Cash-strapped Go First’s former CEO Kaushik Kona and its newly-appointed resolution professional (RP) Shailendra Ajmera, on Jun 28  met with Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) officials to get a green nod for their revival plan as they aim to restart operations as soon as possible.

Following the submission, DGCA would conduct a very important safety audit to check whether Go First can carry out operations smoothly. The crisis-hit airline has intended to restart flights with 22 aircraft in its fleet and keep another four in reserve. Go First intends to start 157 flights on 78 routes.

This fresh development comes after the lenders of the airline such as Bank of India, Bank of Baroda and IDBI Bank gave an in-principle nod for Rs 450 crore interim financing to meet the day-to-day operational expenses. 

Go First, owned by the Wadia Group, had declared insolvency on May 2 and stopped flying from May 3 owing to a severe cash crunch caused by the grounding of over half of its fleet. Its application was admitted by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on May 10. Prior to grounding on May 3, Go First was operating around 200 flights daily. The resumption plan was facing a threat from aircraft lessors, who are in knocking on various venues, including the courts, seeking the deregistration of aircraft leased by the bankrupt airline.

 France's top administrative court  has  upheld a ban on women football players wearing Islamic hijab headscarves after the issue was seized on by politicians claiming secularism was at risk.

A group of Muslim women footballers called the 'Hijabeuses' had launched action against the FFF regulation.

Secularism is a sensitive topic in France, presented by its defenders as a way of guaranteeing the state's religious neutrality and by critics as a dog whistle against ethnic and religious minorities, especially Muslims.

A few months after former India coach Graham Reid implored Hockey India (HI) to appoint a mental conditioning coach, HI have acted upon his request by bringing on board celebrated mental coach Paddy Upton. 

Star England batter Joe Root surpassed Australia's Allan Border to become the 10th-highest scorer in Test cricket.

Root accomplished this feat during the 2nd Ashes 2023 match against Australia at Lord's.

The highest run-scorer in Tests is Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar. In 200 Tests, he scored 15,921 runs at an average of 53.78. He has  51 centuries and 68 fifties in the format, with the best score of 248*.

He is followed by Aussie great Ricky Ponting (13,378 runs in 168 Tests), South Africa's Jacques Kallis (13,289 runs in 166 matches), India's Rahul Dravid (13,288 runs in 164 matches) and England's Alastair Cook (12,472 runs in 161 Tests).

Q.1) Name the star England batter who has surpassed Australia's Allan Border to become the 10th-highest scorer in Test cricket?

1. Joe Root
2. Ben Stokes
3. Jos Buttler
4. Tom Abell
5. None of These

Q.2) Name the person who has been appointed as mental conditioning coach by the Hockey India ?

1. Graham Reid
2. Paddy Upton
3. Cheslyn Gie
4. Roelant Oltman
5. None of These

Q.3) Who has been appointed as the deputy  Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh

1. Nand Kumar Sai
2. Dr Charandas Mahant
3. Tamradhwaj Sahu
4. T S Singh Deo
5. None of These

Q.4) What amount has been approved by the World Bank to help Sri Lanka to recover from the current economic crisis and provide relief to the poor and vulnerable ?

1. USD 200
2. USD 500
3. USD 700
4. USD 900
5. None of These

Q.5) Name the Greece's left-wing opposition leader who has been  announced his decision to step down after a crushing election defeat.

1. Lucas Papademos
2. Ioannis Sarmas
3. Kyriakos Mitsotakis
4. Alexis Tsipras
5. None of These  

The Indian Air Force is preparing to host its biggest-ever multinational exercise, which will see participation from some of the most advanced air forces in the world.

“The exercise, to be held in the last quarter of this year, is named ‘Tarang Shakti’. Air forces of 12 countries are to participate, with six nations joining with their air assets and the other six will be joining as observers.

The exercise is likely to bring together the frontline aircraft, including combat jets, transport aircraft, mid-air refuellers, and airborne warning and control system aircraft. All the preparations for the exercise in the Rajasthan sector have been done and the approval of the government is expected soon. 

Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi has decided to keep the dismissal order of state minister V Senthil Balaji in abeyance for the time being and informed Chief Minister M K Stalin about it.

The governor said he would consult the attorney general and seek his legal opinion about the move.

      Earlier, the governor had dismissed Balaji from the Council of Ministers, days after Earlier his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an alleged cash-for-jobs scam.

Stalin had said the state government would challenge the governor's decision legally.

In a move that aims to benefit over 5 crore sugarcane growers, the government  has approved the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of Rs 315 per quintal for a basic recovery rate of 10.25% for the 2023-24 season (October- September). This is the highest FRP that the farmers have ever got. 

Announcing the decision taken at the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur said, “It has also been approved to provide a premium of Rs 3.07 per quintal for each 0.1% increase in recovery over and above 10.25%, and reduction in FRP by Rs 3.07 per quintal for every 0.1% decrease in recovery.”

Further, with a view to protecting the interest of sugarcane farmers, the government has also decided that there shall be no deduction in the case of sugar mills where recovery is below 9.5%. Such farmers will get Rs 291.975 per quintal for sugarcane in the ensuing sugar season of 2023-24, in place of Rs 282.125 per quintal in the current season of 2022-23.

The cost of production of sugarcane for 2023-24 is Rs 157 per quintal. This FRP of Rs 315 per quintal at a recovery rate of 10.25% is higher by 100.6% than the production cost. The FRP for 2023-24 is 3.28% higher than the current sugar season.

The FRP approved shall be applicable for the purchase of sugarcane from the farmers in 2023-24 (starting October 1, 2023) by sugar mills. Thakur said in the current season, about 3,353 lakh tonnes of sugarcane worth Rs 1,11,366 crore was purchased by sugar mills, which is the second highest, next to the procurement of paddy at the minimum support price.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also approved a new scheme, PM-PRANAM, to promote alternative fertilisers and reduce the use of chemical ones. It also decided to continue the current urea subsidy scheme for three years ending March 2025, with an outlay of Rs 3.68 lakh crore.

Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that under the scheme, the states who will adopt alternative fertilisers will be incentivised with the subsidy that is saved by reducing the use of chemical fertilisers. Citing an example, suppose a state is using 10 lakh tonne of conventional fertiliser, and if it reduces its consumption by 3 lakh tonne, then the subsidy saving would be Rs 3,000 crore. Out of that subsidy savings, the Centre will give 50 per cent of it Rs 1,500 crore to the state.