Daily Current Capsules 20^th June 2022
Defence
Op SANKALP

What's the NEWS

• Indian Navy's stealth Frigate, INS Talwar is presently deployed for Op Sankalp (in gulf of oman) commemorating the 3rd continuous year of Indian Navy's presence in the Gulf for protection of India's Maritime Interests.

Know! about Op SANKALP

• In the milieu of the deteriorating security situation in the Gulf region, post attacks on merchant ships in the Gulf of Oman in June 2019, Indian Navy had commenced Maritime Security Operations, code named ‘Op SANKALP', in the Gulf Region on 19 June 2019 to ensure safe passage of Indian Flag Vessels transiting through the Strait of Hormuz.
• This operation is being progressed in close coordination with all stakeholders including Ministry of Defence, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Shipping, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and DG, Shipping.
• Indian Navy continues to monitor the situation in the Gulf region and is maintaining presence in the region to ensure security of our sea borne trade and the safety of Indian Flag Merchant Vessels transiting through the region.

Places in NEWS
Mount Annapurna
What's the NEWS

• Skalzang Rigzin, the first Indian Mountaineer to climb Mount Annapurna peak without supplemental Oxygen, received a warm welcome in Leh.

Know! about Mt. Annapurna

• Annapurna is a mountain situated in the Annapurna mountain range of Gandaki Province, north-central Nepal. It is the tenth highest mountain in the world at 8,091 metres above sea level.
• Mt Annapurna is one of the most difficult among the 8000 meters height peaks in the world and is also known as the Killer Mountain due to its fatality to summit rate.

Factoids
FIFAe Nations Cup (FeNC) 2022
What's the NEWS

• In Football, India created history by securing a spot at the highly coveted FIFAe Nations Cup (FeNC) 2022.

Know! about FeNC

• Representatives from the country will join esports athletes from 23 other nations to compete at the highest level of FIFA 22 Esports from July 26 to 30 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
• The FIFAe Nations Series (FeNS) is an esports tournament held by FIFA and its presenting partner EA Sports. Each tournament has member nations competing in games of the latest incarnation of the FIFA association football video game series.
• The FeNC is one of three major esports events that are held on a worldwide scale to crown the global champions of the game.

Bilateral Relations
Bangladesh-India Passenger Bus Services
What's the NEWS

• The passenger bus services between Bangladesh and India resumed after two years on June 10, 2022 with the flagging off of the bus from Dhaka to Kolkata.

Know! about the bus service

• The flagging off marked the opening of the bus services through the Akhaura-Agartala and Benapole-Haridaspur Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) between the two countries.
• The bus services through the Dawki-Tamabil ICP will start after the necessary clearances are obtained between the two countries.
• Five routes were operational between India and Bangladesh before the services were suspended due to the Corona pandemic.
• Four routes including Dhaka-Kolkata-Dhaka, Dhaka-Agartala-Dhaka,Agartala-Dhaka-Kolkata-Agartala, and Dhaka-Khulna-Kolkata-Dhaka will become operational again.
• The Dhaka-Sylhet-Shillong-Guwahati-Dhaka route will open in due course.
• Train Services
• The opening of the bus-services comes less than two weeks after the passenger train service between the two countries were started on May 29 with the flagging off of the Maitree Express and Bandhan Express train between Dhaka-Kolkata and Kolkata-Khulna respectively.
• A new biweekly train named Mitali Express between New Jalpaiguri and Dhaka was also flagged off by the Railway Ministers of India and Bangladesh on 1st June.

Regional Grouping
South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC)
What's the NEWS

• Volume of trade from three Border Crossing Points (BCPs) - Akhaura, Sonamasjid and Tamabil - between Bangladesh-India will rise by 50% by 2027, after the implementation of the trade facilitation loan of 143 million US dollars provided by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Know! about SASEC

• The South Asia Sub-Regional Economic Cooperation Integrated Trade Facilitation (SASEC) Sector Development Program (SDP) will reform trade policies and improve the cross-border trade facilities at Akhaura, Sonamasjid and Tamabil BCPs.
• It will also increase connectivity among SASEC countries by facilitating trade among the SASEC countries through Bangladesh as a sub-regional hub.

