NATIONAL
1. Hamari Bhasha, Hamari Virasat Exhibition
Why in news - National Archives of India organized the exhibition "Hamari Bhasha, Hamari Virasat" on June 9, 2023.
Key Points –
• June 9 marked the 75th International archives day.
• It commemorated the treasured heritage of India's linguistic diversity as a Nation: “Rashtra ek Bhasha anek”.
• Out of 7,111 languages spoken globally, about 788 languages are spoken in India alone.
• India is thus one of the four most linguistically diversified countries in the world, along with Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and Nigeria.
National Archives of India –
• Established on March 11, 1891 at Kolkata.
• Present building (New Delhi) - Constructed in 1926, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.
• Nodal agency for the implementation of the Public Records Act, 1993 and Public Record Rules, 1997.
Value Addition –
• Gilgit Manuscripts
(a) Oldest surviving manuscript collection in India (5" -6" centuries CE).
(b) Discovered in 3 stages in the Naupur village (Gilgit region).
(c) First announced by archaeologist Sir “Aurel Stein (1931).
(d) Written on pieces of inner layer of the bark of birch trees.
(e) Contain both canonical and non-canonical Jain and Buddhist works
GOVERNMENT SCHEMES:
1. EVOLVE Mission
Why in news – SIDBI has launched mission EVOLVE (Electric Vehicle Operations and Lending for Vibrant Ecosystem).
Key Points –
• Aim – to give MSMEs access to affordable commercial financing for EV loans.
• Collaborators - NITI Aayog, World Bank, Korean-World Bank and Korean Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF).
• SIDBI is the principal financial institution for MSMEs in India.
Value Addition –
• SIDBI aims to support India’s target for 30% EV penetration by 2030 or EV30@30.
• Mission 50,000-EV4ECO –
(a) Pilot scheme by SIDBI under guidance from NITI Aayog.
(b) Aim - to fund MSMEs finding it difficult to access loans to purchase EVs for day-to-day operations and commercial use.
(c) Target - to finance 50,000 EVs.
• EV sales surpassed the 1 million mark in India in the financial year 2022-23 (Units sold - 11,52,021).
SUMMITS & CONFERENCES:
1. WHO’s 4th Health for All Film Festival (HAFF) 2023
Why in news - 2 films from the WHO South-East Asia Region have won awards at HAFF 2023 organized by WHO.
Key Points –
• The WHO initiated HAFF in 2019 to make audio-visual language a key component of WHO’s "communicating for health impact" approach.
REPORTS & INDICES:
1. SIPRI Yearbook 2023
Why in news - The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) launched its annual assessment of international security.
Key Points –
• 9 nuclear-armed states continue to modernize their nuclear arsenals.
• Nuclear states – USA, Russia, UK, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel.
• Total global inventory – 12,512 warheads (January 2023).
• Russia and the USA together possess almost 90 per cent of all nuclear weapons.
India's Nuclear Triad –
• Capability of delivering nuclear weapons by aircraft, land based ballistic missiles and submarine launched missiles.
• Aim - to deter the enemy from initiating a first-strike attack.
• India’s nuclear triad is complete –
(a) Land - Agni-V (nuclear-capable ballistic missile).
(b) Water - INS Arihant ( indigenous nuclear ballistic missile submarine).
(c) Air - Rafale aircraft (nuclear-warhead-carrying capability)
• 3 core tenets of India’s nuclear doctrine—credible minimum deterrence, massive retaliation, and No first use (NFU).
2. Digital Payments
Why in news – India has topped the list for digital payments with an astounding 89.5 million transactions recorded in 2022.
Key Points –
• The data was released by MyGovIndia.
• 46% of all real-time payments made worldwide in 2022 were made in India.
• India has more digital payment transactions than the other four top countries put together.
• Top 5 (transactions)- India (89.5 million) > Brazil (29.2 million) > China (17.6 million) > Thailand (16.5 million) > South Korea (8 million).
IMPORTANT DAYS:
1. World Blood Donor Day 2023
Why in news – It is celebrated on June 14 every year since 2004.
Key Points –
• It honors the contribution of voluntary and unpaid blood donors.
• Slogan 2023 - Give blood, give plasma, share life, share often.
