07

02
40
Current Affairs/GK
19

April, 2022 PART ONE

22
 RBI’S MONETARY POLICY – POLICY RATES REMAIN UNCHANGED FOR
STRAIGHT 11TH TIME
Monetary policy refers to the policy of the central bank with regard to the use of

07
monetary instruments under its control to achieve the goals specified in the Act. The
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is vested with the responsibility of conducting monetary

02
policy. This responsibility is explicitly mandated under the Reserve Bank of India Act,
1934.
40
The primary objective of the RBI’s monetary policy is to maintain price stability while
keeping in mind the objective of growth. Price stability is a necessary precondition to
19

sustainable growth.
22

The Urijit Patel Committee first advocated the formation of a five-person Monetary
Policy Committee. The government afterwards recommended the formation of a seven-
member commission.
In May 2016, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Act, 1934 was amended to provide a
statutory basis for the implementation of the flexible inflation targeting framework. The
Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) constituted by the Central Government under Section
45ZB determines the policy interest rate required to achieve the inflation target.
According to Section 45ZB, the MPC consists of the RBI Governor as its ex officio chairman, the Deputy Governor in
charge of monetary policy, a Bank executive recommended by the Central Board, and three individuals appointed by
the central government. The final category of appointees must be "persons of ability, honesty, and stature with

07
knowledge and expertise in economics, banking, finance, or monetary policy."
The MPC is required to meet at least four times in a year.

02
The quorum for the meeting of the MPC is four members.
Each member of the MPC has one vote, and in the event of an equality of votes, the Governor has a second or casting
vote.
40
The resolution adopted by the MPC is published after conclusion of every meeting of the MPC
Once in every six months, the Reserve Bank is required to publish a document called the Monetary Policy Report to
19

explain:
a. the sources of inflation; and
b. the forecast of inflation for 6-18 months ahead.
22

The Central Government notified the following as factors that constitute failure to achieve the inflation target: (a) the
average inflation is more than the upper tolerance level of the inflation target for any three consecutive quarters; or (b)
the average inflation is less than the lower tolerance level for any three consecutive quarters.
Repo Rate: The (fixed) interest rate at which the Reserve Bank provides overnight
liquidity to banks against the collateral of government and other approved securities
under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF).
Reverse Repo Rate: The (fixed) interest rate at which the Reserve Bank absorbs liquidity,

07
on an overnight basis, from banks against the collateral of eligible government securities
under the LAF.

02
Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF): The LAF consists of overnight as well as term repo
auctions. Progressively, the Reserve Bank has increased the proportion of liquidity
40
injected under fine-tuning variable rate repo auctions of range of tenors. The aim of term
19

repo is to help develop the inter-bank term money market, which in turn can set market
based benchmarks for pricing of loans and deposits, and hence improve transmission of
22

monetary policy. The Reserve Bank also conducts variable interest rate reverse repo
auctions, as necessitated under the market conditions.
Marginal Standing Facility (MSF): A facility under which scheduled commercial banks can
borrow additional amount of overnight money from the Reserve Bank by dipping into
their Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) portfolio up to a limit at a penal rate of interest. This
provides a safety valve against unanticipated liquidity shocks to the banking system.
Bank Rate: It is the rate at which the Reserve Bank provides long term loans to banks
Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR): The average daily balance that a bank is required to maintain with the Reserve
Bank as a share of such per cent of its Net demand and time liabilities (NDTL) that the Reserve Bank may

07
notify from time to time in the Gazette of India.
Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR): The share of NDTL that a bank is required to maintain in safe and liquid

02
assets, such as, unencumbered government securities, cash and gold. Changes in SLR often influence the
availability of resources in the banking system for lending to the private sector.
40
Accommodative Stance - A accommodating stance indicates that the central bank is
willing to increase the money supply to stimulate economic expansion. During a period of
19

accommodating monetary policy, the central bank is willing to reduce interest rates. A
rate increase is not likely. When growth needs policy support and inflation is not an
22

immediate worry, the central bank normally adopts an accommodating stance.

Neutral Stance - A "neutral stance" implies that the central bank is able to either cut or
raise interest rates. This position is often used when inflation and growth share equal
policy priority. The guidance indicates that a rate change in either direction is possible at
any time.
Hawkish Stance - A hawkish approach indicates that inflation control is the central bank's top concern.
During such a period, the central bank is willing to increase interest rates in order to restrict money
supply and demand. A hawkish stance is also suggestive of a tight monetary policy. When the central

07
bank raises interest rates or "tightens" monetary policy, banks increase their interest rates on loans to
end borrowers, which reduces demand within the financial system.

02
Calibrated Tightening - A repo rate cut is not possible during the present rate cycle due to calibrated
tightening. However, the rate increase will occur in a measured manner. This indicates that the central
40
bank may not vote for a rate hike at every policy meeting, but the general policy position leans toward a
rate increase. This can even occur outside of policy discussions if the situation merits it.
19

Dovish Stance - The policy is dovish if the RBI anticipates an easing of inflationary pressure in the future.
If deflation occurs more quickly than anticipated, policymakers will have space to relax their stance. RBI
22

is open to consider a rate drop if the appropriate efforts are made to reduce inflation. This demonstrates
a "dovish" stance. This is determined by a number of factors outside inflation, such as whether the new
government has advocated fiscal discipline by cutting expenditures or whether the rupee has
appreciated.
 LIC IPO
LIC is fully owned by the government. It was set up in 1956.
It has the biggest share in India’s insurance business.
IPO is the selling of securities to the public in the primary market (a type of capital market).

07
Primary market deals with new securities being issued for the first time. It is also known as the new issues market.

02
It is different from the secondary market where existing securities are bought and sold. It is also known as the
stock market or stock exchange.
Under IPO, an unlisted company makes either a fresh issue of securities or an offer for sale of its existing
40
securities or both for the first time to the public.
19

Through an IPO, an unlisted company can get listed on the stock exchange.
It is generally used by new and medium-sized firms that are looking for funds to grow and expand their business.
It will help the government to meet its rising fiscal deficit.
22

An IPO will bring transparency into affairs of LIC since it will be required to inform its value and other market-related
developments on time to the stock exchanges.
It also gives an opportunity for retail investors to participate in the wealth creation of LIC.
Listing of companies on stock exchanges disciplines the company since it comes under
greater scrutiny. It also provides access to financial markets, thus raising the company’s

07
value.
MARCH 2022 - Union Cabinet cleared an amendment to the FDI Policy to allow Foreign

02
Direct Investment (FDI) up to 20% under the “automatic route” in Life Insurance
Corporation (LIC) ahead of its proposed Initial Public Offer
40
At present, LIC pays 5% of its surplus to the government and rest goes to the
policyholders as opposed to private insurance companies, where 10% goes to the
19

shareholder. This is how LIC could give higher bonus on policies compared to the private
insurance companies.
22
 AIR INDIA – AIR ASIA MERGER
The Tatas owns 100% stake in AI. It is hoped that with AI passing into the private sector,

07
its operations and costs will get streamlined, services on board will improve and basic
services like wi-fi will also be made available.

02
A strong international carrier in India will give a boost to the large airports built in Delhi,
40
Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bengaluru which along with AI will be able to win back some of
the tourist dollars from Indians travelling abroad who are currently travelling on foreign
19

carriers.
A successful turnaround of Air India could also help the Indian economy as it is a well-
22

established fact that aviation has a multiplier effect on the economy.

There is a pressure on the government to raise resources to support the economic
recovery and meet expectations of higher outlays for healthcare.
The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) under the
Ministry of Finance is the nodal department for the strategic stake sale in the Public
Sector Undertakings (PSUs).
The Competition Commission of India (CCI), in June this year, approved Tata Group-
owned Air India’s proposal to fully acquire the equity share capital of low-cost

07
carrier AirAsia India.
This comes after an auditor's report indicated that AirAsia India’s net worth has been fully

02
eroded and its liabilities are over the current assets, casting doubt on the airline as a
"going concern". The Tatas plan to absorb AirAsia India into Air India and merge with no-
40
frills unit Air India Express, said people with knowledge of the matter.
AirAsia India is majority-owned by Tata Sons with a shareholding of 83.67 percent and
19

AirAsia Investment Ltd, part of Malaysia’s AirAsia Group, controls the rest of the stake in
the budget carrier.
22
 ELON MUSK ACQUIRES TWITTER IN $44 BILLION DEAL
Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town
square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated. I also want to make

07
Twitter better than ever by enhancing the product with new features, making the
algorithms open source to increase trust, defeating the spam bots, and authenticating all

02
humans. Twitter has tremendous potential – I look forward to working with the company
and the community of users to unlock it.” – Elon Musk. As of now, the deal hasn’t
40
happened because of certain reasons.
19
22
 UPI LAUNCHED IN UAE
Tourists or migrants to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with Indian bank accounts will be

07
able to make UPI payments at shops, retail establishments and other merchants in the
gulf nation, thanks to the partnership between the National Payments Corporation of

02
India (NPCI) and the Mashreq Bank’s NEOPAY
It will be mandatory for users to have a bank account in India with UPI enabled on it. The
40
users will also need an application, like BHIM, to make UPI payments.
With the acceptance of BHIM UPI in the UAE, Indian tourists can now make seamless
19

payments through BHIM UPI only across NEOPAY enabled shops and merchant stores.
This partnership will play a key role in transforming the P2M payment experience for
22

Indian travellers in the UAE. The implementation of BHIM UPI in the UAE is a stepping
stone toward providing a major boost to digital payments in the country
NPCI’s international arm NIPL have several such arrangements with international financial
services providers for its products, including UPI and RuPay cards. Globally, UPI is

07
accepted in Bhutan and Nepal, and is likely to go live in Singapore later this year.
In Singapore, a project to link UPI with the city-state’s instant payment system PayNow is

02
being undertaken by the RBI and the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Even though the
UAE arrangement only allows for Indians to make payments, in Singapore’s case, the UPI-
40
PayNow linkage will enable users of each of the two fast payment systems to make
instant, low-cost fund transfers on a reciprocal basis without a need to get on-boarded
19

onto the other payment system.

22
What is UPI?
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a system that powers multiple bank accounts into a
single mobile application (of any participating bank), merging several banking features,

07
seamless fund routing & merchant payments into one hood. It also caters to the “Peer to
Peer” collect request which can be scheduled and paid as per requirement and

02
convenience. Immediate money transfer through mobile device round the clock 24*7 and
365 days. Single mobile application for accessing different bank accounts.
40
What is NPCI?
It is an umbrella organisation for operating retail payments and settlement systems in
19

India. It is an initiative of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Indian Banks’ Association (IBA)
22

under the provisions of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007. It has been
incorporated as a “Not for Profit” Company under the provisions of Section 8 of
Companies Act 2013. The ten core promoter banks are State Bank of India, Punjab
National Bank, Canara Bank, Bank of Baroda, Union Bank of India, Bank of India, ICICI
Bank, HDFC Bank, Citibank and HSBC. In 2016 the shareholding was broad-based to 56
member banks to include more banks representing all sectors.
 EV FIRES IN INDIA & NITI AAYOG’S DRAFT BATTERY SWAPPING POLICY
Battery Swapping Policy in India is being introduced to improve the efficiency in the
Electric vehicles (EV) ecosystem in the country.

07
Battery swapping is a mechanism that involves exchanging discharged batteries for
charged ones.

02
This provides the flexibility to charge these batteries separately and keeps the vehicle in
operational mode with negligible downtime.
40
Battery swapping is generally used for smaller vehicles such as two-wheelers and three-
wheelers with smaller batteries that are easier to swap, compared to four-wheelers and
19

e-buses, although solutions are emerging for these larger segments as well.
22
Battery Swapping Policy: What does the draft released by NITIA Aayog state?

07
1. Under the policy, all the metropolitan cities with a population of above 40 lakh will be
prioritized for the development of a battery swapping network under the first phase.

02
2. As per NITI Aayog, all the major cities such as the UT headquarters, state capitals, and
cities with a population of above 5 lakh will be covered under the second phase, given
40
the importance of the two and three wheeler vehicle segments in growing cities.
3. As per the draft policy by NITI Aayog, vehicles with swappable batteries will be sold
19

without a battery, providing the benefit of lower purchase costs to potential EV owners.
4. The Draft on Battery Swapping Policy further states that any individual or entity is also
22

free to set up a battery swapping station at any location. However, the specified
technical, safety, and performance standards are adhered to.
EV fires in India: Gadkari talks heavy penalty
The Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, while noting the several incidents involving electric

07
scooters that have taken place over the last two months, said that an expert committee
will probe the matter. He also talked about heavy fines on the companies among other

02
measures.
Earlier in April 2022, a video of an Ola e-scooter engulfed in flames went viral online
40
further triggering a government probe. While talking about incidents, the Union Minister
said that an expert committee has been constituted to enquire into these incidents and
19

make recommendations on remedial steps.

22
 NATIONAL PANCHAYATI RAJ DAY – 24th APRIL, 2022 – NO THEME
The Prime Minister has launched the distribution of e-property cards under
the SWAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village

07
Areas) scheme on the Day.
The first National Panchayati Raj Day was celebrated in 2010. Since then, the National

02
Panchayati Raj Day is celebrated on 24th April every year in India.
The day marks the enactment of the 73rd amendment of the constitution in 1992.
40
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has been awarding the best performing
Panchayats/States/UTs across the country in recognition of their good work.
19

A40 of the constitution spoke about organisation of village panchayat in India and List II
of the 7th schedule spoke about municipalities at the commencement of the constitution.
22

Keeping in mind the attainment of social justice, then economic justice and then political
justice, 73rd and 74th Amendment Act, 1992 were enforced due to which Part IX
(constitution of Panchayat), 11th schedule (list of 29 voluntary functions) and Part IXA
(constitution of Municipalities), 12th schedule (list of 18 voluntary functions) were made
respectively.
 PM GETS LATA DEENANATH MANGESHKAR AWARD
The Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award was instituted in the memory and honor of
legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, who had passed away at the age of 92 in February

07
2022. The award will be given every year to only one individual who has made path-
breaking, spectacular and exemplary contributions to the nation, its people, and the

02
society, as per the statement by the Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Smruti Pratishthan
Charitable Trust.
40
19
22
 SUMAN BERRY – APPOINTED AS NEW VICE CHAIRMAN OF NITI AAYOG
PM as chair Governing Council consists of the Chief Ministers of all the States and Lt. Governors of Union Territories in
India.
Regional Councils will be created to address particular issues and possibilities affecting more than one state. These will

07
be formed for a fixed term. It will be summoned by the Prime Minister. It will consist of the Chief Ministers of States
and Lt. Governors/Administrators of Union Territories. These will be chaired by the Chairperson of the NITI Aayog or his

02
nominee.
Special invitees: Eminent experts, specialists with relevant domain knowledge, which will be nominated by the Prime
Minister.
40
The full-time organizational framework will include, in addition to the Prime Minister as the Chairperson:
Vice-Chairperson (appointed by the Prime Minister)
19

Members:
Full-time
Part-time members: Maximum of 2 members from foremost universities, leading research organizations, and
22

other innovative organizations in an ex-officio capacity. Part-time members will be on a rotational basis.
Ex Officio members: Maximum of 4 members of the Council of Ministers which is to be nominated by the Prime
Minister.
Chief Executive Officer: CEO will be appointed by the Prime Minister for a fixed tenure. He will be in the rank of
Secretary to the Government of India.
 AJAY KUMAR SOOD – NEW PRINCIPAL SCIENTIFIC ADVISOR OF INDIA
In November 1999, Cabinet Secretariat established the Office of the Principal Scientific
Adviser to the Government of India. The PSA’s office aims to provide pragmatic and

07
objective advice to the Prime Minister and cabinet on matters related to science,
technology and innovation with a focus on application of science and technology in

02
critical infrastructure, economic and social sectors in partnership with Government
departments, institutions and industry. The functions include -
40
S&T fundamentals with applied research in collaboration with multiple stakeholders,
19

both in central and state governments

Enabling future preparedness in emerging domains of science and technology
22

Formulating and coordinating major inter-ministerial S&T missions

Providing an enabling ecosystem for technology led innovations and techno-

entrepreneurship
Driving innovation and technology delivery towards solving socio-economic challenges
for sustainable growth
Fostering effective public-private linkages for driving research and innovation
 VINAY MOHAN KWATRA – NEW FOREIGN SECRETARY OF INDIA

07
SHANTI SETHI – INDIAN-AMERICAN NAVY VETERAN APPOINTED AS KAMLA

02
HARRIS’ DEFENCE ADVISOR - Kamala D. Harris is the Vice President of the
40
United States of America.
19

FALGUNI NAYYAR – NYKAA FOUNDER IS IN THE TOP 10 OF HURUNS’ SELF

22

MADE WOMEN BILLIONAIRE IN THE WORLD LIST 2022. Hurun Richest Self-
Made Women in the World 2022 has 124 women from 16 countries. 3 Indian
women have featured in the top 100 with Falguni Nayyar placed in the top 10
of the list. 19 women on the list are new entries. Notably, the number of
Indian self-made women billionaires have tripled over the last decade.
GAUTAM ADANI – BECOMES INDIA’S RICHEST Before Covid struck and the world went
into widespread lockdowns, Gautam Adani's wealth stood at $10 billion.
Adani has added $60.9 billion to his fortune in 2022 alone, five times more than anyone
else.

07
HAFIZ SAEED – LeT CHIEF SENTENCED FOR 31 YEARS TO JAIL

02
26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed was today sentenced to jail for 31 years by an anti-terror
court in Pakistan. Hafiz Saeed, the founder of the terror group Lashkar e Taiba and the
40
chief of Jamaat ud Dawa, was sentenced in two cases. Though based in Pakistan, Lashkar-
19

e-Taiba initially operated in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, on the Pakistan-
India border, but by the first decade of the 21st century the group had expanded its reach
22

farther into India. One of the largest groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir, Lashkar-e-
Taiba was extremely pro-Pakistan regarding control of the region. The group opposed
any concessions to India. Further, its leaders expressed the desire to establish Islamic rule
throughout India. The group took part in several attacks targeting non-Muslim civilian
populations in Jammu and Kashmir in an effort to create a Muslim state.
 BINAPANI MOHANTY (ODIA WRITER) – SAHITYA AKADEMI AWARD
RECIPIENT PASSED AWAY
Sahitya Akademi award established in 1954, is a literary honour that is conferred annually by Sahitya Akademi, India’s

07
National Academy of letters.
Akademi gives 24 awards annually to literary works in the languages it has recognized and an equal number of awards
to literary translations from and into the languages of India.

