DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

By admin: June 23, 2022

Defence Ministry approves ‘BRO cafes’ in border areas

Tags: National News

The Defence Ministry has approved setting up of facilities under the brand 'BRO Cafe' at 75 locations on various roads with Border Roads Organization (BRO) in 12 states and union territories.

• Its purpose is to provide basic amenities to tourists and to encourage economic activities in the border areas.

• These roadside establishments will be known as 'BRO Cafe'.

• It is proposed to provide parking for vehicles, food plazas, restaurants, separate public facilities for women, men and differently abled, first aid facilities etc. in these cafes.

• For this, the agreement will be for 15 years which can be extended for five more years later.

• This scheme will be done in collaboration with agencies on a licence basis.

• The agencies will build and operate BRO Cafe as per the guidelines given by the BRO.

• This will speed up the development of tourism as well as traffic in the border areas.

• For this, approval has been given in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Manipur, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

• Border Roads Organization (BRO)

• It functions under the control of the Ministry of Defence since 2015.

• The Organisation was established on May 7, 1960.

• It is responsible for maintaining the road networks in the border areas of India.

• This organization plays an important role in the infrastructure development of the border areas of the country. 

• One of the biggest infrastructural achievements of BRO is the construction of the longest highway tunnel, The Atal Tunnel  in Himachal Pradesh. 

• Director General Border Roads Organisation - Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry

Vanijya Bhawan and NIRYAT Portal launched by PM

Tags: National News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new premises of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry 'Vanijya Bhawan' on 23 June.

• NIRYAT Portal

• He also launched a new portal, NIRYAT (National Import-Export Record for Yearly Analysis of Trade). 

• This portal has been developed as a one stop platform for the stakeholders to get all the necessary information related to India's foreign trade.

• Vanijya Bhawan

• Constructed near the India Gate, Vijyagar Bhawan has been designed as a smart building, incorporating the principles of sustainable architecture with a special focus on saving energy.

• It will work as an integrated and modern office complex.

• It will be used by the two Departments under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Department of Commerce and Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.

Maharashtra political crisis and anti-defection law

Tags: Popular State News

The anti-defection law has once again come into the limelight after 34 MLAs wrote to the Maharashtra Governor promising their support to Shiv Sena's 'rebel' MLA Eknath Shinde.

• Some MLAs have formed an alliance with the rebel party leader and are camping in Guwahati.

• The party has warned its MLAs that their absence from the meeting would lead to speculation that they want to leave the political party.

• Therefore, action will be taken against them under the Anti-Defection Act.

• What is the Anti-Defection Law?

• The Tenth Schedule, popularly known as the Anti-Defection Act, was included in the Constitution via the 52nd Amendment Act, 1985.

• It lays down provisions for disqualification of elected members on the ground of defection to any other political party.

• The anti-defection law provides for the disqualification of legislators who, after being elected on a political party ticket, "voluntarily give up their party membership".

• This law also applies to independent MLAs.

• But this law does not apply when the number of legislators leaving a political party is two-thirds of the party's strength in the legislature.

• These MLAs can merge with another party.

• Rule of two thirds in Maharashtra

• According to reports, 30 MLAs are with the rebel leader.

• Shiv Sena has 55 MLAs in the Maharashtra Assembly, if the rebel MLAs want to merge, then two-thirds of the 55 i.e. 37 MLAs will have to go to another party together.

• If this happens then there will be no constitutional action against those MLAs.

• But if this does not happen, then action can be taken against these MLAs under the anti-defection law.

PM Modi to attend G-7 summit in Germany

Tags: International News

PM Narendra Modi will visit Germany on 26 and 27 June to attend the annual summit of the G-7.

• Modi is attending the G7 summit following an invitation by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

• Germany currently holds the presidency of the G7, a grouping of the seven richest countries in the world.

• Top leaders attending the summit include US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

• During the summit, Prime Minister Modi is expected to address two sessions covering environment, energy, climate, food security, health, gender equality and democracy.

• From Germany, he will travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on June 28 to condole the passing of former Gulf President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

• The Group of Seven (G-7)

• It includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

• The group meets annually to discuss issues of common interest, such as global economic governance, international security and energy policy.

• It was formed in 1975 by the top economies of the time as an informal forum to discuss global issues.

• Canada joined the group in 1976, and the European Union began participating in 1977.

• It represents about 70% of the world economy.

• It currently accounts for about 40% of the global GDP.

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

• The G-7 became the G8 in 1997 when Russia was invited to join.

• It does not have a fixed headquarters.

