Current Affairs June 2023

• India has conducted Asia’s first demonstration of performance-based navigation for helicopters. The flight from Juhu to Pune (Maharashtra) was made using GAGAN (GPS (Global Positioning System) Aided GEO Augmented Navigation) satellite technology, which allows high-quality of air traffic management.
• Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW) has inaugurated Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) at Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh (UP). The new National Training Centre of the FSSAI will provide structured instruction, practice, and learning experiences to bridge the gap between existing knowledge and desired knowledge in the field of food safety and standards.
• Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has been launched the mobile app “PMSVANidhi” for street vendors to ease their loan application process under the PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme.
• The W20 summit under the presidency of G20 begins in Mahabalipuram ,Chennai. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has virtually addressed the inaugural session and union minister for women and child development Smriti Irani delivers the keynote address.
• Warkari community has celebrated the Palkhi festival in Pandharpur, Maharashtra.
• According to the eighth edition of India Rankings prepared by Ministry of Education (MoE) based Indian Institute of Technology -Madras has topped the list for the fifth consecutive time and  followed by the Indian Institute of Science(IISc Bengaluru),  IIT Delhi.
• Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of state for Science & Technology inaugurated the two-day “Lavender Festival” in Bhaderwah Valley of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Bhaderwah has emerged as the Lavender capital of India and a prominent Agri-Start-up destination. The CSIR-Aroma Mission is a flagship project of CSIR under which Lavender cultivation is being promoted in the temperate regions of J&K. The aim of the project is to increase the income of small and marginal farmers and develop agriculture-based Startups.
• Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has formed 3 committees to frame draft schemes for pension, provident fund and insurance. These three committee will be co-ordinator by Chanramauli Chakraborty.
• National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has published its inaugural ‘Sustainability Report for FY 2021–22: Building A Sustainable Road Infrastructure’. According to this report, between 2019-20 and 2021-22, the direct emission has been reduced by 18.44% and 9.49% due to less fuel consumption.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched two schemes Amrit Dharohar Yojana and MISHTI Yojana (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes) to revive wetlands and mangroves across India.
• India becomes the 1st country in the world to regulate anti-tobacco warnings on OTT platforms.
• India plan to procure 30 MQ-9B armed drones at a cost of over USD 3 billion from US’s General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.
• Meta and the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) launched the Amrit Generation campaign to empower and engage the youth of India (age group of 16-18 years) to express their aspirations and dreams for the future.
• “MAHIR-- Mission on Advanced and High-Impact Research” has been launched jointly by Ministry of Power and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.  To quickly identify emerging technologies in the power sector and leverage them indigenously, at scale, for deployment within and outside India.
• “Sagar Samriddhi – Waste to Wealth” an online dredging monitoring system has been launched by Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways.
• According to the new study conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research–India Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB) highlighted that  India has around 101 million people living with diabetes and 136 million people with pre-diabetes. The study showed that Goa has the highest population of diabetic patients and  Uttar Pradesh recorded the lowest prevalence, around 4.8%, of diabetes cases.
• The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal flagged off the maiden International Cruise Vessel - MV Empress, India’s first international cruise vessel - from Chennai to Sri Lanka. Built at a cost of ₹17.21 crores, heralding a new age of cruise tourism & maritime trade in the country.
• The Central government has constituted a peace committee in Manipur under the chairmanship of Governor Anusuiya Uikey. The aim of the committee to facilitate the peace-making process among various ethnic groups of the State, between conflicting groups and strengthen social cohesiveness, mutual understanding and facilitate cordial communication.
• German defence and India’s Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) signed a MoU for Indian Navy’s (IN) P-75 India (P75I) Submarine Project during Defence Minister of Germany, Boris Pistorius was on a 4-day official visit to India.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first-ever National Training Conclave aimed at strengthening the training infrastructure for Civil Servants across India at an event held at the International Exhibition and Convention Centre, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
• The twelfth edition of “Ex Ekuverin”, a bilateral joint military exercise between the Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Force commenced at Chaubatia, Uttarakhand on 11th June 2023.
• India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) successfully held the first Meeting of the Joint Committee (JC) in New Delhi. Both Nations have agreed to set a target of USD 100 billion trade in non-petroleum products by 2030.
• Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance Company Ltd. signed a MoU with the Directorate General Resettlement (DGR) under Ministry of Defence. Under this MoU, Ex-Servicemen will be offered various roles in Kotak Life across multiple distribution channels.
• The Global DPI Summit 2023 (held at Pune, Maharashtra): More than 2000 persons attended virtually. India signed MoU with four countries namely Armenia, Sierra Leone, Suriname and Antigua and Barbuda on sharing INDIA STACK i.e. successful digital solutions implemented at population scale.
• The Defence Acquisition Council(DAC), the highest decision-making body in the Ministry of Defence(MoD), has approved the deal to acquire the MQ-9 Reaper (Predator B) drones from the United States of America(USA).
• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Google are joining forces to ignite a digital revolution, fuelled by their 'G20-Stay Safe Online' campaign. The duo aims to foster citizen awareness about online safety and security.
• India will host the 2025 International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS) Annual Conference at Kochi, Kerala in February 2025.
• The AYUSH ministry has introduced the Yoga Break (Y- reak) protocol to assist professionals in relieving stress, renewing their energy, and improving focus.
• The Guwahati Railway Station in Assam under North East Frontier Railway has been awarded ‘Eat Right Station’ certification by FSSAI in recognition of providing high-quality, nutritious food to passengers.
• The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has published IS 18267: 2023 "Food Serving Utensils Made from Agri By-Products – Specification," aimed at reducing plastic pollution and promoting sustainability. The standard provides comprehensive guidelines to manufacturers and consumers, ensuring uniformity in quality requirements across the country.
• Border Security Force (BSF) of India and Bangladesh’s Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) have agreed to initiate five developmental projects to improve the ground conditions along the India-Bangladesh border.
• Raja Parba is also known as Mithun Sankranti. This is a three day long festival celebrated by the people of Odisha during the month of Asadha (usually starts on 14th June and ends on 16th June), the first day is known as Raja Sankranti, the second day is called Mithun Sankranti and the third day is called Bhudaha or Basi Raja.
• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India joined the worldwide celebrations of 15^th June as Global Wind Day, through the organization of a day-long event in New Delhi today. Held with an intent to celebrate the success so far and discuss the potential ways forward for accelerating wind energy adoption in India, the event had the central theme of “Pawan – Urja: Powering the Future of India”.
• Jettwings Airways, an airline based in Guwahati, Assam, has obtained the No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) to operate as a 'Schedule Commuter Air Transport Services' in the North Eastern regions of India, making it the first company from the Northeast region to launch airline operations in the country.
• The Government of India has launched VAIBHAV (Vaishvik Bharatiya Vaigyanik), a new fellowship programme to connect the Indian STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and Medicine) diaspora with Indian  academic and R&D institutions for collaborative research work leading to sharing of knowledge, wisdom, and best practices in the frontier areas of science & technology.. The VAIBHAV programme will be implemented by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology.
• NITI Aayog and the United Nations in India signed the ‘Government of India - United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023-2027’. GoI-UNSDCF 2023-2027 represents the UN development system’s collective offer to the Government of India, in line with the national vision for development, for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promoting gender equality, youth empowerment and human rights.
• Union Minister Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) unveiled the ‘Dugdh Sanakalan Sathi Mobile App’ from Mussoorie, Uttarakhand for the Indian Dairy Industry. This innovative application, designed and developed by Rajasthan Electronics & Instruments Limited (REIL).
• Indian Navy has been conducted “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. Towards this a 5000km Motorcycle Expedition was flagged off by Sanjay Jasjit Singh, Vice Chief of Naval Staff, from the National War Memorial on 15 Jun 23.
• Department of Legal Affairs in the Ministry of Law & Justice constituted a 16-member expert committee chaired by the Former Secretary of the Department of Legal Affairs T.K .Viswanathan to recommend reforms in the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has collaborated with Falguni Shah (Falu), an Indian-American singer, who is also a Grammy Award winner for a special song named ‘Abundance in Millets’ to promote the benefits of millet and its potential to alleviate world hunger.
• Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MoYAS) increased the upper limit for boarding and accommodation for Indian athletes and team officials by almost 66%, from USD 150 to USD 250 per day. This revision is applicable for Indian athletes and officials participating only in international competitions.