02
Besides the 22 languages enumerated in the Constitution of India, the Sahitya Akademi has recognised English and
40
Rajasthani as languages in which its programme may be implemented.
The Sahitya Akademi award is the second-highest literary honour by the Government of India, after the Jnanpith award.
Criteria for Choosing Awardee:
19

The author must be of Indian Nationality.

22

Book/work eligible for the award must be an outstanding contribution to the language and literature to which it
belongs.
When equal merit for books of two or more are found, certain criteria like total literary contribution and standing
of authors shall be taken into consideration for declaring the award.
Other Sahitya Akademi Awards:

Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar is given to an author based on his/her total contribution to children

07
literature and relates to books first published during the five years immediately preceding the year of Award.
Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar relates to books published by an author of the age of 35 and below.

02
Jnanpith Award
The Jnanpith award is the highest literary award in India and can only be conferred annually upon an Indian citizen.
English along with other languages mentioned in Indian Constitution (8th Schedule) is considered for the Award.
40
The prize carries a cash award of Rs. 11 lakhs, a citation, and a bronze replica of Vagdevi (Saraswati), the goddess of
learning.
19

It is sponsored by the cultural organization Bharatiya Jnanpith.

Assamese poet Nilmani Phookan Jr has won the 56th Jnanpith Award (2021), and Konkani novelist Damodar Mauzo has
won the 57th Jnanpith Award (2022).
22
 MULLAPERIYAR DAM DISPUTE
A lease indenture for 999 years was made on 29-10-1886 between Maharaja of

07
Travancore and Secretary of State for India for Periyar irrigation works. By another
agreement in 1970, Tamil Nadu was permitted to generate power also. The Supreme

02
Court in its orders on 27.2.2006, permitted the Government of Tamil Nadu to raise the
water level of Mullaperiyar dam from 136 ft. To 142 ft. and to carry out the remaining
40
strengthening measures. Recently, the Supreme Court ordered the reconstitution of
19

the Mullaperiyar dam’s supervisory committee. The committee will include one
technical expert each from Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the two States involved in the
22

dispute concerning safety of the dam. The court has empowered the panel with
functions and powers on par with that of the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA).
NDSA is a body envisaged under the Dam Safety Act, 2021.
For any act of failure, “appropriate action” will be taken against the persons concerned
not only for having violated the directions of the court but also under the Act. The
act talks of one year imprisonment or fine or both for refusal to comply with directions

07
of bodies formed under the law. As per the Supreme Court latest order, the two States
are expected to nominate, within two weeks, one representative each to the

02
supervisory committee, in addition to one nominee each.
What do we Know about the Mullaperiyar Dam?
40
The Mullaperiyar, a 126-year-old dam, is located on the confluence of the Mullayar and
Periyar rivers in Kerala’s Idukki district. The dam stands at the height of 53.66 metres and
19

365.85 metres in length. The dam is owned, operated and maintained by Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu maintained it for several purposes, including irrigation, drinking water
22

supply and hydro-power generation.

What are the Key Highlights about Periyar River?
The Periyar River is the longest river in the state of Kerala with a length of 244 km. It is
also known as ‘Lifeline of Kerala’ as it is one of the few perennial rivers in the state.
Periyar River originates from Sivagiri hills of Western Ghats, in Tamil Nadu and flows
through the Periyar National Park. The main tributaries of Periyar are
Muthirapuzha, Mullayar, Cheruthoni, Perinjankutti.
In late 1979, after the eruption of the controversy over the structural stability of the dam,
it was decided at a tripartite meeting chaired by K. C. Thomas, the then Chairman of

07
the Central Water Commission that the water level be lowered to 136 feet against the
full reservoir level of 152 feet so that Tamil Nadu could take up strengthening measures.

02
In 2006 and 2014 the Supreme Court held that the water level be raised to 142 feet, up
to which Tamil Nadu stored water even last year (2021).
40
The court’s judgment of 2014 also provided for the formation of the supervisory
committee and the completion of the remaining work by Tamil Nadu. But, there has
19

been no end to litigation over the dam with Kerala witnessing landslides in recent years.
Though there had been no reports of landslides in the vicinity of the dam site, the
22

events in other parts of the State led to a renewed campaign against the dam.
The Kerala government proposed that the existing dam be decommissioned and a fresh
one be built. These options are not completely acceptable to Tamil Nadu which wants to
complete the remaining strengthening work and restore the level to 152 feet.
Why is the Dam Safety Act?
The Dam Safety Act, 2021 came into force in December 2021.
The act is aimed at addressing the long-felt need for addressing issues concerning the safety of major dams all

07
over the country.
It provides for surveillance, inspection, operation, and maintenance of certain dams for prevention of disasters

02
related to dam failure, apart from institutional mechanisms to ensure their safe functioning.
The Act covers those dams having a height of over 15m and between 10m and 15m with certain stipulations.
Create two National Institutions:
40
National Committee on Dam Safety (NCDS): It seeks to evolve dam safety policies and recommend necessary
regulations, and the
19

National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA): It seeks to implement policies and address unresolved issues between
the two States. The NDSA will be the regulatory body.
Create two State Level Institutions: The legislation also envisages the formation of State Dam Safety Organisations
22

and State Committees on Dam Safety.

Dam owners will be held responsible for the construction, operation, maintenance, and supervision of dams.
How does the Dam Safety Act Affect Mullaperiyar?
Since the act provides that the NDSA will perform the role of the State Dam Safety

07
Organisation for a dam located in one State and used by another, the Mullaperiyar dam,
strictly speaking, comes under the purview of the NDSA.

02
Besides, the Supreme Court, which has been hearing petition after petition after its
judgment in 2014, mooted the idea of extending the powers of its supervisory
40
committee to take over charge of the safety and maintenance of the structure.
19
22
 KWAR HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT – CABINET COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC
AFFAIRS APPROVES RS. 4,526 CRORE FOR THE 540 MW DAM ON CHENAB
RIVER IN JAMMU & KASHMIR'S KISHTWAR DISTRICT.

07
This is part of the Indus basin and would be one of the at least four projects coming up in the

02
district, including the 1,000 MWs Pakal Dul hydroelectric project and 624 MWs run-of-the-river
Kiru hydroelectric project.
40
Under the 1960 vintage Indus Water Treaty (IWT) between India and Pakistan, the two countries
share the waters of six rivers in the Indus basin that flow through India towards Pakistan.
19

Of these, India has complete rights over three eastern rivers - Sutlej, Beas and Ravi, while Pakistan
has rights over the western rivers - Chenab, Jhelum, and Indus. India can, however, build run-of-
22

the-river projects on the western rivers.

Over the last five years, the government has been on approval and construction spree to fully tap
the potential in the Indian side of the Indus basin.
The Kwar hydropower project will be implemented by Chenab Valley Power Projects Private Ltd
(CVPPL), a joint venture company between NHPC Ltd (National Hydro Electric Power Corporation)
and Jammu & Kashmir State Power Development Corporation (JKSPDC) with equity contribution
of 51 per cent and 49 per cent respectively. The construction activities of the project will result in
direct and indirect employment to around 2,500 persons and will contribute to overall socio-
economic development of J&K.
 PALLI – INDIA’S FIRST ‘CARBON NEUTRAL’ PANCHAYAT
Palli village located in the Samba district of Jammu has become India’s first panchayat to
become carbon neutral, fully solar energy powered, and all its records have been

07
digitized which will help in receiving all benefits of Central schemes easily. The 500 KW
solar plant was set up at Palli in a record three weeks’ time.

02
Palli has played a major step towards the Glasgow goal of making the country carbon-
neutral.
40
Palli will now be looked at as a model panchayat, and this will motivate the other
panchayats in Jammu and Kashmir, and India to become carbon-neutral.
19

These solar panels will be providing clean electricity to 340 houses that are located in the
panchayat.
22

The electricity that will be generated will be distributed by the local power grid station.
This refers to achieving zero carbon dioxide emissions. This can be achieved by balancing
carbon dioxide emissions with their removal or through the elimination of emissions. The
term carbon neutral is used in the context of energy production, transportation, industry,
and agriculture. The term “net-zero” is used to describe a comprehensive commitment to
climate action and decarbonization. Net-zero emissions can be achieved only when an
organization’s greenhouse gas (CO2-e) emissions are balanced by their removal.
 JORHAT – INDIA’S FIRST COMMERCIAL GRADE GREEN HYDROGEN
PRODUCTION PLANT IS SET UP BY OIL INDIA LTD (OIL) AT JORHAT (ASSAM)
Oil India Limited (OIL) has taken the first significant step towards Green Hydrogen

07
Economy in India with the commissioning of India’s First 99.999% pure Green Hydrogen
pilot plant, with an installed capacity of 10 kg per day at its Jorhat Pump Station in Assam

02
today. H2e Power Systems, a Pune-based fuel cell and electrolyser start-up, has
commissioned the country’s first commercial-grade green hydrogen production plant
40
for Oil India at Jorhat, Assam. The Adar Poonawalla-backed start-up will use renewable
energy from the 500kWe solar plant at Oil India’s pump station to produce hydrogen,
19

which would be blended with natural gas to run hydrogen buses in Assam. This pilot
22

project has a production capacity of 10kg per day which would increase to 30 kg per day.
Hydrogen is considered an alternative fuel under the Energy Policy Act of 1992. The
interest in hydrogen as an alternative transportation fuel stems from its ability to power

07
fuel cells in zero-emission vehicles, its potential for domestic production, and the fuel
cell's fast filling time and high efficiency.

02
Hydrogen is a clean fuel that, when consumed in a fuel cell, produces only water.
Hydrogen can be produced from a variety of domestic resources, such as natural gas,
40
nuclear power, biomass, and renewable power like solar and wind. These qualities make
it an attractive fuel option for transportation and electricity generation applications. It
19

can be used in cars, in houses, for portable power, and in many more applications.
Hydrogen is an energy carrier that can be used to store, move, and deliver energy
22

produced from other sources. Germany has launched the world's first fleet of hydrogen-
powered passenger trains mid soaring fuel prices.
 PRESIDENTIAL ASSENT TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE (IDENTIFICATION) BILL
2022
Comparison of key provisions of the 1920 Act and the 2022 Bill

07
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) will be the central agency to maintain the
records. It will share the data with law enforcement agencies. Further, states/UTs may

02
notify agencies to collect, preserve, and share data in their respective jurisdictions.
The data collected will be retained in digital or electronic form for 75 years. Records will
40
be destroyed in case of persons who are acquitted after all appeals, or released without
trial. However, in such cases, a Court or Magistrate may direct the retention of details
19

after recording reasons in writing.

22
1920 Act 1920 Act Changes in the 2022 Bill
Changes in the 2022 Act Data permitted to be collected
•Fingerprints,
Data permitted to be collected
foot-print impressions, photographs •Adds: (i) biological samples, and their analysis, (ii)
behavioural attributes including signatures, handwriting, and

07
(iii) examinations under sections 53 and 53A of CrPC
(includes blood, semen, hair samples, and swabs, and

02
analyses such as DNA profiling)
40
Persons whose data may be collected
19

•Convicted or arrested for offences punishable with rigorous •Convicted or arrested for any offence. However, biological
imprisonment of one year or more samples may be taken forcibly only from persons arrested
•Persons ordered to give security for good behaviour or for offences against a woman or a child, or if the offence
22

maintaining peace carries a minimum of seven years imprisonment

•Magistrate may order in other cases collection from any •Persons detained under any preventive detention law
arrested person to aid criminal investigation •On the order of Magistrate, from any person (not just an
arrested person) to aid investigation
 Persons who may require/ direct collection of data

07
•Investigating officer, officer in charge of a •Officer in charge of a police station, or of rank
police station, or of rank Sub-Inspector or Head Constable or above. In addition, a Head
above Warder of a prison

02
40
•Magistrate •Metropolitan Magistrate or Judicial Magistrate
of first class. In case of persons required to
19

maintain good behaviour or peace, the

Executive Magistrate
22
 WORLD BANK REPORT ON EXTREME POVERTY IN INDIA; DROPPED FROM
22.5% IN 2011 TO 10.2% IN 2019
Recently, the World Bank published the paper titled 'Poverty has Declined over the Last

07
Decade But Not As Much As Previously Thought'.
The paper came close on the heels of a working paper published by the International

02
Monetary Fund (IMF) saying India has almost eradicated extreme poverty and brought
down consumption inequality to its lowest levels in 40 years through state-funded food
40
handouts (Public Distribution System).
Decline in Extreme Poverty: Extreme poverty in India was 12.3% points lower in 2019
19

compared with 2011, as poverty headcount rate declined from 22.5% in 2011 to 10.2% in
22

2019, with a comparatively sharper decline in rural areas.

 Slight moderation in consumption inequality since 2011, but by a margin smaller than what is reported in the
unreleased National Sample Survey -2017.

07
The extent of poverty reduction during 2015-2019 is estimated to be notably lower than earlier projections based
on growth in private final consumption expenditure reported in national account statistics.

02
The World Bank defines “extreme poverty” as living on less than USD 1.90 per person per day.
Rural vs Urban Poverty: Poverty reduction was higher in rural areas compared with urban India as rural poverty
declined from 26.3% in 2011 to 11.6% in 2019, while in urban areas the decline was from 14.2% to 6.3% in the
40
corresponding period. Rural and urban poverty dropped by 14.7 and 7.9% points during 2011-2019. Urban poverty in
India rose by 2% in 2016, coinciding with the demonetisation, and rural poverty rose by 10% in 2019.
19

Small Farmers: Smallholder farmers have experienced higher income growth. Real incomes for farmers with the
smallest landholdings have grown by 10% in annualized terms between the two survey rounds (2013 and 2019)
compared to a 2% growth for farmers with the largest landholding. The growth in incomes of smallest landholders in
22

rural areas provides more evidence of moderation in income disparity in rural areas.
Smallest landholders comprise a larger share of the poor population. This income includes wages, net receipt from
crop production, net receipt from farming of animal farming and net receipt from non-farm business. Income from
leasing out land has been exempted.
What is the significance of the Report?
The World Bank’s paper is significant as India has no official estimation of recent

07
periods. The last expenditure survey was released in 2011 by the National Sample
Survey Organisation (NSSO), when the country had also released official estimates of

02
poverty and inequality.
It sheds light on how poverty and inequality have evolved since 2011 using a new
40
household panel survey, the Consumer Pyramids Household Survey conducted
by Centre for Monitoring the Indian Economy (CMIE).
19
22
 PM MODI ADDRESSES THE NATION FROM RED FORT ON THE 400TH
PRAKASH PURAB OF GURU TEG BAHADUR
This holy Gurudwara reminds us how great was the sacrifice of Guru Tegh Bahadur ji to

07
protect our great culture. At that time there was a storm of religious fanaticism in the
country. India, which considered religion as a matter of philosophy, science and self-

02
reflection, was facing people who had committed violence and atrocities in the name of
religion. With his speech, Modi has scripted history as he has become the only Prime
40
Minister of independent India who addressed the nation from the Red Fort after sunset. I
am happy that today our country is moving forward with full devotion on the ideals of
19

our gurus. On this virtuous occasion, I bow at the feet of all ten gurus. Hearty
22

congratulations to all of you on the occasion of Prakash Parv," said PM in his address.
"From time immemorial, whenever our nation faced any atrocity, some great soul rose up
& led the nation," added PM.
PM Modi also released a commemorative coin and postage stamp on the occasion of the
400th Parkash Purab celebrations.
Officials of the Ministry of Culture said that the Red Fort has been chosen as the venue because it was
here in 1675 that the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb ordered the execution of the ninth Guru of the Sikhs,
Guru Tegh Bahadur. For this reason, the Red Fort was chosen as the venue for the 400th birth

07
anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur.
Earlier, for the first time, the Red Fort of Delhi was illuminated on the occasion of Prakash Parv. On

02
Wednesday evening, people also had darshan of the ninth Guru of Sikhs, Tegh Bahadur, through the
light.
40
19
22
 07
02
40
Current Affairs/GK
19

April, 2022 PART TWO

22
 World’s highest tunnel at Shinku La Pass
The world’s highest tunnel will be constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) at

07
Shinku La Pass at 16,580 feet. This tunnel will be connecting Himachal Pradesh to Ladakh.
The construction of this tunnel by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) will begin by July

02
2022.
This tunnel will be connecting Ladakh’s Zanskar Valley to Himachal Pradesh.
40
Project Yojak has been set up by the central government to execute this ambitious project.
By the year 2025, the construction of this tunnel will be completed.
19

The tunnel’s south portal will be at Shinku La.

The tunnel’s north portal will be at Lakhang.
22

This tunnel will help in boosting the economy of the Zanskar Valley as the travel time
between Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh will be reduced after this tunnel is opened.
The organization falls under the control of the Ministry of Defence since the year 2015. This
organization is responsible for maintaining the border area road networks of the country.
This organization plays an important role in the development of infrastructure in the border
areas of the nation. Initially, this organization functioned under the Ministry of Road
Transport and Highways. The headquarters of BRO is in New Delhi and the current Director
General is Lt. Gen. Rajeev Chaudhary.
 Global Centre for Traditional Medicine – Gujarat
Recently, the ground-breaking ceremony was performed for the first-of-its-kind World Health Organization
(WHO) Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
Focus on four main strategic areas:

07
Evidence and learning
Data and analytics

02
Sustainability and equity and
Innovation and technology to optimise the contribution of traditional medicine to global health.
40
According to the WHO, traditional medicine is the total sum of the “knowledge, skills and practises indigenous and
different cultures have used over time to maintain health and prevent, diagnose and treat physical and mental illness”.
19

Its reach encompasses ancient practices such as acupuncture, ayurvedic medicine and herbal mixtures as well as
modern medicines.
22
 Hyderabad & Mumbai – ‘2021 Tree City of the World’ by FAO.
The ‘Tree Cities of the World’ is a programme started by the United Nations’ Food and
Agriculture Organisation and American non-profit organisation Arbor Day Foundation.

