Current Affairs Monthly Capsule I September 2020

1 | P a g e Current Affairs Monthly Capsule |June 2021

Table of Contents

Awards and Honors ...... 3 Mergers and Events ...... 9 Days and Events ...... 12 MoU and Agreements ...... 20 Appointment ...... 28 Obituaries ...... 36 International Affairs ...... 41 Person in News ...... 49 Govt. Policies and Schemes ...... 56 Science and Tech ...... 61 Business and Economy ...... 69 Sports ...... 77 Defence ...... 85 Books and Authors...... 92 National Affairs ...... 94

Committees and Recommendations ...... 103

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Awards and Honors Delhi Metro bags an award  The Delhi Metro has bagged an award from the Japan Society of Civil Engineers for its "high-quality" infrastructure development projects under phases I-III.  The 'Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award' is for the year 2020.  This award is given to highly selective showcasing projects in the development of civil engineering technology across the world. Simranjit Kaur nominated for Arjuna awards  Simranjit Kaur, Gaurav Solanki, and Sonia Chahal have been nominated for the Arjuna award by the Boxing Federation of India.  Simranjit (60kg) is a 2018 world championships bronze winner and is among the four Indian women boxers who have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics.  Solanki (57kg) had won his Commonwealth gold in 2018, while Chahal (57kg) claimed her world silver in the same year. P. Sainath awarded 2021 Fukuoka Prize  Journalist P. Sainath has been selected as one of the three recipients of the Fukuoka Prize 2021.  Mr. Sainath will receive the ‘Grand Prize’ of the Fukuoka Prize while the Academic Prize and the Prize for Arts and Culture will go to Prof. Kishimoto Mio of Japan and filmmaker Prabda Yoon of Thailand respectively.  115 people from 28 countries have received the prize in the past 30 years. Sreejesh, Deepika nominated for Khel Ratna  Veteran India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh and former women's team player Deepika have been nominated by Hockey India for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award for 2021.  Vice-captain of India's Tokyo Olympics-bound men's team Harmanpreet Singh and women's team member Vandana Katariya have been nominated for the Arjuna awards.  RP Singh has been nominated for the Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement. Smart City awards 2020 announced  The Central government has declared Smart City awards 2020.  Indore (Madhya Pradesh) and Surat (Gujarat) won the award jointly for their overall development.  Whereas Uttar Pradesh emerged on the top among all states, followed by Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu under the Smart City award, 2020.  Chandigarh bagged the award for Union Territories, while Indore won the “Innovative Idea Award". Cochin Airport wins an honour  The Cochin International Airport Ltd has won the Airport Council International's (ACI) Director General's Roll of Excellence honour for Airport Service Quality.  The ACI, a global body of airport operators established the recognition for those airports which, in the opinion of the passengers, have consistently delivered excellent services in the Airport Service Quality Survey.

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K K Shailaja receives CEU Open Society Prize  Former Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja has been awarded the prestigious Central European University (CEU) Open Society Prize in recognition of her commitment to public health services.  The Open Society Prize was announced during the 30th graduation ceremony which was held online.  The prize is awarded annually to persons of exceptional distinction who serve the ideals of an open society. S Mitra bags European Inventor Award 2021  Indian-American chemist Sumita Mitra has been honoured with European Inventor Award 2021 in the ‘Non-European Patent Office Countries’ category.  She successfully integrated nanotechnology into dental materials to produce stronger and more aesthetically pleasing fillings.  The award is presented annually by the European Patent Office to recognise outstanding inventors from Europe and beyond. WBR awarded Khyati Naravane with Certificate  Khyati Naravane has been awarded with ‘Certificate of Commitment’ by The World Book of Records (WBR), London for her commitment towards trade and industry during the COVID times.  She is the CEO of the Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry.  The World Book of Records (WBR) has taken an initiative to motivate and inspire people to be committed to safety. INS Sahyadri bags ‘best ship’ title  Indian Navy’s Sahyadri has been given the ‘best ship’ title at the Fleet Awards Function 2021.  INS Kamorta has received the title of the most spirited ship.  INS Kiltan and INS Khukri won the best corvette trophy amongst corvettes and similar classes of ships.  The function was held on 19 June 2021 to mark the culmination of the Operational Cycle of the Eastern Fleet. Shyam Sundar wins UN land conservation award  Rajasthan-based climate activist Shyam Sundar Jyani's environment conservation concept, Familial Forestry has won the United Nations' Land for Life Award 2021.  The announcement was made by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).  Shyam Sundar Jyani, an associate professor of Sociology in Rajasthan's Bikaner, has been campaigning for Familial Forestry for over 15 years. Sumant Sinha recognised by UN  The United Nations Global Compact has recognized Sumant Sinha as one of ten 2021 SDG Pioneers.  He is the Chairman and MD of ReNew Power.  SDG Pioneers are business leaders selected by the UN Global Compact for doing an exceptional job to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the implementation of the UN Global Compact Ten Principles.

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7 Navy pilots awarded prestigious "Wings"  In Tamil Nadu, 7 Indian Navy pilots were awarded the prestigious "Wings" by Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh, Flag officer, Commanding in Chief Eastern Naval Command at the passing out parade on 18 June 2021.  The graduation of the 96th Helicopter Conversion Course was held at the INS Rajali Air Base Arakkonam.  The pilots were given rigorous training for 22 weeks. LTI recognised at Snowflake Summit  Larsen & Toubro Infotech has been recognized as the Global Innovation Partner of the Year by Snowflake, the data cloud company.  LTI received this prestigious recognition during Snowflake Virtual Partner Summit held on June 16, 2021.  With its automation-first approach, LTI's unique Canvas PolarSled platform provides speed, performance, and risk reduction to Snowflake customers. 135 soldiers receive medals of recognition  135 Indian and 103 Sri Lankan peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) received medals of recognition from the UN Force Commander in Bor in June'21.  Indian peacekeepers are mainly stationed in Bor, Pibor, and at a temporary operating base in Akobo in South Sudan.  Medal winners from Sri Lanka are from the Blue Berets aviation unit. IIT Roorkee professor gets an award  A professor from IIT Roorkee, Prof. Shailesh Ganpule, has received the ‘NSG Counter-IED & Counter-Terrorism Innovator Award 2021' for his design of a blast-resistant helmet.  The ‘blast-resistant helmet’ designed by Prof. Shailesh Ganpule is an advanced version of conventional helmets.  It protects military personnel from IED-induced blast waves with a technology readiness of 4. Darnella Frazier wins Pulitzer Prize  Teenager Darnella Frazier has been awarded a special citation by the Pulitzer Board.  Frazier was recognized for recording a video showing George Floyd's death beneath the knee of Minneapolis Policeman Derek Chauvin with her cellphone.  She has also won the 2020 Benenson Courage Award from PEN America earlier. Vinoo Mankad named in ICC's Hall of fame list  Former India cricketer Vinoo Mankad on 13 June 2021 was among the 10 players included in the special edition list of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Hall of Fame.  The ICC announced a list of 10 cricketers who were included in their special edition of Hall of Fame players to celebrate the history of Test cricket. Djokovic clinches his 19th Grand Slam title  World No.1 Novak Djokovic clinched his second French Open Men's Singles Tennis title after beating world No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas on 13 June 2021.

 The Serbian Djokovic increased his Grand Slam tally to 19 titles.

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 Djokovic has also become the first man in the Open era, and third overall, to win all four Majors at least twice. Indian-origin journalist wins Pulitzer Prize  Megha Rajagopalan, an Indian-origin journalist, has won the Pulitzer Prize for exposing China's vast infrastructure for detaining Muslims.  She shared the award with two colleagues namely Alison Killing and Christo Buschek, all of are from internet media, BuzzFeed News.  Another journalist of Indian origin, Neil Bedi, has won a Pulitzer for local reporting. Krejcikova wins French Open women's singles  Barbora Krejcikova has won her maiden Grand Slam Women's Singles Tennis title, beating Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the French Open final.  Former doubles world number one Krejcikova defeated 31st seed Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 2-6, 6- 4 at Roland Garros on 12 June 2021.  Barbora became the first Czech women’s singles champion since 1981. Vivi Nagar gets D.Litt from Khairagarh Univ.  Dr. Vidhi Nagar, a Kathak dance teacher from BHU's Faculty of Music and Stage Arts, has been given a D.Litt degree from Indira Gandhi Sangeet University, Khairagarh.  She is the first woman to get D.Lit in the field of Kathak dance.  In the year 2013, she won the Academy Award.  She has also written a novel 'Kathakputli' program which shows the closeness of two styles of dance. Cadet from Bhutan awarded at IMA  In an award ceremony at the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun on 9 June'21, Junior Under Officer (JUO) Kinley Norbu, a Foreign Gentlemen Cadet (FGC) from Bhutan was awarded the prestigious motivational trophy for his excellent all-round performance during his training.  A special award of recognition was also presented to FGC Ehsanullah Saadat, from Afghanistan. Yuka Saso wins U.S. Women's Open  Filipino Japanese teenager and Japan LPGA Tour player Yuka Saso has won the U.S. Women’s Open Golf Tournament at the Olympic Club, San Francisco.  Saso stands with the record of Inbee Park as the youngest U.S. Women's Open winner.  Only two other women with Japanese citizenship have won majors — Hisako Higuchi at the 1977 LPGA Championship and Hinako Shibuno at the 2019 Women’s British Open. Dr. Charu Khosla wins Greenpreneur Award 2021  Dr. Charu Khosla, Assistant Dean, Chitkara University, Punjab, has won the prestigious Greenpreneur Award 2021.  He has been awarded for exemplary work in 'Energy Management'.  The Greenpreneur Awards 2021 were organized by Startup Punjab in collaboration with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI FLO) Amritsar to honour Punjab's finest entrepreneurs.

