DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

By admin: July 1, 2023

GSI discovers India's largest natural arch in Odisha

Tags: Science and Technology State News

The Geological Survey of India (GSI) discovered a "Natural Arch" in Odisha's Sundergarh Forest Division.

An Overview of the News

• This natural arch originated approximately 184 million years ago during the Lower to Middle Jurassic period.

• The GSI has proposed a Geo Heritage tag for the arch, which aims to become the largest natural arch in India with this recognition.

Description:

• This oval shaped arch has a base length of 30 meters and a height of 12 metres.

• The maximum height and width of the natural arch are 7 meters and 15 meters respectively.

Protection of Geo-Heritage Sites:

• The conservation of geo-heritage sites including Sundergarh Natural Arch requires special attention and protection.

• GSI declares these sites as National Geological Monuments and protects them.

• Collaboration with State Governments to implement necessary measures for safety and maintenance.

Geo-Heritage Sites:

• Geo-Heritage Sites (GHS) have rare and exceptional geological, geomorphological, mineralogical, petrological and paleontological features.

• Landmarks may include natural rock formations, caves, and other significant geological formations.

• GSI plays a key role in identification, declaration and protection of GHS in collaboration with State Governments.

About Geological Survey of India (GSI)

• It is a scientific agency of India.

• Its parent organization is the Ministry of Mines with Pralhad Joshi as its Union Minister.

• Establishment - 1851

• Headquarters - Kolkata, West Bengal

Audi appoints Gernot Dollner as new CEO of the Management Board

Tags: Person in news

Audi appoints Gernot Dollner as new CEO of the Management Board

German luxury car maker Audi AG has appointed Gernot Dollner as the new CEO of the management board.

An Overview of the News

• Gernot Dollner, who currently heads Volkswagen Group's product and group strategy, will replace Markus Deussmann as chairman of the management board of Audi AG with effect from September 1, 2023.

• The appointment of Gernot Dollner is part of Audi's strategy to strengthen its product strategy and market position.

Audi AG,

• It is headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany.

• It is a renowned German automotive manufacturer specializing in luxury vehicles.

• Audi AG operates under its parent organization, the Volkswagen Group.

• Balbir Singh Dhillon heads Audi India, which represents the brand in the Indian market.

India ranked 100th in FIFA men's football rankings

Tags: Sports

'World Men's Football Ranking' released by 'FIFA' in June 2023; In which FIFA World Cup 2022 winner Argentina (with 1843.73 points) has topped the list.

Important Points:

• India has been ranked 100th (with a total score of 1204.90) in the 'World Men's Football Ranking' by 'FIFA'.

Top 10 teams in FIFA rankings:

• Argentina
• France
• Brazil
• England +1
• Belgium -1
• Croatia +1
• Netherlands -1
• Italy
• portugal
• Spain (2023 UEFA Nations League Winner)

Indian men's football team in FIFA rankings:

• The Indian men's football team has leapfrogged teams like Lebanon and New Zealand to reach the 100th spot in the latest FIFA world rankings.
• It is after five years that the Indian men's football team entered the top 100 club after slipping from the 96th position in 2018.
• This is the fourth best ranking achieved by the Indian men's football team in history.
• The team's rank came from 94th rank in 1996, 99th rank in 1993 and 96th rank from 2017 to 2018.

South Asian football teams in FIFA rankings:

• Nepal 175
• Bangladesh 192
• Pakistan 201
• Sri Lanka 207

Record of SAF Games India:

• Since 1993, India has appeared in all the finals of the tournament at the SAFF Games except in 2003.
• The Indian men's football team has won the championship a record 8 times and has been performing exceptionally well in search of its 9th title.

Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA):

• It is also the international governing body of football, futsal and beach soccer.
• Establishment: 1904
• Headquarters: Zurich (Switzerland)
• Currently 211 member countries
• Qatar World Cup 2022 Winner: Argentina (by defeating France)

PM inaugurates 17th Indian Cooperative Congress in New Delhi

Tags: National News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the 17th Indian Cooperative Congress at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi on 1 July.

An Overview of the News 

• The National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI) is organizing the two-day event.

• The theme of the Indian Cooperative Congress is 'Amrit Kaal: Prosperity through Cooperation for a Vibrant India'.

• The program was presided over by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah.

• The objective of the Ministry of Cooperatives is to discuss various trends in the cooperative movement.

• The Government has set up a separate Ministry of Cooperatives to strengthen the cooperative movement in the country.

• The Prime Minister's participation in the Congress reflects the government's commitment to promote the cooperative sector.

• The objective of the 17th Indian Cooperative Congress is to discuss the trends, best practices, challenges and future policy direction of India's cooperative movement.

• More than 3600 stakeholders including Cooperative Societies, International Cooperative Organizations, International Cooperative Alliance, Ministries, Universities and reputed institutions participated in the event.

Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the best tourism facilities in the historical lighthouses of Gujarat

Tags: State News

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways and AYUSH Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated tourism facilities at the historic lighthouses of Dwarka, Gopnath and Veraval in Gujarat on 1 July 2023.

An Overview of the News 

• The initiative is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of turning India's lighthouses into captivating heritage tourist destinations.

• During the 75th episode of 'Mann Ki Baat', the Prime Minister highlighted the unique appeal of lighthouses as tourist attractions and identified 72 more lighthouses to promote tourism.

• The objective of the inauguration is to showcase the rich culture, importance and charm of these lighthouses while attracting tourists from all over the world.

• The tourist facilities combine historical charm with modern conveniences, providing visitors with an exceptional experience.

About Gujarat

• It is a state situated on the west coast of India.

• Its coastline is the longest in the country, extending for about 1,600 km (990 mi) along the Kathiawar Peninsula.

• The area of Gujarat is approximately 196,024 km (75,685 sq mi), making it the fifth largest state in India.

• Gujarat is bordered by Rajasthan, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and the Arabian Sea and Pakistani Sindh province.

Formation - 1 May 1960

Capital - Gandhinagar

Governor - Acharya Devvrat

Chief Minister - Bhupendra Bhai Patel

Rajya Sabha - 11 seats

Lok Sabha - 26 seats

Neeraj Chopra won the Lausanne Diamond League 2023

Tags: Sports

Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra topped the Lausanne Diamond League 2023.

An Overview of the News 

• Neeraj Chopra achieved the best throw of 87.66m during the competition.

• He has recently recovered from a hamstring injury sustained during training.

• Due to injury, he had to withdraw from three events in June: FBK Games, Paavo Nurmi Games and Ostrava Golden Spike.

Men's javelin throw results at 2023 Lausanne Diamond League

1. Neeraj Chopra (IND) - 87.66m

2. Julian Weber (GER) - 87.03m

3. Jakub Vadlejch (CZE) - 86.13m

4. Oliver Helander (Fin) - 83.50m

5. Anderson Peters (GRN) - 82.23m

About Diamond League

• It is an annual series of elite track and field athletic competitions.

• It consists of the fourteen best invitational athletics meets.

• The series is regarded as one of the top-level one-day meeting competitions organized by World Athletics.

• The Diamond League was established in 2010 as a replacement for the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Golden League.

• The IAAF Golden League has been held annually since 1998.

• The Wanda Group entered into a sponsorship deal with the Diamond League, which resulted in the series being renamed the Wanda Diamond League.

• The sponsorship deal with Wanda Group was announced in December 2019.