07
Mumbai and Hyderabad have been jointly recognised as ‘2021 Tree City of the World’ by
the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (UN-FAO) and Arbor Day

02
Foundation.
The two Indian cities have won the recognition for their “commitment to growing and
40
maintaining urban trees and greenery in building healthy, resilient and happy cities”.
While Mumbai has made the list for the first time, Hyderabad has featured on it for the
19

second consecutive year.

Special Chief Secretary of Urban Development in Hyderabad Arvind Kumar tweeted that
22

it was a “matter of immense pride”.

A city is recognised as a ‘Tree City’ if it meets five core standards to show its commitment
towards caring for its trees and forests.

07
To be recognised as a Tree City, a city must have a written statement delegating
responsibility for the care of trees within the municipal boundary to a staff member, a

02
city department, or a group of citizens – called a Tree Board.
The city should have in place a law or an official policy to govern the management of
40
forests and trees.
The third core standard is to have an updated inventory or assessment of the local tree
19

resource so that an effective long-term plan for planting, care, and removal of city trees
can be established.
22

The city should have a dedicated annual budget for the implementation of the tree
management plan.
To be recognised as a Tree City, it should organise an annual celebration of trees to raise
awareness among people and to acknowledge citizens who carried out the tree
programme.
 Coal Shortage in India
The main reason for the coal shortage is the increasing power demand. In 2022, the demand
increased to 132 billion units (BU) per month, from 106.6 BU a month in 2019. Another reason is

07
the reduction in coal imports. The global coal prices increased due to global energy shortage
and supply disruptions caused by the Russia-Ukraine war. There are also supply constraints

02
within India due to shortage of rail rakes. The number of trains committed by the Indian
Railways per day is 415, which is 8.4% lower than the 453 required by the power utilities. Power
40
consumption increased due to unprecedented heatwave in the north and west India that has
boosted demand for electricity, especially domestic and agricultural load. At more than 100
19

thermal power plants in India, that meets 70% of India’s electricity demand, coal stocks have
fallen below 25% of the required stock (critical mark).
22

In over 50 thermal plants, the coal stock has depleted below the 10% mark.
Several states across India, including Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Bihar,
Haryana, and Uttarakhand, are reeling under long power cuts to meet the increased demand for
electricity.
The Centre has allowed states to use their captive coal reserves up to 25% to meet growing
domestic demand.
Recently, the Indian Railways decided to cancel 753 trips involving 42 passenger trains to
prioritize the delivery of coal rakes across India.
 HEAT WAVE IN INDIA
Recently, the parts of Antarctica recorded maximum temperatures that are more than
40℃ warmer than average and areas of the Arctic more than 30℃ warmer than average.

07
In many parts of India too, winter switched to summer, with not even a fleeting spring in
between. Heatwaves associated with abnormally high temperatures over certain

02
areas, which could also be fatal to humans and animals, are also on a rise across the
country, while there is a declining trend in the occurrence of cold waves.
40
A heat wave is a period of abnormally high temperatures, more than the normal
19

maximum temperature that occurs during the summer season in the North-Western and
South Central parts of India. It is a condition of air temperature which becomes fatal to
22

the human body when exposed.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) requires that temperatures should reach at
least 40℃ in the plains and at least 30℃ in the hilly regions, and should reflect an
increase of at least 5℃-6℃ above the normal temperature to be classified as a heatwave.
 Indian Antarctic Bill, 2022
The Bill seeks to give effect to the
a) Antarctic Treaty (12 countries in Washington on 1st December 1959, entered into force

07
in 1961 Currently- 54 parties. India became a member of this treaty in 1983, HQ - Buenos
Aires. Antarctica is defined as all of the land and ice shelves south of 60°S latitude.

02
Recently, an enormous iceberg 'A-76' has calved from the western side of the Ronne Ice
40
Shelf, lying in the Weddell Sea, in Antarctica)
b) the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (It was
19

signed by 14 states and has been ratified by 35 states (including India) and the European
Community. Headquarters: Tasmania, Australia. Made in 1982), and
22

c) the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. (also known as the
Madrid Protocol, made in 1991, The Madrid Protocol unambiguously prohibits mining in
Antarctica, India signed it in 1998) It also seeks to protect the Antarctic environment and
regulate activities in the region.
Key features of the Bill include:
The provisions of the Bill will apply to any person, vessel or aircraft that is a part of an
Indian expedition to Antarctica under a permit issued under the Bill. Areas comprising of

07
Antarctica include: (i) the continent of Antarctica, including its ice-shelves, and all areas
of the continental shelf adjacent to it, and (ii) all islands (including their ice-shelves), seas,

02
and air space south of 60°S latitude.
The central government will establish a Committee on Antarctic Governance and
40
Environmental Protection. The Committee will be chaired by the Secretary of the
Ministry of Earth Sciences. 10 members, not below the rank of joint secretary, will be
19

nominated from various Ministries and organisations such as defence, external affairs,
National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (1998, M. Ravichandran), and National
22

Security Council Secretariat. In addition, two experts from Antarctic environment and
geo-political fields will be nominated by the central government.
The functions of the Committee include: (i) granting permits for various activities, (ii)
implementing and ensuring compliance of relevant international laws for protection of
Antarctic environment, (iii) obtaining and reviewing relevant information provided by
parties to the Treaty, Convention, and Protocol, and (iv) negotiating fees/charges with
other parties for activities in Antarctica.
Need for permit: A permit by the Committee or written authorisation from another party
to the Protocol (other than India) will be required for various activities such as: (i) an
Indian expedition to enter or remain in Antarctica, (ii) a person to enter or remain in an

07
Indian station in Antarctica, (iii) a vessel or aircraft registered in India to enter or remain
in Antarctica, (iv) a person or vessel to drill, dredge or excavate for mineral resources, or

02
collect samples of mineral resources, (v) activities which may harm native species, and
(vi) waste disposal by a person, vessel or aircraft in Antarctica.
40
Before a permit is granted by the Committee, the applicant has to carry out an
environmental impact assessment of the proposed activities. Moreover, a permit must
19

not be granted unless a waste management plan has been prepared for the expedition by
22

the Committee.

Prohibited activities: The Bill prohibits certain activities in Antarctica including: (i) nuclear
explosion or disposal of radioactive wastes, (ii) introduction of non-sterile soil, and (iii)
discharge of garbage, plastic or other substance into the sea which is harmful to the
marine environment.
Offences and penalties: The Bill specifies penalties for contravention of its
provisions. For instance, conducting a nuclear explosion in Antarctica will be punishable

07
with an imprisonment of 20 years which may extend to life imprisonment and a fine of at
least Rs 50 crore. Drilling for mineral resources or introducing non-native animals or

02
plants in Antarctica without a permit will be punishable with imprisonment up to seven
years and a fine between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 50 lakh. The central government may notify
40
one or more Sessions Courts to be the Designated Court under the Bill and specify its
territorial jurisdiction to try offences punishable under the Bill.
19
22
 Agnipath (or Tour of Duty) scheme to be finalized soon
The Department of Military Affairs is moving towards finalising the “Tour of Duty (ToD)”
scheme. Under this scheme, youngsters will be recruited as soldiers only for four years.

07
This is being done in the backdrop of the urgent need to curb the ballooning salary and
pension bills that are adversely impacting military modernization.

02
What is the “Tour of Duty (ToD)” scheme?
Background: The scheme was being pushed by the late Chief Of Defence Staff General
40
Bipin Rawat. It involves recruiting soldiers, which will be called Agniveers, for a fixed
period of three years. It will be a voluntary engagement. It is also known as the Agnipath
19

entry scheme. It is for youths who “do not want to make defence services their
permanent vocation, but still want to experience the thrill and adventure of military
22

professionalism”.
 French Presidential Election 2022
Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen will face each other in a second round of the French presidential
election on April 24, 2022.

07
The President is elected by direct universal suffrage:
-Universal: all French citizens aged 18 and over can vote, whether residing in France or not.

02
-Direct: votes are directly attributed to the candidates.
Stages in the election
40
Stage 1: The official list of candidates is published
To officially be a candidate, contenders must, among other things, be nominated by at least 500 elected
representatives (e.g. mayors, deputies).
19

Stage 2: Official electoral campaign

There is an upper limit on spending which is monitored by a committee.
22

Once the official campaign has begun, each candidate must have strictly the same amount of airtime on
TV and radio.
Stage 3: 1st round of the election The French people go to the polls: if no candidate wins over 50% of
the vote, a second-round is organized.
Stage 4: 2nd round of the election
Only the two candidates with the most votes qualify for the 2nd round.
The candidate with the absolute majority of votes cast is elected.
Blank or spoilt votes are not taken into account.
 China signs security pact with Solomon Island
A recent leaked document has revealed that the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific has
reached a deal with China which outlines an unprecedented level of security cooperation.

07
This is the first deal of its kind for China in the region, which is not yet signed and it is not
fully known whether the provisions mentioned in the leaked document are present in the

02
final draft.
What are the Key Highlights about Solomon Island?
40
The Solomon Islands is part of the ethnically Melanesian group of islands in the Pacific
19

and lies between Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.

The islands were initially controlled by the British Empire during the colonial era.
22

It went through the hands of Germany and Japan and then back to the U.K., after the
Americans took over the islands from the Japanese during World War II.
The islands became independent in 1978 to become a constitutional monarchy under the
British Crown, with a parliamentary system of government.
Still, the country, a member of the Commonwealth, is independent, and the governor-
general is appointed on the advice of the unicameral National Parliament.
The document explicitly enables China to send its “police, armed police, military
personnel and other law enforcement and armed forces” to the islands on the latter

07
government’s request, or if the former sees that the safety of its projects and personnel
in the islands are at risk.

02
It also provides for China’s naval vessels to utilise the islands for logistics support.
40
19
22
 Shehbaz Sharif replaces Imran Khan as the new PM of Pakistan

Shehbaz Sharif, Leader of Opposition and President of PML-N was elected unopposed as
the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan on April 11, 2022. Sharif secured 174 votes as per

07
PML-N leader Ayaz Sadiq, who was chairing the session after the resignation of Deputy

02
Speaker Qasim Suri ahead of the vote. Shehbaz Sharif replaces Imran Khan, who became
the first Pakistani Prime Minister to be ousted from power after losing the no-trust vote
40
in the National Assembly.
Shehbaz Sharif is the younger brother of former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif, who is
19

currently disqualified from contesting in elections.

22
 Denmark suspended covid vaccines
The unthinkable just a few months ago has happened: a country has stopped its

07
vaccination program against COVID-19 due to the low rate of infections in recent weeks.
This is Denmark and with the decision it becomes the first country in the world to pause

02
its vaccination plan. Through a statement, the National Board of Health explained:
“Spring has arrived, vaccination coverage in the Danish population is high and the
40
epidemic has been reversed. Therefore, the National Board of Health is now finalizing
extensive vaccination efforts against COVID-19 for this season. This means, among other
19

things, that invitations for vaccination will no longer be sent.”

22
The unthinkable just a few months ago has happened: a country has stopped its
vaccination program against COVID-19 due to the low rate of infections in recent weeks.

07
This is Denmark and with the decision it becomes the first country in the world to pause
its vaccination plan. Through a statement, the National Board of Health explained:

02
“Spring has arrived, vaccination coverage in the Danish population is high and the
epidemic has been reversed. Therefore, the National Board of Health is now finalizing
40
extensive vaccination efforts against COVID-19 for this season. This means, among other
things, that invitations for vaccination will no longer be sent.”
19
22
 India elected to 4 UN EcoSoc bodies
Commission for Social Development - Purpose
Since the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen in 1995, the Commission

07
for Social Development (CSocD) has been the key United Nations body in charge of the
follow up and implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action.

02
Originally known as the Social Commission but renamed in 1966. Its purpose was to
40
advise ECOSOC on social policies of a general character and, in particular, on all matters in
the social field not covered by the specialised inter-governmental agencies. Since 2006,
19

the Commission has taken up key social development themes as part of its follow up to
the outcome of the Copenhagen Summit.
22

Meetings
CSocD meets annually in New York, usually in February.
Membership
Originally 18, membership has been increased several times, most recently in 1996, and
now stands at 46. Members are elected by ECOSOC based on equitable geographical
distribution (as noted in the following list) for four-year terms.
• Committee on NGOs - It is a standing Committee of the Economic and Social Council
which was established in 1946. The main tasks of the Committee on Non-Governmental
Organisations are the consideration of applications for consultative status and requests

07
for reclassification submitted by the non-governmental organisations.

02
• Commission on Science & Technology for Development - CSTD is a subsidiary body of
the Economic and Social Council which holds an annual intergovernmental forum for the
40
discussion on timely and pertinent issues affecting technology, science, and
development.
19

Outcomes of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development include

providing the UNGA and ECOSOC with high-level advice on the relevant science and
22

technology issues.

• Committee for Economic, Social & Cultural Rights - CESCR is a body of 18 independent
experts that monitors the implementation of the International Covenant on Economic,
Social, and Cultural Rights by its State Parties. Committee on Economic, Social, and
Cultural Rights enshrines the rights to adequate food, adequate education, health,
housing, water and sanitation, and work.
 70 years of diplomatic relationship between India & Netherlands; President
Ram Nath Kovind visits Netherlands
The maiden visit of the President to the Netherlands from April 4-7 marked a significant

07
milestone as India, and the Netherlands celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations this
year. It was also the first Head of State visit from India to the Netherlands in 34 years.

02
Kovind and First Lady Savita Kovind visited the European country at the invitation of King
Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands.
40
India and the Netherlands enjoy long-standing friendly and multi-faceted relations with a
broad cooperation agenda marked by shared values of democracy, the rule of law, and
19

growing convergences on global and regional issues. The state visit of the President,
22

which took place as both India and the Netherlands celebrated the 75th anniversary of
the establishment of diplomatic ties, reflected and reiterated the commitment to deepen
further the relationship for the mutual benefit of both peoples.
 QUAD Summit 2022 – to be held in Tokyo on 24th May
The Quad or the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue is a group made of four nations, India,
Japan, the US, and Australia. It is a strategic forum that features semi-regular summits,

07
information exchange, and military drills. The key focus of the summit is the development
of the Indo-Pacific region highlighting the threats like terrorism, disinformation, and

02
territorial disputes. The Quad is going to discuss the issues such as the Covid-19
pandemic and development of the Indo-Pacific economically and threats rising across the
40
Indo-Pacific region. This year Quad leader summit is held on the 24th of May 2022, in
Tokyo.
19
22
Issues addressed in The Quad summit 2022
China and the Soloman Islands
China and Taiwan

07
North Korea Missiles
Ukraine and Russia

02
Initiatives unveiled in Quad summit 2022
The Quad Fellowship- This program will allow 100 students from each of the four
40
countries to study for graduate STEM degrees in the US. The application for the
fellowship program has started and will close on 30th June 2022.
19

The Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA)- It will focus on
providing the fastest and clearest Maritime information to the four countries and their
22

regional partners.
The vaccine Partnership- The Quad has provided 257 million Covid-19 vaccines
collectively. The bloc will continue to provide vaccine doses and support a $100 million
facility to boost the Indian health care sector.
Space Cooperation- The four nations have committed to sharing space-based earth
observation data. It will include US programs on oceanic and atmospheric Monitoring,
flood mapping, and land imaging.
India – EU – 2nd country to launch Trade & Technology Council (TTU) with the
EU
India-EU Trade and Technology Council: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral talks

07
with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in New Delhi on April 25,
2022 and agreed to launch the EU-India Trade and Technology Council to strengthen the

02
strategic partnership. The two leaders also reviewed progress in the vibrant India-EU
Strategic Partnership & agreed to deepen cooperation in areas of trade, climate, digital
40
technology & people-to-people ties. The European Commission President said on the
occasion, "The EU has only one Trade and Technology Council in place and that is with
19

the US.
22
1. The Trade and Technology Council is the first such mechanism that India has set up
with any of its partners.

07
2. The European Union has also set up only one such Trade and Technology Council
before and that is with the United States.

02
3. The EU-India Trade and Technology Council will allow both India and the European
Union to tackle challenges related to trade, trusted technology and security and further
40
deepen cooperation in these fields.
4. The council will provide the political push and the necessary structure to
19

operationalise political decisions.

5. It will also coordinate technical work and ensure implementation and follow-up in
22

areas important for the sustainable progress of European and Indian economies.
 Russian foreign minister visits India on 1st April
Indian is an important country and if it sees to play a role that provides resolution of
problem, it can support such process, said Russian Foreign Minister Segey Lavrov on

07
India mediating between Russia-Ukraine during a press briefing in New Delhi on April 1,
2022. The Russian Foreign Minister also mentioned that Russia will be ready to supply

02
to India any goods which it wants to buy from us. "If India wants to buy anything from
us, ready to discuss & reach mutually acceptable cooperation," said Lavrov on offer of
40
oil supply to India. He further said that the India-Russia talks are characterised by
relations that they have developed with India for many decades. He noted that
19

relations are strategic partnerships and this was the basis on which they have been
promoting their cooperation in all areas. Indian Foreign Policies characterised by
22

Independence: Lavrov
This is the first trip of a Russian official to India after Russia launched invasion of Ukraine
on February 24, 2022.
 British PM Boris Johnson visited India
Boris Johnson is the first British Prime Minister to visit the western Indian state of

07
Gujarat. The visit to Gujarat is significant because a large number of Gujaratis live in the
UK and it’s the home state of India’s PM Narendra Modi.

02
During the visit, two memorandums of understanding (MoU) were exchanged on the
implementation of the India-UK Global Innovation Partnership and the Global Centre for
40
Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP).
19

In the context of the ‘Road Map 2030’, heightened defence and security cooperation is
envisaged.
22

The UK is offering support for Atmanirbhar Bharat in all sectors of manufacturing,

technology, design and development in defence.
India commended the United Kingdom’s participation in the Indo-Pacific Ocean
Initiative’s (IPOI) Maritime Security pillar and committed to strengthening bilateral ties in
the Indo-Pacific area.
During this visit, the U.K. announced an Open General Export Licence (OGEL) for India.
The UK has agreed to help India combat threats in the air, space and sea. Both countries
have also shared interests in keeping the Indo-Pacific region open and free.
 India – US 2+2 Dialogue on 11th April
Recently, the fourth ‘2+2’ dialogue between India and the United States took place in Washington DC, US. India’s
External Affairs and Defence Ministers meet with their American counterparts.