Santhals community in spotlight after NDA named Draupadi Murmu as their Presidential candidate

Tags: Popular National News

The Santhal community is back in the spotlight after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) named Draupadi Murmu as their Presidential candidate for the upcoming election on July 18.

• Community leaders termed it the 'Golden Age' for the Santhals in the country.

• If elected, Draupadi Murmu will become India's first tribal woman president.

• Who are the Santhals?

• The Santhals are the third largest scheduled tribe community in India after the Gonds and Bhils.

• Santhal population is found in Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

• Mayurbhanj, the home district of Draupadi Murmu, is one of the districts with the largest concentration of the tribe.

• In Odisha, apart from Mayurbhanj district, Santhals are found in Keonjhar and Balasore.

• The literacy rate of this tribe is very high as compared to other tribes of Odisha.

• Santhal's tribal language is called Santhali, which is written in a script called Ol chiki, developed by Santhal scholar Pandit Raghunath Murmu.

• Other notable Santhal personalities

• Hemant Soren, the Chief Minister of Jharkhand belongs to santhal tribes.

• Girish Chandra Murmu, the first Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, is now Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

• Mayurbhanj MP, Biseshwar Tudu, is a Santhal who is the Union Minister for Tribal Affairs and Jal Shakti.

Indian communication satellite launched by Arianespace

Tags: Science and Technology

Arianespace, two communication satellites belonging to India and Malaysia were placed in geostationary orbit on 22 June by the European Space Agency.

• The two satellites cumulatively weighed over 10 thousand kilograms, flown by Ariane-5 rocket from the spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

• The Indian satellite, GSAT-24, has been developed by New Space India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of ISRO, for television service provider Tata Sky.

• GSAT-24 is a 24-Ku band communication satellite weighing more than four thousand kilograms and caters to the needs of DTH applications across the country.

• GSAT-24 will be the 25th Indian satellite to be orbited by Arianespace.

• On September 28, 2021, NSIL handed over Arianespace with the launch of its GSAT-24 telecommunications satellite, the European Space Agency. 

• The other satellite MEASAT-3d is a multi-mission telecommunications satellite built by Airbus Defence and Space for MEASAT, a Malaysian satellite operator.

• This new satellite will significantly increase broadband speeds of up to 100 Mbps in areas with limited or no terrestrial network or in rural Malaysia.

• About Arianespace

• It is the world’s first commercial launch service provider.

• It is a French company founded in 1980. 

• It operates and markets the Ariane program.

• The company offers several different launch vehicles such as the heavy-lift Ariane 5 for dual launch in geostationary transfer orbit, Soyuz-2 as a medium-lift option, etc.

International Olympic Day

Tags: Sports News

International Olympic Day is celebrated every year on 23 June.

• The International Olympic Committee was established in Paris on 23 June 1894.

• International Olympic Day was first celebrated in 1948.

• In 1948, a total of 9 countries celebrated this day in their respective countries.

• But with the energy and positivity with which Olympians have inspired millions across the world over time, the celebration has now become a global one.

• Despite any discrimination based on age, gender, etc National Olympic Committees across the world organise creative events based on the three pillars 'Move, Learn and Discover'.

• The theme of International Olympic Day 2022 is 'Together, for a Peaceful World'.

• Tokyo Olympics 2020

• The 32nd edition of the Olympics was held in Tokyo, Japan from July 23 to August 08, 2021.

• Tokyo has become the first city in Asia to host the Olympics twice, hosting the successful Olympic Games in 1964 and 2020

• Top 5 countries in medal tally 

• United States - 113 (Gold: 39, Silver: 41, Bronze: 33)

• China - 88 (Gold: 38, Silver: 32, Bronze: 18)

• Japan - 58 (Gold: 27, Silver: 14, Bronze: 17)

• Great Britain - 65 (Gold: 22, Silver: 21, Bronze: 22)

• Russian Olympic Committee - 71 (Gold: 20, Silver: 28, Bronze: 23)

• India - 7 (Gold: 1, Silver: 2, Bronze: 4)

• By winning 7 medals this time, India broke the previous record of 6 medals in the 2012 London Olympics.

• The motto for Tokyo Olympics 2020 was 'United by Emotion'.

• The mascot of Tokyo Olympics 2020 was 'Miraitova'.

• The next Olympics will be held in Paris, the capital of France, in 2024.

India's women's wrestling team has won the Under-17 Asian Championship title

Tags: Sports News

India's women's wrestling team has won the Under-17 Asian Championship title in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

• India topped with 235 points with eight gold, one silver and one bronze medals.

• Japan finished second with 143 points and Mongolia third with 138 points.

