Current Affairs 20th June

National Affairs

1. Wihu Kuh festival of the Tangsa Tribe showcases Arunachal Pradesh’s vibrant culture

The Tangsa, a traditional tribal community whose agricultural practices are deeply ingrained and whose primary residence is in the lush hills of the Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh, celebrate the Wihu Kuh festival annually.

 

Wihu Kuh, which means “paddy transplantation festival,” is a cultural event that celebrates the spirit of the Tangsa people and marks the beginning of the agricultural season.

 

The tribe welcomes the prospect of a plentiful harvest at this festival, which is both a time of labor and hope.

 

Tangsa people:

 

The Tangsa tribe is made up of subtribes, each of which has its own dialect and way of life. They mostly live in the Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh and in the Sagaing region of Myanmar, Burma, across the border.

 

All Tangsa communities gather to celebrate the WihuKuh Festival, despite their distinct sub-tribal identities. This is a sign of their unwavering belief in the power of community and their shared devotion to the land that sustains them. Festival of Wihu Kuh:

 

The WihuKuh Festival is a symbol of the tribe’s rich cultural tapestry, which reflects their joyful spirit, a strong sense of community, and deep connection to the earth.

 

The “rocker,” a traditional drum, and the “pangtoi,” a bamboo flute, play rhythmic beats during the ceremonial sowing of the first rice seeds at the beginning of the festival.

 

Men wear brightly coloured traditional attire and headgear embellished with bird feathers and wild boar tusks at the festival. Beaded necklaces and shawls made by hand are worn by the women.

 

Food from the past: During the festival, a traditional beverage known as “apong” rice beer is freely available.

 

Stories and Songs:

 

Throughout the festival, traditional folk songs and tales are shared with younger generations, preserving the tribe’s oral tradition.

 

The stories show the tribe’s respect for the environment and their inherent connection to nature.

International Affairs

1. FAO Report: Food Imports by Most Vulnerable Countries Expected to Decline; Global Food Bill to Rise to USD 1.98 trillion in 2023

On June 15, 2023, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations reported in its “Food Outlook Biannual Report On Global Food Markets” that the global food bill was anticipated to rise to 1.98 trillion US dollars, up 1.5% from 2022. In 2022, it went up by 11%, and in 2021, by 18%.

 

Due to rising prices for sugar, dairy products, fruits, and vegetables, food imports by the most vulnerable nations are expected to decline in 2023, dampening demand.

 

The Report’s Key Findings:

 

Food imports by advanced economies are continuing to rise, and it was predicted that the global food import bill would reach a record high in 2023.

 

It is anticipated that the net import bill for net food-importing developing countries (NFIDCs) will decrease by 4.9% in 2023, while the import bill for the group of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) will decrease by 1.5%.

 

As a result, a decrease in purchasing power is suggested by the decline in food import volumes in LDCs and developing nations.

 

Trends in the Product i It is anticipated that coarse grain production worldwide will increase by 3.0% to 1513 million tonnes.

 

International trade is expected to decrease by 4.3% in volume to 53.6 million tonnes in 2023/24, while world rice production is expected to rise by 1.3% to 523.5 million tonnes.

 

World wheat production is expected to fall by 3.0% in 2023 from its all-time high of 777 million tonnes in 2022, primarily as a result of expected declines in Australia and the Russian Federation.

 

Oil crops, milk, and sugar production are all expected to rise globally. Volumes of pig and bovine meat may decrease slightly in 2023.

 

As capture fisheries are seen to be shrinking, it is also anticipated that global production of aquatic animals will rise in 2023 due to an anticipated increase in aquaculture production.

Banking and Finance

1. SEBI – Introduced 3 Months Timeline for Listed Entities to Fill KMPs Vacancies and Issued Restrictions of products offered on an OBP by OBPP

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has set a deadline of three months for “Listed Entities” to fill vacancies for their Key Managerial Personnel (KMPs) in June 2023. 

These KMPs include CEOs, CFOs, Managing Directors, Wholetime Directors, Managers, and Compliance Officers to keep listed companies running smoothly.

 

Based on the SEBI consultation paper released in February 2023, an amendment to this effect has been made to the Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements (LODR) regulations.

 

Other important rules:

 

In addition to KMPs, listed companies must now fill director vacancies within three months.

 

SEBI likewise coordinated that the recorded organizations do not fill the opening of KMPs by designating an individual in a ‘break limit’.

 

Products offered on an online bond platform are restricted by SEBI:

 

Online Bond Platform Providers (OBPPs) are prohibited by SEBI from selling anything but listed debt securities on their OBP or any other platform website, products, or services.

 

OBPPs must register as stock brokers in the debt section of the stock exchange in accordance with SEBI regulations.

Economy and Business

1. Google launches Indian Languages Program to support local news publishers

Under the Google News Initiative (GNI), Google launched the “Indian Languages Programme” on June 16, 2023, to assist local news publishers in India in enhancing their digital operations and expanding their readership.