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Actress Lakshmi Devy wins an award  Indian American actress and filmmaker Lakshmi Devy has won the prestigious Gold Remy Award for Direction at the 54th World fest Houston International Film Festival.  She was awarded for her film “When the Music Changes”.  Other previous recipients of the Remy Awards include Spielberg, Lucas, Ang Lee, the Coen Brothers, Ridley Scott, John Lee Hancock, Brian de Palma, Randal Kleiser, etc. HT Codeathon wins at INMA Global Awards 2021  Hindustan Times (HT) Codeathon won four awards, in various segments, at the recently held International News Media Association (INMA) Global Awards 2021.  Along with the four awards, HT Codeathon also achieved an honorable mention in the Best Initiative to Register Users category.  The Hindustan Times Codeathon was launched in October 2020 in collaboration with the Delhi government. Tillotama wins award at UK Asian Film Fest  Actress Tillotama Shome has won the Best Actor award at the 23rd edition of the UK Asian Film Festival.  She has won the award for her film Raahgir: The Wayfarers, which was directed by Goutam Ghose.  Film 'Raahgir: The Wayfarers', revolves around 3 strangers, who live on a daily wage basis.  Apart from Tillotama, filmmaker Goutam Ghose has also won the award for Best Director. Assam to replicate Bharat Ratna, Padma awards  The Assam government has decided to replicate the annual Bharat Ratna and Padma awards entailing a slew of benefits for the awardees.  While the Asom Ratna would be presented to one person who has made a significant contribution to society, the Asom Bibhushan would be presented to three, the Asom Bhushan to two and the Asom Shree to 10 persons every year. ‘Water Burial’ bags Best Film National Award  ‘Water Burial’, a film based on the Monpa dialect of Arunachal Pradesh, has won the Best Film National Award in the environment conservation category.  Directed by Shantanu Sen, the film is inspired by the Assamese novel ‘Saba Kota Manuh’, written by Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi.  The Monpa tribe in Arunachal Pradesh lives at a height of 8,000-9,000 feet above sea level. AI Centre of Excellence honoured  The Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence (AI-CoE) led by Indian-American Krishna Kumar Edathil has received the state innovation of the year award as part of the 2021 State Scoop 50 National Awards.  AI-CoE, a public-private partnership, offers free AI skills training to state information technology leaders.  Krishna serves as the Director of Enterprise Solution Services for AI-CoE. L&T receives Advanced Partner Status  L&T Technology Services Ltd has achieved 'Advanced Partner' status within the PTC Partner Network program for demonstrating excellence in product lifecycle management (PLM).

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 It is the first engineering and technology company in the APAC (Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation) region to receive this recognition. David Diop wins International Booker Prize  David Diop has won the International Booker Prize for fiction.  “At Night All Blood is Black” by French writer David Diop beat five other finalists to take the 50,000-pound ($70,000) prize, which is open to fiction in any language that has been translated into English.  The prize money will be split between the author and his translator, Anna Moschovakis. K.Jamieson: NZ's 'Cricketer Of The Year'  New Zealand all-rounder Kyle Jamieson was awarded the 2021 version of the Gamers’ Cap.  Gamers’ Cap award is given to the player who has been voted as ‘Cricketer of the Year’ by the players & support staff.  By winning this award, Kyle has joined a elite list which includes Brendon McCullum, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor , K. Williamson and Trent Boult, who won the same award in past. WHO honours Harsh Vardhan  WHO on 31 May 2021, honoured Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan with Director-General Special award for his efforts to control tobacco consumption in India.  Every year, the WHO recognises individuals or organisations across the globe for their accomplishments in the area of tobacco control.  This recognition takes the form of the WHO Director-General Special Recognition Award. Nitin Rakesh and Jerry Wind win an award  The authors Nitin Rakesh and Jerry Wind have made history by winning the prestigious International Business Book of the Year Award for 2021.  They were awarded for their recently launched book Transformation in Times of Crisis, published by Notion Press.  The Business Book Awards is one of the biggest and most prestigious events in the calendar for business book writers all over the world. 'Fire in the Mountains' bags an award  Filmmaker Ajitpal Singh's acclaimed movie "Fire in the Mountains" has won the Audience Award for Best Feature at the 19th Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA).  The 19th edition showcased 40 films in 17 languages, including movies by 16 women directors.  Fire in the Mountains, which is the feature directorial debut of Singh, was screened on the opening night of the festival.

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Mergers and Acquisition Amazon Web Services acquires Wickr  Amazon Web Services (AWS) has acquired a messaging application Wickr.  The messaging application which was founded in 2012, boasts of emphasis on encryption.  AWS (Amazon Web Services) will be offering Wickr services effective immediately and the current Wickr users would not see significant changes for the time being. Acquisition of Zuarinagar plant of ZACL  The Competition Commission of India has approved the acquisition of the Zuarinagar plant of Zuari Agro Chemicals Limited (ZACL) by Paradeep Phosphates Limited (PPL).  PPL will acquire the business of developing and manufacturing urea and non-urea fertiliser products presently being carried out by ZACL at the Zuarinagar, Goa Plant. PharmEasy to acquire 66% stake in Thyrocare  PharmEasy's parent entity API Holdings Ltd will acquire a 66% stake in Tyhrocare Technologies Ltd, one of the largest diagnostics chains in India, Thyrocare.  PharmEasy will pick up the stake at Rs 1300 per share, valuing the deal at Rs 4,546 crore.  Docon Technologies Pvt Ltd, a 100% subsidiary of API, will be the acquirer and shall make an open offer for an additional 26 percent stake. Merger of CRWC and CWC approved  The Union Cabinet has approved to merge and transfer all assets, liabilities, rights, and obligations of ‘Central Railside Warehouse Company Limited’ (CRWC) with its holding enterprise ‘Central Warehousing Corporation’ (CWC).  CRWC is a Mini-Ratna Category-II Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSE) incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 in 2007. Minda Industries to buy 51% stake in UZ Chasys  Minda Industries will acquire a 51 per cent stake in Uzbekistan-based automotive lighting manufacture UZ Chasys for around ₹58 crores.  The company has won the bid to acquire a 51 per cent stake in UZ Chasys in Uzbekistan for a purchase consideration of 83.1 billion.  UzChasys specializes in manufacturing automobile headlights and lamps. Heineken's to acquire United Breweries  Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved Heineken International B.V's proposed acquisition of an additional equity stake in United Breweries Ltd (UBL).  United Breweries is engaged in the manufacture, sale, and distribution of beer in India.  Heineken International B.V. (HIBV) is an investment holding company and is itself not engaged in any business activity. Muthoot Fincorp acquires stake in Paymatrix  Muthoot Fincorp has picked up a 54 percent stake in Hyderabad-based fintech startup Paymatrix by buying out existing investors as part of its added focus on the digital payments segment.  Paymatrix was set up in 2016 with a vision to streamline property rent payments and rent collections for tenants and landlords.

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 It was incubated at IIIT-Hyderabad along with Paypal accelerator programme. Adani Power to acquire Essar's Mahan project  Adani Power Limited (APL) will acquire the 1,200 megawatt (MW) Essar Power's Mahan Project located at Singrauli district of Madhya Pradesh.  Resolution Professional of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has issued a Letter of Intent to Adani Power.  Essar Power's Mahan power plant supplies power through the Mahan-Sipat transmission line. KKR to buy stake in Vini Cosmetics  US private equity firm KKR has signed definitive agreements with the Vini Cosmetics group to acquire a controlling stake in the company.  Vini Cosmetics makes Fogg, a brand of deodorants and other consumer brands.  KKR has invested $625 million to acquire the stake in the group that is led by Darshan and Dipam Patel and VC firm Sequoia Capital. Polycab India acquires Silvan Innovation Labs  Polycab India Ltd (PIL) has signed an agreement to acquire a 100% stake in Bengaluru- based automation company, Silvan Innovation Labs for ₹182 million.  Founded in 2008, Silvan claims to be one of the pioneers in the concept of home automation in the Indian residential building market.  Silvan has installed over 100,000 devices in more than 8,000 homes and offices and has 17 patents. CCI approves acquisition of Magma HDI  The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the acquisition of Magma HDI General Insurance Company Limited (Magma HDI) by India Advantage Fund S4 I (IAF S4 I) and Dynamic India Fund S4 US I (DIF).  Magma HDI is engaged in the non-life insurance business in India only.  It offers products across various categories including motor, health, personal accident, home, fire, etc. S3i acquires stake in Acme Solar’s project  Denmark’s fund IFU and United Nations Office for Project Services' S3i have acquired 39% and 10% stake respectively in Acme Solar Holdings Ltd’s 250 megawatt (MW) solar project in Rajasthan.  Acme Solar holds the majority 51% stake in the project, which has a total investment requirement of euro 150 million and was awarded by state-run Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd (SECI). Accenture to acquire umlaut  Accenture Plc has agreed to acquire umlaut, an engineering consulting and services firm headquartered in Aachen, Germany.  As part of the acquisition, Accenture will onboard umlaut’s more than 4,200 engineers and consultants across 17 countries to its Industry X services.  Umlaut is the latest in a series of 22 acquisitions Accenture has made since 2017 to build its Industry X capabilities.