• The Tangsa, a traditional tribal community of Arunachal Pradesh, celebrated their annual festival 'Wihu Kuh' in June 2023. 'Wihu Kuh', which translates to "paddy transplantation festival", marks the beginning of the agricultural season and showcases a cultural exhibition that captures the spirit of the Tangsa people.
• The Ministry of Tourism of the Government of India and the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) signed an MoU at the 4th and final G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting and G20 Tourism Ministerial Meeting, which was held from June 19-22, 2023, in Goa. The aim is to enhance cooperation and identify areas of mutual interest.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) partnered with the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) to empower women to make well-informed career choices in the field of entrepreneurship.
• Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Integrated Simulator Complex (ISC) ‘Dhruv’ at Southern Naval Command, Kochi on June 21, 2023. The ISC ‘Dhruv’ hosts modern state-of-the-art indigenously-built simulators which will significantly enhance practical training in the Indian Navy. These simulators are envisaged to give real-time experience on navigation, fleet operations and naval tactics.
• The Indian Railways and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), signed a MoU to combat climate change and achieve Indian Railways’ target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.
• India and Belgium have signed a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), which allows Belgian authorities to carry search warrant issued by Indian courts and summon a person under investigation by an Indian agency.
• Indian Railways is set to introduce its first hydrogen train, expected to start operating between Jind to Sonipat in Haryana by March 2024. India’s first hydrogen plant is being established near the railway junction in Jind (Haryana) district, in order to support this initiative.
• The Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted Exercise ‘Ranvijay’ with a focus on integration, in which day and night operations were carried out by combat aircraft including Sukhoi Su-30MKI aircraft as part of integrated wargames to enhance the skills of fighter pilots.
• Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) organised “Anusandhaan Chintan Shivir” in New Delhi  to encourage Defence Research and Development programme within the industry and academia.
• The Naini Saini Airport, Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand has received the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) aerodrome licence to operate civil flights.
• Geographical Indication Registry (Chennai, Tamil Nadu-TN) under the Department of Industry Promotion and Internal Trade (DIPIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), has recognised 7 Handicrafts products from Uttar Pradesh with Geographical Indication (GI) Tag. That are as follow:

• The 76th annual World Health Assembly held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 21 to 30 May 2023 under the theme of “ WHO at 75: Saving lives, driving health for all”.
  • Taiwan was excluded due to the Chinese opposition.
  • Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya delivered the keynote i.e. ‘Heal in India & Heal by India’ and ‘Together we fight against TB’ promoting AYUSH treatments globally.
  • Global Alliance for Drowning Prevention was established during the 76th WHA meeting. Aims to address global public health concerns related to drowning by 2029.
• Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham (Amrita University), Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, has emerged as the top Indian university on the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2023.
  • Globally, Amrita University is ranked 52 among the 1,591 universities from 112 countries. Western Sydney University in Australia has topped the overall ranking.
• United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has agreed to extend the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) for next 6 months.
• The sixth edition of the annual Naval Exercise ‘Ekatha’ between India and Maldives was scheduled to be conducted from 4th June to 3rd July 2023, in Maldives to enhance interoperability in diving and special operations.
• The Bar Council of India (BCI) has signed a MoU with the Bar Council of England and Wales for an exchange programme of Lawyers and Law Students for mutual exchange of training & learning amongst each other’s jurisdiction.
• The First edition of the India, France and the United Arab Emirates Trilateral Maritime Partnership Exercise was held in the Gulf of Oman from7^th  to 8^th  June 2023.The aim of the exercise is to enhancing trilateral cooperation between the three navies and to address traditional and non-traditional threats in the maritime environment.
• Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak and President of the United States (US), Joe Biden, signed the “Atlantic Declaration”, a first-of-its-kind economic partnership between US and UK to enable future cooperation on issues such as artificial intelligence, and other economic and commercial relations.
• During visit of President of India, Droupadi Murmu to Suriname , Suriname President honoured President Murmu with the “Grand Order of the Chain of the Yellow Star” the highest civilian honour of Suriname. She became the 4^th recipient and the first Indian to receive this honour.
