Daily Current Affairs- 8 June

Today's Current Affairs 8th June 2023

SPORTS

Sunil Kumar wins decathlon gold at Asian U20 Athletics Championship, and more

India’s Sunil Kumar scored 7003 points and clinched gold in men’s decathlon at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in Yecheon, South Korea .

Apart from Sunil’s heroics, Pooja clinched women’s high jump silver after finishing with a 1.82m jump while Bushra Khan, secured silver in women’s 3000m race. In the women’s 4x100m relay, India secured bronze with a time of 45.36s.

Earlier on Monday, Siddharth Choudhary bagged gold medal in the men’s Shot Put with a throw of 19.52m while Shivam Lohakare won silver in Javelin throw with a throw of 72.34m. Sharuk Khan clocked 8:51.74 in men’s 3000m steeplechase to add another silver to India’s medal tally.

India is placed third in the overall rankings with 12 medals - Three each of gold, silver and bronze. Japan tops the chart with 10 golds and 17 medals overall while China is placed second with 14 medals.

SCIENCE & TEHNOLOGY

Tata Elxsi partners with ISRO to develop crew recovery models for Gaganyaan Mission

Tata Elxsi has partnered with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for the upcoming Gaganyaan Mission. The leading global engineering company has designed and developed the crew module recovery models (CMRM) for the recovery team training of the space mission.

ISRO's Gaganyaan project envisions a demonstration of human spaceflight capability by launching the crew into a 400-kilometre orbit for a three-day mission and safely bringing them to Earth by landing in Indian sea waters.

One of the key requirements of this project is the safe recovery of the crew, which must be carried out with minimum lapse of time. This is where the CRRMs come into use,

OBITURY

Award-Winning DD Anchor Gitanjali Aiyar Passes Away

Gitanjali Aiyar, one of India's first English female news presenters on national broadcaster Doordarshan, passed away. She was in her mid-70s. Aiyar is survived by a son and daughter Pallavi Aiyar, who is also an award-winning journalist.

After completing graduation from Kolkata's Loreto College, she had joined Doordarshan in 1971 and was awarded the best anchor four times. She also won the Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award for Outstanding Women in 1989. She was also a diploma holder from the National School of Drama (NSD) Apart from presenting news programmes, she had also been a popular face in several print advertisements and even acted in Sridhar Kshirsagar's TV drama 'Khandaan'. In her decades-long illustrious career, she was also associated with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS

Air Marshal Rajesh Kumar Anand takes over as Air Officer-in-Charge Administration

Air Marshal Rajesh Kumar Anand, Vishisht Seva Medal took over as Air    Officer-in-Charge Administration (AOA) on 01 Jun 2023. An alumnus of National Defence Academy, the Air Marshal was commissioned in Administrative Branch of the Indian Air Force as an Air Traffic Controller on 13 Jun 1987.  He has undergone the Higher Air Command Course from College of Air Warfare and Area Control Course from the Singapore Aviation Academy.

In a career spanning over 36 years, the Air Marshal has held various field and staff appointments.  Prior to his present appointment, he was Director General (Administration) at Air Headquarters, New Delhi.

For his distinguished service, he was awarded Vishisht Seva Medal in January 2022 by the President of India.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Oceans Day

World Oceans Day is celebrated every year on 8 June to create awareness among people regarding the significance of oceans, and the importance of preserving and conserving oceanic resources.

World Oceans Day is a necessary reminder to realise and appreciate the contribution of oceans in our lives, from providing food to regulating and supporting biodiversity and the climate.

History - World Ocean Day was officially established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2008 to be celebrated worldwide, annually on June 8 to resolve the problems of Oceans and also to save Ocean water.

Theme - The theme for 2023’s World Ocean Day is 'Planet Ocean: tides are Changing' which presents the paradox of hope and concern for oceans. Although more individuals are becoming aware of the harm that humans have done to the oceans, the degradation of the ocean ecosystems is still happening one by one as a result of the effects of our activities.

World Ocean Day is an occasion to nurture public interest to protect the oceans and to engage various key international stakeholders to help implement the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to conserve and manage ocean resources in a balanced manner.

SUMMIT'S & MOU's

Microsoft and AirJaldi  Sign MoU To Provide Internet For Underserved Communities In 12 States

Microsoft, in collaboration with AirJaldi Networks, a leading provider of internet connectivity solutions for rural areas, has signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) titled 'Contentful Connectivity'. The objective of this program is to expand access to high-speed internet and meaningful connectivity in rural regions of India by partnering with private, public, and non-profit sectors.

Over the next three years, the program will:

1. Expand AirJaldi Networks into three new states namely, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha, with an increase in the number of network locations from 40 to 62 in 12 states.
2. Strengthen AirJaldi Networks in nine states by extending the wireless and wired infrastructure and supporting extension of reach and connectivity provision for underserved users.
3. Enhance skilling, education and entrepreneurship training programs by strengthening the courses for women entrepreneurship and rural connectivity and integrating Microsoft modules on digital productivity, employability skills, and AI fluency skills for 15,000 underserved community members, in particular women, youth and high school children in 12 states.
4. Build Internet of Things (IoT) based connectivity-related solutions in the rural regions on networking, e-learning, skilling, telemedicine, agriculture, accessibility, and environment to transform livelihoods and well-being of enterprises and communities
5. Build partnerships with government and corporate organizations for sustenance in three states where the networks are getting created in the areas of education, diverse skills for jobs, or women entrepreneurship

Firms of India and Germany sign MoU for cooperation in Submarine Production

India’s Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited and Germany-based Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems (TKMS) has signed an MoU for cooperation in submarine production, as a precursor to join a bid for an estimated Rs. 42,000 crore project to build six diesel-electric submarines for the Indian navy.

The MoU which is “non-binding and non-financial” in nature was signed in the presence of visiting Defence minister of Germany Boris Pistorious.

According to the MoU, TKMS will engage in the engineering and design aspects of the submarines as well as the consultancy support for this joint venture, whereas Mazagon Dock will be responsible for constructing and delivering the submarines.

BANKING AND ECONOMY

SIDBI signs pact with HDFC Bank to offer financial solutions to MSMEs

State-owned Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with HDFC Bank for providing financial solutions to MSMEs.

Under the MoU, SIDBI and HDFC Bank will work together to provide complete financial product and services to the customers under Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

The MoU will facilitate providing complete financial solutions to MSMEs in a seamless manner.

This arrangement will enable MSMEs to avail financial products and services of both the banks.

Both banks will endeavour to bring more MSMEs in financial ecosystems through the arrangement.

About: SIDBI - Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) is the apex regulatory body for overall licensing and regulation of micro, small and medium enterprise finance companies in India, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India headquartered at Lucknow. It is active in the development of Micro Finance Institutions through the SIDBI Foundation for Micro Credit and assists in extending microfinance through the Micro Finance Institution (MFI) route.