Correct Answer :   June 29

---

National Statistics Day is celebrated on June 29 every year to recognize the contributions of PC Mahanalobis. It is not be confused with World Statistics Day, which is a UN-designated day and is celebrated on October 20 every 5 years.


National Statistics Day History :

Indian government designated 29th June as National Statistics Day in recognition of the contributions made by Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis in the fields of statistics and economic planning on June 5, 2007. The first National Statistics Day was celebrated on June 29, 2007 and it has been celebrated on the same day since then.

Professor Mahalanobis was part of the first planning commission of India and was instrumental in establishing the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in 1931.

National Statistics Day 2023 Theme : The theme of this year's Statistics Day is "Alignment of State Indicator Framework with National Indicator Framework for Monitoring Sustainable Development Goals".


National Statistics Day Significance : The significance of Statistics Day is to create public awareness in the young generation about the role and importance of statistics in strategizing, economic planning and policy formulation. The occasion is celebrated as a reminder to learn from the achievements of Professor Mahalanobis in the field of statistics..

Source : Mint

Correct Answer :   Rs. 66,000 Crores

---

Centre has provided financial incentives to 12 states to accelerate power sector reforms. The Finance Ministry said, these states will receive over 66,000 crore rupees incentives for reforms in the power sector.

These states include Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Manipur and Andhra Pradesh.

The primary objectives of granting financial incentives for undertaking power sector reforms are to improve operational and economic efficiency within the sector and promote a sustained increase in paid electricity consumption.

The Ministry said, based on the recommendations of the Power Ministry, it has granted permission for reforms undertaken in 2021-22 and 2022-23 to 12 State governments.

Over the last two financial years, they have been allowed to raise financial resources of 66,413 crore rupees through additional borrowing permissions.

In the financial year 2023-24, states can continue to avail themselves of the facility of additional borrowing linked to power sector reforms. The Ministry said, an amount of over one lakh 43 thousand crore rupees will be available as an incentive to states for undertaking these reforms..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Rohit Jawa

---

Rohit Jawa on Tuesday (27th June 2023) took charge as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of FMCG major Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL). Jawa has replaced Sanjiv Mehta who retired on Monday after the company's annual general meeting.

Mehta handed over the baton to Jawa, who was appointed as an Additional Director and CEO-Designate from April 1, 2023, from the close of business hours on June 26, 2023. Mehta was at the helm for almost a decade and was with the company for more than 30 years.

On Monday, shareholders approved the proposal of appointing Jawa as a Whole Time Director as well as Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of HUL.

According to the company's annual report, Jawa would draw an annual remuneration of Rs 21.43 crore and would also receive a sum of Rs 4.83 crore as mobility-linked allowances in FY24.

Prior to this role, Jawa was the Chief of Transformation for Unilever in London.

He had started his career with HUL as a management trainee in 1988 and has a proven track record of sustained business results across India, South East Asia, and North Asia.

Mehta had taken over as the MD & CEO of HUL in October 2013.

In a LinkedIn post, Mehta said, "HUL is an emotion that has been a big part of me for the last ten years, a sentiment that my wife Mona Mehta and I will forever cherish. The memories we have made and the friendships we have forged will always have a special place in our hearts"..

Source : EIT

Correct Answer :   June 29

---

International Day of the Tropics is observed annually on June 29. Its purpose is to acknowledge the extraordinary variety of the tropics while shedding more light on the distinctive challenges and opportunities that are faced by tropical areas.

To raise awareness about the specific challenges of tropical countries at all levels, and the implications and issues affecting the world’s tropical regions, the International Day of the Tropics is observed on June 29 all across the globe.

Significance of International Day of the Tropic :
The International Day of the Tropics celebrates the extraordinary diversity of the tropics while highlighting unique challenges and opportunities nations of the Tropics face. It provides an opportunity to take stock of progress across the tropics, to share tropical stories and expertise and to acknowledge the diversity and potential of the region.

The Tropics are a region of the Earth, roughly defined as the area between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn. Although topography and other factors contribute to climatic variation, tropical locations are typically warm and experience little seasonal change in day-to-day temperature. An important feature of the Tropics is the prevalence of rain in the moist inner regions near the equator, and that the seasonality of rainfall increases with the distance from the equator. The tropical region faces several challenges such as climate change, deforestation, logging, urbanisation and demographic changes.

History of International Day of the Tropics :
The inaugural State of the Tropics Report was launched on 29 June 2014, as the culmination of a collaboration between twelve leading tropical research institutions. The report offers a unique perspective on this increasingly important region. Marking the anniversary of the report’s launch the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/70/267 in 2016, which declared that 29 June of each year is to be observed as the International Day of the Tropics.

