National news
Adani Ports to manage Dar es Salaam Port of Tanzania for 30 years
- The Gautam Adani-owned Adani group has entered the port business in the African country of Tanzania by securing a 30-year lease of Container Terminal 2 at the Dar es Salaam Port. An agreement was signed between the Tanzania Ports Authority and Adani International Ports Holdings Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd. (APSEZ).
- Recently, the Indian government-owned Indian Ports Global Ltd secured a 10-year deal to manage and operate the Shahid Beheshti terminal of Chabahar Port of Iran.
Dar es Salaam Port: The Dar es Salaam Port is Tanzania’s main port and is well-connected with rail and road infrastructure. Container Terminal 2 has four berths and a cargo handling capacity of 1 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). The port handles almost 83 per cent of Tanzania’s total container volume.
Adani Operated Ports on the West Coast of India
The company operates seven ports and terminals on the west coast of India:
- Mundra, Tuna, Dahej, and Hazira in Gujarat,
- Mormugao in Goa,
- Dighi in Maharashtra, and
- Vizhinjam in Kerala.
Adani Operated Ports on the East Coast of India
The company operates eight ports and terminals on the east coast of India. They are
- Haldia in West Bengal,
- Dhamra and Gopalpur in Odisha,
- Gangavaram and Krishnapatnam in Andhra Pradesh,
- Kattupalli and Ennore in Tamil Nadu and
- Karaikal in Puducherry.
Adani Operated International Ports
Apart from the Dar es Salaam Port, the company owns the Haifa port in Israel and is developing a transhipment port in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
About Tanzania
- Capital: Dodoma
- Currency: Tanzanian Shilling
- President: Samia Suluhu Hassan
India Hosts ATCM-46 and CEP-26 in Kochi, Kerala
- India successfully hosted the 46th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM-46) and the 26th Committee on Environmental Protection (CEP-26) in Kochi, Kerala.
- Theme of ATCM-46: ATCM-46 was themed “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” emphasizing the concept of ‘one Earth, one family, one future’ in Sanskrit.
- Focus of CEP-26: CEP-26, addressed a broad spectrum of challenges and contributed to the implementation of the Environmental Protocol in Antarctica.
- Host and Support: The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MOES), Government of India, facilitated the events through the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) in Goa, with support from the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat.
- Collaboration with India Post: A custom “MyStamp” featuring the ATCM-46 logo was unveiled during the event, showcasing collaboration with India Post.
About Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM):
- Antarctic Treaty is a multilateral agreement of 56 Contracting Parties signed in 1959.
- Parties: 29 consultative parties and 28 non-consultative parties.
- Executive Secretary– Albert Lluberas
- Secretariat- Buenos Aires, Argentina
Kerala:
- Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
- Chief minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
- Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan
FSSAI and APEDA Introduce ‘Unified India Organic’ Logo
- FSSAI and APEDA have collaboratively created the ‘Unified India Organic’ logo to replace the existing India Organic and Jaivik Bharat logos.
- Purpose: The new logo aims to standardize and harmonize the regulations implemented by NPOP and FSSAI concerning organic products.
- Previous Logos: The India Organic logo was utilized for products compliant with the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP), while the Jaivik Bharat logo was for products certified by FSSAI.
- Implementation Process:
- The trademark registration for the Unified India Organic logo is underway.
- Detailed guidelines for its implementation are being formulated.
- Transition Period: Certification bodies will be granted a three-month transition period to integrate the new logo once it’s officially notified.
About Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
- The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has been established under Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.
- Chairperson – Apurva Chandra
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – G. Kamala Vardhana Rao
- Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
About Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)
- The APEDA was established by the Government of India (Gol) under the APEDA Act passed by the Parliament in December, 1985.
- Chairman: Abhishek Dev
- Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
International news
WMO and FAO Sign MOU to Enhance Climate Services in Agriculture
- The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) signed an MoU to bolster their collaboration in improving climate services for agriculture and enhancing resilience and adaptation efforts.
- Extended Partnership: The MoU aims to prolong and strengthen their existing partnership for another 10 years, highlighting a long-term commitment to addressing climate-related challenges in agriculture.
- Collaborative Focus Areas: WMO and FAO will collaborate on various fronts including weather, ocean, climate, hydrological, and related environmental services. These collaborations aim to bolster resilience and adaptation strategies within the global agrifood system.
- Objective: The overarching objective of the collaboration is to enhance the provision and utilization of climate services in agriculture, ultimately fostering greater resilience and adaptation to climate change impacts.
About World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
- Secretary General– Celeste Saulo
- Members- 193 Members, (187 Member States and 6 Territories)
- Headquarters- Geneva, Switzerland
Banking news
RBI Brings Back 100 Tonnes of Gold from Vault of UK To India
- The Reserve bank of India brings back 100 tonnes of Gold from the Vault of UK to India.
- This is a major shift in the Economic Policy of the RBI, as it will now hold most of its Gold in its own vault.
- These changes have significant implications for India’s economic sovereignty and global market dynamics.
- Most countries keep their gold in the vaults of the Bank of England or other such location and pay a fee for the privileges.
