Current Affairs in English – June 16 2022

National Events:

First city in the country to get a processed steel slag ( industrial waste ) road:

Surat in Gujarat has become the first city in the country to get a processed steel slag ( industrial waste ) road . The first 6 – lane highway made by using Steel Slag was inaugurated in Surat by Union Steel Minister Ram Chandra Prasad Singh on 15 June 2022 .
The road has been jointly made by the Central Road Research Institute & ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India .

Prithvi-II:

India on 15 June 2022 successfully carried out the launch of Prithvi – Il short range ballistic missile from an integrated test range in Odisha . Prithvi – II is capable of carrying 500-1,000 kilogram of warheads and is powered by liquid propulsion twin engines .
It is a surface – to – surface short – range ballistic missile developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation ( DRDO ) .

High – Level Committee ( HLC ) under the Chairmanship of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah:

The High – Level Committee ( HLC ) under the Chairmanship of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah , has approved additional Central assistance under the National Disaster Response Fund ( NDRF ) to two states .
Rajasthan and Nagaland were affected by drought during 2021-22 . Rs 1,003.95 crore have been approved for Rajasthan , while Rs 39.28 crore have been approved for Nagaland .

Al – enabled Common Single Pension Portal:

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh has informed that the Department of Pension and Pensioners ‘ Welfare will launch Al – enabled Common Single Pension Portal’ . It will also help in seamless processing , tracking , and disbursal of pensions .
It will send automatic alerts to pensioners and superannuated elder citizens to bring complete ” Ease of Living ” for central government pensioners .

INS Sahyadri & INS Kamorta:

As part of their deployment to South East Asia , Indian Naval Ships Sahyadri and Kamorta , are on a three – day visit to Jakarta from 15 June 2022 . INS Sahyadri is an indigenously built multi – role stealth Frigate and INS Kamorta is an indigenously built ASW Corvette .
Frigates and Corvettes are escort ships and Frigates are larger than Corvettes and have a mix of offensive and defence capabilities .

First airport in India to launch a one – of – its – kind hybrid power project:

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai has launched a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine ( VAWT ) and Solar PV hybrid ( Solar Mill ) .
With this , It will become the first airport in India to launch a one – of – its – kind hybrid power project . The project will be launched in collaboration with WindStream Energy Technologies India Pvt Ltd.

APEDA:

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority ( APEDA ) launched an 8 – day – long Mango Festival in Bahrain on 13 June 2022 . It was launched in association with the Indian Embassy and Al Jazira Group .
The festival is part of APEDA’s new initiatives to explore international markets for Indian mangoes . 34 varieties of Indian mangoes have been showcased at the festival .

NeSDA 2021:

Kerala has topped amongst all the States and UTS in e – services Delivery Assessment , according to the NeSDA 2021 Report . The 2021 edition of the National e – governance Service Delivery Assessment ( NeSDA ) report was released on 12 June 2022 .
It provides suggestions for governments to improve their e – governance system . Among UTs , J & K ranked the highest with an overall compliance of nearly 90 % .

Union Cabinet has approved the agreement:

The Union Cabinet has approved the agreement signed among the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation member states . The official working language of the SCO Secretariat is Russian and Chinese .
The areas of cooperation include strengthening cooperation in the field of work with youth and public youth organizations ( associations ) implementing state youth policy , etc.

Tamil Nadu Events:

Tamil Nadu Government & Tata Technologies:

Tamil Nadu Government has signed an agreement with Tata Technologies for upgrading the Industrial Training Institutes ( ITI’s ) into Technology Centres .
It paves way for the introduction of training modules on cutting – edge technologies like Industrial Automation and Robotics .
Under the agreement , modern equipment will be installed at a cost of 2877.43 cr in 71 ITIs in the state .

International Events:

World Sea Turtle Day : 16 June:

World Sea Turtle Day is observed every year on June 16 . This day is celebrated to save aquatic species from extinction .Sea turtles in India are protected by the Wild Life ( Protection ) Act , 1972 .
The Act bans the consumption of turtle meat and eggs by all except for indigenous tribal communities , including the Onges and Shompen , in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands .

BRICS National Security Advisors:

The 12th meeting of BRICS National Security Advisors ( NSA ) was held on 15 June 2022 . Yang Jiechi , a member of the political bureau of the CPC Central Committee chaired the meeting in Beijing .
It was attended by the NSAs of Brazil , Russia , India , and South Africa . Meeting of BRICS NSAs is an important platform for BRICS countries to enhance political and security cooperation .

US central bank:

US central bank has announced its biggest interest rate rise to rein in surging inflation . The Federal Reserve would increase its benchmark rate by three – quarters of a percentage point to a range of 1.5 percent to 1.75 percent .
The rise comes after inflation surged unexpectedly in May 22 . It is the largest rate hike since 1994 and will affect millions of American businesses and households .

World Competitiveness Index:

India has jumped six positions to 37th rank on the annual World Competitiveness Index for the year 2022 . Denmark has been ranked at the top while Switzerland has been ranked at second position .
The Index is a 63 – nation list which has been compiled by the Swiss – based International Institute for Management Development ( IMD ) . It was first published in 1989 .

I2U2:

India , Israel , UAE , and the US have formed a new 4 nations grouping named ‘ I2U2 ” . ” I ” is for India and Israel and ” U ” is for the US and UAE .It has been formed as part of the US’s efforts to revitalize American alliances all over the world .
The first – ever virtual summit of the I2U2 grouping will be held in July 2022 and will be attended by the heads of the member countries .

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day : 15 June:

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is observed on 15 June every year . The day came into existence in June 2006 .
Elder abuse is defined by the United Nations as ” a single , or repeated act , or lack of appropriate action , occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person”.

Sports Events:

World Para – powerlifting 2022 Asia Oceania Open Championship:

Indian para – powerlifters Manpreet Kaur and Parmjeet Kumar have won bronze medals in World Para – powerlifting 2022 Asia Oceania Open Championships . The Championship was held at Pyeongtaek in South Korea on 15 June 2022 .
In women’s category , Manpreet Kaur , won the bronze medal in the 41 kg category . While Parmjeet Kumar won the bronze medal in the 49 kg category in men’s category .