07
This meeting was held on the sidelines of a virtual meeting between the Prime Minister of India and the President of
the US.

02
What are the Key Points of this Meeting?
Space Situational Awareness Arrangement: India and the US have signed a bilateral space situational awareness
arrangement.
40
This lays the groundwork for more advanced cooperation in space.
Inaugural Defense Artificial Intelligence Dialogue: They also agreed to launch an inaugural Defense Artificial
19

Intelligence Dialogue, while expanding joint cyber training and exercises.

2+2 Ministerial is the highest-level institutional mechanism between the two countries.
22

It is a format of dialogue where the defence/foreign ministers or secretaries meet with their counterparts from
another country.
India has 2+2 dialogues with four key strategic partners: the US, Australia, Japan, and Russia.
World Military Expenditure Report 2021 by SIPRI; US, China & India are largest
spenders
A report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on World

07
Military Expenditure stated that India was the world’s third-highest military spender
behind the US and China. The global defence expenditure in 2021 reached an all-time

02
high and stood at USD 2.1 trillion despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Top 5 military
spenders
40
According to the SIPRI data, the top five military spenders in the world are:
The United States
19

China
22

India
The United Kingdom
Russia
The top 5 countries account for 62 percent of the world’s global military expenditure.
According to the data released by SIPRI, the military spending of India stood at USD 76.6
billion in 2021, which is a 0.9 percent increase from 2020 and a 33 percent increase from

07
2012. India is facing ongoing border tensions and disputes with Pakistan and China that
occasionally cause armed conflicts. Hence, India is constantly modernizing its armed

02
forces and is increasing its self-reliance in the production of armaments.
40
19
22
 DSA (Digital Services Act) – EU’s new internet rules
Recently, the European Parliament and European Union (EU) Member States announced
that they had reached a political agreement on the Digital Services Act (DSA), 2022.

07
It is a landmark legislation to force big Internet companies to act against disinformation
and illegal and harmful content, and to “provide better protection for Internet users and

02
their fundamental rights”.
The proposed Act seeks to end the era of self-regulation by tech companies and give
40
‘practical effect to the principle that what is illegal offline, should be illegal online’.
In India, a bill (Data Protection Bill 2019) on similar issue is pending in Parliament.
19
22
 Successful trial of GAGAN; IndiGo becomes first airlines in Asia to used
indigenously developed sat nav system for landing at Kishangarh

07
IndiGo becomes the first airline in Asia to land its aircraft using the indigenous navigation
system GAGAN. This is a huge leap for Indian Civil Aviation and a firm step toward

02
Aatmanirbhar Bharat, as India becomes the third country in the world to have its own
SBAS system after the USA and Japan. The flight was conducted using an ATR-72 aircraft
40
and landed at the Kishangarh airport in Rajasthan on Wednesday (April 27) morning,
using GPS-aided geo-augmented navigation (GAGAN), which has been jointly developed
19

by the Centre-run Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO).
22
 Victoria (Melbourne, Australia) – venue of 2026 Commonwealth Games;
Birmingham (England) is hosting it in July-Aug 2022
The Australian state of Victoria will host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, the

07
government confirmed on Tuesday. Victoria, of which Melbourne is the capital, was
granted an exclusive negotiating period to secure hosting rights for the Games in

02
February 40
19
22
 100th anniversary of Brahma Vidyalaya – Sri
Narayan Guru; Sivagiri pilgrimage.

07
Sivagiri is the holy abode of one of the great saints and social reformers of India, Sree

02
Narayan Guru.
Established by Narayana Guru who propagated the message of ‘One Caste, One Religion
40
and One God for Mankind’, the Sivagiri Mutt is a major spiritual-cum-pilgrim centre of the
backward Ezhava community in Kerala.
19
22
 IMPORTANT DATES AND THEMES
1. Utkal Diwas - Odisha Foundation Day is celebrated on the 1st of April every year in memory of
becoming a separate province on April 1, 1936.
2. 2nd April – World Autism Day – Theme - "Inclusive Quality Education for All"

07
3. 7th April – World Health Day. Theme – “Our Planet, Our Health”.
4. 12th April – International Day of Human Spaceflight. Theme - Space exploration gives crucial

02
information about our solar system's history.
5. 14th April – Ambedkar Jayanti. Tamil Nadu celebrated ‘Equality Day’. Born in 1891
40
6. 18th April – World Heritage Day. Theme – ‘Heritage & Climate’.
7. 21st April – National Civil Services Day. Theme - “Vision India@2047 – Bringing Citizens and
19

Government closer”
8. 21st April – World Creativity & Innovation Day. Theme - Creativity and innovation in problem-solving
22

9. 22nd April – Earth Day. Theme - 'Invest In Our Planet

10. 23rd April – World Book Day. Theme - Read, so you never feel low
12. 24th April – National Panchayati Raj Day.
13. 25th April – World Malaria Day. Theme - “Harness innovation to reduce the malaria disease burden
and save lives.”
14. 26th April – World Intellectual Property Day. Theme – ‘IP & Youth Innovating for a Better Future’.
15. 30th April – Ayushman Bharat Diwas.
16. Last week of April – World Immunization Week. Theme - #Long Life for all
 07
02
40
Current Affairs/GK
19

MAY, PART ONE

22
 SUPREME COURT ORDER ON GST - GST COUNCIL RECOMMENDATIONS NOT BINDING
ON CENTRE/STATE
The SC bench stated that the recommendations of the GST council are a product of collaborative discussion and have

07
persuasive value but it is not imperative that one of the federal units must always possess a higher share. The judgement was
given by a SC bench led by justice DY Chandrachud. The bench emphasised on the importance of the principles of
cooperative federalism, saying that Indian federalism is a dialogue in which state and centre always engage. The parliament

02
and the state legislatures have "equal, simultaneous and unique powers" to make laws on GST - article 246A.
40
A279A
Appointed by the president within 60 days of the passing of the 101st amendment act, 2016
19

Composition – GST Council

Chairman – Union Finance Minister
MEMBERS - Union minister of state (finance) state governments will nominate a minister in charge of revenue or taxation
22

Quorum - ONE-HALF OF THE TOTAL MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL

Voting Power - WEIGHTAGE TO CENTRE - 1/3RD WEIGHTAGE TO STATE - 2/3RD OF THE TOTAL VOTES

Decision to be taken - 3/4TH MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS PRESENT AND VOTING

Supreme Court order release of AG Perarivalan in Rajiv
Gandhi assassination case
Citing ‘inordinate’ delay in clemency plea of A.G. Perarivalan, who has spent over 30 years in jail, SC

07
invoked extraordinary powers under Article 142 to do ‘complete justice’. Perarivalan spent 29 years of
his 32 years of jail in solitary confinement until the Supreme Court gave him bail in March 2022. Out of

02
his time in prison, he spent 16 years as a death row convict until the court commuted his sentence to life
imprisonment in 2014. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated at a rally in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, on 21
40
May, 1991, in a suicide bombing. The court also took note that Perarivalan had moved his clemency
petition under Article 161 before the Tamil Nadu Governor in 2015 and that the state cabinet had in
19

September 2018 advised the head of the state to accept it. However, despite the council of ministers’
“binding” advice, the Governor had chosen to forward the clemency petition to the President of India —
a decision that the top court said was without constitutional backing. The Supreme Court in the exercise
22

of its jurisdiction may pass such decree or make such order as is necessary for doing complete justice in
any cause or matter pending before it, and any decree so passed or order so made shall be enforceable
throughout the territory of India in such manner as may be prescribed by or under any law made by
Parliament.
GYANVAPI MOSQUE CASE
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) was asked to survey the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi on 8 April 2021.

07
It is a popular belief that the Gyanvapi Mosque was built in 1669 by the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb by demolishing the
ancient Vishweshwar temple. It is worth mentioning that in Saqib Khan's book 'Yasir Alamgiri', it is also mentioned that
Aurangzeb had demolished the temple in 1669 by ordering Governor Abul Hassan.

02
Article 26 - RIGHT TO MANAGE ONE'S RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS
40
Article 25 - RIGHT TO PRACTICE, PROFESS AND PROPAGATE ONE'S RELIGION
Reasonable Restrictions – Public order, Morality and Health
19

Under Section 3 of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, it is prohibited to convert a place of worship,
even its clause, into a place of worship of a different religious denomination or a different class of the same religious
22

denomination.
Section 4(2) of the Act states that all litigations, appeals or other proceedings relating to changing the nature of the
place of worship (which were pending till August 15, 1947) shall cease after the enactment of this Act and no fresh
action can be taken on such cases.
However, if the change in the nature of the place of worship has occurred after the cut-off date of August 15, 1947
(after the act came into force ), legal action can be initiated in that case. The disputed site of Ayodhya (Ram
Janmabhoomi-Babri exempted from the Act.
The case of Gyanvapi mosque has been in court since 1991, when three persons, including Pandit
Somnath Vyas, a descendant of the priests of the Kashi Vishwanath temple, filed a suit in the court of
the civil judge of Varanasi claiming that Aurangzeb had demolished the temple of Lord Vishweshwar
and built a mosque on it so that the land should be returned to them.

07
Petitioners have claimed that they are squarely covered under Section 4(3) of the Act, which grants
exemption to structures that are ancient and historical monuments, archaeological sites, or are covered

02
by the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 (24 of 1958) or “any other
law for the time being in force”.
40
19

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)

ASI, under the Ministry of Culture, is the premier organization for the archaeological research and
22

protection of the cultural heritage of the nation.

It administers more than 3650 ancient monuments, archaeological sites and remains of national
importance.
Its activities include carrying out surveys of antiquarian remains, exploration and excavation of
archaeological sites, conservation and maintenance of protected monuments etc.
It was founded in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham- the first Director-General of ASI. Alexander
Cunningham is also known as the “Father of Indian Archaeology”.
Director General - IAS officer V. Vidyavathi, First. - Alexander Cunningham
Fresh plea in the Supreme Court against the Places of Worship Act,
1991
The latest to move the Supreme Court is Devkinandan Thakur,

07
a Mathura-based religious guru. His petition challenges certain

02
sections of the 1991 law, claiming these violate the rights of
40
religious groups to seek judicial intervention to reclaim their
places of worship.
19

CONTENTION
22

The plea states that the Centre has “transgressed its legislative
power” by barring remedy of judicial review which is a basic
feature of the Constitution.
Petition in the Supreme Court to grant minority status to
Hindus in some states

07
Petition complains that followers of Judaism, Bahaism, and Hinduism are the real minorities in Ladakh, Mizoram,
Lakshadweep, Kashmir, Punjab and the North-East States.
However, they cannot establish and administer educational institutions of their choice because of the non-

02
identification of ‘minority’ at the State level.
Religious communities such as Hindus here are socially, economically, politically non-dominant and numerically inferior
40
in several States.
19

WHAT DID THE COURT SAY?

22

Every person in India can be a minority in one State or the other.

A Marathi can be a minority outside his home State e.g., Maharashtra.
Similarly, a Kannada-speaking person may be in minority in States other than Karnataka.
Court indicated that a religious or linguistic community which is a minority in a particular State, can inherently claim
protection and the right to administer and run its own educational institutions under Articles 29 and 30 of the
Constitution.
Despite the Supreme Court's 11-judge bench judgment in T.M.A Pai case, which clearly determined that linguistic and
religious minorities must be identified at the state level rather than at the national level, section 2(c) of the National
Commission for Minorities (NCM) Act 1992 gave the Centre "unbridled power" to inform minorities.
IDENTIFICATION OF MINORITIES
In 1978, setting up of the Minorities Commission (MC) was envisaged in the Ministry of

07
Home Affairs Resolution.
In 1984, the MC was detached from the Ministry of Home Affairs and placed under the

02
newly created Ministry of Welfare, which excluded linguistic minorities from the
Commission’s jurisdiction in 1988. Currently it is under ministry of minorities.
40
In 1992, with the enactment of the NCM Act, 1992, the MC became a statutory body and
was renamed as the NCM.
19

Chairman – Iqbal Singh Lalpura

22

Special officer for Linguistic Minorities – Srinivas Danda

PETITION IN THE SUPREME COURT REGARDING SEDITION LAW
In the year 2021, the CJI (Chief Justice of India) had questioned why a colonial law used
against Mahatma Gandhi and Bal Gangadhar Tilak continued to survive in the law book

07
after 75 years of Independence.
The Chief Justice had said sedition or Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code was prone to

02
misuse by the government.
40
WHY WAS THIS LAW MADE?
19

Sedition laws were enacted in 17th century England when lawmakers believed that only
good opinions of the government should survive, as bad opinions were detrimental to
22

the government and monarchy.

The law was originally drafted in 1837 by Thomas Macaulay, the British historian-
politician, but was inexplicably omitted when the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was enacted in
1860.
Section 124A was inserted in 1870 by an amendment introduced by Sir James Stephen
when it felt the need for a specific section to deal with the offence.
Today the Sedition is a crime under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Section 124A IPC
It defines sedition as an offence committed when "any person by words, either spoken or

07
written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring
into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the

02
government established by law in India".
Disaffection includes disloyalty and all feelings of enmity. However, comments without
40
exciting or attempting to excite hatred, contempt or disaffection, will not constitute an
offence under this section.
19

It is a non-bailable offence. Punishment under Section 124A ranges from imprisonment

up to three years to a life term, to which a fine may be added.
22

A person charged under this law is barred from a government job.

They have to live without their passport and must produce themselves in the court at all
times as and when required.
J AND K DELIMITATION COMMISSION
DELIMITATION is the act or process of fixing limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies in a country
or a province having a legislative body for electoral purposes.

07
Delimitation Commission:
The job of delimitation is assigned to the Delimitation Commission or a Boundary Commission.

02
The Delimitation Commission in India is a high-power body whose orders have the force of law.
Its orders cannot be called in question before any court.
40
These orders come into force on a date to be specified by the President of India on this behalf.
The copies of its orders are laid before the House of the People and the State Legislative Assembly
19

concerned, but no modifications are permissible therein by them.

22

Constitutional Provisions
Article 82: This provides the Parliament with the authority to enact a Delimitation Act after every
Census.
Article 170: This provides for the States to get divided into territorial constituencies as per the
Delimitation Act after every Census.
Functions
To determine the number and boundaries of constituencies in a way that the population of all seats, so
far as practicable, is the same. Identifying seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

07
wherever their population is relatively large.
In case of difference of opinion among members of the Commission, the will of majority prevails.

02
Composition
40
The Delimitation Commission is appointed by the President of India includes following members:
Retired Supreme Court judge
Chief Election Commissioner
19

Respective State Election Commissioners.

22

How many times has it been constituted?

In India, such Delimitation Commissions have been constituted 4 times:
In 1952 under the Delimitation Commission Act, 1952
In 1963 under Delimitation Commission Act, 1962
In 1973 under Delimitation Act, 1972
In 2002 under Delimitation Act, 2002.
Why was the commission made?
Delimitation became necessary when the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019 increased the number of seats
in the Assembly.

07
The erstwhile J&K state had 111 seats — 46 in Kashmir, 37 in Jammu, and 4 in Ladakh — plus 24 seats reserved for
Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

02
In the erstwhile state, delimitation of parliamentary constituencies was governed by the Constitution of India and that
of Assembly seats was carried out by the then state government under the Jammu and Kashmir Representation of the
People Act, 1957.
40
After abrogation of J&K’s special status in 2019, the delimitation of both Assembly and parliamentary seats is governed
by the Constitution.
19

The Delimitation Commission was set up on 6th March 2020.

It was headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, it has the Chief Election Commissioner and
J&K’s Chief Electoral Officer as members, and J&K’s five MPs as associate members.
22
What are the changes made?
Legislative Assembly: The Commission has increased seven Assembly seats — six in Jammu (now 43 seats) and one in
Kashmir (now 47).

07
It has also made massive changes in the structure of the
existing Assembly seats.

02
Lok Sabha: There are five Parliamentary Constituencies in the region. The Delimitation Commission has seen the
Jammu & Kashmir region as one single Union Territory.
The Commission has redrawn the boundaries of Anantnag and Jammu seats.
40
Jammu’s Pir Panjal region, comprising Poonch and Rajouri districts and formerly part of Jammu parliamentary seat, has
now been added to Anantnag seat in Kashmir.
19

Also, a Shia-dominated region of Srinagar parliamentary constituency has been transferred to Baramulla constituency.
Kashmiri Pandits: The Commission has recommended provision of at least two members from the community of
Kashmiri Migrants (Kashmiri Hindus) in the Legislative Assembly.
22

It has also recommended that Centre should consider giving representation in the J&K Legislative Assembly to the
displaced persons from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, who migrated to Jammu after Partition.
Scheduled Tribes: Total nine seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes for the first time.
‘Bharat Drone Mahotsav 2022’ in New Delhi
A virtual award of drone pilot certificates, panel discussions, product launches, display of a ‘Made in India’ Drone Taxi
prototype, flying demonstrations, among others were the key events.

07
Drone is a layman terminology for Unmanned Aircraft (UA).
Originally developed for the military and aerospace industries, drones have found their way into the mainstream

02
because of the enhanced levels of safety and efficiency they bring.

Benefits of a Drone Mahotsav

40
Medium of Good governance
19

Helps to empower the agriculturists

Disaster Management
Creates employment
22
RBI Monetary Policy Committee’s off-cycle meeting; Repo rate increased by
40 basis points
In an unscheduled press briefing on Wednesday, the Reserve Bank of

07
India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das announced that the Monetary
Policy Committee (MPC) in an off-cycle meet unanimously voted to
hike rates.
02
40
The policy repo rate has been hiked by 40 bps to 4.40% with
19

immediate effect. The standing deposit facility rate is now at 4.15%

while the marginal standing facility rate and bank rate stand at 4.65%.
22

The RBI also hiked the cash reserve ratio (CRR) by 50 basis points to
4.5% effective May 21. The withdrawal of liquidity due to this hike
would be to the order of Rs 87,000 crore.
INDIA BANS WHEAT EXPORT
WHY
to meet the demand of its domestic market, neighbouring countries and vulnerable nations.
WHY IN NEWS?