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Facebook buys game studio BigBox VR  Facebook has acquired BigBox VR, makers of the popular battle royale virtual reality game titled 'Population: One' for an undisclosed sum.  'Population: One' has consistently ranked as one of the top-performing titles on the Oculus platform.  With this deal, BigBox VR will have the opportunity to grow POP: ONE and cultivate its community with the full support of Oculus Studios resources. Info Edge acquires Zwayam  Info Edge India Ltd, which operate recruitment portal Naukri.com, has entered into an agreement to acquire 100% of the share capital of Zwayam Digital Pvt Ltd.  Zwayam Digital Pvt Ltd operates Zwayam, artificial intelligence and machine learning- powered recruitment management software platform.  Info Edge currently runs matrimonial portal Jeevansathi, 99acres, and education portal, Shiksha. Acquisitions and Merger  BharatPe has acquired multi-brand loyalty platform Payback India in the first acquisition by the digital payments firm. The company acquired Payback India from American Express and ICICI Investments Strategic Fund.  Cult.fit has acquired Bengaluru-based connected fitness startup Tread to bolster its portfolio of hardware products. It will help Cult.fit launch its hardware-at-home vertical. Tata Digital to buy stake in e-pharmacy 1MG  Tata Digital Ltd, a subsidiary of Tata Sons Private Limited, is all set to acquire a majority stake in a digital health company, 1MG Technologies Private Ltd.  Incorporated in 2015, 1MG provides online delivery of medicines, health and wellness products, etc.  Tata had also announced its investment of $75 mn in fitness startup CureFit and onboarding of Mukesh Bansal as President, earlier. Vedanta to acquire Videocon Industries  The Mumbai bench of insolvency tribunal has cleared Vedanta Group arm’s resolution plan to acquire bankrupt conglomerate Videocon Industries.  The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has approved a bid by Twin-Star Technologies to acquire the 13 firms of Videocon Industries Ltd for Rs 2,962 crore.  Financial creditors’ claims worth over Rs 61,773 crore has been admitted. Mergers and Acquisitions  Accenture has entered an agreement to acquire Paris-based technology consulting firm Nell’Armonia to strengthen its position in the enterprise performance management (EPM) market.  With an aim to make scaling easier for organizations globally, xto10x has acquired SaaS- based human resources-tech startup, Dockabl.

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Days and Events International Day of Parliamentarism: 30 June  The International Day of Parliamentarism is celebrated every year on 30 June.  It's the date on which the IPU- Inter-Parliamentary Union was founded in 1889.  The day was established in 2018 through a United Nations General Assembly Resolution.  In 2021, the IPU members will mark the day with the IPU campaign 'I Say Yes to Youth in Parliament!'. National Statistics Day: 29 June  The birth anniversary of PC Mahalanobis is observed as National Statistics Day on 29 June every year.  Often referred to as the 'father of Indian statistics', PC Mahalanobis, was a key member of the first Planning Commission of independent India.  End Hunger, Achieve Food Security and Improved Nutrition and Promote Sustainable Agriculture is the theme for 2021. International Day of the Tropics: 29 June  Each year on June 29th, the International Day of the Tropics raises awareness about various challenges that tropical nations face.  The regions of the Earth that lie in the middle of the planet are called the Tropics.  The Tropics account for 36 per cent of the Earth’s landmass.  The theme for International Day of the Tropics 2021 is "The Digital Divide in the Tropics". Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's birth anniversary  Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's 183rd birth anniversary was observed on 27 June 2021.  The great novelist and poet was the composer of our National song- Vande Mataram.  Often addressed as Sahitya Samrat, Bankim Chatterjee has written 13 novels and several other works which contributed towards a literary Renaissance in Bengal. International MSMEs Day: 27 June  Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) Day is celebrated every year on 27 June.  The day is marked to recognize the contribution of these industries in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  As many as 90 percent of businesses are generated from MSMEs.  The contribution of MSME to GDP worldwide is 50 percent. Int Day in Support of Victims of Torture  The United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture is observed every year on June 26.  The day was first observed by United Nations General Assembly in 1997 to raise awareness about the suffering of people who undergo torture.  On June 26, 1987, the convention against torture and other inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment came into effect. Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking  Every year on June 26, the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is

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observed around the world.  The day is devoted to eliminating drug misuse and addressing the structural causes that fuel the illegal drug trade.  'Share Drug Facts to Save Lives' is the theme for the year 2021.  The day also marks Lin Zexu’s attempts to strategically dismantle the opium trade. Birth anniversary of Sant Kabir Das  Kabir Das Jayanti was observed on 24 June 2021.  Sant Kabirdas was a famous 15th-century poet, saint, and social reformer of India.  Kabir Das' writings had a great influence on the Bhakti movement and include titles like Kabir Granthawali, Anurag Sagar, Bijak, and Sakhi Granth.  The major part of his work was collected by the fifth Sikh guru--Guru Arjan Dev. International Day of the Seafarer: 25 June  International Day of the Seafarer is observed every year on 25 June.  In 2010, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), decided to designate June 25th as the International Day of the Seafarer.  The purpose of the day is to give thanks to seafarers for their contribution to the world economy.  The theme for the year 2021 is “Seafarers: at the core of shipping’s future”. International Widows Day: 23 June  International Widows Day is observed on June 23 every year to draw attention towards the voices of widows and highlight their problems.  The day was established by The Loomba Foundation to raise awareness about the matter of widowhood.  June 23 was chosen to mark International Widows day as it was on this day in 1954 that Shrimati Pushpa Wati Loomba, mother of Lord Loomba, became a widow. International Olympic Day: 23 June  International Olympics Day is observed on June 23 every year to celebrate sports and health.  The occasion marks the day when International Olympic Committee was founded in 1894.  The day aims at promoting sports and spreads the message of making sports an integral part of life.  Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894. United Nations Public Service Day: 23 June  United Nations Public Service Day is celebrated every year on 23 June.  It recognizes that democracy and successful governance are built on the foundation of a competent civil service.  On December 20, 2002, the United Nations General Assembly designated June 23 of each year as United Nations Public Service Day (resolution 57/277). World Music Day: 21 June  World Music Day is observed every year on 21 June.  The first World Music Day was observed and celebrated on the Summer Solstice in France in the year 1982 when the former French minister of art and culture, Jack Lange, along with

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Maurice Fleuret started the Fête de la Musique in Paris.  That is also why World Music Day is alternatively known as Fête de la Musique. Conclave on 'Sickle Cell Disease in India'  To commemorate World Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) Day on 19 June 2021, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs organized the Second Online National Conclave on ‘Sickle Cell Disease in India’.  It was organized in partnership with FICCI, Novartis, Piramal Foundation, Apollo Hospitals, NASCO and GASCDO.  Nearly 20 per cent of tribal children with SCD die before reaching the age of two. National Tennis Day declared in Spain  Rafael Nadal, the 13 time French Open winner celebrated his 35th birthday on June 3, 2021.  The Royal Spanish Tennis Federation decided to celebrate his birthday as the National Tennis Day in Spain on 18 June 2021.  The day celebrates the player’s legacy and his achievements.  The inauguration of the National Tennis Day will take place on June 3, 2022. Day of the Celebration of the Solstice: 21 Jun  International Day of the Celebration of the Solstice is observed on 21 June every year.  It was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly on June 20th of 2019.  The observance brings awareness to the importance that solstices and equinoxes have for many religions.  The summer solstice is the day with the longest period of sunlight. 21 June: World Hydrography Day  The World Hydrography Day is observed every year on 21 June.  The theme for World Hydrography Day 2021 is 'One hundred years of international cooperation in hydrography.'  The day was approved and implemented by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO).  The day is observed to increase awareness about the protection of safe navigation for sailors. 19 June: National Reading Day  India observed the 26th edition of National Reading Day on 19 June 2021.  It is an annual event that falls on the death anniversary of PN Panicker, the man behind the ‘Library Movement in Kerala’.  The P N Panicker Foundation has been observing the national reading day, reading week, and reading month since June 19, 1996.  The motto of National Reading Day is ‘Read and Grow’. International Yoga Day: 21 June  The International Yoga Day has been celebrated annually on 21 June since 2015.  The theme for International Yoga Day 2021 is 'Yoga for well-being.'  India, along with United Nations and WHO, is launching an app called M-Yoga aiming to provide easy access to Yogic practice.  Yoga is an ancient Indian practice that helps in maintaining physical and mental well-being, and over the years.

