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Top Current Affairs of the Week (30 May – 05 June 2021)

Bashar Al-Assad re-elected as President of Syria

• Bashar al-Assad (55 years) has been re-elected as the President of Syria for the fourth consecutive term in a landslide victory by winning 95.1% of the total votes cast. • He will have a term of 7-year • He is serving as the 19th President of Syria since 17 July 2000. • Syria is a country in Western Asia with diverse ethnic and religious groups. • Capital of Syria: Damascus. • Currency of Syria: Syrian pound.

Aashritha V Olety becomes ’s First Woman Flight Test Engineer

• Indian Air Force (IAF) Officer, Aashritha V Olety become the first woman flight test engineer in the country. • She has graduated from the Air Force Test Pilot School • She will be responsible for evaluating aircraft and airborne systems before their induction into the armed forces as a flight test engineer, • She is among 275 graduates who have ever cleared this Flight test course, since the course began in 1973. • She was commissioned as a Flying Officer in the IAF in 2014.

Government panel to examine ‘Valuation of Services’ by casinos, gaming

• Govt has set up a 7-member panel of state ministers for better valuation of services of casinos, online gaming portal and race courses companies to levy GST. • The panel will be headed by Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel. • Other member of the panel: Ajit Pawar, Amit Mitra, Chowna Mein, Mauvin Godinho, Basavaraj Bommai and P Thiagarajan. • It will also examine whether any change is required in the legal provision for better means of valuation of these services.

Jagjit Pavadia elected as President of International Narcotics Control

• Former Narcotics Commissioner of India, Jagjit Pavadia has been elected as the President of International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) • She is a retired officer of Indian Revenue Service (Customs) and is the 1st Indian to be appointed as the Chief of INCB. • She has served as Narcotics Commissioner of India, Central Bureau of Narcotics from 2006- 2012. • She has been a member of INCB since 2015 • Headquarters of INCB: Vienna, Austria.

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3 Indian peacekeepers honoured posthumously with UN medal for sacrifice

• Three Indian peacekeepers have been chosen to be awarded the prestigious UN medal posthumously for courage and sacrifice in the line of duty, Dag Hammarskjold Medal • They were among 129 military, police and civilian personnel selected from across the globe • They laid down their lives while serving in UN peacekeeping missions in 2020 • Name of the winners: Corporal Yuvraj Singh (UNMISS), Ivan Michael Picardo (UNMISS) and Mulchand Yadav (UN Assistance Mission in Iraq)

Government extends tenures of RAW & IB Chief by 1 Year

• Govt extended the tenure of Intelligence Bureau (IB) Director Arvinda Kumar and Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) Chief Samant Kumar Goel by a year. • After this extension, they will hold the post till June 30, 2022 • Prior to this, they were having two-year fixed term of officers, which was due to end on June 30, 2021 • Arvinda Kumar: 1984 batch IPS officer from Assam-Meghalaya cadre. • Samant Kumar Goel: 1984 batch IPS officer from Punjab-cadre.

Pooja Rani wins her 2nd Asian Boxing Championships gold

• Indian boxer Pooja Rani won another gold-medal at Asian Elite Boxing Championships after defeating Mavluda Movlonova (Uzbekistan) in the women's 75kg final by 5-0 in Dubai. • She has also qualified for the Tokyo Olympics • She secured 1st gold medal for India in Asian Championship 2021. • She had won her maiden Asian boxing gold in 2019 in 81kg event. • She had also bagged the bronze in 2015 and silver in 2012 at the Asian Boxing Championships in the middleweight category.

TRIFED partners with NITI Aayog to implement Van Dhan initiative

• Tribal Co-operative Marketing Federation of India (TRIFED) has partnered with NITI Aayog to implement Van Dhan Yojana scheme • They will work together to prepare the follow-up-plan for its implementation in each of the 39 Tribal Aspirational Districts • These districts are from Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, MP, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Telangana and Tripura • Special focus: Areas with tribal more than 50%

Achinta Sheuli won silver in Junior World Weightlifting Championships 2021

• Indian weightlifter Achinta Sheuli has bagged silver medal in the men’s 73 kg category at Junior World Weightlifting Championships 2021 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan • He lifted a total of 313 kg (141 kg snatch and 172 kg clean and jerk) to finish behind Indonesia’s Rizki Juniansyah, who lifted a world record 349 kg (155 kg snatch and 194 kg clean and jerk) for the gold medal.

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• Jeremy Lalrinnunga of India finished 4th overall in men’s 67 kg category.