07
Recently the United Arab Emirates (UAE) suspended re-export of wheat and flour from grain originating in India is
basically an assurance that whatever it imports will be used only for domestic consumption. UAE's Ministry of Economy

02
explained that this decision comes in view of the international developments that have affected trade flows and in
appreciation of the solid and strategic relations that bind the UAE and India, especially after the signing of the
Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the two countries and the Indian government's approval to
40
export wheat to the UAE for domestic consumption.
19

PRODUCTION OF WHEAT IN INDIA

India is the world's second-biggest wheat producer after China. But it accounts for less than 1% of the global wheat
trade. It keeps a lot of it to provide subsidised food for the
22

poor. Its top export markets are Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka - as well as the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

REASONS FOR BANNING EXPORT

In a notification published in the government gazette, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) justified the ban
by giving reasons that soaring global wheat prices have put pressure on food security, not only in India, but also in
neighbouring and vulnerable nations.
However, export will be allowed on the basis of permission granted by the Government of India to other countries to
meet their food security needs and
IMPACT ON INDIA

The impact of the wheat export ban on India’s domestic food inflation is likely to be muted. This export ban is a pre-

07
emptive step and may prevent local wheat prices from rising substantially.

02
IMPACT ON THE WORLD
40
The Ukraine-Russia war has led to a slump in wheat production from a region known as the world’s bread basket.
Russia and Ukraine together account for 25% of the world’s wheat exports. It has led to hike in prices of wheat and
19

supply side glitches.

India is the world’s second largest wheat producer and one of its biggest consumers. When the government decided to
ban wheat exports in the face of climbing prices, there were many protests from the international community.
22

In Asia, except for Australia and India, most other economies depend on imported wheat for domestic consumption
and are at risk from higher wheat prices globally, even if they do not directly import from India.
This recent export ban will drive prices across the globe
Rajiv Kumar appointed as the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of
India
The President appoints CEC and Election Commissioners.

07
They have a fixed tenure of six years, or up to the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
They enjoy the same status and receive salary and perks as available to Judges of the

02
Supreme Court (SC) of India.
Originally the commission had only one election commissioner but after the Election
40
Commissioner Amendment Act 1989, it has been made a multi-member body
The Election Commission shall consist of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and such
19

number of other election commissioners, if any, as the President may from time to time
fix.
22

Presently, it consists of the CEC and two

Election Commissioners.
At the state level,
commission is helped by the Chief Electoral Officer who is an IAS rank Officer.
Vinai Kumar Saxena appointed as new Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Delhi
Saxena until recently served as the chairman of the Khadi and Village Industries
Commission.

07
Under Article 239 of the Constitution of India, the administration of UT’s is handled by an
administrator appointed by the President of India.

02
However, the Constitution (Sixty-ninth Amendment) Act, 1991 introduced Article 239AA
which created an elected Legislative Assembly and a Council of Ministers including a
40
Chief Minister for NCT Delhi.
This Assembly has the power to make laws for NCT Delhi with respect to any of the
19

matters under the State or Concurrent Lists (except public order, police and land
matters).
22

The Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Delhi was designated the Administrator of the NCT
Delhi.

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is a statutory body of the Indian
Constitution. It comes under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. It was
established by Khadi and Village Industries Act, 1956. Chairman – Shri Manoj Kumar
Manik Saha is the new Chief Minister of Tripura
Article 164 of the Constitution envisages that the Chief Minister shall be
appointed by the governor.

07
A leader of the party that has got the majority share of votes in the assembly

02
elections, is appointed as the Chief Minister of the state.
The Governor is the nominal executive authority, but real executive authority
40
rests with the Chief Minister.
However, the discretionary powers enjoyed by the governor reduces to some
19

extent the power, authority, influence, prestige and role of the Chief Minister
22

in the state administration.

A person who is not a member of the state legislature can be appointed as
Chief Minister for six months, within which time, he should be elected to the
state legislature, failing which he ceases to be the Chief Minister.

Capital – Agartala, Governor – Satyadeo Narayan

Captain Abhilasha Barak – First woman officer to join Army Aviation Corps as fighter
pilot

Captain Abhilasha Barak graduated at a ceremony held

07
at the Combat Army Aviation Training School in Nashik.
02
D G of Army Aviation, A K Suri, was the chief guest at the
40
event.
19

The 26-year-old from Haryana became the first woman

22

combat aviator of the Indian Army.

Mohinder K Midha – First dalit female mayor in London
Council
Councillor Mohinder K Midha, an Indian-Origin Politician from the UK’s

07
Opposition Labour Party has been elected mayor of the Ealing Council in West

02
London. She has become the first female mayor of a local London Council
belonging to the Dalit Community.
40
Federation of Ambedkarite and Buddhist Organisation in UK is an umbrella
group the represents Dalit rights in the country.
19

It has been estimated that there are around 2,50,000 Dalits living in the
22

United Kingdom. However, the exact figure is unknown due to the issues
concerning identification as a Dalit.
While cultural specific menial occupations such as manual scavenging are not
undertaken by Dalits in the UK, the untouchability mindset still persists and
the UK based Dalits are often victims of several forms of direct and indirect
discrimination.
Devasahayam Pillai – first Indian layman to be declared ‘Saint’ by the
Vatican
Pope Francis of the Vatican canonized Devasahayam during the Canonization

07
Mass in St Peter’s Basilica.
Devasahayam Pillai was born on April 23, 1712, in Nattalam village in the

02
Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu. Devasahayam served in the court of
40
Marthanda Varma of Travancore. He insisted on the equality of all people.
Devasahayam Pillai was born a Hindu and got converted to Christianity in the
19

18th century. He was baptized in 1745, and later assumed the name ‘Lazarus’,
which means ‘God is my help’.
22

The Vatican refers to him as “Blessed Devasahayam”.

According to the Vatican, he is given sainthood because he endured hardships
after embracing Christianity.
Priyanka Mohite – first Indian woman to scale five peaks above 8,000m

Priyanka Mohite from Maharashtra’s Satara district has become the

first Indian woman to climb five peaks above 8000 metres. Priyanka

07
achieved the milestone after climbing Mount Kanchenjunga. The 30-

02
year-old climbed the third highest peak on Earth on May 5 at around
40
4:42 pm. Priyanka works for a pharmaceutical research company in
Bengaluru.
19

In 2020, she also won the prestigious Tenzing Norgay Adventure

22

Award. The 30-year-old climbed Mount Everest in 2013, Mount

Lhotse in 2018, Mount Makalu in 2019 and Annapurna 1 in 2021.
Notably, she is also the first Indian woman to climb Annapurna 1 and
Makalu.
Yasin Malik – convicted in terror funding case by an NIA court

Yasin Malik, the Kashmiri separatist leader and chief of banned Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) was

07
sentenced to life imprisonment in terror funding case.
The case pertains to the terror conspiracy by LeT founder Hafiz Saeed and the separatist leaders who acted in

02
collaboration with the banned orgainsations to raise, receive and collect funds domestically and from abroad using
illegal channels.
The funds were collected to carry out separatist and terror activities in the Kashmir valley through stone pelting and
40
attacks on security forces, damaging public property, etc.
The NIA in its investigation said that Yasin Malik was the head of JKLF and was involved in terror activities in J&K.
19

The Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) was enacted in 1967 and was strengthened by the Union government in
2008 and 2012.
Unlike the Criminal Procedure Code, the UAPA under Section 43D(2), permits keeping a person in prison for up to 180
22

days, without even filing a charge sheet.

Director General of NIA – Dinkar Gupta

President of FATF – Raja Kumar

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus re- elected as WHO Director-General

Tedros is from Ethiopia and is the first African to head the World

07
Health Organization (WHO). He was Ethiopia’s former minister of
health and foreign affairs. He was elected for a second term as

02
Director-General of the WHO as he received more than 2/3rd of
40
secret-ballot votes cast, as needed to be appointed as the Director-
General of the WHO.
19

World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations’ specialized

22

agency for Health was founded in 1948.

Its headquarters are situated in Geneva, Switzerland.
There are 194 Member States, 150 country offices, six regional
offices.
Nand Mulchandani – CIA’s first-ever Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

Indian-Origin, Nand Mulchandani has been appointed as the first-ever Chief

07
Technology Officer (CTO) of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the first line
of defence for the United States. Prior to this, he served as the CTO and acting

02
director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Centre under the US Department of
40
Defence. He served as the CEO of multiple successful startups like Oblix
(acquired by Oracle), Determina, OpenDNS, and ScaleXtreme.
19

Central Intelligence Agency Founder: Harry S. Truman;

Central Intelligence Agency Founded: 26 July 1947;
22

Central Intelligence Agency Headquarters: Langley, McLean, Virginia, United

States;
Central Intelligence Agency Director: William J. Burns;
Central Intelligence Agency Deputy Director: David S. Cohen.
Pandit Shivkumar Sharma passed away
Shiv Kumar Sharma was born in Jammu in 1938.

07
He is believed to be the first musician to have played Indian classical music on
the santoor.

02
Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma was awarded:
40
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1986 Padma Shri in 1991
Padma Vibhushan in 2001
19

IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT SANTOOR -

Type: TAT VADYA
22

Santoor is a stringed instrument made of wood, steel, and bamboo.

This is a traditional instrument, found in Jammu and Kashmir.
Majorly used in the traditional music of Kashmir called Sufiana Qalam.
It has now acquired an important place as a classical music instrument.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan passed away

UAE President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

07
passed away. He served as the President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi
since November 3, 2004.

02
Born in 1948, Sheikh Khalifa was the second President of the UAE and the
16th Ruler of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. He was the eldest son of Sheikh
40
Zayed.
19

He was elected to succeed his father, late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan,
who served as the UAE’s first president since the union in 1971 until he
22

passed away on November 2, 2004.

Since becoming the president of the UAE, Sheikh Khalifa has presided over a
major restructuring of both the Federal Government and the government of
Abu Dhabi. Under his reign, the UAE witnessed an accelerated development
that ensured decent living for the people calling the country home.
PM Modi visited Nepal on Buddha Purnima 2022
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Lumbini in Nepal on the occasion of
Buddha Purnima 2022 on May 16 at the invitation of the Prime Minister of Nepal Sher

07
Bahadur Deuba. On the occasion of Buddha Jayanti, the Nepalese Prime Minister will also
host a lunch in the honour of PM Modi and his delegation.

02
On Buddha Purnima, PM Modi will attend the 2566th Buddha Jayanti celebration and
40
address a gathering of people from Nepal and India, including the Buddhist monks and
scholars. PM Modi’s visit to Nepal on Buddha Purnima 2022 aims at promoting the close,
19

comprehensive, and multidimensional ties between the two neighbouring countries.

Buddha Purnima or Buddha Jayanti honours the birth anniversary of Lord Buddha, the
22

founder of Buddhism. The day is considered to be the holiest occasion for Buddhists all
over the world.
Prime Minister Modi together with Prime Minister Deuba participated in the "Shilanyas”
ceremony for the construction of the India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and
Heritage at a plot in Lumbini belonging to the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC)
based in New Delhi.
 Ramgarh Vishdhari Sanctuary Becomes Country's 52nd Tiger Reserve
Located in the Bundi district of Rajasthan
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had accorded 'in-principle'

07
approval for creation of Ramgarh Vishdhari Wildlife Sanctuary and adjoining
areas as tiger reserves on July 5, 2021 under the provision of Section 38 of the

02
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
40
Apart from tiger conservation, this sanctuary is also famous for the ecosystem
as well as floral species. The sanctuary has 500 types of wildlife including
19

Indian wolf, leopard, striped woodpecker, cheetal, sambhar, sloath bear,

golden jackal, chinkara, nilgai, fox, wild cats, langur, snake, crocodile.
22

This is the 4th Tiger Reserve of Rajasthan. The others are - Ranthambore Tiger
Reserve in Sawai Madhopur, Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar and Mukundra
Hills Tiger Reserve in Kota.

CM – Ashok Gehlot, Capital – Jaipur, Governor – Kalraj Mishra

 Yoon Suk-Yeol elected as the new President of South Korea
Following his victory in South Korea’s presidential election, Yoon Suk-yeol, a conservative
former prosecutor, is set to become the country’s next president.

07
During the campaign, Yoon made a comment that many observers, including voters,
mistook for praise of former president Chun Doo-hwan, a military dictator known for his

02
brutal treatment of pro-democracy protesters in the 1980s.
40
During his campaign, Yoon promised to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and
blamed the country’s low birth rate on the rise of feminism and women asserting their
19

rights in South Korea.

Yoon Suk-yeol, who has called North Korea the South’s “main enemy,” offered to work
22

with the international community to craft an “audacious plan” to improve North Korea’s
economy in return for its commitment to “complete denuclearization.”
Capital City: Seoul Currency: South Korean won Former President: Moon Jae-in Prime
Minister: Kim Boo-kyum
 07
02
40
Current Affairs/GK
19

MAY PART TWO

22
 Finland and Sweden applied for NATO
membership; Turkey blocking the bid

07
Turkey has blocked the move to fast-track Finland and Sweden's formal bids to join the
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

02
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg
40
NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium
Headquarters of Allied Command Operations: Mons, Belgium.
19

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a military alliance established by the North
Atlantic Treaty (also called the Washington Treaty) of April, 1949, by the United States,
22

Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against
the Soviet Union.
There are currently 30 member states.
Its original members were Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg,
the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
 Claims of Turkey
Turkey has accused Sweden and Finland of harbouring terrorists, the members of Kurdish

07
militant groups that Turkey considers as terrorist organisations.
Turkey has also objected to the two countries decisions in 2019 to ban arms exports to

02
Turkey over its military operations in Syria.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has accused Sweden of providing safe haven to
40
members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK) and followers of Fethullah
Gülen, who Turkey sees as the main accused beind the 2016 coup attempt.
19

As per Turkish President Erdogan, Turkey had asked Sweden to extradite 30 terrorists, but
they refused to do so.
22
 Will Turkey’s apprehensions block the
membership?

07
Turkey blocked a vote by NATO ambassadors on opening talks on Sweden and Finland's

02
bids, which means that the first stage of the accession process may take longer than
planned, as only after all NATO allies give consent can Sweden and Finland start
40
accession talks with the alliance.
19
22
 Elisabeth Borne appointed as the first female
Prime Minister of France

07
Elisabeth Borne was picked by the French President Emmanuel Macron on

02
May 16, 2022, as his new Prime Minister as he prepared for the legislative
elections in June this year. It is the second time in 30 years that a woman has
40
been appointed for the topmost position (Edith Cresson – 1991-92). The
former Prime Minister of France Jean Castex handed over his resignation,
19

earlier in the day, paving way for a cabinet overhaul after Macron’s re-election
22

in April 2022.
About France: Capital: Paris, President: Emmanuel Macron, Prime minister:
Élisabeth Borne, Currency: Euro
The French Riviera Film Festival gave Nawazuddin Siddiqui an award for
excellence in cinema.
France's Total Energies will buy a stake in Adani's hydrogen business
 John Lee appointed as the new Chief
Executive of Hong Kong

07
China’s State Council, which is equal to the country’s cabinet has appointed John Lee as
the next Chief Executive of Hong Kong. The appointment came after the dubious Chief

02
Executive Election 2022 in Hong Kong where Lee was the sole candidate. Hong Kong is a
40
special administrative region of China.
John Lee has become the sixth-term Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special
19

Administrative Region.
In 2021, China overhauled Hong Kong’s electoral system and specified that only patriots,
22

that is, those loyal to the Communist Party of China can run. The changes reduced the
number of elective seats in the legislature. It also tightened rules on who could qualify
and changed the representation of the committee that picks the Chief Executive of Hong
Kong.
Lee in 2019 helped Carrie Lam promote a controversial bill to allow extraditions from
Hong Kong to mainland China. The legislation further prompted anti-government protests
that drew millions of people.
He will be the first security official to hold the Chief Executive position of Hong Kong
Currency: Hong Kong dollar

07
Hong Kong Continent: Asia
Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China that has, until recently, largely been

02
free to manage its own affairs based on “one country, two systems,” a national unification
policy developed by Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in the 1980s.
40
19
22
 2nd in-person Quad Summit in Tokyo
Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the second in-person Quad Leaders’

07
Summit in Tokyo along with his Japanese and Australian counterpart and US President
Joe Biden. This was the fourth interaction of the Leaders since their first virtual

02
meeting in March 2021. The Leaders reiterated their shared commitment to a free,
open and inclusive Indo-Pacific and the importance of upholding the principles of
40
sovereignty, territorial integrity and peaceful resolution of disputes. They exchanged
19

perspectives on developments in the Indo-Pacific and the conflict in Europe and also
took stock of ongoing Quad collaboration and their vision for the future. Prime
22

Minister Modi highlighted India’s consistent and principled position on the need for
cessation of hostilities, resumption of dialogue and diplomacy. He also emphasized
the importance of delivering on Quad’s positive and constructive agenda and show
tangible benefits for the region.
The quadrilateral security dialogue includes Japan, India, United States and Australia.
All four nations find a common ground of being the democratic nations and common

07
interests of unhindered maritime trade and security.
The grouping traces its genesis to 2004 when the four countries came together to

02
coordinate relief operations in the aftermath of the tsunami.
It then met for the first time in 2007 on the sidelines of the Association of South East
40
Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit.
The intention was to enhance maritime cooperation between the four nations.
19
22
 Indo-Pacific Economic Framework
Prime Minister participated in an event in Tokyo to launch the Indo-Pacific Economic

07
Framework (IPEF).
This economic initiative came a day before the second in-person summit of

02
the Quad leaders (India, the US, Australia and Japan) in Tokyo.
It is a US-led initiative that aims to strengthen economic partnership among participating
40
countries to enhance resilience, sustainability, inclusiveness, economic growth, fairness,
and competitiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.
19

The IPEF was launched with a dozen initial partners who together represent 40% of the
world GDP.
22
 World Press Freedom Index 2022
Published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) – based in Paris.

07
India’s ranking in the Index has fallen down to 150th position from last year’s 142nd
rank among the 180 countries.

02
The day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993, following the
recommendation of UNESCO’s General Conference in 1991.
40
The day also marks the 1991 Windhoek Declaration (adopted by UNESCO).
It aimed towards the ‘development of a free, independent and pluralistic press’.
19

Theme for 2022: Journalism under digital siege

22
The Index’s rankings are based on a score ranging from 0 to 100 that is assigned to each
country or territory, with 100 being the best possible score (the highest possible level of

07
press freedom) and 0 the worst.
Each country or territory’s score is evaluated using five contextual indicators : political

02
context, legal framework, economic context, sociocultural context and safety.
Norway (1st) Denmark (2nd), Sweden (3rd) Estonia (4th) and Finland (5th) grabbed the top
40
positions.
North Korea remained at the bottom of the list of the 180 countries.
19

Russia was placed at 155th position.