Value Addition –
• Cells in blood –
(a) White blood cells - Monocytes, lymphocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, and macrophages.
(b) Red blood cells – Erythrocytes.
(c) Platelets - Thrombocytes.
• Blood Types –
(a) 4 main blood groups – A, B, AB and O.
(b) Determined by the genes one inherits from parents.
(c) Each group can be either RhD positive or RhD negative (total - 8 blood groups).
• Blood is made up of RBCs, WBCs, and platelets in a liquid called plasma.
• Blood group is identified by antibodies and antigens in the blood.
• Antibodies - Proteins found in plasma. Part of the body’s natural defences.
• Antigens - Protein molecules found on the surface of RBCs.
• Rhnull (golden blood) - One of the rarest blood types. Complete absence of any of the Rh antigens.
AWARDS & HONOURS:
1. “Athi Uttam” Accreditation
Why in news – Geological Survey of India Training Institute (GSITI), Hyderabad got accredited as “Athi Uttam”.
Key Points –
• Given by - National Accreditation Board of Education and Training (NABET).
• GSITI functions under the Ministry of Mines.
About GSITI –
• Headquarters – Hyderabad.
• 6 Regional Training Divisions (RTD) - Hyderabad, Nagpur, Jaipur, Lucknow, Kolkata and Shillong.
• 4 Field Training Centers (FTCs) - Chitradurga (Karnataka), Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Zawar (Rajasthan) and Kuju (Jharkhand).
STATES/UTs:
1. Horticulture Promotion
Why in news – Asian Development Bank (ADB) and India signed a $130 million loan to promote horticulture in Himachal Pradesh.
Key Points –
• Aim – to improve access to irrigation and promote horticulture agribusinesses to raise farmers’ income.
BIHAR:
1. Mukhyamantri Kshetra Vikas Yojana
Why in news – Bihar cabinet amended the guidelines of CM Area Development Scheme (Mukhyamantri Kshetra Vikas Yojana).
Key Points –
• Now, every MLA can recommend schemes/works costing up to 4 crore every year in his constituency (earlier - Rs 3 crores).
• The amount has been hiked by Rs 1 crore from the financial year 2023-24 due to the increase in the construction material.
Value Addition –
• Science and technology department has been renamed as the “Department of science, technology and technical education”.
2. Tax Devolution
Why in news – Finance ministry released the 3rd instalment of tax devolution to state governments amounting Rs 1,18,280 crore.
Key Points –
• Aim - to facilitate and expedite capital spending, welfare expenditures, and ensure the availability of resources for priority projects and schemes.
• It surpassed the normal monthly devolution of Rs 59,140 crore.
• Amount allocated to Bihar - Rs 11,897.
3. Mukhyamantri Harit Krishi Sanyantra Yojana
Why in news - Primary vegetable cooperative society in Bihar to get subsidies on lines of PACS.
Key Points –
• Under the scheme, selected PACS from across the state have been extended financial assistance of Rs. 15 lakh with 50% as loan and 50% as grant.
• It seeks to establish and operationalize agri-implements banks at PACS level so as to provide small and marginal farmers access to modern agricultural
implements.
• As of now, 2443 PACS have purchased about 10,488 agri-implements of different types.
POINTERS:
• Where has the 'Lavender Festival' been inaugurated recently - Bhaderwah Valley (Jammu and Kashmi).
• Which country's footballer 'Zlatan Ibrahimovic' has announced his retirement from football - Sweden.
• Recently who has become the new President of 'World Meteorological Organisation' - Abdulla Al Mandous.
• Where has the pre-historic Dhalpur Shiv temple been inaugurated recently – Assam.
• Where was the secret meeting of the world's intelligence chiefs held recently – Singapore.
• Recently India's first 'Carbon Free Village' is being developed in Bhiwandi of which state - Thane (Maharashtra).
• Which country will deploy Tactical Nuclear Weapons in Belarus by July 2023 – Russia.
• Who has become the first team in the world to win all the ICC titles - Australia.
• Which country will issue the world's first digital government bond – Israel.
• Which state government has extended 100% subsidy in crop insurance premium for farmers – Meghalaya.