1 Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar presented the National Water Awards in New Delhi; Madhya Pradesh tops in best state category
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar presented the 4th National Water Awards in New Delhi . The Ministry of Jal Shakti had announced a total of 41 awards in 11 categories including joint winners for the National Water Awards 2022 . Madhya Pradesh was awarded the first prize in the best state category . Ganjam district of Odisha was awarded in the best district category . Jagannathapuram Gram Panchayat of Bhadradri Kothagudem district of Telangana was honored with the Best Gram Panchayat award. Each award winner was presented with a citation, trophy and cash award.
2 Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021 to Geetapress, Gorakhpur
The Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2021 will be awarded to Geeta Press, Gorakhpur . Established in the year 1923 , Gita Press is one of the largest publishers in the world. It has published over 41 crore books in 14 languages , including over 16 crore Srimad Bhagavad Gita . The Gandhi Peace Prize was instituted in the year 1995 on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi . The Ministry of Culture has said that the award carries one crore rupees, a citation and a plaque.
3 PM Modi writes to G20 members proposing full membership of African Union at the upcoming New Delhi Summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written to the leaders of the G-20 grouping proposing full membership of the African Union at the upcoming G-20 summit in India. The African Union had requested to join the G-20 group. The Prime Minister is leading from the front on this issue and is a strong advocate and supporter of it. Shri Modi has taken this bold step to raise the voice of African countries on the international stage and shape the future of a common world.
4 NATO creates new center to protect undersea pipelines and data cables
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation-NATO has set up a new center to protect pipelines and data cables under sea from attack. Concerns were raised about Russia gathering information on Western infrastructure in the seas around Europe. The private news channel has reported that Nato has taken this step after Russia’s alleged attack on the Nord Stream gas pipeline last year. The new center will be based at NATO’s naval headquarters in Northwood, near London . secretary general of nato Jens Stoltenberg During the meeting, the Defense Ministers of the member countries of the organization have approved the plan of the Maritime Center to protect the critical infrastructure under the sea. In September last year, Danish and Swedish officials said leaks had been detected from the Nord Stream-1 and Nord Stream-2 gas pipelines off the coast of Denmark’s Bondholm island.
5 Bangladesh will adopt IMF’s mandated method of calculating its foreign reserves: Bank of Bangladesh
In its announcement on monetary policy , the Bank of Bangladesh said that Bangladesh will adopt the International Monetary Fund ‘s (IMF) mandated method of calculating its foreign reserves . Calculating country’s foreign exchange holdings now as per 6th edition of IMF’s Balance of Payments and International Investment Positions Manual (BMM6) Will be in line with Bank of Bangladesh will calculate and publish gross international reserves according to the new methodology. According to the ‘Bangladesh Development Update’ published by the World Bank in April 2023, going into the IMF methodology, the government will withdraw the amounts committed to the Export Development Fund of USD 6 billion, Bangladesh Infrastructure Development Fund of USD 2 billion in January 2023. The Bank of Bangladesh also announced that it would implement a unified and market-driven single exchange rate regime. This will allow market forces to determine the exchange rate between foreign currencies including the Bangladeshi Taka (BDT) and the USD. This was also included in the IMF’s recommendations while approving a $4.7 billion loan to Bangladesh in January this year.
6 Ashwinder Singh’s book titled “Master Residential Real Estate” released
Ashwinder R Singh is a renowned real estate expert in India, and his new book, Master Residential Real Estate , is a comprehensive guide to the industry. From finding the right property to financing the purchase of a home, the book covers a wide range of topics. Singh also provides valuable insight into the current state of the real estate market and advice on how to make the most of your investments.
7 UNESCO: America will join again in July
UNESCO has announced that the United States will rejoin the agency in July, four years after leaving due to allegations of bias against Israel . The rejoining move would require a vote by member states but is expected to pass easily. UNESCO promotes educational, scientific and cultural causes, and designates World Heritage Sites globally. The US stopped funding millions of dollars to UNESCO in 2011 after Palestine became a member of the agency.
8 Bangladesh: World Bank launches its first road safety project in South Asia
The World Bank (WB) launched its first dedicated road safety project in South Asia with a USD 358 million financing agreement signed in Dhaka with the Government of Bangladesh . The project seeks to improve road safety and reduce road accident deaths and injuries in selected cities, high-risk highways and district roads. The project will focus on two national highways in Bangladesh, Ghazipur-Elenga (N4) and Natore-Nawabganj (N6).
9 Ramachandra Guha’s book wins Elizabeth Longford Prize
Historian and author Ramachandra Guha ‘s book Rebels Against the Raj: Western Fighters for India’s Freedom has won the Elizabeth Longford Prize for Historical Biography 2023 . Guha has been awarded 5,000 pounds (about Rs 5 lakh) and a bound copy of Elizabeth Longford’s memoir. Roy Foster presided over the jury. The jury also included Antonia Fraser and Flora Fraser (Longford’s daughter and granddaughter respectively), Richard Davenport-Hines and Rana Mitter.