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World Refugee Day: 20 June  A United Nations designated day, the World Refugee Day is observed on 20 June every year.  It is observed to respect and honour the courage and resilience of refugees across the world.  The day was held for the first time on June 20, 2001.  It commemorated the 50th anniversary of the "1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees." Autism Pride Day: 18 June  Autism Pride Day is observed on 18 June every year.  The day was first celebrated by Aspies for Freedom in 2005.  According to the WHO, one in 160 children have Autism Spectrum Disorder.  Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. Goa Revolution Day: 18 June  Goa Revolution Day falls on June 18.  It was on this day in the year 1946, that the suppressed patriotic feelings of Goans had manifested into a mass revolution.  It is observed to recall the sacrifices of freedom fighters and martyrs of Goa's liberation struggle.  Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia and Dr. Julião Menezes had started the civil disobedience movement against Salazar's dictatorial regime. Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence  International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict is observed on June 19 every year.  Its aim is to raise awareness of the need to put an end to conflict-related sexual violence.  The resolution was adopted by the UN General Assembly on June 19, 2015.  The date marks the Security Council resolution 1820 (2008), where sexual violence as a tactic of war was condemned. Sustainable Gastronomy Day: 18 June  Sustainable Gastronomy Day is observed on 18 June every year.  It emphasizes the need to focus the attention on the role that sustainable gastronomy can play.  Gastronomy is called the art of food and can also refer to a style of cooking from a particular region.  The UN General Assembly adopted on 21 December 2016 its resolution and designated 18 June as Sustainable Gastronomy Day. Day To Combat Desertification And Drought  June 17 is observed as World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.  The UN-designated day is all about a green planet, sustainable development, and the health and welfare of people.  The theme for 2021 is "Restoration. Land. Recovery'. We build back better with healthy land".  India is working towards restoring 2.6 crore hectares of degraded land by 2030.

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International Day of Family Remittances  International Day of Family Remittances is observed on 16 June every year.  The day recognizes and raises global awareness of the critical contributions that migrants around the world make for the well-being of their families.  Around 258 million people live outside their country of origin and the money these workers send to their relatives supports another 800 million people worldwide. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day: 15 June  World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is observed every year on 15 June.  It is an annual initiative launched on June 15, 2006, by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the WHO.  The UN International Plan of Action has described elder abuse as a public health and human rights issue.  “Access to Justice” is the theme for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2021. Guru Arjan Dev martyrdom day 2021  Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth guru of Sikhs, was martyred on June 16, 1606.  According to the Hindu calendar, the martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev is observed on Jeth Sudi 4, which falls on June 14 in 2021.  He had compiled the 1st edition of the Sikh scripture Adi Granth, which is now known as Guru Granth Sahib.  Born in 1563, Guru Arjan Dev was the first martyr of the Sikh religion. June 14: World Blood Donor Day 2021  World Blood Donor Day, an initiative by the World Health Organization, is observed every year on June 14.  For 2021, the World Blood Donor Day slogan is 'Give blood and keep the world beating'.  The day is celebrated on the birth anniversary of Austrian biologist and physician, Karl Landsteiner.  He is considered to be the founder of modern blood transfusion.  Italy will host the day for 2021. June 13: International Albinism Awareness Day  International Albinism Awareness Day is observed by the United Nations on June 13 every year.  For 2021, the theme of the celebration is 'Strength Beyond All Odds'.  Albinism is a rare and genetically inherited condition present at birth.  Albinism is much more common in sub-Saharan Africa, with estimates of 1 in 1400 people being affected in Tanzania and as high as 1 in 1000 in Zimbabwe. World Day Against Child Labour: 12 June  World Day Against Child Labor is commemorated every year on June 12 to raise awareness about the social evil of promoting and hiring children for labor.  Act now: end child labor - is the theme of World Day Against Child Labour 2021.  New global estimates and trends on child labour (2016-2020) will be released on the occasion, under the aegis of Alliance 8.7.

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Birth anniversary of Shaheed Ram Prasad Bismil  11 June marks the birth anniversary of Shaheed Ram Prasad Bismil, the freedom fighter who fought against British colonialism.  He formed the Hindustan Republican Association with leaders like Bhagat Singh and participated in the Mainpuri conspiracy of 1918, and the Kakori conspiracy of 1925.  He was martyred at Gorakhpur Jail on 19 Dec 1927 just aged 30, for his role in the Kakori conspiracy. N.G. Ranga's 26th death anniversary  The 26th death anniversary of the "Father of the Indian Peasant Movement" Acharya NG Ranga was observed on 9 June 2021.  Gogineni Ranga Nayukulu, also known as N. G. Ranga, was an Indian freedom fighter, farmers’ leader and veteran Parliamentarian.  N.G. Ranga brought peasants into our freedom struggle and fought for their cause. Birsa Munda's death anniversary  9 June marks the death anniversary of tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda.  Birsa Munda had participated in anti-missionary and anti-establishment activities between 1886 and 1890 in Chaibasa.  He was arrested by the British police on 3 March 1900.  He died young, at 25, in Ranchi jail on June 9 the same year.  Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar on his birth anniversary on 15 Nov 2000. World Oceans Day: 8 June  World Oceans Day is observed every year on 8 June to create awareness among human beings of the benefits it has enjoyed from the ocean so far.  The United Nations (UN) declared World Oceans Day as an official occasion in 2008.  The theme for 2021 is ‘The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods’.  The idea of World Oceans Day was first proposed in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. World Food Safety Day: 7 June  June 7 each year is marked globally by the 'World Food Safety Day' as per the World Health Organization (WHO).  It is observed annually to raise awareness about foodborne risks and help prevent, detect, and manage untoward diseases.  The theme for the year 2021 is “Food safety, everyone’s business”.  A resolution was adopted on Dec 20, 2018, by the assembly to mark June 7 as this day. National Cancer Survivors Day: 6 June  On the first Sunday in June each year, the National Cancer Survivors Day is observed in the U.S. and worldwide.  The day was established by the nonprofit National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation in 1998.  For the year 2021, the day fell on 6 June 201.  The day is an international event to raise awareness of cancer, sufferers and survivors.

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Shiv Rajyabhishek Din: 6 June  Shiv Rajyabhishek Din is being celebrated in Maharashtra to mark the coronation day of the great Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.  The 348th Coronation Ceremony was celebrated at Raigad Fort where Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was crowned as the Chhatrapati of the Maratha Kingdom on June 6, 1674. Operation Bluestar's 37th anniversary  Many Sikh organisations have planned programmes to celebrate 37th anniversary of Operation Bluestar on 6 June 2021.  Operation Bluestar was a military action ordered by then PM Indira Gandhi to flush out Sikh militants holed up in Harmandir Sahib Complex (Golden Temple) in Amritsar, Punjab.  The operation was carried out between June 1 and June 8, 1984. World Environment Day: 5 June  World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5 every year to remind people about the importance of nature.  The United Nations Assembly established World Environment Day in 1972, which was the first day of the Stockholm Conference on the human environment.  The theme for World Environment Day 2021 is “Reimagine. Recreate.Restore" and Pakistan will be the global host for the big day. Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression  The United Nations (UN) International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression is observed on June 4 each year.  The purpose of the day is to acknowledge the pain suffered by children throughout the world who are the victims of physical, mental, and emotional abuse.  “Stop attacks on children” is the theme for 2021.  The day was recognised by the General Assembly on August 19, 1982. World Bicycle Day: 3 June  World Bicycle Day is observed every year on June 3.  On June 3, 2018, the United Nations General Assembly in New York commemorated the first World Bicycle Day.  “Uniqueness, versatility, and longevity of the bicycle as a simple, sustainable, economical, and reliable mode of transportation” is the theme for the year 2021.  The day was created to honour bicyclists who exist around the world. Telangana formation day: 2 June  2 June 2021 marked the 8th formation day of Telangana.  Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh and officially accorded statehood on this day in 2014.  The state was formed after the Telangana Bill was passed in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.  Telangana is India’s then 29th and at present 28th state after Jammu and Kashmir was made Union Territory. 30 May: World Vape Day

 World Vape Day is celebrated every year on 30 May, a day before World No Tobacco Day.

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 The aim of World Vape Day is to raise awareness about the relative safety of e-cigarettes and their potential as harm reduction and smoking cessation tools.  The aim is to encourage smokers who are unable to quit unaided, to switch to safer alternatives.  The day was first celebrated in 2012. Global Day of Parents: 1 June  Global Day of Parents is celebrated on June 1 every year.  Since the 1980s, the United Nations began "focusing on the issues related to the family."  A resolution was adopted by the UN General Assembly on September 17, 2012, deciding to proclaim June 1 as the Global Day of Parents.  “Appreciate all parents throughout the world” is the theme of global parents day 2021.

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MoU and Agreements SERB-DST partners with Intel India  A first-of-its-kind research initiative called ‘Fund for Industrial Research Engagement (FIRE)’ was launched on 29 June 2021.  It was launched by Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) in collaboration with Intel India.  It will increase research opportunities in the space of Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML), platform systems, Internet of Things (IoT), etc. MoU signed between Indian Navy and BEL  An MoU has been signed between the Indian Navy and Bharat Electronics Limited.  It has been signed for the creation of a joint Technology Incubation Forum (TIF).  The TIF will spearhead mission mode development of deployable products under the government's 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiative with the involvement of industry, academia and Startups. L&T Tech partners with Mavenir  L&T Technology Services and Mavenir have partnered on open RAN and 5G test automation solutions.  It will deliver end-to-end 5G automation services with Mavenir.  The automation services will include Continuous Integration / Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) automation of the 5G ORAN portfolio of RU/DU/CU products in conjunction with the Cloud Native 5G NSA and SA core network products. IICT ties up with Nosch Labs  CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) and Nosch Labs have entered into a non-exclusive agreement.  CSIR will transfer the process know-how for the synthesis of anti-Covid-19 drug 2-DG (2- Deoxy -D - Glucose).  As per the pact signed, Nosch Labs would commence manufacture of 2-DG drug after obtaining regulatory clearances from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). JSCA, SAIL-BSL inks MoU  Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) has signed a lease agreement with SAIL Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL) for the construction of Jharkhand’s third International Cricket Stadium.  Bokaro will become the third city in Jharkhand after Jamshedpur and Ranchi to feature in International cricket map once the stadium is ready.  It will also be the first stadium to be constructed in SAIL township. SBI Card partners with Fabindia  SBI Cards and Payment Services has tied up with Fabindia to launch an exclusive co- branded contactless credit card - Fabindia SBI Card.  The card is designed with curated benefits and privileges to offer a rewarding shopping experience to its premium customers.  The card comes in two variants - Fabindia SBI Card SELECT and Fabindia SBI Card.

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Triton signs MoU for investment in Telangana  Triton Electric Vehicle, LLC has announced signing an MoU with Telangana to set up its manufacturing plant with an investment of Rs. 2,100 crores.  Triton is the US-based electric vehicle (EV) subsidiary of a leading solar panel and battery engineering firm, Triton Solar.  The facility will produce Triton EVs for the Indian domestic market and other regions, including Bangladesh, Nepal, etc. India signs $32 million loan with World Bank  The government of India, the government of Mizoram, and the World Bank have signed a $32 million Mizoram Health Systems Strengthening Project.  It will improve the management capacity and quality of health services in Mizoram, particularly for the benefit of under-served areas and vulnerable groups.  A key focus will be to strengthen the effectiveness of the state health insurance programme. IFFCO to set up nano urea plant in Argentina  IFFCO will set up a nano urea liquid manufacturing plant in Argentina in partnership with two agencies -- Instituto Nacional de Asociativismoy Economía Social (INAES) and Cooperative Confederation of Argentina "Cooperar".  IFFCO stands for Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited.  The three of them have entered into an MoU for the same. SBI Gen Insurance ties up with IDFC Bank  SBI General Insurance has signed a Corporate Agency agreement with IDFC FIRST Bank, for the distribution of non-life insurance solutions.  Under this agreement, it will offer insurance products along with the commercial line of insurance products such as property to the Bank’s customers.  IDFC FIRST Bank has a digital-first approach and serves customers through its net banking platform. Toyota signs MoU with ACMA  Toyota Kirloskar Motor has announced signing an MoU with the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA).  As per the MoU, Toyota will impart 131 training programmes focused on principles of lean manufacturing, automobile, and electrified vehicle technologies, etc.  The company will deploy trainers who are certified by the Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC). Agreement between India and Saint Vincent  The Union Cabinet has approved an agreement between the Republic of India and Saint Vincent and The Grenadines.  It has been approved for the exchange of information and assistance in collection with respect to taxes.  It will strengthen India's commitment to fight offshore tax evasion and tax avoidance practices leading to generation of unaccounted black money. India and Fiji sign MoU  India and Fiji have signed an MoU for cooperation in the field of agriculture and allied sectors.

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 The MoU provides for cooperation in the fields of the dairy industry, rice industry, root crop diversification, water resources management, coconut industry, etc.  It also provides for cooperation in the fields of agricultural research, animal husbandry, pest and disease, cultivation, etc. MoD signs ₹583 crore contract  The Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) for the construction of two Pollution Control Vessels (PCVs) for the Coast Guard at a cost of about ₹583 crores.  The ships, designed, developed, and built by GSL, are scheduled for delivery by November 2024 and May 2025 respectively.  At present, the Coast Guard has three PCVs in Mumbai, Visakhapatnam and Porbander. Assam signs MoU with Survey of India  The Assam government has signed an MoU with the Survey of India for implementing the Svamitva scheme in the state.  The scheme aims to provide an integrated property validation solution for rural areas.  Survey of India will take steps for a survey of inhabited rural land by drone as well as the establishment of ground-based control stations to enable a detailed spatial database. Airtel, TCS join hands for 5G network  Bharti Airtel has announced a strategic partnership with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for implementing 5G network solutions for India.  Tata Group has developed an O-RAN-based Radio and NSA/SA Core and has integrated a totally indigenous telecom stack, leveraging the Group capabilities and that of its partners.  This will be available for commercial development starting January 2022. PayPoint India partners with 12 institutions  PayPoint India has signed agreements with 12 financial institutions to add a lending vertical to its portfolio of services.  The Mumbai-based company has signed ‘lead generation agreements’ with Punjab National Bank, ICICI Bank, Deutsche Bank and NBFCs such as Bajaj Housing, Piramal Housing and Hero Fincorp, among others.  Ketan Doshi is the Managing Director of PayPoint India. India and Bhutan ink MoU  India and Bhutan have inked an MoU for developing cooperation between two countries in the area of environment.  The MoU is a platform to further enhance Indian and Bhutanese partnership and support, exchange best practices in areas like prevention of air pollution, climate change, etc.  It also provides the possibility to have joint projects in areas of mutual interest. CSIR partners with Tata MD  The Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Tata Medical and Diagnostics (Tata MD) have announced a tie-up aimed at ramping covid-19 testing across tier 2 and 3 towns as well as rural areas in the country.  The initiative will utilise CSIR’s network of labs across India.  To be jointly developed, the RT-PCR CRISPR test will use the Tata MD CHECK SARS-CoV-2

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test kits. Labour Ministry, UNICEF and YuWaah join hands  The Ministry of Labour and Employment, and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have signed a Statement of Intent (SoI).  They will co-create and implement solutions at scale to tackle the employment and skilling challenges for adolescents and youth in India.  This effort will be spearheaded by YuWaah, UNICEF’s multi-stakeholder alliance in India, globally known as Generation Unlimited. A tripartite concession agreement signed  A tripartite concession agreement between National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA), and Maheshtala Waste Water Management Private Limited was signed on 17 June 2021.  It has been signed for the development of a 35 MLD sewage treatment plant for Maheshtala.  The contract was awarded at the total cost of Rs 273.52 cr. ASU to partner with 6 Indian universities  Arizona State University (ASU) will partner with 6 Indian universities to offer joint degrees, make twinning arrangements, and share its vast faculty and research resources.  The first such tie-up is happening with the 25-year-old NorthCap University (NCU), formerly ITM University, in Haryana and is being executed through the US education consulting firm Cintana Education. India extends US$ 100 million LOC to Sri Lanka  India has signed an agreement extending a US$ 100 million Line of Credit (LOC) to Sri Lanka for projects in the solar energy sector.  The agreement was signed between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Export-Import Bank of India.  It will help finance various projects in the solar energy sector in Sri Lanka, such as rooftop solar photovoltaic systems for households, etc. MoPSW and Ministry of Culture sign MoU  Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Ministry of Culture have signed an MoU.  It has been signed for cooperation in the development of the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) at Lothal, Gujarat.  The unique feature of NMHC is the recreation of ancient Lothal city, which is one of the prominent cities of the ancient Indus valley civilization dating to 2400 BC. Germany, Australia sign hydrogen accord  Germany and Australia have signed a bilateral alliance on hydrogen production and trade to try to facilitate a renewable energy-based hydrogen supply chain between the two countries.  A letter of intent has been signed to set up a "Germany Australia Hydrogen Accord".  Germany's 9 billion euro ($10.9 billion) hydrogen strategy was launched in the year 2020. ADB, India sign $484 million loan

 The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India have signed a $484 million