Know! about the programs launched by ADB

• ADB believes in advancing regionalism and hence has launched the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Program, the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program, and the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Program.
• The South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) program brings together Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, and Sri Lanka in a project-based partnership that aims to promote regional prosperity and improve economic opportunities.

Know! about ADB

• The Asian Development Bank is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966
• Headquarter - Manila, Philippines.
• The company also maintains 31 field offices around the world to promote social and economic development in Asia.
• India is a founding member of ADB in 1966, India is now ADB's fourth largest shareholder and its top borrower since 2010.
• ADB's operations remain aligned to India's evolving development priorities.

Bilateral Relations
First India-Japan Finance Dialogue
What's the NEWS

• India and Japan held the first India-Japan Finance Dialogue in New Delhi to exchange views on macro-economic situation, financial system, financial digitalization and investment environment in both the countries.

Know! about the dialogue

• Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs of Japan Masato Kanda and Secretary of Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance Ajay Seth led their sides in this first India-Japan Finance Dialogue.
• In view of the growing importance of India-Japan relations in recent years, the dialogue on India-Japan financial cooperation, which had been held at the level of Deputy Director-Generals, was upgraded to the level of Vice Minister/Secretary.
• The participants confirmed that both sides will continue to work closely together as they hold presidency of G20 and G7 next year.

Regional Grouping
Special Asean-India Foreign Ministers' Meeting (SAIFMM)

What' s the NEWS 

 

• India hosted ASEAN Foreign Ministers and Secretary General for a Special ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers' Meeting (SAIFMM) to commemorate 30 years of ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations and 10 years of our Strategic Partnership.

 

Know! about SAIFMM

• The SAIFMM was co-chaired by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Singapore Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan. The Meeting was also attended by Foreign Ministers of other ASEAN Countries.
• The ASEAN-India dialogue relations started with the establishment of sectoral partnership in 1992 which graduated to full dialogue partnership in December 1995 and summit level partnership in 2002. The ties were elevated to a strategic partnership in 2012.
• The ASEAN comprises Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Brunei, the Philippines, Singapore, Cambodia, Malaysia and Myanmar.

Factoids
World Blood Donor Day
What's the NEWS

• World Blood Donor Day is observed every year on 14th of June with an aim to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products for transfusion and also to thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood.

Know! about it

• The slogan for this year is 'Donating blood is an act of solidarity. Join the effort and save lives'.
• World Blood Donor Day marks the Birth Anniversary of Karl Landsteiner, who first distinguished human blood into A, B, AB and O groups.
• As per the World Health Organization, blood donation by one per cent of the population is generally the bare minimum for meeting a nation's most basic blood needs. According to available data, India fell short of the WHO standard by 1.9 million units or 15 per cent.

Factoids
International Albinism Awareness Day
What's the NEWS

• International Albinism Awareness Day is observed every year on June 13 to bring about awareness among the people for the prevention of attacks and discrimination against persons with Albinism and also about the rights of people with Albinism.

Know! about it

• The theme for International Albinism Awareness Day this year is 'United in making our voice heard'.
• The General Assembly of United Nations adopted a resolution on 18th of December in 2014, proclaiming that with effect from 2015, 13th of June will be observed as International Albinism Awareness Day.
• Albinism is a non-contagious, rare and genetically inherited health condition present at birth, which results in the lack of melanin in the skin eyes and hair.
• It is causing vulnerability to the sun and bright light.Due to this, people with albinism are prone to many issues, both social and biological. Almost all people with albinism are visually impaired and are prone to developing skin cancer.
• One in 17,000 people in the world is born with Albinism. As per reports, about one lakh to two lakh people in India have this condition. Albinism in India is often confused with another condition, Leucoderma, which is characterised by patchy skin colour changes.
• Albinism is not infectious and Albinos are equally normal.

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