Current Affairs 21 June 2022

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 21 June 2022, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2022 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

India hosted ASEAN Foreign Ministers & Secretary General for a Special ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (SAIFMM) 2022

On June 16-17, 2022, India hosted the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers and Secretary General for a 2-day Special ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (SAIFMM) 2022 for the first time in New Delhi, Delhi, to commemorate 30 years of ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations and the 10th anniversary of India-ASEAN Strategic Partnership.
The year 2022 has been declared as the ASEAN-India Friendship Year in honour of this milestone, as stated by ASEAN and Indian leaders at the 18th ASEAN-India Summit on October 28, 2021.
Chair and Dignitaries of SAIFMM 2022
i. S. Jaishankar, India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM), and Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, co-chaired the SAIFMM.
ii.Foreign Ministers from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam, and representatives from Lao PDR, the Philippines, and Thailand, attended the meeting, along with the Secretary General of ASEANDato Lim Jock Hoi.
iii. The 12th edition of the Delhi Dialogue (DDXII) 2022, a premium Track 1.5 Dialogue in the ASEAN-India calendar, was hosted by India on June 16-17, 2022, and was accompanied by the Special ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (SAIFMM).
About Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN):
Secretary-General –Dato Lim Jock Hoi
Establishment –1967 (in Bangkok, Thailand)
>> Read Full News

Tourism Ministry launched National Strategy for Sustainable Tourism and Responsible Traveller Campaign

The Ministry of Tourism has launched the National Strategy for Sustainable Tourism and Responsible Traveller Campaign at the National Summit on Developing Sustainable and Responsible Tourist Destinations held in New Delhi, Delhi.

• The summit was organised by the Ministry of Tourism in partnership with the United Nations Environment Program(UNEP) and Responsible Tourism Society of India (RTSOI).
• Swadesh Darshan Scheme of Tourism Ministry was launched with an objective to provide experience to the tourists and has sanctioned 76 projects.
• The Scheme has been revamped as Swadesh Darshan 2.0 with aims to undertake holistic development with the vision to develop Sustainable and Responsible Tourist Destinations. This will promote the adoption of principles of sustainable tourism including environmental, socio-cultural and economic sustainability.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India hosted 8th meeting of the Heads of the Border Services of SCO in New Delhi; 12th BRICS NSAs meet held virtually 

On June 15-17, 2022, India hosted the 8th meeting of the Heads of Border Services of the competent authorities of member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in New Delhi, Delhi.

• India is represented by Border Security Force (BSF) Director General (DG) Pankaj Kumar Singh.
• This was one of several events being organised in 2022 by India as Chair of SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS) mechanism. India became the chair of SCO-RATS on October 28, 2021 for a one-year period.
• India also hosted the counter-terror experts from the SCO countries in New Delhi on May 16, 2022.

Reasons behind this Meeting:
i.Dragging India-China military standoff on the Line of Actual Control (LAC)
ii.Prolonged downturn in India-Pakistan relations
Participants:
It was attended by the senior officials from the military and security agencies of 8 SCO members including India, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan,Uzbekistan; along with Executive Committee of the SCO-RATS (Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure); and Director of SCO-RATS, Mirzaev Ruslan Erkinovich.
Key Highlights:
i.The discussions were held on the pressing security challenges, including threats of terrorism, and regional security scenarios, including the situation in Afghanistan.
ii.The members also assessed the situation on the state borders of the SCO member states, trends and forecasts of its development.
iii.The plan for preparation and organisation of Joint Border Operation 2022 i.e. “Friendship Border – 2022” was also reviewed and approved.
iv.The members supported the initiative of the China to conduct the 9th  round of Joint Border Operations of the border services of the competent authorities of the SCO member states i.e. “Solidarity – 2023” in 2023.
v.The proposals on the place, timing and work plan of the Group of Experts of the Border Services of the Competent Authorities of the SCO Member States for 2023 was also approved.
12th meeting of BRICS National Security Advisors held virtually
On June 15, 2022, the 12th meeting of BRICS National Security Advisors (NSA) was held virtually which was chaired by Yang Jiechi, a member of the political bureau of the CPC (Chinese Communist Party) Central Committee in Beijing, China.