 

Highlights of note:

 

The program’s goal is to provide publishers with a variety of tools and best practices that will help them improve the user experience and generate revenue.

 

The Indian Languages Programme aims to provide news publishers in English, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Malayalam, Gujarati, and Marathi with funding, training, and technical support.

 

It will include series and online workshops on YouTube, News Consumer Insights (NCI), Core Web Vitals, and website optimization.

 

Eligibility requirements:

 

Indian language news organizations of a small or medium size that have a functioning website, at least 50 full-time employees (FTE), and a minimum of 12 months of continuous operation are eligible to apply.

 

Applications for the GNI Indian Languages Program can be submitted until June 30, 2023, and the Google Project team and external advisors will evaluate them.

 

Note: Google’s GNI is a misinformation-fighting digital skills training program for journalists and newsrooms.

2. Cochin Shipyard wins Rs 580 crore order for cargo vessels

Udupi Cochin Shipyard Limited (UCSL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), receives an international order for the design and construction of six new-generation diesel-electric 3800 DWT (deadweight) general cargo vessels from M/s Wilson Shipowning AS, Norway, for Rs 580 crore, with an option to purchase an additional 8 vessels.

 

The “Future Proof Dry Cargo Vessel” designed by Conoship International, Netherlands, would be an environmentally friendly diesel-electric vessel that is prepared to transport general cargo in Europe’s inland and coastal waters and install wind foil units and battery hybrid systems.

 

Note: By December 2024, the first vessel will be delivered, and subsequent deliveries will be completed by March 2026.

Science and Technology

1. DRDO, Indian Navy demonstrate the transfer of command and control of Tapas UAV

The transfer of the TAPAS unmanned aerial vehicle’s command and control capabilities was successfully demonstrated by the Indian Navy and the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) on June 16, 2023.

 

An exhibit of the TAPAS UAV:

 

At 7.35 a.m., the TAPAS set out from a far-off ground station to board the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Subhadra, which was 148 kilometres from the Karwar naval base in Karnataka.

 

Above Mean Sea Level (ASML), at an altitude of 20,000 feet, the unmanned aerial vehicle was manoeuvring effortlessly.

 

For 40 minutes, INS Subhadra was in charge of the UAV’s operations during the 3.30-hour flight.

 

On the INS Subhadra, two Ship Data terminals and a Ground Control Station were installed to control the UAV.

 

It landed at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) following the successful trial.

 

The UAV Tapas:

 

The DRDO-developed Tapas UAV is a MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) UAV.

It is intended to support Indian military intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations.

 

At the Aero India 2023 event in Bengaluru, Karnataka, it flew for the first time.

 

Features:

 

It can operate at altitudes of up to 28,000 feet and has a range of more than 18 hours.

 

It can carry payloads of up to 350 kilograms.

 

It was created in response to the tri-services ISTAR (intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, reconnaissance, and tracking) requirements.

 

It can fly independently or remotely controlled according to pre-programmed flight plans, operating both day and night.

 

Because it is outfitted with cutting-edge sensors and cameras that transmit the data it collects to the ground control station, it is able to take pictures and videos with a high resolution.

 

It aims to identify small targets and provide continuous coverage over a large area.

2. SpaceX deployed Indonesian communications satellite ‘SATRIA-1’ in orbit

A brand-new Indonesian communications satellite known as SATRIA-1 (Satellite of the Republic of Indonesia) was successfully launched into geosynchronous transfer orbit on June 18, 2023, by SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies Corporation).

 

Pasifik Satelit Nusantara (PSN), an Indonesian company, will operate SATRIA-1 into orbit for the Indonesian government.

 

From Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, the United States of America (USA), SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket carried the communications satellite SATRIA-1 into space.

 

By providing free internet access to 150,000 public facilities, including schools, regional government offices, and health facilities, SATRIA-1 is intended to increase connectivity inclusion in Indonesia.

 

Concerning SATRIA-1:

 

SATRIA-1 is a spacecraft that weighs 4.6 metric tons and is 10,100 pounds. It can communicate at a rate of about 150 billion bits (Gb) per second, which is three times as much as the nine telecommunication satellites that Indonesia currently uses.

 

It won’t offer internet service directly to individual users; rather, it will help schools, hospitals, and thousands of public WiFi access points where people can use computers and smartphones to connect to the internet.

 

Based on Thales’ Spacebus Neo spacecraft design, the company’s newest satellite bus, SATRIA was built by Thales Alenia Space in Cannes, France. It debuted in 2020.

 

The second of a series of PSN satellites, SATRIA will launch in November 2023 and provide Indonesia with improved communications.

 

On a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the Nusantara Satu, or Nusantara 1, the satellite went up in 2019.

 

Additional Details:

 

The 12th Falcon 9 first-stage booster B1067 launch and landing occurred on the PSN SATRIA mission.

 

Note: The prior launches include: CRS-22, Crew 3, Turksat 5B, Crew 4, CRS-25, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13G, mPOWER-a, and four Starlink missions are all included.