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loan.  It has been signed to improve transport connectivity and facilitate industrial development in the Chennai–Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor (CKIC) in Tamil Nadu.  CKIC is part of India’s East Coast Economic Corridor, which connects India to the production networks of South, Southeast, and East Asia. RRU signs MoU with Black Cat Commandos  Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) has signed an MoU with the Black Cat Commandos to create indigenous anti-drone systems and other advancements.  The collaboration will work to create agile bomb disposal suits, night vision optics, indigenous anti-drone systems and setting up a state-of-art forensic lab.  The MoU will serve as an open space for exchange of ideas for technological innovation. Ambuja Cement joins hands with NABARD  Ambuja Cement Foundation has joined hands with the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).  The foundation has received grant assistance from NABARD under the Gramya Vikas Nidhi, a fund created for the development of off-farm sector activities.  The project will provide skill training across 19 locations for two years in 12 trades. MoU signed for sea plane services in India  An MoU between the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, and Ministry of Civil Aviation for the development of Sea Plane services in India was signed on 15 June'21.  This MoU envisages the development of the non-scheduled/scheduled operation of seaplane services within the territorial jurisdiction of India under the RCS-UDAN scheme of the government of India. Ujjivan Bank collaborates with MoEngage  Ujjivan Small Finance Bank has collaborated with the customer engagement platform MoEngage.  It will drive digital banking experiences in the unserved and underserved regions of the country.  The engagement aims to build a vast presence of the bank for connecting with customers in these regions through multiple digital touchpoints. Honeywell partners with DRDO, CSIR-IIP  Honeywell is partnering with DRDO and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research- Indian Institute of Petroleum to ramp up oxygen production in the country.  The partnership is for the supply of "molecular sieve adsorbents (zeolites) to the country to accelerate the setting up of medical oxygen plants.  Honeywell developed the first commercially viable adsorbent more than 40 years ago. LTI signs agreement with Amazon Web Services  Larsen and Toubro Infotech has entered into a strategic collaboration agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS).  LTI has recently launched a dedicated cloud unit for AWS which will focus on migration and modernization, SAP application workloads, etc.  In addition, LTI will build accelerators and create industry-focused cloud offerings for

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different sectors. NHPC signs MoU with BSHPC  An MoU has been signed between NHPC Limited and Bihar State Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited (BSHPC) for the implementation of the 130.1 MW Dagmara HE Project in Supaul, Bihar.  The largest hydropower project of Bihar is to be implemented by NHPC on an ownership basis.  NHPC is a Category-A Miniratna Company under the Ministry of Power, in the field of hydropower. Federal Bank partners with Infosys  Federal Bank has partnered with Infosys for Oracle CX adoption, a cloud-based tool to manage the relationship with customers.  With the integration of this tool, Federal Bank wants to build an efficient way of recalling customer’s information, improve their productivity and customer satisfaction.  Federal Bank is an Indian commercial financial services institution headquartered in Kerala. EGS and GMRAA sign MoU  Emirates Group Security (EGS) and GMR Aviation Academy (GMRAA) have signed an MoU.  The MoU will enable GMRAA and EGS to jointly offer more than 75 aviation and security courses in both online and conventional classroom settings - certificates, diplomas, undergraduate and postgraduate - to thousands of professionals in India as well as in the Middle East and Asia. Cuemath partners with Google  Cuemath has partnered with Google for Education to help transform the teaching and learning experience.  As part of the partnership, Cuemath teachers and students will be given a Google for Education certificate.  Teachers will be given a Google Certified Educator Level 1 Certificate, and students who take a 12 to 18 months Cuemath program will be awarded CS First Creator Coder Certificate. Flipkart partners with Telangana govt  Flipkart has partnered with the Telangana government to lead a consortium tasked with the development and execution of the drone deliveries of medical supplies to remote areas under the 'Medicines from the Sky' project.  Flipkart will deploy drones and enable deliveries of vaccines and medical supplies.  These efforts will be complemented with technologies such as geo mapping. Virgin Atlantic partners with TCS  Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has expanded its strategic partnership with Virgin Atlantic help the UK’s leading airline embark on a new phase of recovery and growth.  The partnership will enhance technology operations where TCS will enable Virgin Atlantic to leverage the best of Microsoft Azure through a series of technology and business transformation initiatives.

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Delhi Police inks MoU with RRU  The Delhi Police has inked an MoU with the Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU).  It has been signed for mutual cooperation and sharing of resources and expertise in the area of academics, research, and training.  Both will assess and focus on specific requirements of Delhi Police and the RRU regarding training, research and extension programmes including other areas of mutual interest. India and Kuwait sign MoU  India and Kuwait have signed an MoU.  The MoU brings the Indian domestic workers in Kuwait within the scope of a legal framework that streamlines their recruitment and provides them with the protection of the law.  It seeks to establish a mechanism for 24-hour assistance to domestic workers.  It also provides for the establishment of a joint committee for periodic review and assessment. Jharkhand govt collaborates with Doordarshan  The Jharkhand Education Department has signed a contract with Doordarshan.  It will broadcast video lectures and online classes for students of Class 1 to 12 from June 14, 2021, onwards for the next three months.  Post-summer vacations, students shall be benefited with special video lectures aired on the Doordarshan channel. Digital India Corporation signs MoU with ICAR  Digital India Corporation (DIC) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) on 9 June 2021 signed an MoU to provide ‘Demand-Based Tele Agriculture Advisories’ to farmers.  The objective of the MoU is to integrate the existing Interactive Information Dissemination System platform of DIC with the proposed Kisan Sarathi programme of ICAR and its implementation through the ICAR network. HDFC Bank inks MoU with KIADB  Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) has signed an MoU with HDFC Bank.  As part of the MoU, HDFC Bank will provide a wide range of financial products and services to its customers through an extensive network of branches across the country.  KIADB shall accord approvals related to handing over possession of land and project- related construction as per agreed terms. Dr Reddy’s ties up with Rockwell  Dr Reddy’s Laboratories has entered into a strategic partnership with Hyderabad-based Rockwell Industries, specializing in commercial cold chain appliance manufacturing.  They will provide vaccine freezers for storing Sputnik V, the Russian-made Covid-19 vaccine.  The deal has been closed to supply at least 750 Covid-19 vaccine freezers to various hospitals and institutions across the country. Indian Bank and Practo join hands  Indian Bank, and healthcare company Practo, have joined hands.  They will provide existing and former employees of the bank and their family members with Practo’s signature corporate health and wellness plans during the covid-19 pandemic.

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 Over 74,000 of its present and retired staff members will benefit from these health plans that provide affordable and 24x7 access to high-quality care. NFSU ties up with DOD  National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) has tied up with US Department of Defense (DOD) to recover and identify the remains of over 400 missing US military personnel in India during World War II.  An MoU has been signed in this regard with the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency (DPAA).  The agency is currently trying to trace more than 81,800 missing personnel. TCS to become title partner of London Marathon  Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) will become the title partner of the London Marathon from 2022, following the race on October 3, 2021.  It has signed a six-year partnership with the mass sporting event.  The ambition for 2021 is for 50,000 runners to take part in the mass participation event from Blackheath to The Mall, and a further 50,000 in the virtual event. BeAM inks pact with Haridra Lakshmi  BSE E Agricultural Markets (BeAM) has signed a pact with Haridra Lakshmi to enhance the smallholder farmers' income in Maharashtra.  Both have signed an MoU in this regard.  Both entities will work closely with the warehouses in the region to adopt electronic negotiable warehouse receipts (eNWRs).  BSE in Dec'20 launched BeAM, an electronic spot platform for agricultural commodities. Balu Forge Industries inks MoU with Karnataka  Balu Forge Industries has signed a pact with the Karnataka government for setting up a new manufacturing campus at a project cost of Rs 200 crore in Belgaum.  It would spread over 25 acres (over 100,000 m²) in Belgaum, Karnataka.  The new facility will not only act as a manufacturing centre but will also be set up as a technology and innovation campus. Ladakh and Meghalaya sign MoUs with CESL  Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL), a unit of Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL), on 5 June'21 signed MoUs with Meghalaya govt and Ladakh UT to generate around 65MW of decentralized solar.  With the Meghalaya Power Distribution Corp. Ltd, CESL has signed an MoU worth 60MW.  With the UT of Ladakh, CESL will set up decentralized solar power in the Zanskar region worth 5MW.