• This meeting was a platform for BRICS countries to enhance political and security cooperation.
• It was attended by NSAs of BRICS Nations viz. Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, where India was represented by NSA Ajit Doval.
• China is the current Chair of BRICS.

Key Points:
i.NSAs of the five BRICS countries had in-depth exchange of views, coordinate positions and build consensus on a range of issues including multilateralism and global governance, new threats and challenges in national security and governance in new domains.

ii.India called for bolstering cooperation against terrorism without any reservations.

iii.The meeting also reviewed the work of the working group on counter-terrorism and cyber security.

• NSAs agreed to jointly promote plans and roadmaps for international counter-terrorism and cyber security cooperation.
• They also called for a more inclusive, representative and democratic global Internet governance system.

iv.It should be noted that the 14th BRICS summit will be virtually held on June 23, 2022 in Beijing, China on the theme of ‘Foster High-quality BRICS Partnership, Usher in a New Era for Global Development’.

• It will be chaired by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

About Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO):

• The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental organization founded in Shanghai, China, on 15 June 2001.
• The SCO currently comprises eight Member States: China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
• The SCO Secretariat, based in Beijing, China, is the main permanent executive body of the SCO.
• The Secretariat is headed by the Secretary-General – Zhang Ming of China.

Delhi’s IGI Airport Stands Best in India and South Asia, 37th among World’s top 50

The 2022 Skytrax World Airport Awards named Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport the finest in India and South Asia for the 4th consecutive year at the ceremony conducted at Passenger Terminal EXPO in Paris on 16th June 2022.

• The airport rose to 37th position from 45th position in 2021, and it is the only airport from India to be featured in the world’s top 50 airports.
• Qatar’s Hamad International Airport has been named the World’s Best Airport for the 2nd year followed by Tokyo Haneda International Airport, Japan and Singapore Changi Airport.

About Skytrax:
Skytrax are specialist Research and Quality Advisors to the air transport industry.
CEO – Edward Plaisted
Establishment- 1989
Headquarters – London, United Kingdom
>> Read Full News

BANKING & FINANCE

MeitY declares ICICI, HDFC, NPCI’s IT resources as Critical Information Infrastructure

The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) has declared the Information Technology (IT) resources of ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) as ‘Critical Information Infrastructure (CII)’ under Section 70 of the IT Act, 2000. The computer resources of their associated dependencies will also be regarded as the protected systems.

• The IT resources under CII include Core Banking Solution, Real Time Gross Settlement and National Electronic Fund Transfer (NEFT) comprising Structured Financial Messaging Server.

What does CII imply?
It means any harm to this infrastructure can have an impact on national security and any unauthorized person accessing these resources may be jailed for up to 10 years, and also be liable to fine.

• The Central Government, under the IT Act, 2000, has the power to declare any data, database, IT network or communications infrastructure as CII to protect that digital asset.
• The National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC), established in 2014, is the nodal agency for taking all measures to protect India’s CII.
• NCIIPC will monitor and forecast national-level threats to CII for policy guidance, expertise sharing and situational awareness for early warning or alerts.

Key Points:
i.The persons authorized to access IT resources of ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, and NPCI are their designated employees, authorized team members of contractual managed service providers or third-party vendors who have been authorised by them for need-based access and any consultant, regulator, government official, auditor and stakeholder authorised by the entities on case-to-case basis.
ii.This decision, to put their IT resources under CII, has been taken due to cyber attacks which raised the need for a protected system by  all the banks and financial institutions.

ONDC partners with NABARD to activate e-Commerce in Agriculture Domain 

An Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) have joined hands to activate e-commerce in the agriculture domain. It is one of the first initiatives to drive ONDC enablement in the domain.
What is ONDC?
It is a network based on open protocol and will enable local commerce across different segments to be discovered and engaged by any network-enabled application. It is an initiative of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

• As of June 2022, ONDC is undergoing pilot launch across five cities in India, in grocery and food & beverages domains.