• A new report, ‘The Global Slavery Index 2023’, by the Walk Free Foundation, highlights the increasing prevalence of modern slavery worldwide.  Among the G20 nations, India tops the list with 11 million people working as forced labourers, followed by China, Russia, Indonesia, and the United States of America (USA).
  • Most Prevalent countries – 1^st North Korea; 2^nd Eritrea; 3^rd Mauritania.
  • Least Prevalent country is Switzerland.
• As per the ‘Oil 2023′ Analysis and forecast to 2028 report released by International Energy Agency (IEA), India will surpass China as the main driver of global oil demand growth by 2027 as consumption expands in fast-growing developing economies and contracts in the developed world.
• World Bank launched its first road safety project in South Asia with a USD 358 million financing agreement with the government of Bangladesh.
• Indian Naval ship (INS) Satpura participated in the 4th  edition of Multilateral Naval Exercise "Komodo" (MNEK 2023) held in Indonesia. INS Satpura participated in the exercise as part of the Indian Navy's deployment to ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries.
• 6th Asia Dengue Summit (ADS) 2023 has been held in Bangkok, Thailand from 15 to 16 June 2023, under the theme “Road Map to Zero Dengue Death”.
• The report ‘Detox Development Repurposing Environmentally Harmful Subsidies’ , released by the World Bank. This new World Bank report examines how subsidy reform can help safeguard the world’s foundational natural assets—clean air, land, and oceans. But subsidies for fossil fuels, agriculture, and fisheries are driving the degradation of these assets and harming people, the planet, and economies.
• The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) has announced India as a top country with LEED Zero green building projects outperforming both the United States and China. The announcement is part of Net Zero Buildings Week, an annual campaign that aims to raise awareness about the benefits of net zero buildings and their potential in reducing carbon emissions and fostering a low-carbon future.
• A Kerala-based startup, Farmers Fresh Zone (FarmersFZ), has been selected for the United Nations (UN) Accelerator Programme hosted by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). FarmersFZ has been included in a list of 12 agri-food startups around the world for the UN to develop business.
• Multinational Peacekeeping Joint Exercise “Ex Khaan Quest 2023” featuring participation from military contingents and observers from over 20 countries has commenced in Mongolia. The Indian Army is represented by a contingent from the GARHWAL RIFLES. The 14-day exercise is aimed at enhancing interoperability of the participating nations, for sharing experience and to train uniformed personnel for the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations.
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India and the Department of Finance, Government of Philippines on Financial Technology (fintech) cooperation was signed in Manila. The JWG would identify concrete measures for partnership in innovative technologies; fintech industry, digital governance; payment linkages; creation of interoperable APIs; financial inclusion and other related areas.
• The United Nations members agreed on a High Seas Treaty to ensure the protection and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction. It was agreed during talks led by the UN during the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on Marine Biodiversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) in New York, the US. The treaty is yet to be formally adopted as members are yet to ratify it. Once adopted, the treaty will be legally binding.
• Global Gender Gap Report 2023, published by World Economic Forum. According to this report India Ranks 127th out of 146 countries in and Iceland Topped the list.

• Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Co. Ltd., the private life insurer, launched first of its kind insurance plan in the India7n life insurance industry designed for Type 2 diabetic and pre-diabetic individuals.
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched its 2023-27 Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) for India, pledging to focus on accelerating structural transformation and job creation, promoting climate-resilient growth, and deepening social and economic inclusiveness.
• Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited in partnership with Myntra launched its first-of-its-kind co-branded digital fashion and lifestyle credit card namely ‘Kotak Myntra credit card’ which will be available on MasterCard and RuPay networks.
• mooPay Private Limited has launched India’s first heat Index-based insurance plan to provide financial compensation to mooMark dairy farmers in case of income loss due to a fall in milk productivity during heat waves in summer.
• Karbon Card payment solution provider has been launched India’s first-ever mobile-based expense management card namely ‘Card++’.
• The Annual Report 2022-23 of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been published, presenting an overview of the RBI’s operations during the fiscal year that ended on March 31, 2023. This report, as per the provisions of Section 53(2) of the RBI Act, 1934, has been submitted to the Central Government. Highlights of the RBI’s Annual Report are as follow:
  • The total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) received by India in FY23 reached a three-year low of USD 46 billion. This amount is 26% lower than the FDI recorded in the previous fiscal year (FY22).