• Women's wrestling's bouts were organised in 5 weight categories.

• Ritika won the gold medal in 43 kg, Ahilya Sinde in 49 kg, Shiksha in 57 kg, Priya in 73 kg and Pulkit in 65 kg.

• Apart from this, competitions were also held in three weight categories of freestyle and Parvinder Singh bagged gold in 80 kg while Narendra won silver in 71 kg.

Three-day workshop on 'Gender Responsible Governance' organized in Dharamshala

Tags: State News

A three-day workshop on 'Gender Responsive Governance' ie 'Gender Responsible Governance' is being organised in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh.

• The workshop is being organised in collaboration with the Women's Commission and Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA).

• 116 women MLAs from five states and one union territory of North India will participate in this workshop.

• The chief guest of the workshop is Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel.

• Ms. Rekha Sharma, Chairperson, National Commission for Women said that the workshop has been organised with the idea of 'Strong Women Leadership, Strong Democracy'.

• The program was conceptualised and developed with the aim of promoting capacity building of women leaders.

• About Himachal Pradesh 

• The literal meaning of Himachal Pradesh is "Province of Snowy Mountains", Himachal Pradesh is also known as "Dev Bhoomi".

• Himachal Pradesh was made a union territory in 1956, but in 1971, it was made the eighteenth state of India on 25 January 1971 under the Himachal Pradesh State Act, 1971.

• Himachal Pradesh is part of the Shivalik range of the Himalaya Mountains.

• Four of the five rivers that flow in Himachal Pradesh are mentioned in the Rigveda. 

• At that time they were known by other names such as Arikari (Chenab), Purushni (Ravi), Vipasha (Beas) and Shatdui (Satluj) The fifth river (Kalindi) which originates from Yamunotri has a mythological connection with the Sun God.

• Capital- Shimla (summer), Dharamsala (winter)

• Governor- Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar

• Chief Minister- Jai Ram Thakur

• Legislative Assembly seats - 68

• Rajya Sabha seats - 3

• Lok Sabha seats - 4

India is the fourth largest gold recycling country in the world : World Gold Council

Tags: International News

According to the World Gold Council (WGC) report, India has emerged as the fourth largest recycler in the world and the country has recycled 75 tonnes in 2021.

• The report was titled 'Gold Refining and Recycling'.

• According to the WGC's 'Gold Refining and Recycling' report, China tops the global gold recycling chart by recycling 168 tonnes of the yellow metal, followed by Italy with 80 tonnes and the US with 78 tonnes .

• According to the WGC report 'Gold Refining and Recycling' from 300 tonnes in 2013, India's gold refining capacity increased by 1,500 tonnes (500%) in 2021.

• Despite being the fourth largest recycler in the world, India recycles very little of its own gold stock - about 8% of the global scrap supply.

• In the last five years, 11% of the country's gold supply has come from 'old gold'.

• The names of China, America, Australia, South Africa and Russia are included in the 5 largest gold producing countries in the world, while on the other hand, India is far ahead of other countries in terms of gold consumption.

• According to one figure, out of 52 percent of the world's jewellery consumption, most of the consumption is done in India.

• About World Gold Council 

• The World Gold Council is a market development organisation for the gold industry.

• It aims to boost the demand for gold and maintain it.

• Most of the world's gold mining companies are involved as its members.

• Its headquarter is in the United Kingdom.

Lisa Sthalekar appointed Federation of International Cricketers' Association president

Tags: Person in news

Former Australian women's cricketer Lisa Sthalekar has been appointed as the President of the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA), becoming the first woman to become the President of FICA.

• The decision to appoint Indian-origin Lisa was taken at a meeting of the Executive Committee of FICA in Neon, Switzerland.

• Lisa Sthalekar will replace former England cricketer Vikram Solanki.

• Former South African batsman Barry Richards, former West Indies all-rounder Jimmy Adams have also held this position.

• Lisa Sthalekar's Career

• Sthalekar played 8 Tests, 125 ODIs and 54 T20Is for Australia between 2001 and 2013.

• Lisa has scored 416 runs in Tests, 2728 in ODIs and 769 runs in T20 matches while in bowling she has taken 23 wickets in Tests, 146 in ODIs and 60 wickets in T20Is.

• Lisa became the first female cricketer to score 1000 runs and take 100 wickets in ODI cricket.

• Last year, he was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.

• About Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA)

• The Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) is an organisation that coordinates the activities of all the national players’ associations that represent professional cricketers.

• Founded -1998

• FICA members-  Australia, Bangladesh, England , New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies