Daily GK Update: 9th June 2023

 Defense

1. DRDO successfully flight-tested ‘Agni Prime’ ballistic missile in Odisha

• Defence Research and Development Organisation  has successfully flight-tested New Generation Ballistic Missile ‘Agni Prime’ was successfully from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha on June 07, 2023.
• Aim: To validate the accuracy and reliability of the system
• During the flight test, all objectives were successfully demonstrated.
• This was the first pre-induction night launch conducted by the users after three successful developmental trials of the missile.

 Honours & Awards

2. Paterson Joseph wins RSL Christopher Bland Prize 2023

• Author Paterson Joseph was conferred with the 2023 Royal Society of Literature Christopher Bland Prize for his debut novel 'The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho'.
• This book is a historical fiction novel that tells the story of Charles Ignatius Sancho, who was the first Black man to vote in England
• RSL Christopher Bland Prize:
  • It is an annual award that is awarded to a debut writer for their work of fiction or non-fiction.
  • Cash Prize: £10,000

 State Affairs

3. Haryana CM launched integrated Water Resources Action Plan-2023-25

• Haryana CM Manohar Lal has launched an integrated Water Resources Action Plan-2023-25 under Amrit Jal Kranti at Chandigarh.
• A two-day water conservation seminar was organized in Panchkula in April, 2023, in which many departments of Haryana, including experts from India and abroad doing research on water conservation participated.
• Several initiatives like Mera Pani-Meri Virasat Yojana, have been taken towards water conservation which have drawn significant results.

 Defense

4. India, France, UAE begin maiden joint maritime exercise in the Gulf of Oman

• The Ministry of Defence informed that first India-France-UAE Maritime Partnership Exercise has started in the Gulf of Oman on June 7, 2023.
• It involves the Indian Navy frigate, INS Tarkash, the French Navy ship Surcouf along with Rafale fighter jets, and UAE Navy maritime patrol aircraft.
• The two-day exercise involve a wide range of naval operations, including helicopter cross-deck landing operations, advanced air defense exercises, and boarding operations.

 Banking & Finance

5. Federal Bank Launches ‘I am Adyar, Adyar is Me’ Campaign

• The Federal Bank has launched a campaign named 'I am Adyar, Adyar is me' to celebrate people and their culture by transforming an entire bank branch into a museum of local stories.
• The campaign has handpicked 40 compelling stories of individuals, which are showcased in an exclusive exhibition at the Adyar branch of Federal Bank.
• This art exhibition will run for two weeks.
• The campaign is a first-of-its-kind micro-marketing initiative in the banking industry.

 National Affairs

6. NTPC Kanti launched Girl Empowerment Mission GEM 2023

• NTPC Kanti has launched the Girl Empowerment Mission (GEM)-2023, a four-week residential workshop program for 40 underprivileged rural girls.
• This is the first time NTPC Kanti is organizing the GEM program.
• The participants will receive academic training and development skill sets such as soft skills, life skill training, sports, meditation, yoga, self-defence, computer application, communication skills, and other extra-curricular activities.

 Banking & Finance

7. Bond issuances by banks to fall below Rs 90000 cr in FY24: Report

• According to the rating agency ICRA, bond issuances by banks may fall below Rs 90,000 crore in FY24 due to easing liquidity conditions.
• Banks issued a record Rs 1.1 trillion bonds in FY23.
• Stronger foreign institutional investor (FII)/foreign portfolio investment (FPI) inflows, as seen recently, the derecognition of the Rs 2,000 note and an anticipated dividend by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) could ease liquidity conditions in the interim.

 Banking & Finance

8. Tata Group is India's most valuable brand

• According to the new rankings released by Brand Finance, the Tata Group with $26.38 billion has retained its position as the most valued brand in India.
• With a value growth of 10.3% in 2023 as compared to 2022.
• Notably, Tata Group is the only Indian brand to feature in the top 100 of the Brand Finance Global 500 2023.
• While Infosys retained the second spot in the rankings with a brand value of $13 billion, followed by LIC with a value of $9.7 billion.

 Science & Technology

9. Tata Elxsi, ISRO partner to develop crew recovery models for Gaganyaan

• Tata Elxsi has partnered with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for the upcoming Gaganyaan Mission.
• It has designed and developed the crew module recovery models (CMRM) for the recovery team training of the space mission.
• ISRO's Gaganyaan project envisions a demonstration of human spaceflight capability by launching the crew into a 400-kilometer orbit for a three-day mission and safely bringing them to Earth by landing in Indian sea waters.

 Important Dates

10. World Accreditation Day 2023: 9th June 2023

• World Accreditation Day is an annual global observance held on June 9 to recognize and promote the role of accreditation across various sectors.
• Aim: To raise awareness about the value and benefits of accreditation in ensuring competence, reliability, and credibility in industries such as healthcare, laboratories, certification bodies, and conformity assessment services
• 2023 theme: Accreditation: Supporting the Future of Global Trade

 Books & Authors

11. Author Shantanu Gupta launched novel ‘Ajay to Yogi Adityanath’

• Noted author Shantanu Gupta has launched his new graphic novel for young readers titled 'Ajay to Yogi Adityanath' based on the life journey of Yogi Adityanath.
• More than 5,000 children from over 51 schools across different districts of Uttar Pradesh participated in the launch ceremony.
• Prior to this, author Shantanu Gupta has written two bestseller titles on Yogi Adityanath- The Monk Who Transformed Uttar Pradesh and The Monk Who Became Chief Minister.

 Sports

12. 198 special athletes send to Special Olympics World Summer Games 2023

• Union Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur send off the Indian contingent of 198 special athletes to the Special Olympics World Summer Games 2023 to be held in Berlin
• The Government spent 450 crore rupees in the current Olympic cycle on training, equipment, and facilities
• It will provide more assistance if needed to ensure India makes a new record in the Paris Olympics 2024.
• India has given the best-ever performance at the last Olympics with improvements in facilities. 

 International Affairs

13. India, Serbia agreed to set a target for bilateral trade one billion euros

• President Droupadi Murmu and her Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic have agreed to set a target for bilateral trade from the present 320 million euros to one billion euros by the end of the decade.
• Indian President is on a three-day State visit to Serbia from the 7th to the 9th of June.
• President of Serbia, Alecsandar Vucic also promised simplification of the issue of Visa to Indians and also hoped that direct flights between the two countries will begin soon.