Daily GK Update: 19th June 2022

 Sports

1. Neeraj Chopra wins gold at 2022 Kuortane Games in Finland

• Javelin thrower, Neeraj Chopra has clinched gold in the 2022 Kuortane Games in Finland. He threw 86.69 metres.
• Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad has settled for silver with a throw of 86.64 metres.
• Anderson Peters has won the bronze with a throw of 84.75 metres.
• Sandeep Chaudhury from India got eighth position in the standings with a throw of 60.35 metres.
• Earlier, He broke his national record and settled for silver medal at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland.

 State Affairs

2. Gujarat becomes first State in India to start 'Balika Panchayat'

• Gujarat becomes the first state in the nation to launch 'Balika Panchayat' with an aim to strengthened girl power in the state.
• This unique initiative was started in several villages of Gujarat’s Kutch district.
• This initiative was started by the Women and Child Development Welfare department of the Gujarat Government under the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ campaign.
• This panchayat will be managed by people in the 11-21 age group.

 Honours & Awards

3. Bengaluru Airport recognized as the ‘Best Regional Airport in India & South

• The Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru has been awarded the 'best regional airport in India and South Asia' title in the 2022 skytrax World Airport awards.
• The award is based on the customer experience from check-in to arrivals, transfers, shopping, security, immigration and arrangements in the departures gates.
• Skytrax, is a UK-based, global consultancy firm that runs an airline and airport review and ranking site.
• Airports Authority of India HQ: Delhi

 Banking & Finance

4. RBI increases limit of e-mandates for transactions up to Rs 15,000

• The Reserve Bank of India has increased the Additional Factor of Authentication (AFA) limit for e-mandates on cards, Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs) and UPI for recurring transactions.
• The limit has been raised from Rs 5,000 to Rs 15,000 per transaction.
• An e-mandate means, that the cardholder giving a standing instruction to the merchant platform to deduct a certain amount of money for recurring transactions.

 Honours & Awards

5. Use of ICT in school education in India wins 2021 UNESCO Award

• Initiative of Ministry of Education, to use the ICT under a PM eVIDYA during the COVID-19 has received the UNESCO’s recognition.
• The PM eVIDYA was started as part of Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan by the Ministry of Education in 2020 with an aim to use technology to minimise learning losses.
• National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has been awarded with the UNESCO’s King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for the Use of ICT in Education for the year 2021.

 State Affairs

6. International literary festival, Unmesh begins in Himachal Pradesh

• The three days international literary festival “Unmesh” was held at the historic Gaiety Theater in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.
• This festival was organised by the Union Ministry of Culture and the Sahitya Akademi in association with the state Department of Art and Culture.
• The festival was inaugurated by Minister of State for Culture, Arjun Ram Meghawal.
• This festival, is the biggest international literary festival in the country till date.

 National & International Appointments

7. P.N. Vasudevan reappointed as MD, CEO of Equitas Small Finance Bank

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the tenure of Equitas Small Finance Bank (SFB) Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO), P.N. Vasudevan for one year with effect from July 23.
• He founded Equitas in 2007 as a microfinance institution (MFI) and was later converted into bank in 2016.
• Earlier, the bank had received SEBI approval for the amalgamation of Equitas Holdings with the bank.
• Headquarters: Chennai

 State Affairs

8. PM launches 'Mukhyamantri Matrushakti Yojana' at Gujarat Gaurav Abhiyan

• PM Narendra Modi has launched Mukhyamantri Matrushakti Yojana of the Gujarat government under its Integrated Child Development Services, Poshan Abhiyan.
• The scheme will cover 7 lakh women to deal with the dietary deficiency within the first 1,000 days of the conception of a child.
• The scheme will also  distribute 2 kg chickpeas, 1 kg toor daal and 1 litre fortified ground nut oil.
• Aim: additional nutrition to pregnant women and lactating mothers.

 Sports

9. PM Modi flags off torch relay for 44th edition of Chess Olympiad

• PM Narendra Modi has flagged off the first ever-torch relay for the 44th Chess Olympiad, which will be held in Mahabalipuram between 28 July and 10 August.
• The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has instituted the torch relay for the very first time.
• President of FIDE, Arkady Dvorkovich handed over the torch to PM Modi, who gave it to Viswanathan Anand.
• The torch will be taken to 75 cities over a span of 40 days  before reaching in Mahabalipuram.

 Important Dates

10. National Reading Day: 19th June

• National Reading Day is observed annually on 19 June in honour of  P N Panicker who is considered as the Father of Kerala's Library and Literacy Movement.
• This day is also marks the beginning of the month-long Digital Reading celebrations.
• This day was first celebrated on June 19, 1996, by the Government of Kerala in association with the P N Panicker Foundation, National Reading Day, became a mass movement to promote literacy and the culture of reading in the state.