The ranking of India’s neighbours, except that of Nepal, has also slid down, with the index
22

placing. Nepal has climbed up by 30 points in the global ranking at 76th position.
 Shukrayaan – India’s Venus mission
The Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has announced that it is
expecting to launch the Venus mission Shukrayaan by December 2024.

07
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced two new robotic
missions (DaVinci Plus and Veritas) to Venus.

02
The ISRO is now readying a spacecraft to orbit Venus to study what lies below the surface
of the solar system’s hottest planet, and also unravel the mysteries under the Sulfuric
40
Acid clouds enveloping it.
The December 2024 window is being targeted for its launch with orbital maneuvers
19

planned for the following year when earth and Venus would be so aligned that the
spacecraft could be put in the neighboring planet’s orbit using a minimum amount of
22

propellant.
The next similar window will be available in 20131 only.
The satellite is planned to be launched onboard the GSLV Mk II rocket.
Sweden is getting on board India’s Venus orbiter mission ‘Shukrayaan’ with a scientific
instrument to explore the planet.
ISRO Chairman - S. Somanath, Headquarter - Antariksh Bhavan in Bangalore
NASA Chairman – Bill Nelson, Headquarter – Washington D.C.
VENUS
It takes Venus longer to rotate once on its axis than to complete one orbit of the Sun.

07
That’s 243 Earth days to rotate once – the longest rotation of any planet in the Solar
System – and only 224.7 Earth days to complete an orbit of the Sun.

02
Venus is hotter than Mercury – despite being further away from the Sun. Its mean
temperature is 462°C. This is because of the high concentration of carbon dioxide in
40
Venus’ atmosphere, which works to produce an intense greenhouse effect.
All other planets spin anti-clockwise on their axis and orbit the Sun in an anti-clockwise
19

direction. Venus also orbits the Sun anti-clockwise, but spins clockwise on its axis due
to being upside down – it was knocked off its upright position earlier in its history!
22

Venus is the second brightest natural object in the night sky after the Moon
Venus has 90 times the atmospheric pressure of Earth
Venus is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty
Venus was the first planet to have its motions plotted across the sky, as early as the
second millennium BC
 Thomas Cup Badminton 2022 – India won its
first-ever Thomas Cup

07
In the final in Bangkok, a resolute Indian men’s team carved its mark on history by
winning the Thomas Cup for the first time ever, defeating 14 time winners Indonesia by 3-

02
0. India put on a show to remember, with medalist Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, as well
40
as the worldwide number 8 doubles combo of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy
putting on an unforgettable game. The Thomas Cup, also known as the World Men’s
19

Team Championships, is a global badminton tournament held every two years between
teams representing member countries of the Badminton World Federation (BWF), the
22

sport’s regulatory body. Since 1982, the tournaments have been contested every 2 years,
having previously been held every 3 years since its first event in 1948–1949. The
championship’s final stage has 12 teams participating at locations in the host country,
and it runs simultaneously with the Uber Cup (initially held in 1956–1957), the global
women’s team championship. The two Competitions have been played together at
various levels of play from 1984. With regards to player and fan engagement, the Thomas
Cup and, to a smaller extent, the Uber Cup are two of the world’s “largest” and most
renowned regularly organised badminton competitions.
Just six nations have lifted the Thomas Cup in the 30 competitions contested since 1948–
1949. With 14 victories, Indonesia is by far the most victorious team. China, which did

07
not start competing until 1982, is in second place with ten championships, while Malaysia
has five. After defeating Malaysia 3–2 in the 2014 final, Japan has become the fourth

02
nation to lift the Thomas Cup. After defeating Indonesia 3–2 in the 2016 final,
Copenhagen became the first European and fifth country to win the Thomas Cup. The
40
tournament was won for the very first time by a non-Asian team. India is the current title
holder, having won the very first championship in 2022 after defeating defending
19

champions Indonesia by 3-0.

22
 French Open 2022
On June 5, 2022, Rafael Nadal won the 14th French Open. With this win, his record

07
extended to 22nd Grand Slam title. He became the oldest male champion at Roland
Garros.

02
French Open is also known as Roland-Garros. It is a major tennis tournament, which is
held for two weeks at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France. It starts in late May, every
40
year. This tournament has been named after French aviator Roland Garros. French Open
is the premier clay court championship. It is the only Grand Slam tournament that is held
19

on this surface. It is the second tournament of four annual Grand Slam tournaments.
22

Other three tournaments include Australian Open, The US Open and Wimbledon.
The Grand Slam
Grand Slam is an achievement of winning four major championships in one discipline in a
calendar year. It is also called as “Calendar-year Grand Slam” or “Calendar Slam”.
 IPL 2022 – Gujarat Titans wins it maiden title
Gujarat Titans wins IPL 2022 title its debut season, beats Rajasthan Royals by 7 wickets in

07
final

02
40
19
22
 Nikhat Zareen wins Gold Medal at the
Women’s World Boxing Championship 2022

07
Nikhat Zareen gave a dazzling performance to beat Thai Olympian Jutamas Jitpong 5-
0 and become the fifth Indian woman to win a World title at the Women’s World

02
Championships, Istanbul. Nikhat thus becomes only the fifth Indian women’s boxer
40
after Mary Kom, Sarita Devi, Jenny RL and Lekha KC to win a gold at the World
Championships. The 25-year-old Zareen is a former junior youth world champion.
19

About International Boxing Association - Headquarters location: Lausanne, Switzerland

President: Umar Kremlyov Founded: 1946
22

President of Boxing Federation of India – Ajay Singh. Founded in 1949

 The first Indian sports documentary
‘Maitanam – The Story of Football in Kerala’

07
goes live
02
FIFA launched a new streaming video service, FIFA+ on April 12, 2022. FIFA plus will
provide live games from competitions around the world and 'Netflix style'
40
documentaries.
FIFA plus will also include an archive of every World Cup and Women's World Cup match
19

ever recorded on camera. The first Indian sports documentary 'Maitanam- The Story of
Football in Kerala' went live on FIFA+ on May 1, 2022.
22

With this, Maitanam has joined an elite list of global sports documentaries as a part of
select FIFA+ Originals that have been made available globally on FIFA's new digital
streaming platform.
Chairman of FIFA – Gianni Infantino, HQ – Zurich, Switzerland
Chairman of All India Football Federation – Kalyan Chaubey, HQ – New Delhi
Maitanam is a 40 minute sports documentary that showcases a range of different stories
on the love for football in Kerala.

07
The documentary has been produced by FIFA in collaboration with Reliance- backed RISE
Worldwide.

02
Maitanam translates to ground or stadium in Kerala's native language, Malayalam. It is
generally associated with a football ground.
40
The documentary showcases 6 different stories that have been taken from across the
state, covering several different angles such as a women's team that has been shaking up
19

overseas competitions, an upcoming little girls teams, a football commentator with years
of experience and priests playing football barefoot.
22

The main aim of the documentary is to emphasise on the love for football as a sport in
Kerala, popularly known as 'Gods own country'. It can be viewed on FIFA+ only.
 Indonesia suspended Agricultural imports
from India

07
Indonesia has stopped imports of agricultural products from India, citing a failure

02
by New Delhi officials to register laboratories that evaluate food safety and issue
certificates of analysis (COA), causing worry among cereal exporters.
40
In an order to the head of its Agricultural Quarantine Centre, the Indonesian Ministry of
Agriculture stated that its authority to accredited laboratories for testing the safety of
19

fresh food from India and issuing the COA has been revoked.
COAs issued by laboratories indicating that clear exports of fresh food of plant origin
22

were certified in 2019 would not be recognised, according to the Ministry,

although certificates issued on or before March 24 will be legitimate.
Indonesian exporters have been notified of the order. The news came
after Indonesia issued a notice to exporters requiring them to give extra information to
the COA.
The notification was sent three to four months ago by Indonesia.
While countries like Vietnam and Thailand were able to register their laboratories

07
providing COAs well ahead of time, Indian authorities were unable to meet the deadline.
The registration application should be submitted through diplomatic channels. However,

02
the embassy in Jakarta failed to register on time.
India's principal exports during this period were ground nut, capsicum, maize (corn)
40
starch, seasamum seed, other residues of rape or colza seeds etc.
19
22
 State of the World's Forests Report 2022
Recently, the State of the World’s Forests 2022 (SOFO 2022) was released by the United

07
Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
In January 2022 the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change

02
(MoEFCC) released the India State of Forest Report-2021.
At the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use (India, Argentina, Mexico,
40
Saudi Arabia and South Africa are the only G20 countries that did not sign the
declaration because the declaration interlinks trade to climate change and forest issues),
19

140 countries pledged to eliminate forest loss by 2030 and to support restoration and
sustainable production and consumption.
22
What is the State of the World’s Forests?
The report is published bi-annually and is widely regarded as one of

07
the most important stock takes on forest ecosystems.

02
The 2022 edition of SOFO explores the potential of three forest
pathways for achieving green recovery and tackling multidimensional
40
planetary crises, including climate change and biodiversity loss.
19

Halting deforestation and maintaining forests

Restoring degraded lands and expanding agroforestry
22

Sustainably using forests and building green value chains

 IMPORTANT DATES AND THEMES
DATE IMPORTANCE THEME STORY BEHIND THIS

07
1ST MAY International Workers’ Uniting Workers for Social On 1 May, 1886 labour
Day/Labour Day and Economic unions went on a strike in
Advancement the United States of

02
America and demanded
that workers should not be
forced to work more than
40
eight hours a day.
1ST MAY Maharashtra/Gujarat On May 1st, 1960, the
19

Statehood Day. bilingual state of Bombay

was divided into two
separate states by the
22

Bombay Reorganisation
Act, 1960: Maharashtra for
Marathi speaking people
and Gujarat for Gujarati
speaking people.
DATE IMPORTANCE THEME STORY BEHIND THIS
3RD MAY World Press Freedom “Journalism under digital It was in the

07
Day siege” year 1993 when the United
Nations General Assembly
declared 3rd May as the

02
world freedom press day.
This declaration came after
a recommendation made in
40
1991 at the twenty-sixth
general conference session
of UNESCO. The declaration
19

also came as a result of the

1991 Windhoek
Declaration, a statement
22

which was produced by

African journalists about
press freedom, presented at
a seminar held by UNESCO,
which concluded on 3rd
May.
 07
DATE IMPORTANCE THEME STORY BEHIND THIS
9TH MAY Russia Victory Day Russia Victory Day is a
commemoration of the

02
1945 victory over Nazi
Germany. Following the
signing of the German
40
Instrument of Surrender
late in the evening on May
8, 1945.
19
22
DATE IMPORTANCE THEME STORY BEHIND THIS
11th MAY National Technology “Integrated Approach in On May 11, 1998, India
Science and Technology for detonated three nuclear
Day bombs in the Indian Army’s
a Sustainable Future”

07
Pokhran Test Range.
Dr APJ Abdul Kalam lead the
Indian team of scientists to

02
successfully test-fire the Shakti-
1 nuclear missile at Rajasthan’s
Pokhran test range.
40 Two days later, the country
successfully tested two more
nuclear weapons as a part of
the same Pokhran-II/Operation
19

Shakti initiative. After these

tests Prime Minister Atal Bihari
Vajpayee declared India a
22

nuclear state, making it the

sixth country to join the
‘nuclear club’ of nations.
Hansa 3, India’s first indigenous
aircraft was first tested on the
same day in 1998 in Bangalore.
Successful test firing of Trishul,
a short range missile made in
India, was also done on the
same day.
DATE IMPORTANCE THEME STORY BEHIND THIS
12th MAY, 2022 International Nurses “Nurses: A Voice to Lead - to commemorate the
Day Invest in Nursing and anniversary of Florence
respect rights to secure Nightingale's birthday. This

07
global health” day also celebrates the
contribution done by nurses
to society around the world.

02
On this day the
International Council of
Nurses organisation
40
produces an International
Nurses kit to educate and
assist health workers
19

globally with a different

theme every year.
22

15th MAY International Day of Families and Urbanisation The day highlights the
Families importance of families. The
UN focuses on some
important issues that are
central to the well-being of
families across the world
like health, education,
children's rights, gender
equality, work-family
balance, and social inclusion
among others.
DATE IMPORTANCE THEME STORY BEHIND THIS
17th MAY, 2022 World Digital technologies for This day’s main purpose

07
Telecommunication Day older persons and healthy was to raise awareness
ageing globally about the influence

02
of new technologies and
the Internet on society.
Another goal of this day was
40
to reduce the digital divide.

23rd MAY World Turtle Day 'Shellebrate!’ There wouldn’t have been
19

The theme asks 'Everyone any World Turtle Day if the

to Love and Save Turtles'. American Tortoise Rescue
(ATR) didn’t start it. This
22

nonprofit organisation was

established in 1990 and it
started marking World
Turtle Day in 2001.
DATE IMPORTANCE THEME STORY BEHIND THIS
29th MAY, 2022 International Day of UN "People. Peace. Progress. The International Day of
Peacekeepers The Power of Partnerships.” United Nations
Peacekeepers, 29 May,

07
offers a chance to pay
tribute to the uniformed
and civilian personnel’s

02
invaluable contribution to
the work of the
Organization and to
40
honour nearly 4,200
peacekeepers who have lost
their lives serving under the
19

UN flag since 1948,

including 135 last year.
22

31st MAY World No Tobacco Day Tobacco: Threat to our The Member States of the
environment World Health Organization
created World No Tobacco
Day in 1987 to draw global
attention to the tobacco
epidemic and the
preventable death and
disease it causes.
 07
02
40
Current Affairs/GK
19

JUNE, 2022 PART ONE

22
 Eknath Shinde sworn in as new CM of
Maharashtra

07
Eknath Shinde (20th), a rebel Shiv Sena MLA, will be sworn in as the

02
new chief minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis told the
press. The dissident Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde and the
40
BJP will form Maharashtra’s new government after nearly ten days of
19

intense power struggles. The Maha Vikas Aghadi government’s

authority in the state came to an end the day after Uddhav
22

Thackeray resigned as chief minister. The Shinde camp announced

that talks with the BJP have begun and that they will form the
government.
Governor – Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Capital – Nagpur, Mumbai
 Rajya Sabha election 2022
Polling took place for 16 vacant seats in Rajya Sabha in Rajasthan, Haryana, Karnataka and Maharashtra
on June 10.

07
02
The maximum number of members of the Rajya Sabha is 250,
40
of which 238 members are elected indirectly from states and
Union Territories and 12 are nominated by the President.
19

The current strength in the House is 245. 229 members

22

represent member states, 4 members represent Union

Territories and 12 are nominated by the President.
Government amends service rules for Chief of
Defence Staff (CDS)

07
CDS is the permanent Chairman and military head of Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC) of
Indian Armed Forces. He is the highest-ranking uniformed officer on active duty in Indian

02
military. He acts as the chief military adviser to Defence Minister. He also heads the
40
Department of Military Affairs. He is assisted by a vice-chief, who is the Chief of
Integrated Defence Staff (Vice Admiral R. Hari Kumar).
19

The post of Chief of Defence staff is vacant since demise of General Bipin Rawat in a
helicopter (Mi-17V5) crash in 8TH December 2021.
22

As per notification, government may consider an officer for this post, who is serving as
Air Marshal or Air Chief Marshal or a retired officer in the similar ranks but below the age
of 62 years on appointment
Government would made considerations, “if considered necessary, in public interest.”
As per notification, government may extend the service of Chief of Defence Staff “for a
period as it may deem necessary”, but would be subject to a maximum age of 65 years.
 PM Modi inaugurated RAMP scheme
“Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance” (RAMP) scheme

07
It is in line with the recommendations made by U K Sinha
Committee, KV Kamath Committee and Economic Advisory Council

02
to the Prime Minister (PMEAC)
40
It is a World Bank assisted Central Sector Scheme, supporting
various CoronaVirus Disease 2019 (Covid) Resilience and Recovery
19

Interventions of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium

22

Enterprises (MoMSME).
David Malpass - was selected as 13th President of the World
Bank Group. HQ - Washington D.C., First President - Eugene Meyer,
1944 – year of estb.
Improving access to market and credit
Strengthening institutions and governance at the Centre and

07
State

02
Improving Centre-State linkages and partnerships
40
Addressing issues of delayed payments and greening of
MSMEs
19

Cabinet Minister of Ministry of MSME - Minister Shri Narayan

22

Tatu Rane (Appointed on 8th July, 2021)

Improving access to market and credit
Strengthening institutions and governance at the Centre and State

07
Improving Centre-State linkages and partnerships

02
Addressing issues of delayed payments and greening of MSMEs
Cabinet Minister of Ministry of MSME - Minister Shri Narayan Tatu
40
Rane (Appointed on 8th July, 2021)
19

MSMEs will now be called Micro units if they have investments upto
Rs 1 crore and turnover of less than Rs 5 crore.
22

For an MSME to be defined as a Small unit, its investment limit has

been raised from to Rs 10 crore with a turnover of less than 50 crore.
Enterprises with investments up to Rs 50 crore with a turnover of less
than Rs 250 crore will now be called Medium units.
 Single-use plastic ban from 1st July
•According to a 2021 report of the
Minderoo Foundation, an Australian

07
philanthropic organization, India
features in the top 100 countries of

02
single-use plastic waste generation –
at rank 94 (the top three
40
being Singapore, Australia and
Oman.
19

•The ban will be monitored by

the CPCB from the Centre, and by the
22

State Pollution Control Boards

(SPCBs) that will report to the Centre
regularly.
Chairman of CPCB – Tanmay Kumar
HQ – New Delhi
Formation - in September, 1974 under the Water
(Prevention and
Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
 Caste-based census in Bihar
The purpose of conducting caste-based enumeration is to take people forward

07
so that no one in the state is neglected.
The decision to do it at the state level has been taken after it was refused to

02
be conducted at the national level.
It may be mentioned that the caste census was last conducted in the year
40
1931, although the socio-economic caste census was conducted in the year
19

2011, its caste data was not released by the central government.
Karnataka was the first state to conduct caste enumeration after 1931. Then-
22

chief minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah passed an order in 2014 that the

State Backward Classes Commission will carry out a socio-educational and
economic survey. (current CM - Basavaraj Bommai (23RD ), Governor - Thawar
Chand Gehlot (19th) capital - Bengaluru
After the completion of the survey, selected parts of the report reached the media and
public domain, but consecutive governments in Karnataka refrained from publishing the

07
report.
Chhattisgarh (CM - Bhupesh Baghel 3RD Governor - Anusuiya Uikey, Capital - Raipur) is

02
conducting a similar survey of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Economically
Weaker Sections (EWS) to collect quantifiable data.
40
Odisha (CM - Naveen Patnaik 14TH Governor – Ganeshi Lal, Capital - Bhubaneshwar) State
Commission for Backward Classes (OSCBC) is also conducting a state-wise survey of the
19

social and educational conditions of the backward classes.