  • The Gross Non-Performing Assets (NPA) as a share of total advances has decreased from 15.5% in 2018-19 to 5.8% in the quarter ending December 2022. Although public sector banks still have higher NPA ratios, they have witnessed a significant reduction in their NPA ratio.

• Ashwani Kumar has been appointed as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of UCO Bank by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
• Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was re-elected as the President of Türkiye for his third consecutive term.
• Sachin Tendulkar has been appointed as the ‘Smile Ambassador’ for Maharashtra’s ‘Swachh Mukh Abhiyan’(SMA), a campaign to create awareness about oral health and hygiene across Maharashtra.
• Ajay Yadav, has been appointed as the Managing Director (MD) of Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI).
• Amarendu Prakash has took charge as the new Chairman of Steel Authority of India Ltd.
• Celeste Saulo, was appointed as the first female Secretary-General (SG) of the World Meteorological Organization.
• Dennis Francis, has been elected as the President of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). He will take charge as President of UNGA at the beginning of the 78th session in September 2023.
• Sanjay Swarup will be the new Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of Container Corporation of India (CONCOR). It is a PSU working under the Ministry of Railways.
• The Saeima, the Parliament of Latvia elected Edgars Rinkevics(49 years old), who has been serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2011, as the  President of Latvia.
• Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has appointed Nitin Agarwal, as the new Director General (DG) of the Border Security Force (BSF).
• Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has appointed Sudhansh Pant as the new Secretary  Department of Health and Family Welfare(DoH&FW) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare(MoH&FW).
• The Financial Services Institution Bureau (FSIB) has selected Ramaswamy Narayanan as the next Chairman and Managing Director of General Insurance Corporation of India.
• U Saravanan has been appointed as the Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of National Fertilizers Limited.
• Hasmukh Adhia has been appointed Chairman of GIFT City Ltd (Gujarat International Finance Tec-city co. ltd.), in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• Ion-Marcel Ciolacu, leader of Romania’s Social Democratic Party (PSD-Partidul Social Democrat) sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Romania.
• Parliament of Finland elected Petteri Orpo, conservative National Coalition Party (NCP) leader as Prime Minister (PM) of Finland.
• The United Kingdom has appointed Jane Marriott as the next British High Commissioner to Pakistan, making her the first female British envoy to Islamabad.
• DBS Bank India announces the appointment of Rajat Verma as Managing Director and Head of Institutional Banking for India. The current Head of Institutional Banking for India, Niraj Mittal, has recently moved to a new role as Country Head of DBS Bank in Australia as part of the bank’s continued talent and leadership development program.
• United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed Aarti Holla-Maini, an Indian-origin satellite industry expert from the United Kingdom (UK), as the Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs.

• Damodar Mauzo, a short story writer, novelist, critic, and scriptwriter in Konkani, has been awarded the 57th Jnanpith Award, India's highest literary honor.
• JSW Steel Limited, has become the First Manufacturer to receive GreenPro ecolabel for its ‘Automotive Steel’ products. The GreenPro Ecolabel, developed by the Confederation of Indian Industry(CII)’s Green Business Centre, recognises the highest standards of environmental sustainability and product performance in the Indian manufacturing sector.
• AIIMS-Nagpur, Maharashtra has become the first of all AIIMS to be accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH). NABH is a constituent board of the Quality Council of India (QCI), set up to establish and operate accreditation programme for healthcare organisations.
• Jagdish Sudhakar Bakan, has been selected for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s 2023 Michel Batisse Award for Biosphere Reserve Management.
• Indian-origin professor Joyeeta Gupta has been awarded the Spinoza Prize, the highest distinction in Dutch science, for her scientific work focusing on a 'just and sustainable world'. The award is also sometimes referred to as the 'Dutch Nobel Prize'.
• British actor and writer Paterson Joseph won the 2023 Royal Society of Literature(RSL) Christopher Bland Prize (5th edition of the award) for his debut novel titled “The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho”. The book is a historical fiction about Charles Ignatius Sancho, who was the first Black man to vote in England.
• Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking, a civic transport and electricity provider public body based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, won the UITP (Union Internationale des Transports Publics) Awards 2023 under Climate and Health category for its project “BEST Green Travel Initiative: Creating Sustainable Public Transportation”.
• Shaktikanta Das, the 25^th governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been honoured with the title the “Governor of the Year” at the Central Banking Awards 2023 in London, for his role during Covid-19, the Russia-Ukraine war, and the fight against inflation.
• Indian writer Arundhati Roy was awarded the 45th European Essay Prize for lifetime achievement by the Charles Veillon Foundation for the French translation of her compilation of essays titled “Azadi” (2021).
• Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has presented the 4th  National Water Awards in New Delhi on Saturday, recognizing and encouraging the commendable efforts made by individuals, organizations, districts, and states in water conservation.
  • Madhya Pradesh emerged as the top-performing state in the Best State category followed by Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar.
• The Jury headed by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, after due deliberations on 18^th June, 2023  decided to select Gita Press, Gorakhpur as the recipient of the Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2021, in recognition of its outstanding contribution towards social, economic and political transformation.
• Salman Rushdie, an Indian born British-American writer was awarded the 2023 Peace Prize of the German Book Trade for his literary work and for his resolve and positive attitude in the face of constant threat to his life.
• During the Skytrax 2023 World Airline Awards at the Paris Air Show 2023 in Paris, France, Star Alliance received the "World's Best Airline Alliance" Award, and Singapore Airlines won the "World's Best Airline" Award for the 5th consecutive year.
• HR services provider Randstad India's annual report 'Randstad Employer Brand Research (REBR) 2023' revealed that Tata Power Company scored very high on financial health, good reputation and career progression opportunities.
• An Indian documentary film titled “When Climate Change Turns Violent” has won a special prize in the ‘Health for All’ category at the 4th Annual Health for All Film Festival (HAFF) held at the World Health Organisation (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
• The Geological Survey of India Training Institute (GSITI) has been awarded accreditation as ‘Athi Uttam’ by the National Accreditation Board of Education and Training (NABET).The assessment was made on the basis of the inspection of all standard operating procedures and methodologies followed by the institute in different levels.
• An Indian documentary film titled “When Climate Change Turns Violent” has won a special prize in the ‘Health for All’ category at the 4th Annual Health for All Film Festival (HAFF) held at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva.
• Historian and writer Ramchandra Guha's book Rebels Against the Raj: Western Fighters for India's Freedom has won the Elizabeth Longford Prize for Historical Biography 2023.
• International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach presented the Olympic Order to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus in an award ceremony held at Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland.
• The 1^st  edition of UNESCO–Al Fozan International Prize 2023 was conferred upon 5 exceptional young scientists, these are as follow:

• North Korea’s unsuccessful attempt to put the country’s first spy satellite “Malligyong-1 satellite” into space. This satellite launch by North Korea is a violation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions that ban the country from conducting any launch based on ballistic technology.
• India carried out a successful training launch of a nuclear-capable Medium Range Ballistic Missile (MRBM), Agni-1 from APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha.
• SpaceX launched Falcon9 known as “V2 Mini” to Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, the United States of America (USA).
• Varunastra,  an indigenously developed heavyweight Torpedo, has successfully tested by the Indian Navy and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It is a significant milestone in the Indian Navy’s & DRDO’s quest for accurate delivery of ordnance on target in the underwater domain.
• Iran unveiled the first Indigenously-made Hypersonic ballistic missile, “Fattah” with a range of 1,400 kilometres (km).
• Galaxeye Space, a space-tech startup is developing the world’s first multi-sensor earth observation satellite namely ‘Drishti‘ incorporating a visible spectrum camera that allows synchronized imaging, capable of capturing multiple images simultaneously.
• Israel, has started test flights of Air Taxi that can carry passengers and heavy cargo, an Air taxi, in a bid to ease traffic congestion on the roads. Image of air taxi as shown below:
• China has achieved a major milestone in its pursuit of hypersonic technology with the completion of the world’s most powerful wind tunnel. Known as the JF-22, this groundbreaking facility is set to play a pivotal role in China’s hypersonic ambitions, enabling the country to make significant strides in the development of hypersonic vehicles.

