CURRENT AFFAIRS OF 21st JUNE, 2023

CURRENT AFFAIRS OF 21^st JUNE, 2023

1. United Nations’ International Day of Yoga is annually celebrated on 21 June to promote the numerous benefits of practicing yoga, an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India. The theme of International Day of Yoga 2023 is “Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (Yoga for ‘The World is One Family’).
2. World Music Day, also referred to as Fête de la Musique (meaning ‘Festival of Music’) in French, is a yearly commemoration held on 21 June to encourage and honour the musicians and singers for the gift of music across the world and its universal ability to connect people. The theme for World Music Day 2023 is “Music on the Intersections”.
3. World Hydrography Day is annually celebrated on 21 June across the world to raise awareness of the importance of hydrography and its major role in improving the knowledge of the seas and oceans. The theme of World Hydrography Day 2023 is “Hydrography – Underpinning the Digital Twin of the Ocean”.
4. Ravi Sinha, a senior IPS officer, has been appointed as the new chief of India’s external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
5. The Multinational Peacekeeping Joint Exercise ‘Ex Khaan Quest 2023’, featuring military contingents and observers from over 20 countries commenced in Mongolia on 19 June, 2023.
6. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the UNGA Yoga session for the first time at North Lawns near its headquarters in New York to mark the 9th edition of the International Day of Yoga.
7. Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), a Mini Ratna (Category-I) enterprise under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, participated in the prestigious three-day ‘Intersolar Europe 2023’ exhibition held in Munich, Germany.
8. Spain has secured UEFA Nations League 2023 title after 5-4 win on penalties over Croatia.
9. In a historic move, Bangladesh’s central bank has decided to allow its currency, the taka, to float freely for the first time.
10. Writer and activist Arundhati Roy has been awarded the 45^th European Essay Prize for lifetime achievement on the occasion of the French translation of her latest essay ‘Azadi’.
11. Dutch Formula One driver and the reigning world champion Max Verstappen won the Canadian Grand Prix on 18 June, 2023 to secure his Red Bull team’s 100^th victory.
12. Intel has committed to invest $32.8 billion in Magdeburg, a city in Germany for the establishment of two cutting-edge semiconductor facilities.
13. The Personnel Ministry announced that the central government has launched a new collection of courses called ‘Dakshta’ (Development of Attitude, Knowledge, Skill for Holistic Transformation in Administration) on the iGOT Karmayogi Platform.
14. Indian low-cost carrier IndiGo has made aviation history at the Paris Air Show 2023 by securing a monumental deal with Airbus. The airline has placed an order for 500 Airbus A320 family aircraft, marking the largest-ever single aircraft purchase by any airline from Airbus.
15. Abhishek Verma clinched a gold medal in the men’s compound individual final at the World Cup Stage 3 in Medellin, Colombia on 17 June, 2023.
16. On 16 June 2023, Government of Uttar Pradesh launched ‘Polytechnic Chalo Abhiyan 2023’ to motivate youths to pursue technical education and take admission in polytechnic institutes.