Bihar – CM - Nitish Kumar (23rd), Governor - Phagu Chauhan, Capital - Patna
22

In the 7th Schedule of the Indian Constitution, which defines the functioning of federal
structure, census operations find their place at number 69 as a Union subject.
As long as the Census operation remains on the Union list, and until the Constitution is
amended for this purpose, no state can conduct its own census.
Rigveda: The earliest literature 'Rig-Veda' reveals that some kind of population count
was maintained during 800-600 BC in India.

07
Arthashastra: 'Arthashastra' by 'Kautilya' written in the 3rd Century BC prescribed the
collection of population statistics as a measure of state policy for taxation.

02
Ain-i-Akbari: During the regime of the Mughal king Akbar, the administrative report 'Ain-
e-Akbari' also included comprehensive data pertaining to population, industry, wealth
40
and many other characteristics.
The first census of India is considered to be the one in 1872 under Viceroy Lord Mayo.
19

(Non-synchronous ).
However, the first synchronous census in India was held in 1881 by census commission
22

WC Plowden. Since then, censuses have been undertaken uninterruptedly once every ten
years.
The last Census in India was held in 2011. This happened to be the 15th Indian Census.
 First I2U2 summit to be organized in July
Recently, first I2U2 (India, Israel, United States and the

07
United Arab Emirates) leaders' Summit was held virtually.
I2U2 stands for India, Israel, the UAE, and the US, and was also
02
referred to as the ‘West Asian Quad’.
40
I2U2 was initially formed in October, 2021 following
19

the Abraham Accords, to deal with issues

22

concerning maritime security, infrastructure and transport.

The Abraham Accord is the first Arab-Israeli peace deal in 26
years mediated by the USA.
Its stated aim is to discuss “common areas of mutual interest, to
strengthen the economic partnership in trade and investment in our

07
respective regions and beyond”.

02
Six areas of cooperation have been identified by the countries
mutually, and the aim is to encourage joint investments in water,
40
energy, transportation, space, health, and food security.
19

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced to invest USD 2 billion in

India to develop Food Parks across the country.
22

India will provide appropriate land for the project and will facilitate
farmers’ integration into the Food Parks.
The Grouping declared to support a "hybrid renewable
energy project" in Gujarat, consisting of 300 megawatts (MW) of
wind and solar capacity.
USA – President – Joe Biden Currency - USD Capital – Washington
D.C.

07
UAE – President - Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (3rd) Currency -

02
United Arab Emirates dirham Capital - Abu Dhabi PM - Mohammed
bin Rashid Al Maktoum
40
ISRAEL – President - Isaac Herzog Currency - Israeli Shekel Capital -
19

Jerusalem PM - Yair Lapid

22
 Iran & Argentina applied for BRICS
membership

07
Iran and Argentina have applied to join the BRICS mechanism, as per the
Russian State Media. The appeal to join the five nations grouping BRICS-

02
Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa has come days after a summit of
the five-nation bloc during which the leaders had agreed to continue to
40
discuss the possibility of admitting the new countries to the grouping on the
19

basis of full consultation and consensus.

Iran, which holds the world’s second-largest gas reserves has applied to join
22

the BRICS group of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa that Beijing
and Moscow have cast as a powerful emerging market alternative to the
West.
As per Iran’s Foreign Minister Spokesperson, Iranian membership in BRICS will
result in added values for both sides.
 What is BRICS?
Launched by a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Brazil, Russia,

07
India and China in 2006 and riding on the political synergy created by
regular summits since 2009, BRIC turned itself into BRICS in 2010,

02
with the entry of South Africa.
40
The importance of BRICS is self-evident: it represents 42% of the
world’s population, 30% of the land area, 24% of global
19

GDP and 16% of international trade

22
 Important facts
Brazil – President - Jair Bolsonaro, Capital - Brasília, Currency - reais, PM – does not have
one.

07
Russia – President - Vladimir Putin, Capital - Moscow, Currency – Russian Ruble, PM -
Mikhail Mishustin

02
India – President – Draupadi Murmu, Capital – New Delhi, Currency - Indian National
40
Rupee, PM – Narendra Modi
China – President - Xi Jinping, Capital - Beijing, Currency - Renminbi, Premier - Li Keqiang
19

South Africa – President - Cyril Ramaphosa, Capital - Pretoria, Bloemfontein, and Cape
Town, Currency - South African rand, PM - Pieter Willem Botha (last, after which this post
22

was abolished in 1984)

Iran – President - Ebrahim Raisi, Capital – Tehran, Currency - Iranian rial, PM - Mir-Hossein
Mousavi (last, after which the post was abolished in 1989)
Argentina – President - Alberto Fernández, Capital - Buenos Aires, Currency - Argentine
peso, PM - none
 EU grants candidate status to Ukraine &
Moldova

07
The European Union leaders granted Ukraine and Moldova candidate

02
status for EU membership during a European Council meeting in
Brussels on June 23, 2022.
40
The EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had said in a
19

statement after a visit to Kyiv that "Ukrainians 'ready to die' to

deepen their ties to the European Union.”
22

It would take a long for Ukraine to formally obtain membership of the

European Union. Being granted the candidate status is the first
official step toward EU membership. As per observers, even with
candidate status, it may take years, if not decades, for Ukraine to
obtain EU membership.
 How does a country join the European
Union?

07
1. First step is getting official candidate status for EU membership but this does not
necessarily mean that the nation will join the EU.

02
2. After getting candidate status, formal membership negotiations begin. This process
involves the adoption of established EU law and implementation of judicial,
40
administrative, economic and other reforms that are deemed necessary for the country
to meet the membership conditions. These conditions are known as accession criteria.
19

3. Following the completion of membership negotiations and accompanying reforms to

22

the satisfaction of both sides, the country is allowed to become an EU member.

 Important facts
The European Union has its own flag, complete with twelve stars.

07
The European Union has a motto. It reads: United in Diversity.

02
The EU also has its own anthem “Ode to Joy”, from Ludwig van
Beethoven’s “Ninth Symphony”, composed way back in 1823.
40
There are 24 official languages in the European Union.
19

The main currency in the EU is the Euro, but not every country has
adopted it (Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary,
22

Poland, Romania, and Sweden.)

Non EU members who use Euro as official currency - Andorra,
Kosovo, Monaco, Montenegro, San Marino and Vatican City
All European Union countries have a red passport, with “European Union” written at the
top, followed by the country the person is the citizen of.

07
The European Union has won the Nobel Peace Prize. It was awarded to the EU in 2012
based on its contributions towards peace and reconciliation.

02
The European Parliament is the largest and only directly-elected international body in the
world.
40
In 1952, European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was founded under Treaty of Paris
(1951) by 6 countries called Six (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the
19

Netherlands) to renounce part of their sovereignty by placing their coal and steel
production in a common market, under it.
22

Moldova – President - Maia Sandu, Capital - Chișinău, Currency - Moldovan leu, PM -

Natalia Gavrilița
Ukraine - Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Capital – Kyiv, Currency - Ukrainian hryvnia, PM - Denys
Shmyhal
 Roe vs. Wade ruling in US
With a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court of America was able to overturn the Roe Vs Wade
verdict which rendered abortion to be a constitutional right.

07
Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr., is the 17th Chief Justice of the United State (First - John

02
Jay)
Ketanji Brown Jackson sworn in as first Black woman on the Supreme Court (2022)
40
Sandra Day O'Connor – first woman associate judge in the US Supreme court
John Marshall is only one of two justices to appear on U.S. currency. Marshall was on
19

the $500 bill, while Salmon P. Chase was on the $10,000 bill. Neither bill is in circulation
today.
22

Thurgood Marshall as the first Black person to serve as a Supreme Court Justice.
U.U. Lalit is India’s 49th CJI. The first Chief Justice of India (Before
independence) was Mr Sir Maurice Gwyer. Justice H.J Kania was the first after
independence. Justice Fathima Beevi fought against all the odds and became
the first woman judge of the Supreme Court. Leila Seth was the first woman
Chief Justice of a state high court in India.
 Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971
In 2021, Parliament altered the law to allow for abortions based on the advice of one doctor for
pregnancies up to 20 weeks.
The modified law needs the opinion of two doctors for pregnancies between 20 and 24 weeks.

07
Further, for pregnancies between 20 and 24 weeks, rules specified seven categories of women who
would be eligible for seeking termination under section 3B of rules prescribed under the MTP Act,

02
Survivors of sexual assault or rape or incest,
Minors,
40
Change of marital status during the ongoing pregnancy (widowhood and divorce),
Women with physical disabilities [major disability as per criteria laid down under the Rights
19

of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016

Mentally ill women including mental retardation,
22

The foetal malformation that has a substantial risk of being incompatible with life or if the
child is born it may suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities to be seriously
handicapped, and
Women with pregnancy in humanitarian settings or disasters or emergencies may be
declared by the Government.
UN Approves Official Name Change Of Turkey
To Türkiye

07
The United Nations has changed the Republic of Turkey’s country name at the
organisation from “Turkey” to “Türkiye”, following a request from Ankara for

02
the change.
Turkey began the move to change its internationally recognised official name
40
in English to Türkiye in December after Turkish President Recep Tayyip
19

Erdogan released a memorandum and asked the public to use Türkiye to

describe the country in every language. Türkiye is the best representation and
22

expression of the Turkish people’s culture, civilization and values.

Turkiye: Capital: Ankara President : Recep Tayyip Erdogan Currency: Turkish
lira
United Nations: Founded: 24 October 1945, San Francisco, California, United
States Headquarters: New York, New York, United States Secretary general:
António Guterres
 UNGA adopts India-sponsored resolution on
multilingualism

07
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has adopted an India-sponsored resolution on
multilingualism that mentions the Hindi language for the first time.

02
The resolution passed encourages the UN to continue disseminating important communications
and messages in official as well as in non-official languages, including in Hindi language.
40
The resolution also mentions Bangla and Urdu for the first time.
As part of these efforts, ‘Hindi @ UN’ project was launched in 2018 with an objective to enhance
19

the public outreach of the United Nations in the Hindi language, and to spread greater
awareness about global issues among millions of Hindi-speaking populations around the world.
22

Multilingualism is an essential factor in harmonious communication among peoples and an

enabler of multilateral diplomacy. It ensures effective participation of all in the Organization’s
work, as well as greater transparency and efficiencies and better outcomes.
Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish are the six official languages of the United
Nations; English and French being the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat.
About The United Nations General Assembly: Formation: 1945 President: Abdulla Shahid
Headquarters: New York, United States
 Parameswaran Iyer – New CEO of NITI Aayog
Former Drinking and water Sanitation Secretary, Parameswaren Iyer has been appointed
as the new Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog for 2 years. He will succeed Amitabh

07
Kant.
Kant was appointed as the CEO of the National Institution for Transforming India (Niti

02
Aayog) on February 17, 2016, for a fixed two-year term. Kant was later given an extension
40
till June 30, 2019. His term was further extended for two years, till this month-end, in
June 2019.In June 2021, Kant received another one-year extension.
19

Iyer took voluntary retirement from the Indian Civil Services in 2009. In the same year, he
became the water resources manager at the World Bank.
22

In 2016, he joined the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation as its Secretary.
He had also worked as a senior rural water sanitation specialist at the United Nations.
In 2016, the government appointed Iyer to implement its Swachh Bharat Mission.
In 2021, Iyer resigned as Secretary of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation at
the Jal Shakti Ministry.
About NITI Aayog: Founded: 1 January 2015; Preceding: Planning Commission ( 15 March
1950) Headquarters: New Delhi; Chairperson: Narendra Modi; Vice Chairperson: Suman K
Berry
 Tapan Deka appointed as new chief of
Intelligence Bureau

07
The Central government gave one-year extension in service to
Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Samant Goel and appointed

02
senior IPS officer Tapan Deka as Director of Intelligence Bureau. Deka
40
will succeed incumbent Intelligence Bureau Director Arvind Kumar,
whose tenure ended on June 30.
19

While Intelligence Bureau (IB) is the internal intelligence agency, the

22

Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) is the external intelligence agency.

It functions under the aegis of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
It is headquartered in New Delhi.
In 1909, the Indian Political Intelligence Office was established in
England in response to the development of Indian revolutionary

07
activities.

02
By 1921, it came to be called Indian Political Intelligence (IPI)
constituting a surveillance and monitoring agency.
40
It was run jointly by the India Office and the Government of India and
19

maintained close contact with Scotland Yard and MI5.

After Indian independence in 1947, IPI was renamed as the
22

Intelligence Bureau under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Until 1968, it handled both domestic and foreign intelligence after
which Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) - current chief is Samant
Goel was formed specifically for foreign intelligence.
 IPS officer Dinkar Gupta appointed Director-
General of National Investigation Agency

07
It was constituted under the National Investigation

02
Agency (NIA) Act, 2008.
40
The agency is empowered to deal with the investigation
19

of terror related crimes across states without special

permission from the states under written proclamation
22

from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Headquarters: New Delhi
 Nitin Gupta appointed as new Chairman of
Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)

07
The CBDT is headed by a Chairman and can have six members

02
who are in the rank of special secretary.
It is a statutory body established as per the Central Board of
40
Revenue Act, 1963.
19

It is India’s official financial action task force unit.

22

It is administered by the Department of Revenue under

the Ministry of Finance.
Head of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs – Vivek
Johri
 Pakistan may get off terror funding
watchdog’s ‘grey list’ after on -site check

07
Pakistan will continue to be on the “Grey List” of countries under increased monitoring of
the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), from the global money laundering and terror-

02
financing watchdog. Pakistan has been on the grey list of the Paris-based Financial Action
40
Task Force (FATF) since June 2018 for failing to check money laundering, leading to terror
financing, and was given a plan of action to complete it by October 2019.
19

Since then, the country continues to be on that list due to its failure to comply with the
FATF mandates. The concluding session of the plenary meeting of the FATF is due and
22

includes Pakistan’s review on the agenda.

Pakistan is now targeting the full completion of the 2021 action plan on antimoney
laundering and combating terror financing by the end of January 2023.
In October 2021, the FATF acknowledged Pakistan’s progress
on a 27 -point action plan on completion of 26 items but kept

07
the country on its increased monitoring list to exhibit terror

02
financing investigations against and prosecutions of top cadres
40
of UN-designated terror groups.
Black list – North Korea and Iran
19

Headquarters: Paris, Purpose: Combat money laundering and

22

terrorism financing Founded: 1989, President – Raja Kumar

 Bajram Begaj elected as Albania's new
president

07
Albania’s parliament has elected a top military official, General Major Bajram

02
Begaj as its new president after no candidates were nominated in three
rounds of voting. The outgoing President Ilir Meta signed the decree on
40
Begaj’s dismissal as Chief of General Staff of the AAF.
Earlier, Bajram Begaj held the post of the Chief of General Staff of the
19

Albanian Armed Forces (AAF).

22

He is Albania’s 8th president and the 3rd from the military ranks.
Bajram Begaj will take oath as the new president on 25th July 2022 to replace
the current president ‘Ilir Meta’, who will remain in office until 22nd July
2022.
About Albania: Capital: Tirana; Currency: Albanian lek; Prime Minister: Edi
Rama.
 Jharkhand to get ‘World No Tobacco Day’
award from WHO

07
The World Health Organization (WHO) has chosen Jharkhand for the World No Tobacco
Day (WNTD) Award-2022, in recognition of the state’s efforts to reduce tobacco usage.

02
The award will be presented to the State Tobacco Control Cell of the Health Department
40
in New Delhi in honour of World No Tobacco Day. The coveted award, which honoured
the State Government’s achievements in reducing tobacco usage, was given by the
19

National Tobacco Control Program in Jharkhand.

According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS)-1 report, the NTCP was begun in
22

Jharkhand in 2012, when the state’s tobacco prevalence rate was 51.1 percent, with 48
percent of smokers.
According to the GATS-2 study, tobacco users in the state decreased to 38.9%, with 35.4
percent of those using smokeless tobacco.
The effective programmes and reach-out helplines for individuals who wished to stop
tobacco are the reason for the decline of tobacco in Jharkhand.
Simultaneously, tobacco usage in Jharkhand has decreased due to increased
knowledge and limitations on tobacco use, such as the prohibition of smoking

07
in public places and making it a criminal violation.
A maximum of six World No Tobacco Day Awards will be given to each World

02
Health Organization zone. Two of the honorees may additionally receive
40
particular acknowledgment from the WHO Director-General through the
Director-General Special Recognition Award.
19

A organization, an individual, a government agency, or a ministry may be

nominated for the prize if they have made a substantial contribution to
22

tobacco control.
Jharkhand: Founded: 15 November 2000 Capital: Ranchi Chief Minister:
Hemant Soren Governor: Shri Ramesh Bais
WHO: Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland Founded: 7 April 1948 Head:
Tedros Adhanom; (Director-General)
 Ruchira Kamboj appointed India’s Permanent
Representative to United Nations

07
Senior diplomat Ruchira Kamboj is all set to take charge as India's new

02
Permanent Representative at the United Nations on Tuesday. With this, she
will become the country's first woman envoy at the world body's
40
headquarters in New York.
She is currently Indian ambassador to Bhutan. Ruchira Kamboj will succeed T
19

S Tirumurti.
22

She has been India’s Chief of Protocol, from 2011-2014. She is the first and
only woman diplomat till date in Indian government to held this position.
Permanent Representative of India to UN is the foremost diplomatic
representative of India to the United Nations. It is the head of Permanent
Mission of India to UN in New York City.
United Nations: Founded: 24 October 1945, Headquarters: New York,
Secretary general: António Guterres
 Amandeep Singh Gill appointed as UN
Secretary General’s envoy on technology

07
A senior Indian diplomat Amandeep Singh Gill has been appointed by the United Nations

02
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as his Envoy on Technology. The world body
40
described him as a ‘thought leader on digital technology’ who has a solid understanding
of how to leverage the digital transformation responsible and inclusively for progress on
19

the Sustainable Development Goals.

