Current Affairs Quiz 19th June 2023 Quiz

Exp. Om Birla inaugurates National Legislators’ Conference Bharat in Mumbai

The National Legislators’ Conference Bharat (NLC Bharat) was officially inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in Mumbai.

The APJ Abdul Kalam expo pavilion was also inaugurated on the theme of Bharat’s 75th year of independence and celebrating the spirit of democracy.

This conference gives a platform to engage in discussions and contemplate strengthening our legislative institutions. It will help to spread the essence of Indian democracy throughout the world.

Exp. Two-day conference of Science-20 organized in Bhopal

The two-day conference of Science-20 under G-20 has organized at the Taj Hotel in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

The theme of the conference is “Connecting Science to Society and Culture”.

The conference is being presided over by Professor Ashutosh Sharma, President of the Indian National Science Academy.

The conference is being attended by representatives of the G-20 countries, invited states, and international organizations.

The Science-20 consultation was begun with a preliminary meeting to be held in Puducherry on 30 and 31 January 2023 while the Science-20 conferences will culminate with a summit-level meeting in Coimbatore

G20 in News (Note – All Meetings are Under the Presidency of G20 by India)

• Women 20 Summit – Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu (15 June 2023)

• 4th Education Working Group (EDWG) Meeting – Pune, Maharashtra (19 -21 June 2023)
• 2nd summit of Supreme Audit Institutions of G20 Meeting – Panji, Goa (12-15 June 2023)
• Third G20 Health Working Group meeting – Hyderabad
• 3rd Employment Working Group Meeting – Geneva, Switzerland (31 May – 2 June 2023)

Exp. Google and MeitY join hands for ‘G20-Stay Safe Online’

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has joined hand with Google to drive citizen awareness ‘G20-Stay Safe Online’ campaign on online cyber safety in the country.

The duo aims to foster citizen awareness about online safety and security.

Under the bright beacon of India’s G20 Presidency, the nation is steering towards a trillion-dollar digital economy.

To chart this course, MeitY has launched the mega-campaign, ‘Stay Safe Online.’  To raise the cyber hygiene bar, spreading awareness about online risks and safe practices among users of all ages.

Exp. Remains of new species of duck-billed dinosaur found in Chile

Remains of a species of herbivorous dinosaur previously unknown in the southern hemisphere have been discovered in Chile, challenging long-held beliefs about the range of duck-billed dinosaurs.

Measuring up to four meters (13 feet) in length and weighing a ton, Gonkoken nanoi lived 72 million years ago in the extreme south of what is now Chilean Patagonia.

The discovery demonstrated that Chilean Patagonia served as a refuge for very ancient species of hadrosaurs, a type of duck-billed dinosaur common in North America, Asia and Europe during the Cretaceous period, from 145 to 66 million years ago.

Gonkoken nanoi, the fifth species of dinosaur discovered in Chile, was actually found in 2013, kicking off a decade-long investigation.

The name Gonkoken comes from the Tehuelche language, the first inhabitants of the region, and means “similar to a wild duck or a swan.

About Chile

• Capital- Santiago
• Currency – Chilean Peso
• Official language- Spanish

Exp. USA announces to rejoin UNESCO in July 2023

UNESCO has announced that the United States will rejoin the agency in July 2023 four years after leaving due to allegations of bias against Israel.

The US stopped funding UNESCO, worth millions of dollars, in 2011 after Palestine became a member of the agency.

Palestine was included as a non-member observer state in 2012, granting them participation in General Assembly proceedings.

What made the US leave UNESCO?

• The issue goes back to 2011, when UNESCO inducted Palestine as a member. This led to the US halting the agency’s funding, worth millions of dollars, under then President Barack Obama.
• Notably, Palestine is not recognised as a sovereign state by the United Nations. It was included as a non-member observer State over Israel’s objections in 2012, meaning it could participate in General Assembly proceedings but lacked voting rights.
• In 2013, Israel’s ambassador to UNESCO, Nimrod Barkan, told the Associated Press that his country supported the United States’ decision to stop its funding, saying it was “objecting to the politicisation of UNESCO, or any international organisation, with the accession of a non-existing country like Palestine”.

About United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

• UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes cooperation among nations through education, science, culture, and communication.

• Formation – 16 November 1945
• Headquarters – Paris, France
• Director General – Audrey Azoulay (France)
• Member countries – 193

Exp. RBI imposes Rs 20 lakh penalty on Manappuram Finance

The Reserve Bank of India has imposed ₹20 lakh monetary penalty on Manappuram Finance for non-compliance with certain provisions of Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC).

The RBI imposed this penalty on the NBFC as it did not classify certain gold loan accounts with overdue of more than 90 days as Non-Performing Assets (NPAs).

This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI under the provisions of section 58G (1) (b) read with section 58B (5) (aa) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.”

This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the company with its customers.

The Reserve Bank of India conducted a statutory inspection of the company concerning its financial position as of March 2021.

Exp. N S Vishwanathan appoints as part-time chairman of Axis Bank

Axis Ban has appointed former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Deputy Governor NS Vishwanathan as a part-time Non-Executive Chairman.

The board of directors of the bank have appointed Vishwanathan for a period of three years.

Vishwanathan had joined the RBI in 1981 and retired in March 2020 as the Deputy Governor, spanning a career of nearly four decades at the central bank.

