1 PM Modi collaborates with Grammy winner Faloo for a special song
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has collaborated with Grammy Award- winning Indian-American singer Falguni Shah for a special song to promote the benefits of millets and their potential to reduce world hunger. It aims to promote the benefits of millet and its potential to address global hunger. Falguni Shah, popularly known as Falu , with her husband and singer Gaurav Shah in “ Abundance of Millets”, Will release the song by name. Written in English and Hindi, the song will be made accessible to all and will highlight the power of millets. Recognizing the importance of millets, the year 2023 has been designated as the ‘International Year of Millets’. India proposed the designation, which received support from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) governing bodies and the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
2 National Thermal Power Corporation Barauni topped the Best Industry category at the 4th National Water Awards
NTPC Barauni has topped the Best Industry category at the 4th National Water Awards . Presenting this award to NTPC, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India highlighted the importance of its special efforts in conservation and management of water resources. NTPC has made continuous and dedicated efforts to preserve the environment and these efforts have played a major role in its success. NTPC has implemented several innovative initiatives for conservation and effective management of water resources. NTPC’s efforts have not only saved water but also reduced the environmental impact. The Vice President Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar met in a program organized on June 17, 2023. at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi The award was presented to Gurdeep Singh , CMD, NTPC and Rajeev Khanna, Project Head, NTPC Barauni in the presence of Union Jal Shakti Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat at a function held in New Delhi.
3 International Energy Agency to review its full membership conditions to include India
The International Energy Agency (IEA) will review its full membership conditions to include India . A candidate country to become a member of the IEA is an OECD member country. Must be and demonstrate a number of requirements. These include crude oil and/or product reserves equal to 90 days of the previous year’s net imports, which the government has immediate access to and can use to address disruptions to global oil supplies. Demand Restraint Program to reduce national oil consumption by 10%; Creating legislation and organization to administer the Coordinated Emergency Response Measures (CERM) on a national basis and requiring all oil companies under its jurisdiction to report information upon request, as well as Making miscellaneous provisions for collective action under the IEA. India is not a member of IEA. IEA is an autonomous intergovernmental organization established in the year 1974 in Paris, France. This economic development, Focuses on energy policies including energy security and environmental protection. IEA is made up of 31 member states.
4 Curry Ishad mangoes get GI tag
Kari Ishad mangoes from Ankola taluk in North Karnataka have received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag from the Geographical Indications Registry under the central government. GI certificate was issued to Matha Totagars Farmer Producer Company Limited . Known for its exceptional characteristics including distinctive aroma, delightful taste, soft pulp flesh and attractive shape, Curry Ishad mango is considered as one of the finest mango varieties.
5 India approves acquisition of US MQ-9B armed drones
Recently, the Defense Ministry of India has approved the purchase of 31 MQ-9B armed drones from the United States . The deal, worth over $3 billion, is expected to be announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi ‘s state visit to Washington . The acquisition of these advanced drones is aimed at enhancing India’s surveillance capabilities and strengthening its armed forces. The MQ-9B drone is a variant of the MQ-9 “Reaper” used by the Sky-Guardian that killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul , and its sibling the Sea-Guardian. to launch a modified version of the Hellfire missile thatTwo variants of MQ-9B Are. The Indian Navy is operating the MQ-9B Sea Guardian from the year 2020. The drone can operate at altitudes above 40,000 feet, providing extensive surveillance capabilities to the Indian Army in the high altitude Himalayan border areas. This Predator also has a maximum flight duration of 40 hours which makes it useful for prolonged surveillance. The MQ-9B drone is equipped with advanced features such as automatic take-off and landing, detect and avoid system, anti-spoofing GPS and encrypted communication links.
6 Uttar Pradesh prepared Pharmaceutical Industry Policy-2023
The Government of Uttar Pradesh is taking important steps to establish the state as a major hub for pharmaceutical products in India . Keeping this goal in mind, the State Government has formulated the Pharmaceutical Industry Policy-2023. is preparing the draft ofThe policy, to be implemented for the next five years, aims to promote the local pharmaceutical and medical device industry, promote research and development, and improve access to affordable medicines for the citizens of Uttar Pradesh. The primary objective of the Pharmaceutical Industry Policy-2023 is to promote the overall development of the pharmaceutical sector in the state. By focusing on local production, research and development, and ensuring availability of cost-effective medicines, the policy aims to create a strong ecosystem for growth and innovation.