• Indian Army signed a contract with Astrome Technologies Private Limited, Bengaluru (Karnataka)-based start-up company to procure the indigenously-developed “Tactical LAN (Local area network) Radio” for reliable and interference-free communication in remote and difficult terrain.
• Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, flag officer commanding-in-chief Eastern Naval Command, inaugurated the indigenously designed and developed state-of-the-art Naval Airfield Integrated Security System (NAISS) and the Naval Anti-Drone System (NADS) at INSDega in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam.
• ‘Anjadip’, the 3^rd of eight ships of ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) Shallow Water Craft (SWC) Project being built by GRSE (Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd.) for Indian Navy, was launched at M/s L&T, Kattupalli.
• Kiya.ai, Mumbai(Maharashtra) based Artificial Intelligence(AI) and emerging technology solutions provider, showcased its version of the metaverse called “Bharatmeta“, India’s first of its Kind metaverse platform.
• Mahindra Defence Systems (MDS) has started delivering the first units of the Armado to the Indian armed forces. The Armado is India’s first Armoured Light Specialist Vehicle (ALSV), designed and developed by Mahindra.
• Skyroot Aerospace, private Indian Space Company, successfully conducted the Flight Qualification Test of the Raman-I Engine at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• French successfully conducted its first test firing of a V–MaX (Véhicule Manoeuvrant Expérimental), a Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV) to develop new missile technology capable of evading the most sophisticated air defences.

• 16th Season of TATA Indian Premier League: Chennai Super Kings(CSK) won their 5th  Indian Premier League (IPL) title by defeating the reigning champions Gujarat Titans at Narendra Modi Stadium(the largest cricket stadium in the world) in.
• India won the Men’s Junior Asia Cup 2023 defeating Pakistan in the finals held in Oman. This marks India’s 4th Men’s Junior Asia Cup title.
• Panjab University (Chandigarh) won the overall championship of the 3rd edition of the Khelo India University Games (KIUG 2022) held in Uttar Pradesh from 25th May to 3rd June 2023.
• Indian chess grandmaster Aravindh Chithambaram wins the Dubai Open-2023 (Dubai Open Chess Tournament 2023).
• Fan Zhendong, Table Tennis (TT) player from China, won the Men’s Singles title at the 2023 International Table Tennis Federation held in Durban, South Africa.
• Novak Djokovic, Serbian professional tennis player, won his 23rd Grand Slam title (Men’s singles category) in the French Open 2023. In Women single Iga Swiatek won her 3rd French Open title defeating Karolina Muchova.
• Australia has won 2nd ICC World Test Championship 2021-23 by defeating India. The finals was held at The Oval, London, the United Kingdom.
• Murali Sreeshankar Indian long jumper and Commonwealth Games silver medallist secured 3^rd place in Long Jump (Mens) at the Paris Diamond League 2023.
• Indian Women’s Junior Hockey Team won the Women’s Junior Asia Cup 2023 title by defeating four-time champions Republic of Korea (South Korea) in the finals held in Kakamigahara, Japan. This marks India’s first-ever Women’s Junior Asia Cup title.
• Indian badminton players Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and  Chirag Shetty won the Men’s doubles title at the Group Indonesia Open 2023.

Winner of Indonesia Open 2023 are as follow:

• Vellayani Arjunan, an eminent scholar, writer, academician and Padma Shri awardee passed away in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala at the age of 90.
• Ved Kumari Ghai, Veteran Sanskrit Scholar and Padma Shri awardee, passed away in Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir(J&K).
• Ama Ata Aidoo, an author, poet and playwright famous for her feminist ideals, passed away at the age of 81 in Ghana.
• Manoj Misra, a renowned environmental activist and former Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer passed away.
• Padma Shri Awardee and veteran Actress Sulochana Latkar passed away.
• Gitanjali Aiyar, one of India’s first English news presenters on national broadcaster Doordarshan(DD), passed away.
• Silvio Berlusconi, former Italian Prime Minister and the billionaire media magnet passed away at the age of 86.
• Two-time Oscar-winning actress and UK’s former politician Glenda Jackson passed away in London.