The International Day of the Tropics was designated to raise awareness to the specific challenges faced by tropical areas, the far-reaching implications of the issues affecting the world’s tropical zone and the need, at all levels, to raise awareness and to underline the important role that countries in the tropics will play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Correct Answer :   TS Singh Deo

---

Chhattisgarh Minister "TS Singh Deo" was appointed as the Deputy Chief Minister of the state on Wednesday (28th June 2023), after a meeting of Congress party president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior leader Rahul Gandhi, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Singhdeo and some other senior party leaders in Delhi.

In a tweet on Thursday (29th June 2023) afternoon, Singhdeo thanked the leaders and mentioned Baghel, saying they were “committed to taking Chhattisgarh to new heights of progress and development.” Baghel also tweeted photos with him.

छत्तीसगढ़ के उप-मुख्यमंत्री के रूप में मुझे राज्य की सेवा करने का अवसर देने के लिए कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष श्री मल्लिकार्जुन @kharge जी और श्रीमती सोनिया गांधी जी का हार्दिक आभार। मुझ पर निरंतर विश्वास के लिए श्री @RahulGandhi जी को भी धन्यवाद देना चाहता हूं।

मैं छत्तीसगढ़ के लोगों से…

— T S Singhdeo (@TS_SinghDeo) June 29, 2023

Since Baghel assumed the CM post after the 2018 state elections, there was a perception that Singhdeo, who belongs to the erstwhile royal family of Sarguja, was discontent over the elevation. The two leaders have also publicly disagreed on matters in the state since then.

With Legislative Assembly elections due in the state later this year, it is believed that the Congress leadership was eager to resolve tensions between the two. In December 2022, Singhdeo expressed a dilemma over contesting the 2023 polls.


Who is TS Singhdeo?

Tribhuvaneshwar Saran Singhdeo or TS Singhdeo represents the Ambikapur constituency in Chhattisgarh, which is part of the Sarguja district. Popularly known as ‘TS Baba’ or ‘Maharaj’, Singhdeo is unmarried and holds a Master’s degree in History.

He first became an MLA in 2008 and was re-elected in 2013. The next year, he became the Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly. It was reported that he was the party’s richest candidate in the state, with declared assets worth over Rs 560 crore..

Source : Indian Express

Correct Answer :   Meta

---

Meta on Wednesday (28th June 2023) declared a fresh Mixed Reality (MR) programme in India that has an award of $250,000 for homegrown new companies and developers to construct applications and experiences.

They can assemble applications utilising Meta's Presence Platform, the organisation's expansive scope of machine perception and AI capabilities for the Meta Quest Platform and Metaverse.

The company claims that the fund aims to foster innovation and establish a national XR technology ecosystem.


Meta launch in India :

Sandhya Devanathan, VP for Meta in India says : "Meta is committed to building the XR ecosystem in India. The Presence Platform is an integral part of the metaverse vision, aiming to make virtual experiences more tangible and accessible”.

As a part of the programme, a select group of up to five Indian developers and new companies will get a monetary grant, alongside top-notch mentoring and guidance from the Meta Reality Labs specialists.

They will also have a chance to upload their product to Quest App Lab and become part of Meta's developing developer ecosystem. Meta stated that at the end of the programme, selected startups will also receive an introduction to prominent local venture capital funds.

Devanathan continued, "We believe that this fund and programme will accelerate the creation and adoption of VR and MR experiences in the country and  give Indian developers an opportunity to go global with their innovations."

The fund is now accepting applications and encourages both established and new startups and developers to experiment with the Presence Platform's skills. According to the company, the selected developers will need to incorporate features like Passthrough, Scene Understanding, Spatial Anchors, Shared Spatial Anchors, Voice SDK, Text to Speech, Interaction SDK for Hand Tracking, and Social Presence APIs into either new or existing Meta Quest apps..

Source : Business Standard

Correct Answer :   Canada

---

Canada on Tuesday (27th June 2023) announced to launch its "Digital Nomad Strategy" which will provide a temporary arrangement for foreigners to look for jobs in the country.





What will digital nomad strategy offer?

Announcing the development, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said that "digital nomad strategy" will allow workers with a foreign employer to stay and work in Canada for up to six months. If they get a job offer while in the country, he said, they can remain in Canada even longer.

Hinting that it will be extremely beneficial for Canada, he said those workers will "spend money in communities in this country."

In a bid to address Canada's skills shortage, the federal government is looking to poach talent from abroad through three new initiatives that were unveiled at a technology conference on Tuesday. The conference was addressed by Fraser.

What are the other two initiatives?

Some of his announcements were targeted specifically at that industry — part of what the ministry is calling a "tech talent strategy."

By the end of this year (2023), Fraser said, the federal government will be developing an immigration stream for "some of the world's most talented people that will be able to come to Canada to work for tech companies, whether they have a job offer or not." However, the minister did not clarify who will qualify or how many people will be admitted to the stream.