7 The global average temperature has crossed the threshold of 1.5°C.
According to the European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) , an increase of 1.5 °C for the global average temperature was breached in the first few days of June, It has crossed the 1.5 degree limit during the summer months for the first time. The 2015 Paris Agreement sets a target of limiting the increase in global average temperature to no more than 2 °C compared to pre-industrial times, with a priority to limit it to within 1.5 °C. However, it is important to note that these ranges refer to long-term trends over periods of 20 to 30 years, rather than daily or annual global temperatures. Short-term breaches of the Paris Agreement limits, even for a few years, are considered inevitable at this point. Various climate change projections, including those from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, indicate that the world is expected to exceed the 1.5 degree threshold before eventually returning to lower levels.
8 EU accuses Google of abusing its ad tech dominance
The European Commission accused Google of abusing its dominance in the online advertising market and recommended that the US company sell part of its advertising services to ensure fair competition . The EU executive invited Google to respond to this preliminary finding, which was made following a two-year anti-trust investigation, before making a definitive conclusion. If the commission holds its view even after that, it could impose a fine of up to 10% of Google’s annual global revenue.
9 NHPC to provide consultancy services to KSEB to increase hydro power capacity of Kerala
NHPC Limited and Kerala State Electricity Board Limited have signed an MoU under which NHPC will provide consultancy services to KSEB as its independent representative for design vetting of KSEB’s existing projects as well as planned projects . Under the MoU, NHPC and KSEB have come together to enhance the hydropower potential of the state of Kerala by converting it into clean energy, in the most techno-commercially viable manner.
10 Mayon volcano eruption forces nearly 18,000 people in the Philippines to flee to emergency shelters
On June 11, 2023, an eruption of lava from the Mayon volcano forced about 18,000 people to flee to emergency shelters. The city of Legaspi is surrounded by the active Mayon volcano, which is located southeast of the Philippine island of Luzon. It is known for its conical shape and is the most active of the 24 known volcanoes in the Philippines . Mayon has erupted more than 30 times since 1616, with the most devastating eruption occurring in 1814, which buried an entire village and killed over 1,000 people. The volcano is popular with climbers and campers and is the center of Mayon Volcano National Park.
11 Government reduced import duty on refined edible oils
Government of India has taken a significant step to address concerns regarding availability and pricing of edible oils by reducing import duty on refined soybean and sunflower oils. Import duty reduced from 17.5% to 12.5% with immediate effecthas been cancelled. While India normally imports crude soybean and sunflower oil, the decision to reduce duties on their refined counterparts is aimed at boosting domestic availability with the basic objective of stabilizing prices. Despite this duty reduction, the effective duty on refined edible oils including social welfare cess remains at 13.7%, while the effective duty on major crude edible oils is 5.5%. India is currently dependent on imports to meet about 60% of its edible oil demand to bridge the supply-demand gap by maintaining stability in the domestic market.
12 Arunachal Pradesh CM launches ‘Arunpol App’ for citizens
Arunachal Pradesh Police has launched ‘ Arunpol App ‘ and ‘ e-Vigilance Portal ‘ for the safety of the citizens of the state. Arunpol App will provide facility to common people to file complaints without coming to the police station . It is designed to provide online services like lost report, police clearance certificate, missing report, tenant verification of women and children, important helpline numbers etc. The app will provide 16 services in the initial phase.
13 Britain posted a female High Commissioner to Pakistan for the first time
The United Kingdom has announced the appointment of senior diplomat Jane Marriott as the next British High Commissioner to Pakistan , making her the first female British envoy to Islamabad. Prior to this appointment, 47-year-old Jane Marriott was the High Commissioner to Kenya since September 2019. She will replace Dr Christian Turner, who left Pakistan in January after serving as the envoy since December 2019.