About NABARD-ONDC Collaboration:
i.Under this, both entities will host the NABARD-ONDC Grand Hackathon which aims to establish market linkages for the players with market ready Farmers Producers Organisations (FPOs) in India.

• This is the first-such initiative to introduce FPOs to the tech world.

ii.They also aim to promote the development of innovative solutions to aid adoption of e-commerce in the agriculture domain.
Key Points:
i.For the NABARD-ONDC Grand Hackathon, more than 400 entities registered, out of whom around 250 are agri-tech startups while 150 are non-agri tech startups.
ii.The Programme constitutes two categories of challenges: Agri Grant Challenge to integrate existing agri-tech e-commerce players on the ONDC network; and Agri Innovation Hackathon to build innovative solutions that may accelerate adoption of e-commerce in the agriculture domain.
About National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD):
Chairman– Govinda Rajulu Chintala
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra

RBI Suspends License of Millath Co-Operative Bank Due to Inadequate Capital

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled the licence of Millath Co-operative Bank Ltd., Davangere, Karnataka, due to insufficient capital and earning potential, and its continued operation is detrimental to the interests of depositors.

• As a result, the bank ceased to conduct banking operations on June 18, 2022, at the close of business.

The Reserve Bank cancelled the license of the bank as:
i.The bank lacks sufficient capital and profit potential. As a result, it does not comply with the provisions of Sections 11 (1) and Section 22 (3) (d) read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
ii.The bank has failed to comply with Sections 22(3)(a), 22(3)(b), 22(3)(c), 22(3)(d), and 22(3)(e) read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
iii. With its current financial situation, the bank would be unable to pay all of its current depositors in full, and
iv.With immediate effect, Millath Co-operative Bank is prohibited from performing banking activities, including the acceptance and repayment of deposits, as specified in Section 5(b) read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, with immediate effect.
Request for liquidation
i.The Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Karnataka has also been requested to issue a winding-up order and appoint a liquidator for the bank.
ii.On liquidation, every depositor would be entitled to receive the deposit insurance claim amount of his or her deposits from the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC), up to a monetary ceiling of Rs. 5 lakhs, subject to the provisions of the DICGC Act, 1961.
About Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
Governor– Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governors – Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, M. Rajeshwar Rao, T. Rabi Sankar
Establishment – 1st April 1935
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

BFSL & Nainital Bank Launches Co-branded Contactless RuPay Credit Card

BOB Financial Solutions Limited (BFSL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of Baroda(BoB) and Nainital Bank launched BOB Financial and Nainital Bank co-branded contactless RuPay Credit Card that is designed to reward customers for everyday spend categories like grocery and departmental stores.

• The card is being launched in the centenary year of Nainital Bank(established in 1922).
• The co-branded credit card also offers complimentary Personal Accidental Death insurance.

Key Highlights:
i.Cardholders of Nainital Bank – BoB RuPay Contactless Credit Card will earn 5X (i.e.) 5 reward points (per Rs. 100 spent) for spending on grocery, departmental stores and movies.

• For all other spending, cardholders will earn 1 reward point (per Rs. 100 spent).
• In addition, cardholders will also benefit 1% Fuel Surcharge Waiver on fuel purchases.

ii.The card is offered at zero joining fee and a nominal annual fee that is waived on spends of Rs. 25,000 per year and customers can also apply digitally.
About BOB Financial Solutions Limited (BFSL):
MD & CEO – Shailendra Singh
Establishment – 1994

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS   

MoE’s Initiative of using ICT in School Education in India Wins UNESCO Award

The Central Institute of Education Technology (CIET), a constituent unit of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) under the Department Of School Education and Literacy (DOSEL), Ministry of Education (MoE) has been awarded the UNESCO King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Education for the year 2021.

• The Department of School Education and the MoE gained UNESCO recognition for its use of ICT during the COVID-19 pandemic under PM eVIDYA.
• It will be awarded to the “Initiatives for Inclusive and Accessible Education during COVID-19” implemented by the CIET from India, and the “Digital Educational Programme” implemented by Ubongo from the United Republic of Tanzania.