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Appointment Shambhu Nath appointed chairman of IFUNA  A former judge of the Allahabad High Court Justice Shambhu Nath Srivastava has been appointed Chairman of the Indian Federation of United Nations Associations.  It is a non-profit organization to promote the objectives of the United Nations and its specialized agencies.  Shambhu Nath succeeds Mukul Sangma, former Chief Minister of Meghalaya. Manesh Mahatme: Head Of Payments, Whatsapp  WhatsApp has appointed former Amazon executive Manesh Mahatme as a Director to lead the growth of its payments business in India.  As Director WhatsApp Payments - India, Mahatme will focus on enhancing the payments experience for users.  He joins WhatsApp from Amazon where he spent close to seven years as Director and Board member of Amazon Pay India. Praveen Sinha: Special Director of CBI  The govt has appointed CBI Additional Director Praveen Sinha as the Special Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).  The post was earlier held by Rakesh Asthana.  He has been appointed for a tenure up to his superannuation on April 30, 2022, from the date of assumption of charge, or until further orders.  He had also served as the Deputy Director, ACB, Ahmedabad, in 1996. Jeremy Kessel: Twitter Grievance Officer  Twitter has appointed its Global Legal Policy Director as the new Grievance Officer for users in India.  Dharmendra Chatur, who was recently appointed to the post, has quit amid Twitter’s ongoing tussle with the government.  Before this, he was a partner at a law firm that represented Twitter.  California-based Jeremy Kessel has been appointed to the post. NDDB Dir. takes additional charge as Chairman  Meenesh Shah, Executive Director (ED) of Anand-headquartered National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has been given additional charge of the post of Chairman.  Shah had taken over the post for a period of six months with effect from June 1, 2021, until further orders as the tenure of NDDB’s interim Chairman Varsha Joshi ended on May 31.  NDDB was founded in 1965 by Verghese Kurien. Justice Malimath: Acting CJ of Himachal P. HC  Justice Ravi Vijaykumar Malimath has been appointed as the acting Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court.  He will perform the duties of the office of the Chief Justice with effect from 1 July'21 consequent upon the retirement of Justice Lingappa Narayana Swamy, Chief Justice, Himachal Pradesh High Court.  Chief justices and judges of the 25 high courts retire at the age of 62 years.

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Attorney General K K Venugopal term extended  The Central Government has extended the tenure of Attorney General K K Venugopal by one more year till June 30, 2022.  In 2020, his tenure was already extended by one year.  Venugopal was appointed as AG on July 1, 2017.  He took over as the 15th Attorney General of India after former AG Mukul Rohatgi resigned. Suresh N Patel to act as CVC  Vigilance Commissioner Suresh N Patel will act as the central vigilance commissioner (CVC) in the Central Vigilance Commission.  The appointment was necessitated after Sanjay Kothari completed his term as the Chief.  The commission is headed by the CVC and can have a maximum of two vigilance commissioners.  There is a vacancy of one more vigilance commissioner, in addition to Patel. 1st Head of Religious Affairs Directorate: UP  Varanasi Divisional Commissioner Deepak Agarwal has been appointed the first Director of the Directorate of Religious Affairs (DRA) headquartered in Varanasi.  The DRA headquarters would be established with the help of the Kashi Vishwanath Special Area Development Board (KVSADB).  The sub-office of the DRA would be set up at the Kailash Mansarovar office building in Ghaziabad. Ex-Infosys CEO to head a task force  Former Infosys CEO S D Shibu Lal has been appointed the Chairperson of a three-member task force formed to help the government in bringing major bureaucratic reforms through its ambitious "Mission Karmayogi".  Govind Iyer, Consultant at global management consulting group Egon Zehnder, and Pankaj Bansal, Group CEO of HR tech company PeopleStrong, will also be part of the task force. Karnam Malleswari: 1st VC of Delhi Sports Univ  The Delhi government has appointed Olympic medallist Karnam Malleswari as the first Vice- Chancellor of Delhi Sports University.  Malleswari is the first Indian woman weightlifter to bring home an Olympic medal.  She created history at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 by lifting 110 kilograms and 130 kilograms in the ''snatch'' and ''clean and jerk'' categories. Yasir Al-Rumayyan joins Reliance Industries  Yasir Al-Rumayyan has been inducted into the board of Reliance Industries Ltd as an Independent Director.  He is the Saudi Aramco Chairman and Governor of the Kingdom's wealth fund Public Investment Fund.  Of the 14 members on the RIL board, half are independent directors, including former SBI chair Arundhati Bhattacharya, and former McKinsey India Chief Adil Zainulbhai. Bombay High Court gets 4 new Additional Judges  President of India has appointed Rajesh Narayandas Laddha, Sanjay Ganpatrao Mehare, Govinda Ananda Sanap, and Shivkumar Ganpatrao Dige, to be Additional Judges of the

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Bombay High Court.  They have been appointed for a period of two years with effect from the date they assume charge.  A notification in this regard has been issued by the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice. Diplomat L. Prashant Pise: Next envoy to Iraq  Diplomat L Prashant Pise, Deputy Director-General of Indian Council for Cultural Relations, has been appointed as the next Ambassador to Iraq.  Pise is a 1995 batch of Indian Foreign Service (IFS) Officer, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.  He is expected to take up the assignment shortly. Ashok Kumar: High Commissioner to Zambia  Ashok Kumar, presently Ambassador of India to the Republic of Djibouti, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Zambia.  Mr. Kumar is a 1998 batch Indian Foreign Services officer.  He also served as Joint Secretary in the Ministry and was appointed Ambassador of India to the Republic of Djibouti on December 19, 2018. Verizon appoints Vijayaraman as VP and MD  Verizon India, the global capability center of Verizon Communications Inc., has appointed Vijayaraman Subramanian as the Vice President and Managing Director.  Subramanian takes over this role from Kalyani Sekar who moved to the US to take on a global leadership role within the organization.  He has been with Verizon India since its inception in 2001. Bharti Airtel names Amrita Padda as CPO  Bharti Airtel has appointed Amrita Padda as Chief People Officer to lead the company's people strategy.  Padda will join the company from October 1, 2021, and will report to Gopal VIttal, Managing Director and CEO, Bharti Airtel.  Most recently, she was the Chief People Officer for Unilever Marketplace, their newly set up global business unit to transform Distributive Trade. Munishwar Nath: Acting CJ of Allahabad HC  The Centre has notified the appointment of Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari as the Acting Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court.  Justice Bhandari, the senior-most Judge of the Allahabad High Court, will be performing the duties of the office of the Chief Justice of the High Court.  Justice Bhandari was appointed as Judge of the High Court of Rajasthan High Court on Jul 5, 2007. BMC appoints arborist to assess old trees  The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has roped in a tree surgeon also known as an arborist to assess old trees and protect them from falling.  Arborist Vaibhav Raje has been appointed in BMC’s D-ward, which includes areas such as Malabar Hill, Tardeo, Peddar Road, and other locations in Mumbai.

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 He will study around 100-150 trees and suggest ways to prevent them from falling. Dr Tadang Minu: AIBA’s coaches member  Dr Tadang Minu from Arunachal has become the first woman in the country and the second Indian to be appointed as a member of the Coaches Committee of the International Boxing Association (AIBA).  AIBA is the parent body for boxing in the world.  Dr. Minu is an assistant professor at Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU).  She is also the president of the Arunachal Amateur Boxing Association (AABA). Kanagaraj: Chairman of Andhra Pradesh SPCA  The government of Andhra Pradesh has appointed the former Judge of Madras High Court Justice V Kanagaraj as the Chairman of the State Police Complaints Authority.  Kanagaraj will hold the post for three years from the date of taking charge.  Earlier, the government had removed Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar as the State Election Commissioner and placed Kanagaraj in that position. Rupesh Patel: Senior Fund Manager of Nippon  Nippon Life India Asset Management Limited (NAM India) has announced the appointment of Rupesh Patel as a Senior Fund Manager in equity investments.  Hideaki Masago has been appointed as Deputy Chief Risk Officer.  In his last role, Patel worked with Tata Mutual Fund as a Senior Fund Manager, equities, where he managed some of the flagship equity funds such as Midcap Growth, Large Cap, etc. Raghuram Rajan to be in TN's Economic Council  The newly-elected Tamil Nadu state government will constitute an "Economic advisory council to the chief minister" with leading economic experts from all over the world as its members.  The council would consist of Nobel laureate Esther Duflo of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, former Chief Economic Advisor Dr. Arvind Subramanian, etc. Ebrahim Raisi: New President of Iran  Ebrahim Raisi has won Iran's presidential election.  Mr. Raisi is Iran's top judge and holds ultra-conservative views.  He is under US sanctions and has been linked to past executions of political prisoners.  Iran's President is the second-highest-ranking official in the country, after the supreme leader. Indian-origin Judge nominated to Canada SC  Indian-origin Justice Mahmud Jamal has become the first non-white person to be nominated to the Supreme Court of Canada.  He has been elevated from the Court of Appeal for Ontario where he has served since 2019.  Justice Jamal has appeared in 35 appeals before the Supreme Court on civil, constitutional, criminal, and regulatory issues. António Guterres re-elected for second term

 UN General Assembly has appointed Antonio Guterres as the UN Secretary-General for a