World No Tobacco Day: 31st May

• World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is observed globally on 31 May every year to inform the public on the dangers of using tobacco and to discourage the use of tobacco in any form • Theme of the 2021 WNTD: Commit to quit • WNTD was created by the member states of World Health Organization (WHO) in 1987 • Tobacco smoke contains toxic chemicals causing damages to the linings of the airways and lungs and suppress the activity of immune cells leading to weakening of immunity.

Govt announces scheme to provide pension for dependents of Covid victims

• Govt has announced measures for families who have lost the earning member due to Covid. • Family Pension under Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC): o Dependent family members of such persons will get pension equivalent to 90% of average daily wage drawn by worker o Applicability: 24 March 2020 to 24 March 2022. • EPFO-Employees’ Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme (EDLI): o Insurance benefits have been enhanced and liberalized. o Maximum insurance: Rs. 7 lakh

National & International Appointments

B V R Subrahmanyam to be next Commerce Secretary

• B V R Subrahmanyam has been appointed as the Commerce Secretary in the Union Commerce Ministry. • He will also serve as the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Commerce Ministry. • He will succeed Commerce Secretary Anup Wadhawan on his retirement in June 2021. • He is currently serving as the Chief Secretary Jammu & Kashmir as officer on special duty in the Department of Commerce. • Minister of Commerce and Industry: .

Book on Veer Savarkar to hit stands in July, 2021

• Book titled ‘Savarkar: A contested Legacy (1924-1966)’ is all set to hit the stand on July 26, 2021 on the occasion of 138th birth anniversary of the ideologue • The book is authored by historian Vikram Sampath’s on the life and works of Veer Savarkar and is the 5th volume of his series on Savarkar • It will be published by Penguin Random House India • The book will cover the story of one of the most contentious political thinkers of the 20th century from 1924 to 1966

PM announces Rs 10 Lakh PM CARES Fund for kids orphaned due to COVID

• PM Modi has announced welfare measures for children who lost their parents due to COVID- 19. They are as follows:

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o Fixed Deposit in the name of child: Total corpus of fund will be Rs 10 lakh for each child. Monthly stipend as per the age will be provided o Education: Children under 10 years will be admitted in KVs or in private school. Children between 11-18 years will be given admission in any central govt residential school o Health Insurance scheme will also be given

Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated floating jetty at Old Goa

• Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has inaugurated 2nd floating jetty at Old Goa on River Mondovi (NW-68) virtually on Goa statehood day. • Panaji and Old Goa will be connected by ferry and cruise services. • It will offer safe, hassle free transportation to the tourists, boosting tourism sector of Goa. • First jetty was inaugurated at Panjim Goa on 21st Feb 2020 • Concrete floating jetties are 1/5th of the price of fixed jetty. • Life of floating jetty is up to 50 years.

Ajit Doval commissioned Indian Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vessel Sajag

• National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval has digitally dedicated Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) ‘Sajag’ to the nation • Sajag is third in series of five offshore patrol vessels indigenously designed and constructed by Goa Shipyard • The ship is fitted with advanced technology equipment, weapon, and sensors capable to carry twin engine helicopter and 4 high speed boats • ICG will undertake various operations in Indian Ocean Region for maritime interests.

‘Stargazing: The Players in My Life’ book to hit the stand in June 2021

• Cricket all-rounder, commentator and coach, Ravi Shastri is all set make his publishing debut book titled as ‘Stargazing: The Players in My Life’. • The book will be published by HarperCollins India. • It is been co-authored by Ayaz Memon and will be released on June 25, 2021. • Ravi Shastri has written about some 60 extraordinary talents he has met from across the world who have inspired him in the book.

Former Danish Prime Minister Poul Schlueter passes away

• Former Prime Minister of Denmark, Poul Schlueter (92 years) passed away in Frederiksberg, Denmark • He served as the Prime Minister of Denmark from 1982 to 1993 • He was the 1st member of Conservative People's Party to become Prime Minister, as well as the 1st conservative to hold the office since 1901 • He was a member of the Folketing (Danish parliament) for Conservative People's Party from 1964 to 1994 • He was also Chairman of Conservative People's Party.

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Madhya Pradesh launches ‘Ankur’ scheme to award people for planting trees

• Madhya Pradesh CM has launched a scheme ‘Ankur’ under which citizens will be awarded for planting trees during monsoon • Participants who will join the initiative will be given Pranvayu Award to ensure public participation in programme • Under this, sapling plantation campaign will be carried out • Participants will have to upload a picture while planting the sapling and then upload another photograph after taking care of the sapling for 30 days.