10 Japan defines sex offense law, raises age of consent from 13 to 16
Japan recently made significant changes to age of consent laws , the minimum age at which one can legally engage in sexual relations. This transformative step is aimed at providing stronger legal protection, especially for minors, in matters relating to sexual relations and offences. Japan raises the age of consent from 13 to 16 has been done. This important amendment reflects Japan’s commitment to ensuring the well-being and safety of young persons involved in sexual relations. By raising the age of consent, the government seeks to establish clear limits and increase legal safeguards. Lawmakers broadened the definition of rape from ‘forced sex’ to ‘non-consensual sex’. The expanded definition includes drugging and acts committed using intoxication. Sex with a person below the age of 16 would be considered rape. Japan’s previous age of consent was established in 1907 and remained unchanged for over a century. The current age of consent is 16 in the UK, 15 in France, 14 in Germany and China, and 18 in India. Japan last revised its criminal code on sexual offenses in 2017.
11 Central Government of India launched ‘Y-Break – Yoga at Office Chair’
The Central Government has recently taken a proactive step towards improving the well-being of its employees by introducing the “ Y-Break – Yoga at Office Chair ” protocol. This initiative by the Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) aims to help professionals relieve stress, rejuvenate their energy levels and increase concentration. Simple yoga in protocol A range of practices are included, such as asana, pranayama, and meditation , all of which can be easily incorporated into a short break from work.
12 Ambassador Satish Chandra’s book ‘A Life Well Spent – Four Decades in the Indian Foreign Service’
Indian diplomat Satish Chandra has written a book titled ‘ A Life Well Spent – Four Decades in the Indian Foreign Service’ chronicling his extensive career in the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) from 1965 to 2005 . The book highlights his journey from being an IFS probationer to taking up the role of Deputy National Security Advisor, providing valuable perspectives on Indian diplomacy and tracing the evolution of the National Security Council (NSC) structure.
13 Gopichand Hinduja takes charge as Group President
Gopichand Hinduja, 83, has taken over as the chairman of the Hinduja Group following the recent demise of his brother Srichand P Hinduja . Prior to this, Gopichand Hinduja was the co-chairman and was overseeing a diverse global business empire spanning sectors such as automotive, IT, media and entertainment, infrastructure, oil and specialty chemicals, power and real estate.
14 IIT Madras team develops IoT based mobile air pollution monitoring framework to monitor mobile pollution
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT) have developed a low-cost mobile air pollution monitoring device. This pollution sensor is said to be capable of continuous monitoring of air quality over an extended area with high spatial and good resolution. This innovative approach uses data science, Internet of Things (IoT) technology and low-cost pollution sensors mounted on public vehicles to enable dynamic monitoring of air quality at high spatial and temporal resolution. The project, known as Kaatru (“wind” in Tamil), aims to address the limitations of traditional stationary monitoring stations and provide valuable insights for policy-making and mitigation strategies .
15 RING with UPI plug-in features
RING , a digital credit platform in India , is collaborating with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to implement its UPI plug-in feature in its existing digital services. The tie-up will allow Ring to offer its customers a ‘ Scan and Pay ‘ option, as well as attract new customers who prefer to use UPI for payments.
16 Goa Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant released the mascot of the upcoming 37th National Games ‘Moga’
Goa Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant released the mascot of the upcoming 37th National Games ‘ Moga ‘ at the Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium in Taleigaon . The official mascot the bison ‘Moga’ represents the unique identity of Goa, reinforcing the strong link between sports and the state’s heritage. The event was organized by Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs and Sports Authority of Goa on the occasion of Goa Revolution Day. Goa Sports Minister Govind Gode, Indian Olympic Federation President Dr PT Usha and Olympic medalist MC Mary Kom were also present at the ceremony. On this occasion, the Chief Minister said that like the International Film Festival, the National Games will also be organized successfully.
17 Badminton Satwiksairaj Ranki Reddy and Chirag Shetty created history by winning the men’s doubles title of Indonesia Open
India’s pair of Satwiksairaj Ranki Reddy and Chirag Shetty created history by winning the men’s doubles title at the Indonesia Open badminton tournament . In the final, the pair of Satwik and Chirag defeated the world champion pair of Aaron Chia and Wooi Yik Soh of Malaysia 21-17, 21-18. Satwik and Chirag are the first Indian pair to win this prestigious championship.
18 Abhishek Verma wins gold in Archery World Cup stage three in Colombia
India’s Abhishek Verma has won the gold medal in the final of the men’s compound individual event of the third stage of the Archery World Cup competition . In Medellin, Colombia, Abhishek defeated James Lutz of America by 146 to 148 points. With this medal, Abhishek has confirmed his place in the Archery World Cup Finals to be held in Mexico on September 9 and 10 this year.
19 Pakistan batsman Nahida Khan retires from international cricket
Senior Pakistan batsman Nahida Khan has announced her retirement from international cricket after a 14-year career for her country . The 36-year-old opening batsman made his debut for the national team in February 2009 against Sri Lanka and has represented Pakistan in over 100 matches across all formats. Nahida is the only female player from Balochistan to play for Pakistan.
20 International Father’s Day 2023
Father’s Day is a celebration of fathers and fatherhood. It is celebrated on the third Sunday of June in many countries around the world, including the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The day is a time to honor fathers, grandfathers and other male role models who have made a significant impact in the lives of their children. This year Father’s Day was celebrated on 18 June .
