Current Affairs in English – June 24 2022

June 24 , 2022

National Events:

NSIC:

• P Udayakumar has assumed charge as NSIC’s Chairman and Managing Director . He is currently the Director ( Plng and Mktg ) at NSIC .He assumed the charge with effect from 20th June 2022 .
• National Small Industries Corporation Limited ( NSIC ) is a government enterprise under the Ministry of MSME .He will also be the Chairman of NSIC Venture Capital Fund Ltd.

‘ SIB TF Online ‘:

• South Indian Bank has launched a new portal called ‘ SIB TF Online ‘ for its corporate EXIM customers .The portal facilitates a platform for trade – related payments to foreign entities remotely .
• The customer can initiate the payment request over SIB TF Online after uploading the relevant supporting documents for the transaction .

CoA:

• Entrepreneur Ranjit Bajaj has been named Chairman of an advisory committee to assist the Supreme Court – appointed Committee of Administrators ( CoA ) . CoA runs the day – to – day affairs of All India Football Federation ( AIFF ) .
• The 12 – member advisory committee was appointed by the CoA to oversee the day – to – day matters of various departments of the AIFF .

National Conference on Millets:

• Union Minister Prahlad Singh Patel inaugurated the National Conference on Millets on 23 June 2022 . It was organised by industry body ASSOCHAM on the theme ‘ The Future Super Food for India ‘ in New Delhi .
• The major millets producing states in India include Haryana , Uttar Pradesh , Chhattisgarh , Gujarat , Rajasthan , Madhya Pradesh , Maharashtra , Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , Tamil Nadu and Telangana .

SIFL & SEFL:

• The RBI has appointed Venkat Nageswar Chalasani as a member of the advisory committee Srei Infrastructure Finance ( SIFL ) and Srei Equipment Finance ( SEFL ) .
• He was roped in after R. Subramaniakumar resigned from the Advisory Committee with effect from June 22 , 2022 . He is the former Deputy Managing Director of the State Bank of India ( SBI ) .

National Conference on the development of the Space Start – up Ecosystem:

• The Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajeev Chandrasekhar inaugurated a National Conference on the development of the Space Start – up Ecosystem in India , on 24 June 2022 in Bengaluru .
• It was organized by the Astronautical Society of India in association with the ISRO , New Space India Limited , Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre and DRDO .

National Investigation Agency:

• Dinkar Gupta , a 1987 – batch IPS officer and former chief of Punjab Police , has been appointed as Director – General of the National Investigation Agency ( NIA ) .
• The Appointments Committee has approved the appointment of Gupta as the NIA chief till March 31 , 2024 . The National Investigation Agency ( NIA ) is the primary counter – terrorist task force of India . NIA founded in – 2009.

27th Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court:

• Justice Amjad Ahtesham Sayeed was sworn in as the 27th Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court on 23 June 2022 . He was administered the oath of office by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at Raj Bhawan .

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister – Jai Ram Thakur.

WASP:

• The Indian Air Force will conduct the 1st Warfare & Aerospace Strategy Program ( WASP ) culminating with a Capstone Seminar at Air Force Auditorium , New Delhi on 24 Jun 2022 .
• The seminar will be conducted under the aegis of College of Air Warfare & Centre for Air Power Studies . This seminar aims to showcase the learning objectives of WASP .

National MSME Award 2022:

• The Micro , Small & Medium Enterprises ( MSMEs ) Department of Odisha has been awarded first prize in the National MSME Award 2022 . It has been awarded in the category of ” States / UTs for outstanding contribution in the promotion and development of MSME Sector ” .
• Bihar and Haryana have bagged the second and third positions respectively . The National MSME Awards were instituted in 1983 .

World Bank & Indian Railways:

• The World Bank has approved a $ 245 million loan to modernise the freight and logistics infrastructure of Indian Railways .The Rail Logistics project will help India shift more traffic from road to rail , making transport more efficient .
• The loan from the World Bank has a maturity of 22 years , including a grace period of seven years . World Bank Headquarters – Washington , D.C. , U.S.

Shala Praveshotsav:

• Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on 23 June 2022 launched the 17th ‘ Shala Praveshotsav , the drive to enrol students in primary schools in the state .
• It is a three – day enrolment drive which began from Memadpur primary school in Vadgam taluka of Banaskantha district .
• In the three – day campaign , the state officials will visit different schools in the state and enrol children in Class 1 .

National Logistics Excellence Awards:

• The Government of India hosted its first – ever National Logistics Excellence Awards in New Delhi on 23 June 2022 . Union Minister for Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal gave away the awards in 12 categories .

Some of the winners are- 1- Best Rail Freight Service Provider- Adani Logistics Ltd ,

2- Best Port Service Provider – DP World &

3 – Industry Excellence Award – Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

Presidential election:

• The Supreme Court has ruled that the next president must be elected before the end of the term of office of the president, and that the presidential election must be held without delay, even if the particular state assembly is dissolved.
• It is noteworthy that the Supreme Court has ruled that if the state assembly is dissolved, its members will not be eligible to vote in the presidential election.

International Events:

World’s largest bacterium:

• Scientists have discovered the world’s largest bacterium which can be seen with the naked eye . The bizarre bacterium has been found in a Caribbean mangrove swamp . It is approximately the size of a human eyelash .
• The first example of this bacterium , named Thiomargarita magnifica , was found clinging to sunken mangrove leaves in the archipelago of Guadeloupe in 2009 .

Gun Control Bill:

• The US Senate has passed a Gun Control Bill , which is being considered the most significant firearms legislation in nearly 30 yrs . It will now have to pass in the House of Representatives before President Biden can sign it into law .
• It is also significant because it is the first time in decades that proposed reforms have received this level of support from both Democrats and Republicans .

‘ Global Liveability Index 2022 ‘:

• Austrian capital Vienna has been ranked as the world’s most liveable city in the report ‘ Global Liveability Index 2022 ‘. Vienna replaced New Zealand’s Auckland city as the most liveable city .
• Delhi ranked 140th , while Mumbai got 141st rank . Syrian capital Damascus ranked at the bottom of the list . ‘ Global Liveability Ranking ‘ is published annually by the Economist Intelligence Unit .

ONGC Videsh Limited:

• ONGC Videsh Limited ( OVL ) has made an oil discovery in the recently drilled well , Urraca – IX , in the CPO – 5 block , Llanos Basin , Colombia . Block CPO – 5 was awarded to OVL in the 2008 bid round of Colombia .
• ONGC Videsh Limited is a wholly – owned subsidiary and overseas arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. ( ONGC ) . ONGC Chairman & MD – Alka Mittal.

India’s crude oil imports:

• India’s crude oil imports from Russia have increased 50-fold. Russian oil accounts for 10 percent of the country’s total imports. Due to the Russo-Ukraine war, Russia’s crude oil stockpile began to fall sharply.
• Subsequently, Russia offered to sell crude oil at concessional prices. Russia is the second largest exporter of crude oil to India, behind Saudi Arabia. Iran tops the list. Eighty-five percent of India’s crude oil demand is met by imports. India is the 3rd largest importer of crude oil internationally after the United States and China.

Sports Events:

FIFA world rankings:

• The Indian football team has gained two places to jump to 104th in the latest FIFA world rankings released on 23 June 2022 .
• They are placed just below New Zealand ( 103rd ) . India’s ranking among Asian Football Confederation members , however , still remained static at 19th place . Iran retained the top spot among AFC countries at 23rd place .