- At present, India has huge Foreign Exchange Reserves to cover up to 11 months of Imports.
- As of March 31, 2024, the total gold held by the Reserve Bank was 822.10 metric tonnes as compared to 794.63 metric tonnes as of corresponding period.
RBI:
- Founded: 1 April 1935
- Headquarters: Mumbai
- Governor: Shaktikanta Das
RBI imposes ₹88 lakhs monetary penalty on SBM Bank (India)
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a penalty of ₹88.70 lakh on SBM Bank (India) for non-compliance with certain regulatory norms.
- The central banks said the penalty has been imposed for non-compliance with licensing conditions imposed by the RBI, and specific directions to stop undertaking Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) transactions with immediate effect.
SBM bank:
- Headquarters: Mumbai
- Founded: 1 December 2018
- MD and CEO: Sidharth Rath
RBI Cancels 10-Year Green Bond Auction Over ‘Greenium’ Dispute
- RBI cancels the 10-year green bond auction for the first time due to traders’ unwillingness to pay a ‘greenium’.
- Planned Issuance: Government intended to issue Rs 12,000 crore in green bonds in two tranches in the first half of the financial year.
- Yield Dispute: Bids ranged between 7% and 7.06%, which RBI rejected, preferring a lower yield close to the 6.99% benchmark.
- Market Yield: Benchmark 10-year government bond yield settled at 6.98% on Friday, slightly lower than Thursday’s 7%.
- Use of Funds: Proceeds from the green bonds were to fund public sector projects aimed at reducing the carbon footprint.
- Potential Revisit: RBI might reconsider the auction after market stabilization post-election results.
Federal Bank Announce Strategic Bancassurance Partnership with Tata AIA Life Insurance
- Federal Bank announced a Bancassurance tie-up with Tata AIA Life Insurance Co Ltd, one of India’s leading life insurance companies.
- This strategic alliance aims to provide Federal Bank’s customers, access to Tata AIA Life’s comprehensive insurance product suite.
- Federal Bank has an extensive network, which will enable Tata AIA to further strengthen its footprint.
- Both the entities focus on technology enabled, consumer centric business model, adding to the synergies of the partnership.
Federal bank:
- Headquarters: Aluva
- CEO: Shyam Srinivasan (23 Sept 2010–)
- Founded: 23 April 1931, Nedumpuram
Axis Bank and Mastercard Launch Innovative NFC Soundbox for Payments
- Axis Bank and Mastercard have introduced the NFC Soundbox to transform payment experiences in India.
- Versatile Payment Acceptance: The device supports multiple payment methods, including Bharat QR, UPI, Tap & Pay, and Tap + Pin.
- Tap + Pin Feature: Axis Bank leads with Tap + Pin payments, allowing transactions over Rs 5000 via card instruments.
Axis bank:
- Headquarters: Mumbai
- CEO: Amitabh Chaudhry
- Founded: 3 December 1993
Economy news
Real GDP has been estimated to grow by 8.2% in FY 2023-24
- The National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) is releasing in this Press Note, the Provisional Estimates (PE) of Annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the Financial Year (FY) 2023-24 and Quarterly Estimates of GDP for the Fourth quarter (January-March) of 2023-24 along with its expenditure components both at Constant (2011-12) and Current Prices.
- Real GDP has been estimated to grow by 8.2% in FY 2023-24 as compared to the growth rate of 7.0% in FY 2022-23.
- Nominal GDP has witnessed a growth rate of 9.6% in FY 2023-24 over the growth rate of 14.2% in FY 2022-23.
- Real GVA has grown by 7.2% in 2023-24 over 6.7% in 2022-23.
- This GVA growth has been mainly due to significant growth of 9.9% in Manufacturing sector in 2023-24 over -2.2% in 2022-23 and growth of 7.1% in 2023-24 over 1.9% in 2022-23 for Mining & Quarrying sector.
Rank and report news
NSE Indices launches India’s first electric vehicle index
- NSE’s index services subsidiary, NSE Indices Limited launched a new thematic index — Nifty EV & New Age Automotive index — which will track the performance of companies forming a part of the EV ecosystem or are involved in the development of new-age automotive vehicles or related technology.
- It was India’s first- ever Electric Vehicle Index and the new index is expected to act as a benchmark for asset managers and be a reference index tracked by passive funds in the form of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), index funds and structured products
- The base date for the index is April 2, 2018, and the base value is 1000 and the index will be reconstituted semi-annually and rebalanced on a quarterly basis.
- Currently there are 17 thematic indices on the NSE viz. Nifty Commodities, Nifty India Consumption, Nifty CPSE, Nifty Energy and Nifty Infrastructure.
- Apart from thematic indices, NSE operates Broad Market Indices (like Nifty, Nifty Next 50, Nifty 100, Nifty 100 etc) and 15 sectoral Indices including Nifty Bank, Nifty IT and Nifty Auto.
- It also operates Strategy Indices and Fixed Income Indices.
NSE:
- Founded: 1992
- MD and CEO: Ashishkumar Chauhan
- Headquarters: Mumbai
Appointment news
PV Sindhu Named Brand Ambassador for Tobacco Control
- The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare observed World No Tobacco Day 2024 with the theme “Protecting Children from Tobacco Industry Interference.”
