NATIONAL:
1. Two states walk out of NPS
Why in news - Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh walk out of National Pension System.
Key Points –
• Both have stopped contributing any funds from their side to the NPS since April 1, 2022.
• All states except Tamil Nadu and West Bengal had participated in the NPS.
• Tripura was the last state to join NPS.
About NPS –
• Introduced in January 2004 (except for armed forces).
• Implemented and regulated by PFRDA (DFS, M/O Finance.).
• NPS was made available to all citizens (age group of 18-65 years) from May 2009.
• OCI and PIO card holders and Hindu undivided families are not eligible for the opening of NPS accounts.
2. Centralised AC Railway Terminal
Why in news - India’s first centralized AC M Visvesvaraya Railway Terminal in Bengaluru was made operational on June 6, 2022.
Key Points –
• It is a ₹314 crore project.
• It is designed on the lines of Bengaluru airport.
INTERNATIONAL:
1. China lifted 2-year COVID visa ban on Indians
Why in news - China has announced plans to provide visas to Indian professionals and their families stranded in India for over two years.
Key Points –
• Visas for tourism and private purposes remain suspended.
2. BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Centre
Why in news - Cabinet approved a memorandum of association (MoA) for the establishment of this Centre in Colombo.
Key Points –
• The MoA was signed by BIMSTEC countries at the 5th BIMSTEC Summit held in Colombo, Sri Lanka on March 30, 2022.
About BIMSTEC –
• Full form - Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation.
• 7 members – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand.
• Formed in 1997 through the Bangkok Declaration.
• Founding members - Bangladesh, India, Sri-Lanka and Thailand.
• Important Connectivity Projects –
A. Kaladan Multimodal Project (links India and Myanmar).
B. Asian Trilateral Highway (connects India and Thailand through Myanmar).
C. Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicles Agreement.
GOVERNMENT SCHEMES:
1. Agnipath Scheme
Why in news - The government has unveiled its new Agnipath scheme for recruiting soldiers across the three services on June 14, 2022.
Key Points –
• The soldiers recruited would be called Agniveers.
• Around 45,000 to 50,000 soldiers would be recruited annually. only 25% would continue for another 15 years under permanent commission.
• 10 lakh persons to get government jobs in 18 months.
• Eligibility –
A. Only for personnel below officer ranks.
B. Aspirants between 17.5 years and 21 years can apply.
• Recruitment would be done twice a year through rallies.
• Starting salary - Rs 30,000 which would go up to Rs 40,000 by the end of the 4-year service.
• At the end of 4-year period, each soldier would get Rs 11.71 lakh as a lump sum amount.
• 30% of their salary would be set aside under a Seva Nidhi program.
• Life insurance - Rs 48 lakh.
• In case of death - over Rs 1 crore.
• It would bring ‘all India, all class’ recruitment (No region or caste-based regiment system).
• The average age in the forces would go down to 26 in 6-7 years. (Present - 32 years).
SUMMITS & CONFERENCES:
1. I2U2 Summit
Why in news - US President Joe Biden will host a virtual summit with four nations during his visit to West Asia from July 13 to 16.
Key Points –
• ‘I2U2’ — ‘I’ for India and Israel and ‘U’ for the US and UAE. ( ‘West Asian Quad’).
• In October 2021, a meeting of the foreign ministers of the four countries took place under the name ‘International Forum for Economic Cooperation’.
RANKS & INDICES:
1. SIPRI Yearbook 2022
Why in news - Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) launched the findings of SIPRI Yearbook 2022.
Key Points –
• Total 12,705 nuclear weapons – Russia (5977), America (5428), China (350), Pakistan (165), India (160)
• Russia and the USA together possess over 90% of all nuclear weapons.
• 9 nuclear-armed states—the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea.
• Top 5 arms importers - Saudi Arabia, India, Egypt, Australia and China.
• Top 5 exporters in 2016-20 - the United States, Russia, France, Germany and China.
• Asia and Oceania received the largest volume (42%) of major arms supplies in 2016-20.
IMPORTANT DAYS:
1. Global Wind Day 2022
Why in news – It is celebrated across the world on June 15.
Key Points –
• Theme 2022 – ‘Celebration and appreciation of wind energy and its benefits’.
• The literary term for wind power is Aeolic energy (Greek god Aeolus - the keeper of the wind).
• India's Stand in Wind Energy –
• As of 30 May 2022, India ranks 4th in the world (Total wind power generation capacity - 40.53 GW).
• Top producer – Tamil Nadu (7633 MW) accounting for 29% of total wind energy generation in India.
• Muppandal Wind Farm, Kanyakumari (1,500 MW) - India's largest operational onshore wind farm. (Also, the 3rd-largest operational onshore wind farm in the world).