• Cormac McCarthy, the Pulitzer Prize-winning American writer, passed away.

• Indian Ambassador Satish Chandra authored a book titled ‘A Life Well Spent – Four Decades in the Indian Foreign Service’.
• Ashok Kumar Bhattacharya authored a new book titled “India’s Finance Ministers: From Independence to Emergency (1947-1977)” which highlights the role of India’s finance ministers who shaped India’s economy in the first 30 years(from 1947 to 1977) after Independence.
• 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.

• World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is annually observed across the globe on 31st May. The theme 2023 is “We need food, not tobacco”.
• World Milk Day is annually celebrated across the world on 1st June to create awareness about the importance of milk, one of the most widely produced and valuable agricultural commodities on Earth.

• Maharashtra government announced that farmers in the state will be able to opt for the crop insurance scheme by paying Re 1, with the state paying their share of 2% premium.  The state cabinet of Maharashtra has approved new financial scheme named ‘Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Yojana’.
• “Maha Labharthi” portal has been launched by Maharashtra government, in this portal all the state schemes will be enlisted.
• Maharashtra Chief Minister launched Asia’s largest cluster development scheme in Thane, for the collective redevelopment of unauthorised and official dangerous buildings in the urban areas.
• Nand Baba Milk Mission scheme has been launched by Government of Uttar Pradesh, to provide milk producers the facility of selling their milk at a reasonable price in villages through dairy co- operative societies. The scheme has been allocated a budget of Rs 1,000 crore. The scheme aims to make Uttar Pradesh a leading state in the field of milk development and milk production.
• West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation(WBIDC), Amazon Global Selling and FICCI have jointly organised an e-Export Haat at Silpa Sadan, Kolkata, West Bengal(WB) to help small businesses and entrepreneurs from West Bengal expand their businesses globally through e-commerce exports.
• Los Angeles Zoo [California, the United States of America-USA] is set to partner with the Government of Bihar and the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) for the conservation of Gharial (gavia), a fish-eating crocodile in the Gandak River in West Champaran district, Bihar.
• Shakti scheme Launched by Karnataka government to provide free rides for women and girls students in government buses with effect from 11th June 2023.
• National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE) signed a tri-partie Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Higher and Technical Education, Government of Maharashtra, and Moneybee Institute Pvt. Ltd. to create awareness among the public about investing in the capital markets.
  • Maharashtra became the first state to actively initiate the financial literacy campaign under this MoU.
• Madhya Pradesh government approved the Co-operative Policy 2023, with an aim to strengthen the cooperative movement and create jobs in the co-operative sector. Through this initiative, Madhya Pradesh has become the first state to have implemented a cooperative policy.
• Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister has launched an app called ‘Arunpol App’ of Arunachal Pradesh Police and flagged off an APP awareness generation vehicle from the Civil Secretariat, Itanagar.
• Assam’s Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department launched a web portal for cattle transportation aiming to prevent the illegal transportation of cattle.
• ‘Panchayat-level medicine shop’ scheme has been launched by Jharkhand government. The scheme aims to ensure the availability of essential medicines in remote villages and to promote employment.
• ‘The Uttar Pradesh government has launched the 'Polytechnic Chalo Abhiyan 2023' campaign to motivate youths to pursue technical education and enroll in polytechnic institutes.
• Rajasthan government has launched the Pregnancy, Child Tracking & Health Services Management System (PCTS) app to enable online tracking, reporting and monitoring of the health of pregnant women, obstetricians and infants.
• Paytm Payment Services Limited signed a MoU with Arunachal Pradesh to develop a startup environment for the youth in Arunachal Pradesh.
• Dun & Bradstreet India has partnered with the West Bengal to issue Data Universal Numbering System Numbers to exporters and Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in the state.
• A Memorandum of Understanding between FaMe TN (Facilitating MSMEs in Tamil Nadu) and SIDBI (Small Industries Development Bank of India) was inked to attract investments worth Rs 1,510 crore to provide jobs for 7,400 people.
• ‘Jagananna Amma Vodi‘ Scheme has been launched by Andhra Pradesh government. Under the scheme, eligible mothers who send their children to schools will receive Rs 15,000 financial aid to meet their educational expenses.