About Axis Bank

• Founded – 1993
• Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chairman – Rakesh Makhija
• MD & CEO – Amitabh Chaudhary
• Tagline – Badhti Ka naam Zindagi

Recent Appointment in Banking & Insurance Sector

• Chairman of TransUnion Cibil – V Anantharaman
• MD & CEO of UCO Bank – Ashwani Kumar (replace Soma Sankara Prasad)
• MD & CEO of Karnataka Bank – Srikrishnan Hari Hara Sarma
• Part-time chairman of Paytm – Vijay Shekhar (reappointment)
• Deputy MD of IDBI Bank – Jayakumar S. Pillai

Exp. P N Vasudevan re-appointed as MD & CEO of Equitas Small Finance Bank

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approved the reappointment of P Vasudevan as Managing Director and CEO of Equitas Small Finance Bank.

Vasudevan has been reappointed for a period of three years, from July 23, 2023, to July 23, 2026.

In December 2022, the bank announced that PN Vasudevan had decided to remain as MD and CEO of the bank in response to the Board’s suggestions.

About Equitas Small Finance Bank

• Founded- 1993
• Headquarters- Chennai
• MD & CEO – P.N. Vasudevan
• Tagline – It’s fun banking

Recent Appointment in Banking & Insurance Sector

• President and COO of Paytm – Bhavesh Gupta
• MD & CEO of Bank of Baroda (BoB) – Debadatta Chand
• MD & CEO of Bank of India (BoI) – Rajneesh K
• Chairman of LIC – Siddhartha Mohanty
• CEO of Association of Asset Reconstruction Companies – Hari Hara Mishra

Exp. Defence Ministry approves MQ-9 Reaper drone deal with US

The Defence Ministry has approved the deal for acquiring the Predator (MQ-9 Reaper) drones from America for which the final decision would be taken by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).

The deal for the Predator drones was approved by the Defence Acquisition Council meeting.

The DAC is the highest body in the Defence Ministry to take decisions on acquisitions.

The hunter-killer MQ-9 drones are capable of a variety of roles, including maritime surveillance, anti-submarine warfare, over-the-horizon targeting, airborne early warning, electronic warfare.

The SkyGuardian variant has a wingspan of 79 feet and can carry a payload of 2,155kg on nine hardpoints.

The SeaGuardian variant can fly over the horizon via satellite for more than 30 hours and has advanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.

Exp. Egypt won the World Squash Championship

Egypt emerged victorious in the World Squash Championship, defeating Malaysia 2-1 in the final held in Chennai.

Malaysia secured the silver medal in the championship.

The third place in the championship was shared between the host country, India, and Japan

A total of eight countries participated in the championship, which commenced on June 13.

Exp. First Women’s Kabaddi League Inaugurated in Dubai

The inaugural edition of India’s first-ever Women’s Kabaddi League (WKL) commenced with great fanfare in Dubai.

The league is being organized by the Kabaddi Federation of India and the Dream Sports Group.

The league consists of eight teams, featuring a total of 96 players, each representing Indian states.

These teams bear the names of various states, including the Delhi Dynamites, Gujarat Angels, Great Marathas, Haryana Hustlers, Punjab Panthers, Rajasthan Riders, Uma Kolkata, and Bengaluru Hawks.

The league is expected to provide a platform for talented women kabaddi players to showcase their skills and inspire other women to take up the sport.

Exp. 18 June – Autistic Pride Day

Autistic Pride Day is observed every year on 18 June.

Objective – To raise awareness about autism, a complex developmental disorder that affects communication and social interaction.

Autistic Pride Day was first observed in 2005 by Aspies for Freedom, which is a community that works for spreading awareness about autism.

People with autism often have co-occurring conditions, including epilepsy, depression, anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as well as challenging behaviours such as difficulty sleeping and self-injury.

The level of intellectual functioning among autistic people varies widely, extending from profound impairment to superior levels.

Exp. 18 June – International Picnic Day

International Picnic Day is celebrated on June 18 every year.

Picnics have been a popular way to enjoy the outdoors and spend time with family and friends for centuries, and International Picnic Day is a great opportunity to continue that tradition.

The term “picnic” finds its roots in the French word “pique-nique,” and its popularity surged in France after the revolution, providing an opportunity to enjoy informal outdoor meals in the country’s royal parks.

These leisurely gatherings transformed into elaborate social events in 19th-century England, as depicted in Jane Austen’s novels, featuring elaborate menus with days of preparation.

Exp. 19 June – World Sickle Cell Awareness Day

World Sickle Cell Awareness Day is observed every year on 19 June.

Objective – To raise awareness and promote understanding of sickle cell disease, highlighting the challenges faced by individuals and their families.

Recognized as a public health issue by the United Nations General Assembly in 2008, sickle cell disease, specifically sickle cell anaemia, was one of the earliest identified hereditary disorders.

What is Sickle Cell Disease?

• Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder characterized by abnormally shaped red blood cells that tend to stick together, impeding the flow of blood and oxygen throughout the body.
• This condition affects the normal functioning of haemoglobin, the protein found in red blood cells. In individuals with sickle cell disease, an abnormal form of haemoglobin called haemoglobin S causes the red blood cells to take on a sickle-like shape.

Exp. 19 June – World Sauntering Day

World Sauntering Day is observed every year on 19 June to cherish life as it comes and not bother about the speed of the world, rather set our own pace of life and enjoy it.

Theme 2023 – Rediscover the Joy of Simplicity

Sauntering is seen to boost the efficiency of people by as much as sixty percent. When people are not bounded by a deadline, they take their time to perfect the work.

World Sauntering Day was founded by WT Rabe in 1979 during his employment at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island in Michigan. In response to the rising popularity of the jogging craze in the United States during the 1970s, Rabe introduced the concept of this day, urging people to slow down and take it easy.