Later, a news release said the government will create an "innovation stream" under its international mobility program for skilled workers who are "in select in-demand occupations" or are destined for work with companies the government selects as “contributing to our innovation goals."

The third new program announced Tuesday was specifically aimed at the United States. By July 16, Fraser said, the government will create an open work-permit stream to allow 10,000 American H-1B visa holders to come and work in Canada.

In its news release, the ministry said the program will also provide for study or work permits for their family members..


-- CBC news

Correct Answer :   Haoliang Xu

---

United Nations Secretary-General "António Guterres" announced (26th June 2023) the appointment of "Haoliang Xu" of China as Under-Secretary-General and Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). 

Mr. Xu will succeed Usha Rao-Monari of India, to whom the Secretary-General has expressed his appreciation for her service and commitment during her tenure as Associate Administrator.

Mr. Xu has been serving as the Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP since 2019. 

His extensive background also includes his time as the UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, a position he held between 2013 and 2019.

Mr. Xu brings to the position nearly three decades of experience in the field of international development.  He has fulfilled various roles within the organization, working in various field and headquarters assignments in Asia-Pacific, Europe and Central Asia. Before his career at the United Nations, Mr. Xu worked in the field of civil engineering in China and the United States.

Mr. Xu holds a bachelor’s degree in Bridge Engineering from Tongji University, China, a master’s degree in management science from the Stevens Institute of Technology, USA, and a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University, USA.  He speaks Chinese, English and Russian.  He is married with one child..

Source : UN

Correct Answer :   28th June

---

National Insurance Awareness Day is annually observed on 28th June to raise awareness about Insurance which offers a layer of protection to guard in various situations and about the benefits of investing in an insurance plan.

The day also serves as a reminder to people to check if all their insurance payments (or renewals) are up to date.


What about the Insurance?

Insurance is a legal agreement (financial tool) between two parties – the insurer (Insurance Company/provider) and the insured (Policy holder), also known as insurance coverage or insurance policy, in which the insurer provides financial coverage for the losses of the insured that s/he may bear under certain circumstances.

Evolution of Insurance in India :

* India witnessed the emergence of life insurance business in 1818 with the establishment of the Oriental Life Insurance Company in Calcutta (Now Kolkata in West Bengal).

* In 1914, the Government of India (GoI) started publishing returns of Insurance Companies in India.

* The Indian Life Assurance Companies Act, 1912 was the first statutory measure to regulate the life insurance business.

* In 1956, an ordinance was issued nationalising the Life Insurance sector and Life InsuranceCorporation (LIC) came into existence

* The LIC of India was formed by an Act of Parliament (LIC, Act 1956), with a capital contribution of Rs. 5 Crores from GoI.

Note : The minimum paid-up equity capital of insurance companies is Rs.100 Crore. If the application is made for the business of Reinsurance, there must be documentary evidence proving that the paidup capital of the business is at least Rs. 200 crore.

Insurance penetration in India :

* As per the Economic Survey 2022-23 released on January 31, 2023, the Insurance penetration in India has risen from 2.7% (in 2000) to 4.2% (in 2020) and was 3.2% in 2021.

Note : Insurance penetration is measured as the percentage of insurance premiums to Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

* In 2021, the total global insurance premiums rose by 3.4% in real terms, with the non-life insurance sector witnessing a 2.6% rise.

* In the life insurance segment, global premium growth registered a projection of 4.5%.

Correct Answer :   Aarti Holla-Maini

---

Indian-origin satellite industry expert Aarti Holla-Maini was on Tuesday (27th June 2023) appointed as the Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna by the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Aarti Holla-Maini will succeed Simonetta Di Pippo of Italy.

* The primary objective of UNOOSA is to foster global collaboration in the peaceful utilization and exploration of outer space, as well as the effective application of space science and technology to achieve sustainable economic and social progress.

* Aarti Holla-Maini has over 25 years of professional experience in the space sector including managerial and advocacy functions.

* Before she was appointed as the Director of United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, she was Executive Vice-President Sustainability, Policy & Impact at NorthStar Earth & Space.

* Before that, Aarti Holla-Maini worked as the Secretary-General of the Global Satellite Operators Association. She held that role for 18 years.

* Holla-Maini’s experience includes service as a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on Space; member of the Advisory Group of the Space Sustainability Rating managed by eSpace at the École Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) Space Center; member of the Advisory Board of the Satellite Industry Association of India; Senior Space Policy Advisor to Forum Europe and as Expert Advisor on Space Traffic Management for European Union studies 2021-2023.


Education :

* Aarti Holla-Maini holds a bachelor’s degree in law with German law from Kings College London, the United Kingdom, and a master’s degree in business administration from HEC Paris, France.

* She is also an alumna of the International Space University and speaks English, French, German and Punjabi and has moderate knowledge of Dutch..

Source : Mint