24th June, 2022 Current Affairs

24th June, 2022 Current Affairs

NATIONAL
Union Minister unveiled Seismology Observatory in Udhampur

• Dr.Jitendra Singh, Union Minister for Jammu and Kashmir, officially opened the Seismology Observatory in the Dandayal neighbourhood of the Udhampur district. The Ministry of Earth Sciences spent 20 lakh rupees to establish the third such Center in J&K.
• The observatory will compile a comprehensive seismic record of Udhampur, Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, and many more districts.
• According to Dr.Jitendra Singh, the central government plans to open 152 earthquake observatories over the next four months, including three more in the Kashmir division.
• 100 additional seismological centres of this type will emerge nationwide over the next five years to enhance real-time data collection and monitoring.

Uttarakhand: Project to boost rain-fed agriculture approved by World Bank

• In order to advance rain-fed agriculture in the steep areas of Uttarakhand, the World Bank has approved a project costing Rs. 1,000 crore. The watershed department will carry out the Uttarakhand Climate Responsive Rain-fed Farming Project.
• The initiative, which aims to lower greenhouse gas emissions, was offered to the World Bank for funding by the State government.
• The project will be financed by the World Bank.
• Additionally, it will encourage environmentally friendly agricultural practices so that young people and farmers have an economically feasible choice.

INTERNATIONAL
First consignment of India's earthquake relief assistance for people of Afghanistan reaches Kabul

• IndiaThe first consignment of India's earthquake relief assistance for the people of Afghanistan has reached Kabul. It was handed over by the Indian team there. External Affairs Ministry said further consignment will follow.
• Meanwhile, an Indian technical team has reached Kabul yesterday and has been deployed in Indian Embassy there in order to closely monitor and coordinate the efforts of various stakeholders for the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

US Prez calls on Congress to suspend federal gasoline & diesel taxes for 3 months

• US President Joe Biden has called on Congress to suspend federal gasoline and diesel taxes for three months in response to the country's soaring energy prices. If the gas savings were fully passed along to consumers, people would save roughly 3.6 per cent at the pump when prices are averaging about 5 dollar a gallon nationwide.
•  The White House in its fact sheet stated that at present the federal government charges an 18 cent tax per gallon of gasoline and a 24 cent tax per gallon of diesel. The move is the latest effort from countries around the world to address the soaring energy costs

 SPORTS
RumeliDhar retires from all forms of international cricket

• RumeliDhar, the India seam-bowling allrounder, has announced her retirement from international cricket, at the age of 38. Dhar played her last international match in the tri-nation women’s T20I series between India, Australia and England, at Brabourne in 2018.
• In all, she featured in four Tests, 78 ODIs, and 18 T20Is, scoring 1328 runs and taking 84 wickets across formats. She was also part of the India team that had reached the 2005 World Cup final in South Africa.

APPOINTMENTS
Dr D J Pandian appointed to lead NDB’s India Regional Office in Gift City

• Shanghai-headquartered New Development Bank (NDB) of the BRICS countries has appointed former bureaucrat Dr D J Pandian as the Director-General of its India Regional Office in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), the bank announced. Pandian earlier served as the Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of the Beijing-based Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in which India is the 2nd largest shareholder after China.
• The announcement of Pandian’s appointment comes as China, which is the chair of this year’s BRICS, is set to host the summit of the five-member bloc via video link on June 23-24 in which Prime Minister NarendraModi is scheduled to take part.

Lisa Sthalekar becomes first female president of FICA

• Former Australia cricketer, Lisa Sthalekar has become the first female president of  the Federation of International Cricketers’ Association (FICA), the sport’s international player’s association.
•  Her appointment was made at a meeting of the organisation’s executive committee in Switzerland, the first in-person meeting since the start of the Covid pandemic. Sthalekar joins a shortlist of former cricketers including Barry Richards, Jimmy Adams and VikramSolanki to have held the post of FICA president.

Published date : 24 Jun 2022 06:09PM