Tata Sons acquired over 64% stake in BigBasket

• Tata Sons has acquired majority stake of 64% in popular online grocer BigBasket through its subsidiary, Tata Digital Limited. • The acquisition will help the conglomerate take on the likes of Amazon, Walmart’s Flipkart, Reliance’s JioMart and Softbank-backed Grofers. • Tata’s acquisition of BigBasket could be a part of the conglomerate’s bigger plan to launch a ‘super app’ that will serve as a holistic platform for all its consumer businesses.

Adar Poonawalla appointed chairman of Magma Fincorp

• Adar Poonawalla has been appointed as the Chairman of Magma Fincorp by the board of directors as a part of the management overhaul • Adar Poonawalla has acquired a controlling stake in Magma Fincorp for Rs 3,456 crore through Rising Sun Holding • He is also the chief executive officer of Serum Institute of India. • Vijay Deshwal (Business head at ICICI Bank) will take charge as CEO of Magma Fincorp • Apart from him, Abhay Bhatuda has been appointed as MD of Magma Fincorp.

IIT Ropar develops AmbiTAG for the cold chain management

• IIT Ropar has developed India's first indigenous temperature data logger named as ‘AmbiTAG’ in Punjab for the cold chain management • It is a IoT device that records real-time ambient temperature during perishable products transportation, vaccines, body organs and blood to check particular item transported from anywhere in the world is still usable or perished due to temperature variation • It has been developed under Technology Innovation Hub-AWaDH and ScratchNest.

Salman Rushdie come up with ‘Languages of Truth: Essays 2003- 2020’

• Noted novelist Salman Rushdie has come out with his new essay collection titled as ‘Languages of Truth: Essays 2003-2020’ • The book has been published by Random House • The book talks about Salman Rushdie’s view and imagination of the change in literature and culture, written between 2003 and 2020. • He brings together insightful and inspiring essays, criticism, and speeches that focus on his relationship with the written word.

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World Milk Day: 1st June

• World Milk Day is observed every year on June 1 to recognize the importance of milk as a global food and provide an opportunity to bring attention to activities that are connected with the dairy sector. • The day was established by United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2001. • Theme of World Milk Day 2021: ’Sustainability in the Dairy Sector’. • The day also raise awareness among the masses about dairy's part in healthy living, diets, and food production.

GST Council forms panel under to examine GST exemption on Covid material

• Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council has constituted 8-member Group of Ministers (GoM) panel to examine GST exemptions on Covid-19 relief materials such as vaccines, drugs, testing kits and ventilators • The panel will be headed by Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma • Presently, 5% GST is levied on domestically manufactured vaccines, and 12% GST for COVID drugs and oxygen concentrator. • Members of GoM are: o o Ajit Pawar o Mauvin Godinho o KN Balagopal o Niranjan Pujari

Microsoft launches first ever Asia-Pacific cybersecurity council

• Microsoft has rolled out 1st Asia Pacific Public Sector Cyber Security Executive Council to build a strong communications channel for addressing cyber threats and sharing best practices • Council is set to meet virtually on a quarterly basis to maintain information on cyber threats • It will consist of policy makers and influencers from Brunei, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and will be supported by cybersecurity professionals

CRPF Director General Kuldeep Singh gets additional charge as NIA Chief

• Kuldeep Singh (1986-batch West Bengal cadre officer) has been given the additional charge as the Director General of National Investigation Agency (NIA) by the Ministry of Home Affairs. • He will hold the office till 30th September 2020 or till further orders. • He is currently serving Director General of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) since March 16, 2021. • He will succeed Y.C. Modi (1984-batch IPS officer), who superannuated on May 31.

OECD projects India Growth Forecast for FY22 to 9.9%

• Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has cut India’s growth projection to 9.9% in financial year 2021-22 (FY22), from its previous estimate of 12.6%.

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• Downward revision is due to the second wave of coronavirus infections that has paused economic recovery in the country. • OECD has revised upward GDP growth projection for global economy, and now expects it to grow at 5.8 % in 2021, compared with 4.2% projected in December. • OECD’s Hqs: Paris, France

Narendra Singh Tomar launches Horticulture Cluster Development Programme

• Union Agriculture Minister, Narendra Singh Tomar has virtually launched Horticulture Cluster Development Programme(CDP) to ensure holistic growth of horticulture • It will be implemented in 12 horticulture clusters out of the total 53 clusters in pilot phase. • It is central sector programme and is being implemented by National Horticulture Board (NHB) of Ministry of Agriculture • Aim: developing identified horticulture clusters to make them globally competitive

Bees in the Netherlands trained to detect COVID-19 infections

• Dutch researchers have trained bees to identify samples infected with COVID-19 due to their unusually keen sense of smell • Scientists in the bio-veterinary research laboratory at Wageningen University gave them sugary water as a reward after showing them samples infected with COVID-19 to train the bees. • It can take hours or days to get a COVID-19 test result, but the response from the bees is immediate and cheap making it useful for countries where tests are scarce

Scientists develop Artificial Synaptic Network that Mimics Human Brain

• Scientists have fabricated neuromorphic device that can mimic human brain cognitive actions and is more efficient than conventional techniques in emulating artificial intelligence, enhancing the computational speed and power consumption efficiency • It has been devised by Scientists from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru • This artificial synaptic network (ASN) resembling the biological neural network via a simple self- forming method.

T.V. Narendran elected as President of Confederation of Indian Industry

• T. V. Narendran has taken over as President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for 2021-22. • He succeeded Uday Kotak (Managing Director and CEO of Kotak Mahindra Bank) • He is currently serving as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Tata Steel • He was the Chairman of CII Eastern Region during 2016-17 and has led CII national panels on leadership and HR besides being Chairman of CII Jharkhand. • Pawan Munjal has been appointed as CII’s Vice President

IFFCO introduces world’s first ‘Nano Urea’ for farmers globally

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• Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) has introduced World's first ‘Nano Urea’ for farmers across the world. • It is indigenously developed liquid form of Urea. • Its production will begin from June 2021. • Nano Urea’s price has been fixed at Rs 240 per 500 ml bottle, which is 10% cheaper than the cost of a bag of conventional urea. • It can be brought from IFFCO’s e-commerce platform www.iffcobazar.in or through its cooperative sales and marketing channel

Jagannath Bidyadhar Mohapatra given additional charge as Chairman of CBDT

• Member of CBDT, Jagannath Bidyadhar Mohapatra (1985 Batch IRS Officer) has been given additional charge as the chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), for a period of three months or till further notice. • He succeeded Prakash Chandra Mody, whose tenure came to an end on May 31, 2021. • He shall discharge the duties and responsibilities of the CBDT Chairman, in addition to his own duties. • CBDT is headed by a chairman and can have 6 members.

RDSO becomes 1st standards body to join ‘One Nation, One Standard’ scheme

• Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) has become 1st standards body in India to join ‘One Nation, One Standard’ scheme (launched in 2019) • RDSO is sole R&D wing of Railways Ministry • It has been recognised as a ‘Standard Developing Organisation’ by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for 3 years • BIS: implementing agency for ‘One Nation, One Standard’ • RDSO and BIS will be now jointly defining the parameters to ensure quality goods and services for the Railways.

K.P. Krishnan committee submitted report on Variable Capital Company

• Expert committee on Variable Capital Company (VCC) has submitted its report on the feasibility of Variable Capital Companies in International Financial Services Centres in India to the Chairperson of IFSCA, Injeti Srinivas. • The committee was headed by K.P. Krishnan. • The committee is set up by IFSCA to explore the potential for allowing another legal structure popularly known as a VCC as an additional option through which asset managers could pool the investors’ funds.

WHO names Covid-19 Variants first identified in India as Kappa and Delta

• World Health Organisation (WHO) has given names to two variants (B.1.617.1 and B.1.617.2) of the Covid-19, first found in India. • 1.617.1 variant of the Covid 19 has been named as ‘Kappa’ while the B1.617.2 variant is named as ‘Delta.’

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• The naming of these 2 variants do not aim at replacing the existing scientific names of these #SARSCoV2 Variants of Concern (VOCs) & Interest (VOIs), but is aimed at helping the public discussion about it.

Harsh Vardhan honoured on World No Tobacco Day for banning e-cigarettes

• Union Health Minister, Harsh Vardhan has been awarded with ‘WHO Director-General Special Recognition Award’ for his accomplishments in the area of tobacco control on World No Tobacco Day (May 31) • His leadership was instrumental in 2019 national legislation to ban E-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. • The Award is presented every year by WHO to recognise individuals or organisations in 6 WHO Regions for their accomplishments in tobacco control. • WHO DG: Tedros Adhanom

SBI Economists sharply revises GDP Growth estimate in FY22 to 7.9%

• SBI economists in its research report ‘Ecowrap’ has sharply cut GDP growth estimates for Indian economy to 7.9% in FY22, compared to earlier projection of 10.4%. • This is the lowest growth rate prediction for India among all analysts. • The revision in the growth estimate is due to the impact of the second wave of COVID-19 infections. • SBI economists projects ‘W-shaped’ recovery in FY22, with two troughs, instead of the earlier anticipated ‘V-shaped’ recovery.

‘PharmEasy’ acquires rival ‘Medlife’ to become India’s Largest e- pharma

• Online medical platform, PharmEasy has acquired 100% equity shares of its rival Medlife in return for 19.59 percent equity share capital, estimated at $250 million to create India’s largest online pharmacy. • After the merger with PharmEasy, Medlife has now ceased to operate with effect from May 25, 2021. • With this, Medlife users will automatically become PharmEasy users. • With this total combined entity set, PharmEasy will serve around 2 million customers a month.

Union Bank of India appoints A K Vinod as chief compliance officer

• A K Vinod (50 years) has been appointed as the Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) of state-owned Union Bank of India with effect from June 1, 2021. • His tenure will be of three years. • He will succeed K L Raju. • He was handling MSME and small corporate vertical of the bank. • Union Bank of India's Headquarters: Mumbai • CEO & MD of Union Bank of India: Rajkiran Rai G.

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HDFC Bank deploys mobile ATMs across 50 cities in India

• HDFC Bank has installed mobile ATMs across 50 cities in India, which can be used for over 15 transactions by customers. • These ATMs have been deployed in various metros and non-metros amid COVID-19 restrictions • Customers can conduct over 15 types of transactions using the Mobile ATM, which will be operational at each location for a specific period and will cover 3-4 stops in a day • HDFC's CEO: Sashidhar Jagdishan. • Headquarters of HDFC: Mumbai.

Indian-origin girl among winners of Apple 'WWDC21 Swift Student Challenge'

• Indian-origin girl, Abinaya Dinesh (15 years) is among three winners of the annual WWDC21 Swift Student Challenge • WWDC 21: Platform for the young brains willing to demonstrate their coding and problem-solving skills • She created an app called Gastro at Home, which she plans to launch on the App Store this summer. • The app offers people with gastrointestinal disorders a way to access information and resources

Isaac Herzog has been elected as 11th President of Israel

• Isaac Herzog (60 years) has been elected as the President of Israel, during 120 member parliamentary election for 2021. • He will be the 11th President of Israel and will take charge of the office from July 9, 2021. • He will succeed Reuven Rivlin, who is set to complete his tenure in July 2021. • Israel is a country in Western Asia and is situated on the southeastern shore of Mediterranean Sea and northern shore of Red Sea • Capital: Jerusalem • Currency: Israeli Shekel

Paresh B Lal appointed as Grievance Officer of WhatsApp for India

• Paresh B Lal has been appointed as the Grievance Officer of Facebook-owned WhatsApp for India. • His appointment is in line with govt’s new IT order that requires all the tech companies, like Google, Facebook, WhatsApp to appoint a grievance officer, nodal officer and a chief compliance officer from India. • Grievance officer shall address the complaint within 24 hours and dispose of the complaint within 15 days. • CEO of Whatsapp: Will Cathcart.

XraySetu launched to detect Covid in rural population via WhatsApp

• AI-driven platform titled as ‘XraySetu’ has been developed to help in early detection of COVID 19 with the help of Chest X-ray.

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• It will be beneficial for early detection especially in rural areas, where RT-PCR tests and CT-Scans are not easily available. • XraySetu will operate through WhatsApp • It will identify COVID positive patients even from low-resolution Chest X-Ray images sent over Whatsapp-based Chatbot • It has been developed by ARTPARK (AI Robotics Technology Park)

Vikramjit Sen appointed as Chairman of DMCRC

• Justice (Retd.) Vikramjit Sen has been appointed as the Chairman of the newly formed Digital Media Content Regulatory Council (DMCRC) by Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF) • Council comprises of 6 other eminent industry members: o Nikkhil Advani o Deepak Dhar o Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari o Tigmanshu Dhulia o Ashok Nambisan o Mihir Rale • DMCRC: self-regulatory body formed as per the mandate of IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021

Patrick Amoth of Kenya appointed as Chair of WHO Executive Board

• Acting Director-General for Health for Ministry of Health of Kenya, Patrick Amoth has been appointed as the Chairman of World Health Organisation (WHO) Executive Board during 149th session of the WHO Executive board • He will have a tenure of 1 year • He replaced Union Health Minister of India, Harsh Vardhan, who completed his tenure on June 02, 2021. • Harsh Vardhan will continue to be a member of the Executive Board of WHO till 2023.