22
 K.K. Venugopal given extension as Attorney
General

07
02
This is the second time the Centre has extended his tenure. Venugopal received his first
extension of term in 2020.
40
Venugopal was appointed the 15th AG of India in 2017.
19
22
 Pallonji Mistry passed away

07
02
Pallonji Mistry, Indian-born billionaire and Chairman of Indian conglomerate Shapoorji
Pallonji Group, passed away in Mumbai on June 27, 2022.
40
19
22
 Singer KK passed away

07
02
Popular singer Krishnakumar Kunnath, known as KK, passed away after a live
performance in Vivekananda College Fest - Prayaas 2K22 at Nazrul Mancha in Kolkata
40
19
22
RBI Monetary Policy of

07
June 2022; Repo Rate
02
40
hiked by 50 basis points
19
22
 U.S. becomes India’s biggest trading partner at $119
billion

07
Bilateral TRADE between the United States and India would reach $119.42 billion in
2021-22, up from $80.51 billion in 2020-21.

02
Exports to the United States surged to $76.11 billion in 2021-22, up from $51.62 billion
in the previous fiscal year.
40
Petroleum, polished diamonds, pharmaceutical products, jewellery, light oils and
petroleum, frozen shrimp, made ups, and other items are major exports from India to the
19

United States,
22

While imports increased to $43.31 billion, up from about $29 billion in 2020-21.
Major imports from the United States include petroleum, rough diamonds, liquefied
natural gas, gold, coal, waste and scrap, almonds, and other items.
The United States is one of the few nations with whom India enjoys a trade surplus.
India had a trade surplus with the United States of $32.8 billion in 2021-22.
 14th BRICS Summit 2022

07
PM Narendra Modi led India’s participation at the 14th BRICS Summit, convened under
the Chairship of President Xi Jinping of China on 23-24th June 2022, in a virtual format.

02
The High-level Dialogue on Global Development, non-BRICS engagement segment of the
Summit, was held on 24 June.
40
Theme: Foster High-quality BRICS Partnership, Usher in a New Era for Global
Development
19

13TH BRICS – Host – India, Theme - BRICS@15: Intra-BRICS cooperation for continuity,
22

consolidation and consensus

 G-7 Summit 2022

07
Indian Prime Minister invited the G7 to tap into the huge market for clean energy
technologies emerging in the country.

02
Presidency is held by Germany in 2022
The bloc meets annually to discuss issues of common interest like global economic
40
governance, international security and energy policy.
The G7 countries are the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, EU and the US.
19

All the G7 countries and India are a part of G20.

22

The G7 does not have a formal charter or a secretariat.

Indian Prime Minister highlighted Global Initiative for LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment)
campaign.
 12th Ministerial Conference of WTO in
Geneva, Switzerland

07
The key areas of discussions were WTO’s response to the pandemic, Fisheries subsidies

02
negotiations, Agriculture issues including Public Stockholding for Food security, WTO
Reforms and Moratorium on Custom Duties on Electronic Transmission.
40
The 164-member World Trade Organization held its first ministerial conference in nearly
five years, following Covid-19 postponements.
19

It would curb ‘harmful’ subsidies on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing for the
next four years, to better protect global fish stocks.
22

It is generally held every two years. Kazakhstan was originally scheduled to host MC12 in
June 2020, but the conference was postponed due to the pandemic.
World Trade Organization’s (WTO): Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland Founded: 1
January 1995 Official languages: English, French, Spanish Director-General: Ngozi Okonjo-
Iweala
 Global Liveability Index 2022
The Global Liveability Index 2022 was published by the “Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)

07
on a variety of factors, including health care, crime rates, political stability, infrastructure
and access to green space.

02
In the latest index, top 10 world’s most liveable city list is dominated by Western
European countries.
40
Indian cities have performed poorly this year.
Vienna has topped the ranking.
19

Bengaluru have been ranked at 146th position. It is the least liveable city in India.
Delhi has been placed at 140th
22

Mumbai has been placed at 141st

For the first time, Chennai, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad have been included to the list.
Chennai is at 142nd and Ahmedabad is at 143rd
Before this year’s index, only Delhi and Mumbai got featured among 173 cities that are
ranked in the index.
Economist Intelligence Unit: Headquarters: London, United Kingdom Founded: 1946
Managing Director: Robin Bew
Environment Performance Index 2022
The EPI, a biennial index, was started in 2002 as Environmental Sustainability Index by the

07
World Economic Forum in collaboration with the Yale Center for Environmental Law and
Policy and the Columbia University Center for International Earth Science Information

02
Network.
These issue categories are in turn aggregated into 3 policy objectives:
40
Environmental Health
Ecosystem Vitality
19

Climate Change.
22

With an overall score of 18.9, India came in last, while Denmark came in first as the
world’s most sustainable country.
World Economic Forum (WEF) is a Swiss nonprofit foundation established in 1971, based
in Geneva, Switzerland. Founder and Executive Chairman: Klaus Schwab.
 World Competitiveness Index 2022
The annual World Competitiveness Index was released by the Institute for Management

07
Development (Swiss foundation)
India has seen the sharpest growth among the Asian economies, with a six-position jump

02
from 43rd to 37th rank on the annual World Competitiveness Index 2022.
The top five attractive factors of India’s economy for business are – a skilled workforce,
40
cost competitiveness, dynamism of the economy, high educational level and open and
positive attitudes.
19

Denmark has moved to the top of the 63-nation list from the third position last year,
while Switzerland slipped from the top ranking to the second position
22
 QS World Rankings 2022
India’s tally in the top 200 universities hasn’t changed for the fifth straight year.

07
Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) is a leading global career and education network for ambitious
professionals looking to further their personal and professional development.
Six parameters and their weightage for the evaluation:

02
Academic Reputation (40%)
40
Employer Reputation (10%)
Faculty/Student Ratio (20%)
19

Citations per faculty (20%)

International Faculty Ratio (5%)
22

International Student Ratio (5%)

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) of the US is the top university for the 10th consecutive
year.
IIT-Bombay has been ranked India’s best university for the second year in a row, gaining a global
ranking of 152 in the QS World University Rankings for 2020.
Two other Indian universities — IIT Delhi (182) and the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru (184) —
are now under 200.
 UN Oceans Conference 2022
UN Ocean Conference 2022 was held to ensure global cooperation towards protection

07
and sustenance of the Ocean ecosystem of the world.
The conference was co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Portugal.

02
Minister of Earth Sciences led the Indian delegation at UN Ocean Conference. India
promised to provide science and innovation-based solutions for the implementation of
40
Goal 14 through partnerships and environmentally friendly.
The UN Ocean conference 2022 is aligned to SDG (Sustainable Develpment Goals)
19

14 'life below water' and stresses on the critical need for scientific knowledge and
marine technology to build ocean resilience.
22

Kenya – President : William Ruto, Capital : Nairobi, Currency : Kenyan shilling

Portugal – President : Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Capital : Lisbon, Currency : Euro
 Critical Information Infrastructure (CII)
Union Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) has declared IT (Information Technology)

07
resources of ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and NPCI(National Payments Corporation of India)
as ‘critical information infrastructure’.

02
The Information Technology Act of 2000 defines Critical Information Infrastructure as a
computer resource, the incapacitation or destruction of which shall have debilitating
40
impact on national security, economy, public health or safety.
The government, under the IT Act of 2000, has the power to declare any data, database,
19

IT network or communications infrastructure as CII to protect that digital asset.

Any person who secures access or attempts to secure access to a protected system in
22

violation of the law can be punished with a jail term of up to 10 years.

 China’s largest Aircraft Carrier “Fujian”
China launched its third aircraft carrier, the country's most

07
advanced as well as the first "fully domestically built" naval

02
vessel, as an aggressive Beijing sought to extend the range of
its navy in the strategic Indo-Pacific region.
40
The Fujian is China's first domestically designed and built
19

catapult aircraft carrier.

22

China – President : Xi Jingping, Capital – Beijing, Currency -

Renminbi
 India test fired new VL – SRSAM Missile
Off the coast of Chandipur, in the state of Odisha, India successfully

07
tested the Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-

02
SRSAM). Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO)
and Indian Navy successfully conducted flight tests for the Vertical
40
Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM)..
19

A ship-borne weapon system called VL-SRSAM is designed to

eliminate close-range aerial threats such targets that skim the surface
22

of the sea.
A high-speed aerial target resembling an aeroplane was launched
with the system, and it was effectively engaged.
CM of Odisha : Naveen Patnaik (14th), Capital : Bhubaneshwar, Name
changed : 23rd September, 2011
Shri Rajnath Singh, the minister of defence, also expressed his

07
gratitude to the DRDO, the Indian Navy, and the industry for the

02
successful flight test and noted that the system’s additional armour
will improve the ability of Indian naval ships to defend themselves
40
from aerial threats.
19

DRDO: Headquarters: DRDO Bhavan, New Delhi Founded: 1958

Chairman: Dr Samir V. Kamat
22
 Sports Minister Anurag Thakur Launched
Nationwide Fit India Freedom Rider Cycle Rally

07
Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Anurag Thakur has
launched a nationwide ‘Fit India Freedom Rider Cycle rally’ on World

02
Bicycle Day (3rd June). Thakur said that by riding a bicycle we can
40
accomplish the goal of the Fit India Movement, the Khelo India
19

movement, the Clean India movement & Healthy India movement. Fit
India Movement, Khelo India movement, Clean India movement &
22

Healthy India movement all can be accomplished by riding a bicycle.

It’ll also cut down the pollution level.
 Virat Kohli becomes 1st Indian with
200 million followers on Instagram

07
Indian cricket star Virat Kohli has crossed the 200 million followers

02
mark on the social media site Instagram. With this, he became the
40
first Indian to have 200 million followers on Instagram. Kohli is also
the third most followed sportsperson on Instagram. Portugal football
19

star Cristiano Ronaldo tops the chart with 451 million followers,
22

ahead of Argentina football captain and FC Barcelona legend Lionel

Messi with 334 million followers.
 Ex Sampriti - X– joint military exercise
between India & Bangladesh

07
A joint military training exercise Ex SAMPRITI-X between India and

02
Bangladesh was conducted at Jashore Military Station in Bangladesh.
40
The aim of the exercise is to strengthen interoperability between the two
armies and to understand each other’s tactical drills and operational
19

techniques.
The Indian contingent of company strength is being represented by a Battalion
22

of the DOGRA Regiment and the contingent departed by road for the exercise
location on 4 Jun 2022.
During the joint military exercise Ex Sampriti-X, armies of both the Nations
will share expertise in multiple simulated scenarios of Counter Terrorism,
Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief and UN Peacekeeping Force under
UN mandate.
 07
Exercise Sampriti is an important bilateral defence cooperation endeavour

02
conducted alternately by both countries which aims to strengthen and widen
40
the aspects of interoperability and cooperation between both the armies.
Bangladesh: Capital: Dhaka Currency: Bangladeshi taka President: Abdul
19

Hamid Prime minister: Sheikh Hasina

22
DATE SIGNIFICANCE THEME WHY

07
1ST JUNE WORLD MILK DAY Dairy Net Zero The Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United
Nations adopted June 1 as

02
World Milk Day. The day is
marked to recognise milk as
40
global food and to
celebrate the dairy
industry. The day is
19

intended to provide an
opportunity to bring
22

attention to activities that

are connected with the
dairy sector. The day has
been observed on June 1
each year since 2001.
DATE SIGNIFICANCE THEME WHY

07
1ST JUNE GLOBAL DAY OF PARENTS Appreciate all parents In 1983, based on the
throughout the world recommendations of the
Economic and Social

02
Council, the Commission for
Social Development in its
40
resolution on the Role of
the family in the
development process
19

requested the Secretary-

General to enhance
22

awareness among decision-

makers and the public of the
problems and needs of the
family
DATE SIGNIFICANCE THEME WHY

07
2ND JUNE TELANGANA FORMATION

02
DAY
40
2ND JUNE INTERNATIONAL SEX Access to Justice International Sex Workers' Day is
WORKERS’ DAY observed on 2nd June because
on 2 June 1975 approximately
19

100 sex workers occupied at

Sant-Nizier Church in Lyon,
France, to express anger about
22

their exploitative living

conditions and work culture.
DATE SIGNIFICANCE THEME WHY

07
3RD JUNE WORLD BICYCLE DAY to celebrate the bicycle's The United Nations General
originality, diversity and Assembly declared 3rd June as

02
endurance being utilised for international World Bicycle Day
more than 200 years. to recognize the uniqueness,
40 longevity and versatility of the
bicycle, which are affordable,
environmentally friendly fit
19

sustainable means of
transportation.
22
DATE SIGNIFICANCE THEME WHY

07
4TH JUNE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF With children being one of the Every year on 4 June, the
INNOCENT CHILDREN VICTIMS most vulnerable members of United Nations (UN)

02
OF AGGRESSION society, they are subject to a International Day of Innocent
range of crimes and violence Children Victims of Aggression
40 throughout the world. is observed to raise awareness
about the children who have
suffered a lot throughout the
19

world and are victims of

physical, mental and emotional
abuse. On this day UN affirms
22

the commitment to protect the

rights of children.
DATE SIGNIFICANCE THEME WHY

07
5TH JUNE WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY Only One Earth World Environment Day is

02
observed every year on 5 June
and is celebrated by more than
100 countries. The environment
40
is a major issue, which not only
affects the well-being of the
people but also hampers
19

economic development
throughout the world.
2022 HOST – SWEDEN
22

2021 HOST – PAKISTAN

2011 HOST - INDIA
DATE SIGNIFICANCE THEME WHY

07
7TH JUNE WORLD FOOD SAFETY DAY "Safer Food, Better Health" World Food Safety Day is

02
celebrated on 7 June to draw
global attention to the
consequences of contaminated
40
food and water to health. Also,
this day focuses on the way to
reduce the risk of food
19

poisoning. The safety of food is

a key to achieving Sustainable
Development Goals.
22
DATE SIGNIFICANCE THEME WHY

07
8TH JUNE WORLD BRAIN TUMOUR DAY “Together We Are Stronger” It is observed every year on 8
June to raise international public

02
attention to the people that are
suffering from serious diseases
and the urgent need for more
40
research.
19
22

8TH JUNE WORLD OCEANS DAY Revitalization: collective action UN General Assembly passed a
for the ocean resolution in 2008 to designate 8
June as World Oceans Day.
DATE SIGNIFICANCE THEME WHY

07
12TH JUNE WORLD DAY AGAINST CHILD Universal Social Protection to This day is launched by the
LABOUR End Child Labour. International Labour
Organisation (ILO) to focus

02
attention on the worldwide
extinction of child labour, efforts
and the action required to
40
eliminate it.
SDG 8 : DECENT WORK AND
ECONOMIC GROWTH
19

Target 8.7 of this goal aims to

eliminate the worst forms of
child labour, including the
22

recruitment and use of child

soldiers
DATE SIGNIFICANCE THEME WHY

07
15TH JUNE WORLD ELDER ABUSE Digital Equity for All Ages World Elder Abuse Awareness
AWARENESS DAY Day came into existence in 2006.

02
This proposition was highlighted
by the International Network for
the Prevention of Elder Abuse
40
(INPEA). In the year 2011, the
World Elder Abuse Awareness
Day was officially recognized by
19

the United Nations General

Assembly (UNGA).
22
DATE SIGNIFICANCE THEME WHY

07
17TH JUNE WORLD DAY TO COMBAT Rising up from drought Since 1995, this day is observed
DESERTIFICATION & DROUGHT. together. to spread awareness about

02
international cooperation to
combat desertification and the
40 effects of drought. The United
Nations General Assembly in
1994 declared 17 June as the
19

"World Day to Combat

Desertification and Drought".
22
DATE SIGNIFICANCE THEME WHY

07
20th JUNE WORLD REFUGEE DAY Whoever, Whatever, Whenever Initially, World Refugee Day was
celebrated as Africa Refugee
Day but later in December 2000,

02
United Nations decided to
celebrate the day as World
Refugee Day.
40
19

21st June International Yoga Day Yoga for humanity International Yoga day is
celebrated across the globe on
21 June to raise awareness
22

about yoga in life and to make

people aware of the benefits of
yoga. In India, International
Yoga Day is celebrated by the
Ministry of AYUSH.
DATE SIGNIFICANCE THEME WHY

07
23rd June International Olympics Day. Together for a peaceful world On June 23, 1948, Canada,
Switzerland, Portugal, Greece,
Austria, the United Kingdom,

02
Venezuela, Belgium and Uruguay
40 observed the first Olympic Day.
19

27th June World MSME Day. “Resilience and Rebuilding: In the 74th Plenary held on 6th
MSMEs for Sustainable April 2017, United Nations
22

Development” General Assembly(UNGA)

decided to observe International
MSME Day as it understood that
MSMEs can contribute at a large
scale in fulfilling the United
Nations Sustainable
Development Goals(SDGs).
DATE SIGNIFICANCE THEME WHY

07
29th June National Statistics Day Data for Sustainable The day is observed on 29 June
Development to popularise the use of Statistics

02
in everyday life. The day
commemorates the birth
anniversary of Prof. P C
40
Mahalanobis. The theme of
National Statistics Day 2021 is
Sustainable Development Goals
19

(SDGs)-2: End Hunger, Achieve

Food Security and Improved
22

Nutrition and Promote

Sustainable Agriculture.
 07
DATE SIGNIFICANCE THEME WHY

02
30th June World Asteroid Day small is beautiful This event is held on the
anniversary of the Siberian
40
Tunguska event that took place
on 30 June 1908. It is the most
19

harmful known asteroid related

event on Earth in recent
history.
22