About the Award:
i.The UNESCO King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa award was established in 2005 with the support of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

• The 2021 edition is dedicated to a theme whose importance has been highlighted by COVID-19.

ii.The award is awarded to creative ideas on new technology to improve education for all, in accordance with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG-4) on Education.
iii.Every year, an international jury selects 2 outstanding projects and the award winner receives US $25,000, a medal, and a diploma during a ceremony at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris,France. The 2022 ceremony will be held on 24th June 2022.
About PM eVIDYA:
i.On May 17, 2020, the MoE launched the PM eVIDYA as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, which integrates all activities linked to digital, online, on-air education, to offer multi-mode access for delivering education by using ICT to minimise learning losses.
ii.CIET was proactive in taking learning to the doorstep of the children through the use of 12 PM eVidya DTH TV channels and 397 radio stations, including community radio stations under the PM eVidya programme.
About Ministry of Education (MoE):
Union Minister – Dharmendra Pradhan (Rajya Sabha– Madhya Pradesh)
Minister of state – Annpurna Devi, Subhas Sarkar, Rajkumar Ranjan Singh

IIFA Awards 2022 Announced; Vishnu Vardhan; Kriti Sanon & Vicky Kaushal won top awards

The 22nd Edition of the NEXA International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA Award) for 2022 was held on 3rd and 4th June 2022 at Etihad Arena in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The event was hosted by Salman Khan, Riteish Deshmukh and Maniesh Paul.

The IIFA Awards, the annual ceremony that recognises the best technical talent in the Hindi film industry, was held after a 2-year gap due to COVID-19 pandemic.

• Shershaah the biopic of Kargil martyr Captain Vikram Batra, won the Best Picture Award and its director Vishnu Vardhan won the award for best Directions. Shershaah dominated the 2022 Awards with 6 Awards.
• Vicky Kaushal won the Best Actor award for his role in Sardar Udham and Kriti Sanon won the Best Actress Award for her performance in Mimi.

Click here to know more about 22nd NEXA IIFA Awards (2022)

MIFF 2022: Dutch film ‘Turn Your Body to the Sun’ won Golden Conch award for Documentary 

“Turn Your Body to the Sun”, a dutch documentary film directed by Aliona Van der Horst, featuring the story of Soviet Prisoner of War, has won the Golden Conch award for the Best Documentary Film with Cash prize of Rs 10 lakhs, Golden Conch and a certificate at the 17th Mumbai International Film Festival(MIFF) 2022, first edition post-pandemic. MIFF is a festival for Documentary, Short and Animation Films.

• Malayalam film ‘Saakshatkaaram’ directed by Sudesh Balan and ‘Brother Troll’ directed by Gudmund Helsmsal, a film from Faroe Islands of Denmark, won the Silver Conch Award in Short Fiction category. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 2.5 lakhs each.
• ‘Prince in a Pastry Shop’(Poland) directed by Katarzyna Agopsowicz won the Silver Conch for Best Animation Film in International Competition category. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 5 lakhs.

Click here to for the complete list of MIFF 2022 awards     

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS      

Gustavo Petro Wins the Colombian Election, Becomes 1st Leftist President

Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego (Gustavo Petro), a former Mayor of capital Bogota and a longtime senator, who has transformed the social and economic system, becomes 1st leftist President, who will take office in August 2022. He will succeed Iván Duque Márquez who has been serving as the President of Colombia since 2018.

• Francia Marquez, will be the country’s first Afro-Colombian woman Vice-President.
• Gustavo Petro won the Presidential Election against his rival Rodolfo Hernandez.