• Jaisalmer Wind Park (1,064 MW) India's second-largest and globally the fourth-largest operational onshore wind farm.
SCIENCE – TECH:
1. LaMDA
Why in news - Google engineer Blake Lemoine claimed that LaMDA has become sentient (see or feel and begun reasoning like a human being).
Key Points –
• LaMDA is a language model created by Google AI as a chatbot.
• LaMDA is built on Transformer, a neural network architecture that Google invented and open-sourced in 2017.
SECURITY:
1. IND-INDO CORPAT
Why in news - The 38th India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (IND-INDO CORPAT) is being conducted in the Andaman Sea and Straits of Malacca from 13 to 24 June 2022.
Key Points –
• Other Exercises between India and Indonesia -
A. Samudra Shakti - A bilateral maritime exercise.
B. Garuda Shakti - A joint military exercise.
BIHAR:
1. Smart Drone
Why in news - Smart Drone cameras are being developed with the help of the National Institute of Smart Government (NASG), Hyderabad to send an alert after seeing the suspected whereabouts of liquor.
2. Global market Bihari khadi and handicrafts
Why in news – An MoU has been signed between Bihar State Khadi Village Industries Board and Flipkart & Amazon to access the global market.
Key Points –
• An e-commerce portal has been prepared by Upendra Nath Maharathi Shilp Sansthan on which 250 products have been uploaded.
• 300 handicrafts would be sold by Flipkart and 800 by Amazon across the world.
3. Compressed Bio Gas (CBG)
Why in news - Industries Minister Shahnawaz Hussain attended a seminar on the promotion of CBG under the Sustainable Plan organized by IOC.
Key Points –
• A CBG plant might be set up at Patna, Muzaffarpur or Bihta where Biogas would be prepared from agricultural waste.
• 5,000 CBG plants to be installed in the country. In Bihar, 106 letters of intent have been issued.
• 17 ethanol plants have been approved in Bihar.
• After China, the largest ethanol plant was built in Ara.
• Total CNG stations in Bihar - 60. (Aim – 200 by 2023).
4. Blood Bank
Why in news - Blood banks would be opened in 7 hospitals in 6 districts and day care centers in two districts.
Key Points –
• Blood banks - Patna, Darbhanga, Sheohar, Gaya, Supaul and Motihari.
• Day Care Centers - Gaya and Bhagalpur.
• Department of Transfusion Medicine would be established in NMCH within a year.
5. Bihar Model of Population Control
Why in news - Population control through public awareness and education has been successful in Bihar. (rejected idea of enacting law for population control)
Key Points –
• Fertility rate in Bihar as per NFHS – 4 (2015-16) - 3.14, NFHS – (2019-21) – 2.98.
• Between 2015-16 and 2019-21, the fertility rate in Bihar decreased by 0.43. (India - 0.20).
• Highest population density state - Bihar (1102), West Bengal (1029), Kerala (859).
• For the first time, the Population Control Commission was constituted by the then PM Indira Gandhi in 1976. (2nd time – in 2000 by AB Vajpayee).
6. Vidyanjali Yojana
Why in news - Only 9,770 (12%) schools in the state have been connected to Vidyanjali 2.0, implemented a year ago.
Key Points –
• It aims to promote quality education along with equipping schools with modern facilities.
• Top 5 - Vaishali (1270), Jamui (876), Madhubani (777), Patna (616), Katihar (566).
• Bottom 5 - Sitamarhi (4, rank – 38th), Khagaria (4, 37th), Gopalganj (4, 36th), Sheikhpura (11, 35th ), Kishanganj (17, 34th).
POINTERS:
• Which PPI has recently become the first RBI licensed PPI to start cash withdrawal from all ATMs across India - Omnicard.
• Who has been awarded ‘ICC Players of the Month’ for the month of May, 2022 - Angelo Mathews (Men) and Tuba Hassan (Women).
• Which state government has recently launched 'FRUITS' software – Karnataka.
• Which edition of Summit of the Americas has been organized in Los Angeles recently – 9th edition.
• Who has launched ‘Start-up for Railways’ in New Delhi - Ashwini Vaishnav.
• Who won the Group 'A' title in the Norway Chess Tournament - R Pragyanand.
• Who unveiled the country's first domestic COVID-19 vaccine for animals, Anocovax - Narendra Singh Tomar.
• What is the name of India's Largest Educational Metaverse & India Blockchain Network – Polyversity.
• India’s rank in UNCTAD's World Investment Report - 7th.
• Who has been appointed as UN Secretary General's envoy on technology - Amandeep Gill.