14 NASA Builds Space Garden
NASA astronauts have successfully cultivated a space garden, demonstrating the ability to grow fresh food beyond the confines of Earth. The effort has caught the attention of both scientists and space enthusiasts alike. In 2015, NASA astronauts activated the Veggie system, a special plant growth chamber containing zinnia seeds. The zinnia flower blooming in the microgravity conditions of the ISS gave scientists valuable information about growing plants in space. This challenging process allowed researchers to better understand the intricacies of gardening in microgravity.
15 radio relay communication equipment containers to be procured for Indian Army for Rs 500 crore
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) has recently signed a significant contract with ICOMM Tele for procurement of Radio Relay Communication Equipment Containers . The objective of this procurement is to meet the requirements of the Mobile Communication Contingent of the Indian Army while promoting indigenous manufacturing and self-reliance. Under this contract, a total of 1,035 numbers of 5/7.5 Ton Radio Relay Communication Equipment Containers will be procured. The MoD has classified this contract under the Buy (Indian) category, which reflects the government’s focus on supporting domestic manufacturing and promoting indigenous products.
16 INS Dega Upgrades Its Naval Airfield Security Systems
Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta , Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command , commissioned the Naval Airfield Integrated Security System (NAISS) and the Naval Anti-Drone System (NADS) at INS Dega in Visakhapatnam . Officially opened, both were made in India in the year 2017. NAISS was designed by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and has advanced AI technology for area security, while NADS, also developed by BEL, is an anti-drone system that can detect hostile drones near airspace. Can detect, track and even eliminate. The Indian Navy has a naval air station known as INS Dega (ICAO: VOVZ) located at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh on the east coast of India.
17 Free telemedicine service and ‘Doctor on Wheels’ ambulance service launched in Kathua district of Jammu
Union Minister for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh today launched a free telemedicine service and ‘ Doctor on Wheels ‘ ambulance service in remote Mandli block of Kathua district of Jammu division . Inspired by the Prime Minister’s Digital Health Mission, this move will provide expert medical consultation to people at their doorstep. Dr. Singh said that patients in remote hilly areas of Doda and villages along the international border in Kathua have largely welcomed the scheme and now this service is also available in Billawar-Basohli-Bani area of the district. The ‘Doctor on Wheels’ ambulance is equipped with the latest technology and systems. Through this, patients can contact senior doctors across the country.
18 Reliance Tira ropes in Suhana Khan, Kiara Advani and Kareena Kapoor Khan as its brand ambassadors
Reliance Retail’s beauty retail venture Teera is taking strategic steps to enhance its presence in the fast-growing beauty retail industry in India. With a focus on omni-channel retail strategy and a range of products across different price segments, Teera is set to launch a nationwide marketing campaign. As part of this initiative, the company has signed popular Bollywood actresses Suhana Khan, Kiara Advani and Kareena Kapoor Khan as its first brand ambassadors.
19 Odisha celebrates ‘Raja’ agriculture festival
Raja or Raja Parba or Mithun Sankranti is a three-day festival of womanhood celebrated in Odisha , India Is. On this occasion, people enjoy themselves by cooking traditional dishes, relishing paan, playing cards with family and friends, and other games. The first day of the festival is called “Pahili Raja” which marks the beginning of the festival in which people make all kinds of preparations for the festival. The second day is called “Raja/Mithuna Sankranti” which marks the beginning of the solar month of Mithun (June/July), from where the rainy season begins. The third day is called “Bhoomi Dahan or Basi Raja” which signifies the middle day of the festival in which people take a break from their regular work to rest and enjoy. On the fourth day called “Basumati Snan”, people bathe Mother Earth with turmeric paste and love it with flowers, vermilion etc.
20 Egypt has won the World Squash Championship again
Egypt has won the World Squash Championship again. Egypt beat Malaysia 2–1 in the final in Chennai . Malaysia got the silver medal. The third place was jointly awarded to hosts India and Japan . India were defeated 3–0 by Malaysia in the semi-finals. Eight countries participated in the championship which began on 13 June.