Current Affairs Quiz 17th and 18th June 2023 Quiz

Exp. Akashvani and Doordarshan emerge as most trusted electronic media organization in country

According to Reuters Institute’s Digital News Report 2023, DD India and All India Radio have been recognized as the most trusted electronic media organizations in the country.

The report highlights that although overall trust in news has decreased marginally by 3 percentage points, public broadcasters and print brands have managed to maintain a relatively high level of trust among the public.

The report said public broadcasters DD India and All India Radio are among those with the highest levels of trust.  

Exp. Indian Navy’s Outreach Program “Jully Ladakh” (Hello Ladakh)

Indian Navy is conducting “Julley Ladakh” (Hello Ladakh), an outreach programme to Ladakh to increase awareness about the service in the pristine state and to engage with youth and civil society there.

As part of this initiative, a 5000 km Motorcycle Expedition was flagged off from the National War Memorial by Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh, the Vice Chief of Naval Staff.

This outreach program follows the successful efforts of the Indian Navy in the North East region and the Sam No Varunah car expedition, which aimed to connect with citizens in coastal states.

Exp. Rajasthan, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu emerge top achievers in Wind Energy

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy celebrated Global Wind Day in New Delhi.

The event aimed to discuss ways to accelerate wind energy adoption in India.

The central theme of the celebration was “Pawan – Urja: Powering the Future of India.

Rajasthan was felicitated for achieving the highest wind capacity addition, Gujarat for achieving the highest wind capacity addition through open access and Tamil Nadu for initiating repowering of wind turbines.

Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu were felicitated for their achievements in wind energy capacity addition.

Exp. Uttar Pradesh CM renames UP prisons as ‘Reform Homes’

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has given guidelines for prison reform to establish prisons as ‘Sudhaar Grah’ (Reform Homes).

The objective of the Prison Act of 1894 is to maintain discipline and control over offenders in custody, but we need to focus on reform and rehabilitation. Therefore, considering the future, it is necessary for us to implement new acts.

The Model Prison Act – 2023 has recently been prepared by the Govt of India, which is useful for the reformation and rehabilitation of prisoners.

The state cabinet has also approved the new jail manual, which is an important effort toward prison reforms.

About Uttar Pradesh

• Capital – Lucknow
• Chief Minister – Yogi Adityanath
• Governor – Anandiben Patel

Exp. Dharmendra Pradhan flags off Gabon’s first Agri-SEZ project

Union Minister of Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan flagged off Gabon’s first Agri- SEZ project from New Delhi.

The project will be implemented by the AOM group with Centurion University as the technical partner.

In the first phase of the program, 30 farmers and 20 Engineering students will be traveling together as agri-technical consultants.

Dharmendra Pradhan in News

• Dharmendra Pradhan launched the four-year Bachelor Science Degree in Electronic Systems at IIT Madras.

• Dharmendra Pradhan chaired the 3rd meeting of the steering committee of National Skill Development Mission In New Delhi
• Dharmendra Pradhan released the book ‘India: The Mother of Democracy’
• Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated ‘Baji Rout National Football Tournament
• Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated India’s second Srijagannath Rashtriya Adarsh Veda Vidyalaya

Exp. Warkari community celebrates Palkhi festival in Maharashtra

Warkari community has celebrated the Palkhi festival in Pandharpur, Maharashtra.

Palkhi festival is an annual yatra to Pandharpur in Maharashtra to honor the Hindu god Vithoba.

The Palkhi festival is a tradition that dates back 1000 years and was initiated by saints from Maharashtra, India.

The Palkhi festival takes place in the month of Jyeshth (June) and lasts for a total of 22 days. It involves a journey from the departure points to Pandharpur. It is still practiced today by their followers known as varkaris.

These varkaris are individuals who follow a vari, which is a fundamental ritual associated with the festival.

Devotees take a holy dip in the sacred Chandrabhaga River before visiting the Vithoba temple.

About Maharashtra

• Capital – Mumbai
• Chief Minister – Eknath Sindhe
• Governor – Ramesh Bais

Exp. Russia’s Sberbank launches Indian rupee accounts for individuals

Russia’s dominant lender, Sberbank has launched Indian rupee accounts for individuals.

Objective – To expand the range of foreign currencies available to reduce dependency on the US dollar and euro.

Sberbank has more than 100 million retail clients and already offers deposits in China’s yuan and UAE dirhams.

Sberbank will issue bonds in Chinese yuan this year if an opportunity arises and will continue borrowing in roubles to drive portfolio growth.

About Russia

• Capital – Moscow
• Currency – Rubel
• President – Vladimir Putin

Exp. Britain appoints Jane Marriott as first female envoy to Pakistan

The United Kingdom has appointed Jane Marriott as the next British High Commissioner to Pakistan, making her the first female British envoy to Islamabad.

Jane Marriott previously served as the High Commissioner to Kenya since September 2019.

She will replace Dr Christian Turner, who held the position of British Ambassador to Pakistan since December 2019.

About United Kingdom (UK)

• Capital – London
• Currency – Pound sterling
• Prime Minister – Rishi Sunak

Exp. Kamal Kishore Chatiwal takes over as MD of IGL

Kamal Kishore Chatiwal has assumed charge as the new managing director of Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL), the largest CNG distribution company.