World Bicycle Day: 3 June

• International World Bicycle Day is observed every year on June 3 to draw attention to the benefits of using the bicycle • Aim: To recognize the uniqueness, longevity and versatility of the Bicycle as a simple, affordable, reliable, clean and environmentally fit sustainable means of transport. • The day was declared by UN General Assembly in April 2018 • Original UN Blue and White #June3WorldBicycleDay logo was designed by Isaac Feld.

Vinay K Nandicoori appointed as Director of CCMB, Hyderabad

• Former IITian, Vinay K Nandicoori, has been appointed as the Director of CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, Telangana. • He will succeed Rakesh K Mishra • He is a well-known molecular biologist, and a scientist at the DBT-National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi. • He holds JC Bose fellowship and an elected fellow of Indian Academy of Sciences, Indian National Science Academy and National Academy of Sciences

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Sanjeet Kumar wins Gold at 2021 Asian Amateur Boxing Championships

• Indian heavyweight boxer, Sanjeet Kumar has won Gold medal at 2021 Asian Amateur Boxing Championships, after defeating Olympic silver-medallist Vassiliy Levit of Kazakhstan, in the 91kg category • The Championships was held from 24 to 31 May 2021 in Dubai, UAE • He was the only gold medal winner among the Indian men’s contingent • Championship consists of 19-member Indian contingent, including both men and women, who secured 15 medals comprising 2 gold, 5 silver and 8 bronze

Shafali Verma continues to top ICC women’s T20I batting rankings

• Teenage India batswoman Shafali Verma (17 years) has topped ICC women’s T20I batting rankings again. • She was proclaimed as the successor to Smriti Mandhana and has 776 points. • India’s T20 vice-captain, Smriti is placed at 4th with 693 points. • Beth Mooney of Australia has been ranked 2nd, followed by Jemimah Rodriques in the top 10 of the T20I batting rankings with 640 points. • Kathryn Bryce has become the first batswoman from Scotland to make it into the top 10.

India gets 8 new Flying Training Academies

• India is set to get 8 new Flying Training Academies under liberalised Flying Training Organisation (FTO) policy of Airports Authority of India (AAI). • These 8 academies will be set up at Belagavi, Jalgaon, Kalaburagi, Khajuraho and Lilabari. • Aim: At making India a global flying training hub and to prevent the exodus of Indian cadets to foreign FTOs. • These FTOs will also be designed to cater the flying training requirements of cadets in India’s neighboring countries

Brazil to host Copa America for 2nd consecutive time

• Brazil will be hosting Copa America for the 2nd consecutive time after Colombia and Argentina were stripped of hosting rights for the football tournament. • It has been announced by South American soccer body CONMEBOL after it ruled out Argentina amid an increase in COVID-19 cases • Colombia was removed as co-host as street protests against President Ivn Duque rocked the nation. • Copa America was initially scheduled for 2020, but was postponed due to COVID-19

Agriculture Minister launches Seed Minikit Programme

• Union Agriculture Minster has launched Seed Minikit Programme by distributing Seed Minikits (higher yielding varieties of seeds) of Pulses and oilseeds to farmers • It is a major tool for introducing new varieties of seeds in the farmers fields and is instrumental for increasing the seed replacement rate. • Mini kits are being provided by Central Agencies National Seeds Corporation (NCS), NAFED and Gujarat State Seeds Corporation and is wholly funded by Centre

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Justice Arun Kumar Mishra appointed as the Chairman of NHRC

• Former Supreme Court Judge Arun Kumar Mishra (65 years) has been sworn in as the Chairperson of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India. • He succeeded Justice H L Dattu (ex-Chief Justice of India), who completed his tenure in December 2020 • He was elected the youngest chairperson of Bar Council of India in 1998-99 • He also served as MP High Court Judge, chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court and Calcutta High Court • NHRC is a statutory body constituted in 1993.

Ranjitsinh Disale appointed as Education Advisor to World Bank

• Ranjitsinh Disale (32 years) has been appointed as the World Bank Education Advisor for the period June 2021 to June 2024 • He was named as the winner of Global Teacher Prize 2020 in recognition of his efforts to promote girls' education and trigger a quick-response (QR) coded textbook revolution in India • World Bank has appointed 12 educational advisors • World Bank has recently launched Global Coach Program to improve teacher professional development (TPD) programs

Thaawarchand Gehlot to launch SAGE initiative & portal

• Social Justice Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot will launch Senior care Ageing Growth Engine (SAGE) project to select, support and create a one-stop access of elderly care products and services by credible start-ups • Along with this, a dedicated SAGE portal will also be launched. • The portal is shaped on the recommendations of the empowered committee report on start-ups for elderly • Ministry of Social Justice will act as a facilitator for the project

NITI Aayog releases third edition of SDG India Index

• NITI Aayog has released third edition of SDG India Index and Dashboard 2020–21, monitoring progress on the SDGs in India and fostered competition among States and UTs. • It was introduced in 2018 • It covers 16 Goals on 115 quantitative indicators. • Index ranking: o Kerala has topped the index, followed by Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu at 2nd spot among states. o Bihar is the worst performer state. o Chandigarh maintained its top spot among UTs, followed by Delhi.

Bihar announces 33 % reservation for girls in engineering, medical college

• Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has decided to give 33% reservation seats to girl students in engineering and medical colleges of Bihar • This means at least one third of the seats in engineering and medical colleges will be reserved for girl students • This will increase the number of girl students in the field of engineering and medical and will motivate girls towards higher and technical education.

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Telangana govt to conduct digital survey of agriculture lands in state

• Telangana Govt will be conducting Digital Survey of agriculture lands in the state to make the state free from land disputes and provide security and protection to the land holders on a permanent basis • It will be initially held in 27 select villages across the state on a pilot basis from 11th June. • 3 villages will be selected from Gajwel Constituency and 24 villages will be selected from 24 different districts • It will be later expanded to to rural and urban areas.

Govt extended TET validity from 7 years to lifetime

• Education Minister 'Nishank' has announced to extend Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) validity period qualifying certificate from 7 years to lifetime with effect from 2011 • Respective state governments and UTs will need to take necessary action to revalidate or issue fresh TET certificates to those candidates whose period of 7 years has already elapsed. • TET: essential qualifications for a person to be eligible for appointment as a teacher in schools

Health Minister launches digitized versions of health schemes

• Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has launched digitized versions of Flagship Health Schemes on National Health Authority’s (NHA) IT platform, making them cashless, paperless and the citizen centric. • Health Minister has launched revamped Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) and Umbrella schemes of Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) and Health Minister’s Discretionary Grant (HMDG) on NHA’s platform • It will enable seamless delivery of healthcare services to eligible beneficiaries

China’s 'artificial sun' sets new world record generated 120 million degree

• China has claimed to have set a new world record after scientists managed to run their 'artificial sun' at a very high temperature of 120 million Celsius for more than 100 seconds. • The name of the artificial sun is Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) • They also managed to crank up the device to achieve 160 million Celcius for 20 seconds • The previous record for a maintained plasma temperature was 180 million F (100 million C) for 100 seconds

Lenskart Foundation launches Covid-19 relief helpline

• Lenskart Foundation has launched Covid-19 relief helpline that will allow users to message their requirement of medicines, injections, oxygen support, and lab tests • WhatsApp chat-based helpline at 892-947-6589 provides information on what to do if diagnosed with Covid-19, using inputs from a panel of doctors. • Aim: To help people manage Covid-19 at home, right from Day-1 of symptoms, so as to help avoid hospitalisation at a later stage

SpaceX launches tiny critters, solar panels to space station

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• SpaceX has launched thousands of tiny sea creatures to International Space Station (ISS), along with a plaque-fighting toothpaste experiment and powerful solar panels. • The shipment is of 7,300 pound (3,300 kg) which also includes fresh lemons, onions, avocados and cherry tomatoes for the station’s seven astronauts • Dragon cargo capsule is delivering the first of three sets of high-tech solar panels designed to bolster the space station’s aging power grid.

Narendra Singh Tomar virtually inaugurates Indus Mega Food Park at Raipur

• Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has virtually inaugurated Indus Best Mega Food Park at Raipur, Chhattisgarh • It will ensure value addition, longer shelf life for farm produce, better price realization for farmers, excellent storage facility and will provide an alternate market for farmers in the region. • It will also provide direct and indirect employment to about 5,000 persons and benefit about 25,000 farmers in the CPC and PPC catchment areas.

World Environment Day: 5th June

• World Environment Day is observed every year on 5th June to encourage and spread awareness about environment around the globe. • It was first observed in 1974 with the theme ‘Only One Earth’ • UN General Assembly in 1972 established World Environment Day on the first day of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment and later United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP) was created. • World Environment Day Theme 2021: Recreate. Restore.

