Daily Current Affairs 15 June 2024

PM Modi attends G7 Outreach Summit in Italy

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the G7 Outreach Summit in Italy’s Apulia region. This marked his first foreign trip after his third term as Prime Minister.
• He engaged in discussions with leaders from Turkey, the UAE, Brazil, Jordan, and met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. He also held bilateral talks with Italian PM Giorgia Meloni.
• The summit focused on issues relating to artificial intelligence (AI), energy, Africa, and the Mediterranean.
• This visit underscores the importance of India’s strategic partnerships and cooperation in regions like the Indo-Pacific and the Mediterranean.

Govt set to launch 10th round of Commercial Coal Block Auction

• The Indian Government, led by Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy, is set to launch the 10th round of commercial coal block auctions.
• This round will offer 62 blocks without end-user restrictions23. Coal produced from these blocks can be sold in the free market.
• Since 2020, nine rounds of auctions have taken place, with 107 coal blocks auctioned having a peak rated capacity of 256 million tonnes.
• So far, 11 of these blocks have been operationalized, producing 17.5 million tonnes of coal last year.
• This aligns with India’s vision for energy independence by 2047.

Two-day India-IORA Cruise Tourism Conference

• The two-day India-IORA Cruise Tourism Conference concluded in New Delhi on 14 June 2024.
• Officials and experts from the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Member States, including Bangladesh, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Seychelles, and Tanzania, participated.
• The conference, organized by FICCI in partnership with the IORA secretariat and the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, provided a platform for stakeholders to share best practices and policy initiatives towards developing and strengthening the cruise tourism sector.
• Discussions covered infrastructure development, regulatory issues, sustainable tourism, employment generation, inclusion of women, and business opportunities.

Mela Kheer Bhawani celebrated with fervor at Tulmulla

• The Mela Kheer Bhawani was celebrated with great religious fervor at the historic Mata Kheer Bhawani Temple in Tulmulla, Ganderbal district.
• Thousands of Kashmiri Pandits from across the world thronged the temple to seek blessings from Mata Ragniya Devi and prayed for peace and prosperity.
• The temple is a living example of the strong bond of love between Muslims and Pandits. At the main gate, local Muslims prepared prasad for the devotees.
• The festival saw enthusiastic participation, with devotees performing rituals, offering milk and kheer in the holy spring, and lighting lamps. The color of the holy spring this year was light blue.

Euro Cup 2024 to kick-start on 15 June

• The Euro Cup 2024 is set to kick-start on 15 June. The opening ceremony and the first match of the competition, Germany vs Scotland, will be held at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
• This tournament will see leading football stars from across Europe compete for one of the most coveted football titles in the world. The tournament will feature matches between teams from various groups.

Divya Deshmukh won the World Junior Girls Chess Championship

• Indian chess sensation Divya Deshmukh won the World Junior Girls’ Chess Championship in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• The 18-year-old International Master (IM) defeated Bulgarian Grand Master Beloslava Krasteva in the final round. She secured the top spot with an impressive 10 points from a possible.
• This victory also elevated Divya to the No.20 spot in the live ratings among women.

Shruti Vora becomes the first Indian Rider to win 3-Star Grand Prix event

• Shruti Vora, a seasoned Indian rider, has scripted history by becoming the first Indian to win a three-star Grand Prix event.
• She achieved this remarkable feat at the CDI-3 event in the FEI Dressage World Cup held in Lipica, Slovenia.
• Astride Magnanimous, Vora scored 67.761 points, finishing ahead of Moldova’s Tatiana Antonenco.

Two-Day ‘Nepal International Tourism Expo’ kick starts in Kathmandu

• The two-day ‘Nepal International Tourism Expo’ (NITE) commenced in Kathmandu on 14 June 2024.
• Organized by Summit Events and Markets, the event aims to promote Nepal’s tourism in the international market.
• The expo, supported by the Kathmandu Metropolitan City and the Nepal Tourism Board, saw participation from 155 entrepreneurs from 16 countries.
• It provided a platform for tourism-related businesses and stakeholders to foster new collaborations and establish sustainable partnerships.
• The expo featured panel discussions on various aspects of Nepal’s tourism, including current policies, challenges, and solutions. The event is expected to significantly boost Nepal’s tourism industry.

Pawan Kalyan announced Deputy CM of Andhra Pradesh

• Actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan, chief of the Jana Sena Party (JSP), has been announced as the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. This comes as the N Chandrababu Naidu government allots portfolios to its ministers.
• In addition to his role as Deputy CM, Kalyan will also serve as the Minister for Panchayati Raj and Rural Development, with additional portfolios of Environment and Forests, and Science and Technology.
• Kalyan, who played a pivotal role in forming the Telugu Desam Party-led National Democratic Alliance (TDP-JSP-BJP Alliance) in Andhra Pradesh, won from the Pithapuram Assembly constituency in the recent elections.

Jupiter Money gets RBI Nod to start Prepaid Wallet Business

• Neobanking startup Jupiter Money has received the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) final authorisation to start issuing Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs).
• This will allow Jupiter to offer a digital wallet to customers for UPI payments, money transfers, and other transactions.
• This move is expected to significantly expand Jupiter’s user base, particularly among users who want to use accounts only for UPI and similar transaction purposes.