About Gustavo Petro:
i.Gustavo Petro has received more than 50 percent of the vote, with more than 99 percent counted. He will face issues related to Lack of opportunity and rising violence; high levels of deforestation in the Colombian Amazon; and growing threats to democracy.
ii.He has also pledged to fully implement a 2016 peace deal with FARC rebels and seek talks with the still-active ELN guerrillas.
iii.Petro had also been a part of a different rebel group, called the M-19, which demobilized in 1990, and became a political party that helped rewrite the country’s constitution.
 About Colombia:
Capital – Bogota
Currency – Colombian Peso    

Mayank Kumar Agrawal DG of DD given additional charge of Prasar Bharati CEO

Mayank Kumar Agrawal, Director General (DG) of Doordarshan(DD) and Doordarshan News has been given additional charge as Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Prasar Bharati till further orders or regular appointment to the post.

• Mayank Kumar Agrawal, a 1989-batch Indian Information Service official, was given the additional charges following the approval from Anurag Thakur, Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting.
• This decision was made after the 5-year tenure of Shashi Shekhar Vempati as CEO of Prasar Bharati concluded on 8th June 2022. Shashi Shekhar Vempati was the youngest and first non-bureaucrat to hold the office since its creation in 1997.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

China Launches its 1st fully Domestically Built Aircraft Carrier named Fujian

On June 17, 2022, China launched its first fully domestically built catapult aircraft carrier, ‘Fujian’ which is its most advanced naval vessel. It was launched at a brief ceremony held at Shanghai’s Jiangnan Shipyard. It is the biggest and most modern aircraft carrier, marking a major military advance for the Asian superpower.

• Fujian is China’s 3rd aircraft carrier built by China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) Limited.
• It has a flat, straight flight deck equipped with electromagnetic catapults and arresting devices, and has a full displacement of more than 80,000 tonnes.
• It is named after China’s eastern coastal province of Fujian.
• The ship can carry 50 unmanned systems, including unmanned boats, drones and underwater vehicles.

Key Points:
i.The advanced catapult system is called Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) which is more energy-efficient and reduces maintenance.
ii.It was due to be launched on April 23, 2022 i.e. on the 73rd anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), but was delayed amid Covid-19 lockdown of Shanghai.
iii.China’s first aircraft carrier, the ‘Liaoning’, was commissioned in 2012 followed by the 2nd aircraft carrier ‘Shandong’ in 2019.

• Liaoning and Shandong are also the names of two provinces of China.

iv.China plans to have around 5 aircraft carriers, the next aircraft is expected to be nuclear-powered.
v.China’s naval buildup comes at the time of its growing geopolitical tensions with the United States (US).

SPORTS

Formula 1: Max Verstappen wins Canadian Grand Prix 20222021 Formula One World Champion and a red bull racer, Max Verstappen of the Netherlands has won his 6th Formula One(F1) title of the 2022 season in the Canadian Grand Prix 2022 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada. Verstappen has won the four of the previous five Grand Prix this season.

• This is Verstappen’s 1st Canadian victory in his 150th career start, and the 26th of his career.
• Carlos Sainz of Spain, Ferrari driver placed 2nd and Lewis Hamilton of United kingdom, Mercedes driver placed 3rd in the Canadian Grand Prix 2022.

About Max Verstappen:
i.The 24-year-old driver finished sixth in the 2020 Turkish Grand Prix and ninth in the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix.
ii.Verstappen has won six races this season(2022) – Saudi Arabian GP, Emilia Romagna GP, Miami GP, Spanish GP, Azerbaijan GP, and now the Canadian GP.
Note – Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez secured the 1st and 2nd position respectively at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Indian Football Captain Sunil Chhetri becomes 5th Highest Goalscorer; Equals Ferenc Puskás

Indian Men’s football team captain Sunil Chhetri scored his 84th International goal against Hong Kong during the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers. He has equalled the record of Real Madrid and Hungarian Football Legend Ferenc Puskás and became the joint fifth highest goalscorer in international football.
Sunil Chhetri scored 84 goals in 129 appearances while Ferenc Puskás (who died in 2006 aged 79) scored 84 goals in 85 international matches.