He has replaced Sanjay Kumar, who has taken over as Director (Marketing) in GAIL (India) Ltd.

Prior to this role, he was working as an executive director and head of zonal marketing of GAIL in Jaipur.

IGL is a joint venture of GAIL and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) with the Delhi government holding 5% stake.

Recent Appointment

• Director (Personnel) of NHPC Ltd – Uttam Lal
• Marketing Director of GAIL – Sanjay Kumar
• CMD of NMDC Steel Limited – Amitava Mukherjee (reappointment)
• CEO of Unique Identification Authority (UIDAI) – Amit Agrawal
• Director General of the National Testing Agency (NTA) – Subodh Kumar Singh
• Chair-elect of IATA’s Board of Governors – Pieter Elbers

Exp. Defence Ministry signs Rs 500 crore contract to strengthen Indian Army’s communication system

The Defence Ministry has signed a contract of 500 crore rupees with an indigenous firm for the supply of Radio Relay Containers to strengthen the Indian Army’s communication system.

The contract was signed with ICOMM Tele Limited of Hyderabad for the procurement of more than one thousand Radio Relay Communication equipment containers.

The Radio Relay Containers will address a long overdue requirement of mobile communication detachments of the Indian Army.

These containers will be utilized to provide a protected environment for communication equipment. The containers would be mounted on authorized specialist vehicles and moved as per operational requirements.

This will give a further boost to the indigenous manufacturing of defence equipment and stimulate the private sector to actively engage in realizing the vision of a self-reliant India.

Exp. Pakistan’s Nahida Khan announces retirement from international cricket

Pakistan women’s cricketer Nahida Khan has announced her retirement from international cricket, bringing an end to a remarkable career that spanned over a decade.

The 36-year-old opening batter made her debut for the national team in February 2009 against Sri Lanka and went on to represent Pakistan in over 100 matches across formats.

She represented Pakistan in three 50-over World Cups (2013, 2017 and 2022) and in four T20 World Cups (2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018).

Recently Retired Players

• Shabnim Ismail – International Cricket – South Africa
• Gary Ballance – All forms of cricket – England
• Shaun Marsh – First-class cricket – Australia
• Sergio Ramos – International football – Spain
• Eoin Morgan – All forms of cricket – England
• Kamran Akmal – All forms of professional cricket – Pakistan
• Aaron Finch – International Cricket – Australia
• Raphael Varane – International football – France

Exp. Asia Cup 2023 to be played in Pakistan and Sri Lanka

The Asia Cup 2023 will take place in Pakistan and Sri Lanka between August 31 and September 17, 2023.

The tournament will be held on a hybrid model for the first time in the history of the championship.

India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Nepal will take part in the Asia Cup.

The tournament will be hosted in a hybrid model with four matches being held in Pakistan, and the remaining nine matches being played in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka won the Asia Cup last time around in 2022 after beating Pakistan in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

India failed to make their way through to the final after losing to Sri Lanka and Pakistan in the Super 4 round.

Exp. A book titled “Master Residential Real Estate” by Ashwinder Singh

Ashwinder R Singh is a well-known real estate expert in India, and his new book, Master Residential Real Estate, is a comprehensive guide to the industry.

This comprehensive guidebook equips homebuyers and industry experts with the knowledge and strategies to successfully navigate the dynamic real estate market.

The book covers a wide range of topics, from finding the right property to financing a home purchase.

Singh also provides valuable insights into the current state of the real estate market and offers advice on how to make the most of your investment.

The book empowers readers to take control of their financial and emotional future by providing them with the necessary information to make informed decisions based on data and research.

Recent Book

• India Secret War BSF – Ushinor Majumdar
• Through the Broken Glass – T N Seshan
• Beyond Cricket – C D Gopinath
• The Power of One Thought: Master Your Mind – BK Shivani
• Ringside – Dr. Vijay Darda (released by Shashi Tharoor)
• The Golden Years: The Many Joys of Living a Good Long Life – Ruskin Bond

Exp. 17 June – World Day to combat desertification and drought

World Day to combat desertification and drought is observed every year on 17 June.

Objective – To raise awareness about the threats posed by desertification and drought and promoting efforts to combat these challenges

Theme 2023 – Her Land. Her Rights

The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought was established in 1994 as a result of a convention held at the UN General Assembly.

This day was observed in 1995 for the first time. In order to combat the environmental deterioration that is being brought upon by climate change, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was created.

The convention’s objective was to educate the general public on ways to stop desertification, particularly in regions that are now suffering from severe drought.

Exp. 18 June 2023 – International Father’s Day

International Father’s Day is celebrated every year on third Sunday of June.

This year Father’s Day held on 18th June.

The day honours fathers or father figures in our lives and the sacrifices they make to raise us.

Our fathers are heroes in our lives, capable of achieving any feat, teaching us strength in silence, and adept at solving all problems.

Father’s Day originated in the US after the daughter of a Civil War veteran, Sonora Smart Dodd, wanted to pay an ode to all fathers across the globe.

William Jackson Smart was a single father to six children. His daughter decided to honour him by choosing his birth anniversary, June 5, 1982, to celebrate Father’s Day.

Finally, the date got pushed from June 5 to the third Sunday of June. In 1910, Father’s Day was marked for the first time.