- Union Health Secretary, Shri Apurva Chandra, highlighted the devastating impact of tobacco use in a video message.
- PV Sindhu’s Role: Indian badminton star PV Sindhu was appointed as the brand ambassador for Tobacco Control.
- Inspirational Message: PV Sindhu urged youth to reject tobacco and adopt healthier lifestyles for a better future.
Ministry of health and family: Mansukh L. Mandaviya (Minister), Bharati Pawar (Minister of State)
Awards news
NIMHANS bags the Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion for 2024 by the World Health Organization
- National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, an Institute of National Importance under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India has been awarded with the Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion for 2024 by the World Health Organization (WHO).
- The Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion, established by WHO in 2019, recognizes individuals, institutions and/or governmental or non-governmental organizations that have demonstrated remarkable contributions to health promotion.
Sports news
BFI Agrees to Become a Member of World Boxing
- The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) has agreed to become a member of World Boxing, the International Federation established to ensure boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement.
- The membership application has been approved by the BFI’s General Assembly, and will be ratified by World Boxing’s Executive Board.
- World Boxing was launched in April 2023 and aims to ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic movement.
About International Boxing Association (IBA):
- The International Boxing Association (IBA) is a non-profit international organization that succeeded the former Fédération Internationale de Boxe Amateur in 1946 and is the only worldwide governing body for all forms of boxing.
- Headquarters – Lausanne, Switzerland
- President – Umar Kremlev
About International Olympic Committee (IOC):
- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is a not-for-profit independent international organisation that is committed to make a better world through sport. It was established on 23rd June 1894, just under two years before the first Olympic Games took place in April 1896.
- Boxing at the 2024 Paris Olympics will be overseen by the IOC.
- Headquarters – Lausanne, Switzerland
- President -Thomas Bach
About Boxing Federation of India (BFI):
- Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi
- President: Ajay Singh
- Established: 2016
Important days
World Milk Day 2024 is observed on June 1
- World Milk Day is annually observed on June 1 by Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
- The day is celebrated to recognize the importance of milk as a global food, to celebrate the dairy sector, the benefits of milk and dairy products have been actively promoted around the world, including how dairy supports the livelihoods of one billion people.
- In 2001, the day was established by FAO.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
- Founded 1945
- Headquarters: Rome
- Director general: Qu Dongyu
Science and tech news
Kerala Pioneers AI Learning in Class 7 ICT Curriculum
- Kerala has introduced AI learning in the ICT textbook for Class 7 students, impacting over 4 lakh students.
- Hands-on AI Experience: Students will learn to create an AI program for recognizing seven human facial expressions in the ‘Computer Vision’ chapter.
- First in India: Kerala is the first state in India to uniformly implement AI learning for an entire class, showcasing its commitment to advancing technological education.
Wipro 3D and ISRO Jointly Pave the Way for Sustainable Space Exploration Through Additive Manufacturing
- Wipro 3D, in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), celebrates a path breaking achievement in space technology with the successful manufacturing of the PS4 3D-printed rocket engine powering the 4th stage of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
- V Narayanan, Distinguished Scientist and Director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), ISRO lauded the accomplishment during his recent visit to the Wipro 3D’s facility.
- The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is an expendable launch system designed to place earth observation and Scientific satellites into precise orbits enabling multiple applications like remote sensing, oceanography, cartography, mineral mapping, disaster warning etc.
- To ensure accurate orbital placement, the PS4 stage is equipped with advanced navigation, guidance and control systems
ISRO:
- Headquarters: Bengaluru
- Founded: 15 August 1969
- Chairman: Sreedhara Panicker Somanath
China Launches Pakistan’s PakSAT-MM1 Communication Satellite
- On June 2024, China successfully launched Pakistan’s multi-mission communication satellite, PakSAT-MM1, from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province, using a Long March-3B carrier rocket.
- Mission Objective: PakSAT-MM1 is a vital component of Pakistan’s National Space Programme 2047. Its primary goal is to enhance internet services across Pakistan, contributing to the country’s technological advancement.
- Service Initiation: The satellite is scheduled to commence its services in August 2024, marking a significant milestone in Pakistan’s space exploration endeavors.
About Pakistan:
- President– Asif Ali Zardari
- Prime Minister (PM)- Shehbaz Sharif
- Capital- Islamabad
- Currency- Pakistani Rupee (PKR)
Obituary news
Eminent Puppeteer Padma Shri Maguni Kuanr Passes Away
- In Odisha, Padma Shri Maguni Charan Kuanr, passed away at the age of 88.
- He was initiated into the art of Kandhei Nach, which employs rod puppets, by his father Shri Baishnab Charan Kuanr.
- He has also learned sculpture in clay, stone, and wood from Shri Bhagaban Jena, a traditional sculptor.
- He has received awards from the Orissa Sangeet Natak Akademi and the North Orissa University and also receives the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his contribution to the traditional puppetry of Orissa.
- He received Padma Shri in 2023.