• Sunil Chhetri is the 3rd highest goal scorer in international football among active players, after Cristiano Ronaldo with 117 goals and Lionel Messi with 86 goals.
• He is also the highest active goal scorer from Asia and India.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Refugee Day 2022 – June 20

The United Nations(UN)’s World Refugee Day is annually observed across the globe on 20th June to honour refugees around the world and to create awareness and sensitivity towards the people who have been displaced due to war, persecution, political turmoil or violence.
The day also celebrates the strength and courage of the people who were forced to flee their home country in order to escape conflict or persecution.

• The theme of World Refugee Day 2022 is “The Right to Seek Safety”. 
• Tagline of World Refugee Day 2022 is “Whoever. Wherever. Whenever. Everyone has the right to seek safety”.

Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/55/76 in December 2000 and proclaimed the 20th June of every year as World Refugee Day.
ii.The first ever World Refugee Day was observed on 20th June 2001.
Note: The 2001 event also marked the 50th anniversary of the 1951 convention relating to the Status of Refugees.
>> Read Full News

International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict 2022 – June 19 The United Nations (UN)’s International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict is annually observed across the globe on 19th June to create awareness about the conflict-related sexual violence.

• 19th June 2022 marks the observance of the 8th official International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict.

Background:
The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/69/293 on 19th June 2015 and proclaimed the 19th June of every year as the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict.
Why June 19?
The day 19th June, was chosen to commemorate the adoption of the Security Council resolution 1820 (2008) on 19th June 2008, which condemned sexual violence as a tactic of war and an impediment to peacebuilding.
>> Read Full News

National Reading Day 2022 – June 19

National Reading Day is annually observed across India on 19th June to encourage the habit and culture of reading and to promote literacy.

The National Reading Day on 19th June also marks the death anniversary of Puthuvayil Narayana Panicker (PN Panicker), who is considered as the Father of Kerala’s Library and Literacy Movement (Library Movement).

Background:
i.On 19th June 1996, The government of Kerala started the observance of Reading Day in association with the P N Panicker Foundation.
ii.The day became a mass movement to promote literacy and the culture of reading in Kerala.
The P N Panicker Foundation and P N Panicker Vigyan Vikas Kendra have been observing the Reading Day, Reading Week, and Reading Month Celebrations since 19th June 1996.

• In 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared 19th June, (Kerala’s Reading Day) as National Reading Day in India.
• He also gave a clarion call to propagate the message of Vayichu Valaruka (Read and Grow) to 300 million Indian citizens by 2022.

P N Panicker National Reading/ Digital Reading Month: 19th June – 18th July 2022

• P N Panicker National Reading/ Digital Reading Month is celebrated across India from 19th June 2022 to 18th July 2022. 
• The celebrations are organised in collaboration with the Government of India, Ministry of Education, NITI Aayog, National Digital Library of India(NDLI), Government of Kerala, P.N. Panicker Foundation, P.N. Panicker Vigyan Vikas Kendra and other stakeholders.

The Government of Kerala and the Government of India(GoI) through the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) have entrusted the responsibility of observing National Reading or Digital Reading Month Celebrations to P N Panicker Foundation and P N Panicker Vigyan Vikas Kendra.
About PN Panicker:
i.PN Panicker, born on 1st March 1909 in Alappuzha, Kerala, has contributed to the literacy movement in Kerala.
ii.He promoted Kerala Association for Non-Formal Education and Development (KANFED), a non-formal education movement and institutions like Kerala Grandhasala Sangam (Kerala State Library Council).
iii.He served as the General Secretary of the Kerala State Library Council for 32 years till 1977.
iv.He led the formation of Thiruvithaamkoor Granthasala Sangham (Travancore Library Association) in 1945. With the formation of Kerala State in 1956, this became “Kerala Granthasala Sangham (KGS)”.

• Grandhasala Sangham won the prestigious ‘Krupsakaya Award’ from UNESCO in 1975
• In 2004, the Department of Posts honoured PN Panicker through the issue of a commemorative postage stamp.

Note: India’s first 100% literate city, Kottayam, and first 100% literate district, Ernakulam, were from Kerala. Kerala also became the first state to attain 100% primary education.