R S Sodhi unanimously elected to Board of International Dairy Federation

• R S Sodhi has been unanimously elected to the Board of International Dairy Federation (IDF) to represent India, during General Assembly of the Board • He is the Managing Director of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF) that sells Amul branded products in India • He joined GCMMF (Amul) in 1982 after completing his PG from IRMA. • IDF is an international non-governmental, non-profit association to represent the global dairy sector • Hqs: Brussels, Belgium

China to host 2nd UN Global Sustainable Transport Conference in October

• China is hosting 2nd United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference from 14 to 16 October 2021 in Beijing • It was scheduled to be held from 5 to 7 May 2020 in Beijing • Aim: To help achieve the objectives of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Paris Agreement on climate change in the Decade of Action • First Global Sustainable Transport Conference was held in 2016 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. • It is organised by UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA)

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RBI announces bi-monthly monetary policy review for June 2021

• RBI has announced its bi-monthly monetary policy review for June 2021 as suggested by monetary policy committee (MPC). • RBI has continued with the accommodative stance. • RBI has projected real GDP growth for India at 9.5% in 2021-22. • Key Policy Rates & Reserve Ratios: o Repo Rate: 4.00% o Reverse Repo Rate: 3.35% o Marginal Standing Facility Rate: 4.25% o Bank Rate: 4.25% o CRR: 4% o SLR: 18.00% • RBI Governor: Shaktikanta Das

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Honours & Awards

David Diop wins International Booker Prize

• French writer David Diop has won International Booker Prize, for his fiction At Night All Blood Is Black • The Novel is narrated by Alfa Ndiaye. • It depicts Senegalese soldier fighting for the then-imperial power France during World War I, and charts his descent into madness on the battlefield. • He was honoured with 50,000-pound ($70,000) prize that will be split between the author and his translator, Anna Moschovakis. • He is the first French author to win the prize

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National & International Appointments

Vice Admiral Ravneet Singh takes charge as Deputy Chief of Naval Staff

• Vice Admiral Ravneet Singh has been sworn-in as the Deputy Chief of Naval Staff. • He was commissioned into Indian Navy in 1983 and specialised in aviation. • Flag Officer is a qualified flying instructor with Master Green instrument rating. • He succeeded Vice Admiral MS Pawar. • He has commanded various frontline ships and Naval Air Squadrons including INS Himgiri, INS Ranvijay, INS Ranvir, INAS 551B, INAS 300 • Awards: Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) and Nausena Medal (NM)

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Banking & Finance

RBI launches On-Tap Liquidity Window for Contact-Intensive Sectors

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• RBI has launched a separate liquidity window of Rs. 15,000 crore for contact-intensive sectors including hotels and restaurants, tourism-travel agents, tour operators and adventure/heritage facilities, aviation ancillary services, ground handling and supply chain, car repair services, etc • Tenure of this window shall be of up to 3 years at repo rate • It will be available till March 31, 2022 • Under this scheme, RBI has advised commercial banks to create a COVID loan book.

Former President of Mauritius, Sir Anerood Jugnauth passed away

• Mauritian politician and barrister, Sir Anerood Jugnauth (91 years) passed away in Floréal, Mauritius due to illness. • He was a lawyer by profession and served as President of Mauritius twice from 2003 to 2012. • Apart from this, he was elected as the Prime Minister of the country six times, from 1982 to 2017. • He was accorded with India’s second highest civilian honour Padma Vibhushan in 2020. • Capital of Mauritius: Port Louis.

Cabinet approves Signing and Ratification for Agreement on SCO agreement

• Union Cabinet, chaired by PM has given its ex-post facto approval for signing and ratification of an Agreement titled Cooperation in the field of Mass Media between all the Member States of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. • Agreement for the same was signed in June, 2019. • SCO group comprises of eight countries: India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. • SCO's Headquarters: Beijing, China

China to send three male astronauts in its new space station for 3-month

• China has announced to send three male astronauts to its space station next month for a 3- month stay to achieve another milestone in its ambitious space programme, after the successful launch of cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-2. • These three astronauts will take the Shenzhou-12 spacecraft to the space station core cabin in June. • They will conduct tasks, including repair and maintenance, appliance switch and scientific tasks on the space station after reaching.

Goa CM launches solar-based electrification programme for rural households

• Goa CM has unveiled solar-based electrification programme for rural households in the state. • It will bring electricity to areas in Goa where grid connectivity is not feasible. • It is first off-grid electricity engagement of Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) that will install and maintain solar PV systems under Remote Village Electrification (RVE) programme of Goa Government. • Tenure: 5 years • It will be held in coordination with Gram panchayats

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