at decommissioned warship INS

Other Cabinet approvals (June 2022):

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Tribal Research Institute (TRI):

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Bharat Blockchain Network:

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Baal Swaraj Portal:

• Collection of the child’s details through the portal.

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Gabon (Capital: Libreville; Prime Minister: Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda):

India-Gabon bilateral trade has reached USD 1.12 billion in FY 2021-22.

Senegal (Capital: Dakar; President: Macky Sall):

Qatar (Capital: Doha; Emir: Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani)

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• IDCF is being organized since 2014.

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Bharat Gaurav Scheme:

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Other Cabinet approvals (June 2022):

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• PM Narendra Modi has inaugurated a new campus of Dr B R Ambedkar School of

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• Headquarters: New Delhi

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Two payloads include:

• Objective: To bring stakeholders from animal, human and environment health on a

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• ATGM uses a ‘tandem’ High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) warhead.

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Reasons for increasing sugar production in Maharashtra:

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12 new conservation reserves: Chivatibavari and Alaldari in Dhule; Kalwan, Muragad,

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