World Sickle Cell Day 2022 – June 19 
World Sickle Cell Day is annually observed across the globe on 19th June to create awareness of sickle cell disease and the challenges experienced by people with sickle cell diseases.
World Sickle Cell Day is also known as “World Sickle Cell Awareness Day”

• A sickle cell is a red blood cell that has contorted into a sickle shape.

National Campaign:
Shine the Light on Sickle Cell is a national awareness campaign to celebrate World Sickle Cell Day.
Sickle-cell anaemia:
i.Sickle-cell anaemia, also known as a Sickle-Cell Disorder or Sickle-Cell Disease(SCD), is a group of inherited disorders that cause red blood cells to become sickle instead of normal biconcave shape.
ii.It is a common genetic condition due to a haemoglobin disorder, inheritance of mutant haemoglobin genes from both parents.
Prevalence: Sickle-cell anaemia is particularly common among people whose ancestors come from sub-Saharan Africa, India, Saudi Arabia and Mediterranean countries
Prevention: People at risk of having affected children can be identified with blood tests and chorionic villus sampling from nine weeks of pregnancy can be performed for prenatal diagnosis.
Key Points:
i.In 2007, The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) General conference (34th session) adopted the resolution – The Implementation Of 33 C/Resolution 22 “Sickle-Cell Anaemia, A Public Health Priority”
ii.In December 2008, the United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/63/237 and recognised the sickle cell anaemia as a public health problem.

• This recognised the sickle cell anaemia as one of the world’s foremost genetic diseases which has severe physical, psychological and social consequences on the affected people.

STATE NEWS

President Appoints New Chief Justices to Six High Courts

The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, has appointed new Chief Justices for six High Courts: Uttarakhand, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gauhati, and Telangana in exercise of the power conferred under clause (1) of Article 217 of the Constitution of India, after consultation with the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana (N V Ramana).

• Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court Satish Chandra Sharma has been transferred to the Delhi High Court in the same capacity as the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court. Madhya Pradesh is his parent High Court.
• The other five High Court Judges have been elevated to the position of Chief Justice.

Note: The Gauhati High Court in Assam is the High Court of Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram & Arunachal Pradesh
Five Judges Elevated as Chief Justices of Various High Courts 
i.Justice Vipin Sanghi, Judge, Delhi High Court, was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court.
Sanghi will be taking over from Uttarakhand HC’s current acting chief justice Sanjay Kumar Mishra.
ii.Justice Amjad A. Sayed, Judge, Bombay High Court, was made Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court.
He will be taking over from Justice Mohammad Rafiq, the present chief justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, is likely to retire on May 24.
iii. Justice Sambhaji Shivaji Shinde (S S Shinde), Judge, Bombay High Court, was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court.
He will be replacing Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava.
iv.Justice Rashmin Manharbhai Chhaya, Judge, Gujarat High Court, was elevated as the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court.
Justice Chhaya will replace Justice N Kotiswar Singh who is the Acting Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court.
v.Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, who is currently a judge in Telangana High Court, was elevated as Chief Justice of Telangana High Court. His parent high court is Gauhati.
Justice Ujjal Bhuyan will replace Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma of the Telangana High Court

Key Information:
i.Four of these high courts – Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gauhati – were headed by Acting Chief Justices.

• Since Justice D N Patel retired, the Delhi High Court has been without a regular Chief Justice, and Justice Sanghi has served as Acting Chief Justice since March 13, 2022.

ii.The names of new Chief Justices were recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium led by CJI N V Ramana on May 17, 2022.
iii. The new Chief Justices will assume their new charge in the following days, and their appointments will take effect from the day they assume office.
iv.Judicial vacancies: The number of judicial vacancies in the High Courts remained at 400 as of June 1, 2022, while the working strength of judges is 708. The sanctioned number of judges in the 25 High Courts is 1,108.
Note: clause (1) of Article 217: – Every Judge of a High Court shall be appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, the Governor of the State, and, in the case of appointment of a Judge other than the Chief Justice, the Chief Justice of the High Court, and shall hold office, in the case of an additional or acting Judge, as provided in article 224, and in any other case, until he attains the age of sixty-two years.

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