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second term beginning January 1, 2022.  This was announced by President of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly Volkan Bozkir.  His term would end on December 31, 2026.  Guterres started his first term in 2017, becoming the ninth UN chief since the international body’s founding in 1945. Karim Khan: New ICC Chief Prosecutor  British lawyer Karim Khan has been sworn in as the new Chief Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.  He replaces outgoing prosecutor Fatou Bensouda of Gambia.  Khan is a specialist in international criminal law and human rights law.  During a career spanning decades, he has argued in all the major international courts and conducted high-profile probes. PUMA signs Yuvraj Singh as brand ambassador  PUMA has extended its decade-long partnership with former cricketer Yuvraj Singh by signing him as the face of PUMA Motorsport in India.  With this, he also joins the brand’s global league of legends like Thierry Henry, Boris Becker, and Usain Bolt.  Globally, PUMA is associated with Scuderia Ferrari, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, Aston Martin Red Bull Racing, BMW M Motorsport, etc. Montek Ahluwalia: Member of WB-IMF Group  Montek Singh Ahluwalia has named as a member of a High-Level Advisory Group (HLAG) formed by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the face of the dual crisis posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change.  He is the former Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission and distinguished fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP). V Vaidyanathan: MD of IDFC First Bank Ltd  The Board of Directors of IDFC First Bank Ltd have approved the proposal for the re- appointment of Mr. V. Vaidyanathan as the MD and CEO of the Bank, for a further period of 3 years.  It is in effect from December 19, 2021 up to December 18, 2024 (both days inclusive).  He took over as the MD and CEO of IDFC FIRST Bank in December 2018 after the merger of Capital First and IDFC Bank. Aashish: Director at India's WTO mission  The government has appointed Aashish Chandorkar as Counsellor in India's Permanent Mission in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for three years.  For the first time, a private person has been appointed at the Mission.  Chandorkar is the Director of Bengaluru-based policy think tank Smahi Foundation of Policy and Research.  India has been a member of WTO since 1995. Embalam: Speaker of Puducherry assembly  In Puducherry, the BJP legislator Embalam Selvam was elected unopposed as the Speaker

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of the 15th Legislative Assembly on 16 June'21.  The first session of the 15th Puducherry Legislative Assembly was held on 16 June, along with the election of the Speaker.  The BJP legislator Embalam R. Selvam filed his nomination for the election of the Speaker on behalf of the National Democratic Alliance. Microsoft names CEO Satya Nadella as Chairman  Microsoft Corp on 16 June 2021 named Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella as its new Chairman, in place of John Thompson.  Thompson, who took over as chairman from the software giant's co-founder Bill Gates in 2014, will serve as a Lead Independent Director.  The top-level executive change comes just over a year after Gates stepped down from the board of Microsoft Corp. Bijender Goel: Founding President of INDC  Bijender Goel has been nominated as the Founding President of the Indian Delphic Council (INDC) to head the Indian movement.  Goel is also the advisor of the South Asian Affairs of the International Delphic Council.  At present, Goel is the Chairman of the National Council on Disaster management, ASSOCHAM and a member of the Governing Council of Bir Tikendrajit University in Manipur. US names tech critic Lina Khan as FTC chair  President Joe Biden has named Lina Khan as the Chairwoman of the US Federal Trade Commission.  She will take over the agency from acting Chairwoman Rebecca Kelly Slaughter.  She is believed to be the youngest chair in the history of the FTC.  Khan rose to prominence with a 2017 research paper on Amazon.com Inc. named 'Amazon's Antitrust Paradox'. US nominates Indian-American as federal judge  US President Joe Biden has nominated an Indian-American civil rights attorney, Sarala Vidya Nagala as a federal judge in the State of Connecticut.  She would become the first judge of South Asian descent to serve on the District Court for the District of Connecticut.  She is currently serving as the Deputy Chief of the Major Crimes Unit in the US Attorney’s Office in the Dist. of Connecticut. Arjan Kumar: Chairperson of Grievance Board  Former Supreme Court judge Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri will chair the Grievance Redressal Board of the recently formed Digital Publisher Content Grievances Council (DPCGC).  The DPCGC currently has 14 publishers of online curated content as members.  The Grievance Redressal Board (GRB) will address content grievances pertaining to the Council members' video online streaming services. Costa Rica's Grynspan to head UN trade body  The U.N. General Assembly has approved the nomination of Costa Rican economist Rebecca Grynspan to head the U.N. agency promoting trade and development.  She will be the first woman and Central American to lead the Geneva-based organization.

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 She was nominated by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as secretary-general of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, known as UNCTAD. Ukhnaa Khurelsukh: President of Mongolia  Former Mongolian PM Ukhnaa Khurelsukh has become the country's sixth democratically elected President.  Khurelsukh was forced to resign as PM after protests in 2021.  Khurelsukh will replace incumbent Khaltmaa Battulga, who was denied an opportunity to seek re-election following controversial changes to Mongolia's constitution that restricted Presidents to one term in office. Amara Raja Batteries Chairman to step down  Amara Raja Batteries Ltd. (ARBL) Founder Chairman Dr. Ramachandra Galla will step down.  Jayadev Galla will assume the role of Chairman of the board.  Amara Raja Batteries Ltd (ARBL) has announced "energy and mobility" as its strategic focus area.  The new energy business will build on technological innovations such as lithium and other new-age chemistries. HCL appoints Siki Giunta for cloud business  HCL Technologies Ltd has appointed Siki Giunta to lead its cloud consulting and offerings strategy and further accelerate the HCL Cloud Smart offering into client markets.  Giunta joins HCL from Accenture.  She has also led several other leadership positions in the industry, including the Chief Executive Officer of Managed Objects and Fortisphere. Sterling and Wilson Solar: Amit Jain as CEO  Solar EPC company, Sterling and Wilson Solar Limited, has appointed Amit Jain as its global CEO.  Jain succeeds Bikesh Ogra, who gave up the position effective 31 May 2021, but will continue as a Director on the board of the company.  Jain has been associated with Sterling and Wilson Solar Limited since January 2019 as country head for the US and Australia. Naftali Bennett: New Prime Minister of Israel  Naftali Bennett was on 13 June 2021 sworn-in as the new Prime Minister of Israel.  His victory ended the 12 yrs power of former PM Benjamin Netanyahu, the country's longest- serving leader.  Bennett, leader of the right-wing Yamina party, took oath of office after the Israeli parliament Knesset elected him as the 13th PM by a 60-59 vote in 120-member house.  He will be PM until September 2023. Mylab signs Akshay Kumar as brand ambassador  Biotechnology company Mylab Discovery Solutions has appointed actor Akshay Kumar as its brand ambassador.  The Pune-based firm, which has a presence across many verticals like diagnostics, food safety, agriculture, veterinary medicine, has recently launched the country's first COVID-19 self-test kit, CoviSelf.

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 Kumar will play a vital role in educating people about the use of it. Appointments:  The US Senate has approved the historic nomination of Pakistani-American Zahid Quraishi to the District Court in New Jersey, making him the first Muslim federal judge in the country's history.  Mahindra Group has announced the appointment of Pratap Bose as the Executive Vice President and Chief Design Officer to lead its newly formed Global Design organization. Justice Sanjay Yadav: CJ of Allahabad HC  The President of India has appointed Justice Sanjay Yadav, Judge of the Allahabad High Court to be Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court.  His appointment will be in effect from the date he assumes charge of his office.  He was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on March 2, 2007, and as a Permanent Judge on January 15, 2010. Wipro appoints Anup Purohit as CIO  Wipro Ltd has appointed Anup Purohit as its Chief Information Officer (CIO).  Purohit will report to Sanjeev Singh, Chief Operations Officer, at the Bengaluru-based company.  His most recent role was as the CIO of Yes Bank.  Prior to that, Purohit was associated with financial institutions such as RBL Bank, Barclays, and JPMC in leadership roles. RBI approves re-appointment of GC Chaturvedi  ICICI Bank has received RBI's approval for the re-appointment of Girish Chandra Chaturvedi as the part-time Chairman of the bank.  He will be the Chairman for a 3-years tenure starting July 01, 2021, on extant terms and conditions.  In 2020, the bank's shareholders approved the re-appointment of Chaturvedi as non- executive (part-time) Chairman of the Bank effective from July 1, 2021. Chandra Shekhar Ghosh gets extension as MD  The RBI has cleared the re-appointment of Chandra Shekhar Ghosh as the MD and CEO of Kolkata-based Bandhan Bank.  He has been given an extension only for a period of three years, as against a five-year tenure approved by the bank’s board.  On November 2, 2020, the lender’s board had approved a fresh five-year term for Ghosh at the helm of Bandhan Bank. K Nagaraj Naidu: UN Chef de Cabinet  President-elect of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid has appointed India's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador K Nagaraj Naidu as his Chef de Cabinet.  Shahid was elected on June 7, 2021 as President of the next session of the UN General Assembly that will commence in September 2021.

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Obituaries Cinematographer and director Sivan passes away  National Award-winning cinematographer and director Sivan passed away in June 2021.  He was the first government press photographer in Travancore  In 1959, he founded the Sivan Studios at Thiruvananthapuram Statue junction.  He won a National Award three times in his career.  Some of his popular films include Abhayam, Yagam, Keshu, Oru Yathra, Kochu Kochu Mohangal and Kilivathil, among others. John McAfee passes away  John McAfee, who created the anti-virus software McAfee, was found dead in a Barcelona cell in June 2021.  McAfee who founded the McAfee associates in 1987 was a programmer at NASA's Institute for Space Studies in New York City from 1968 to 1970.  The anti-virus software which was created by him was quite popular in the 1980s and the 1990s.  However, in 2010, he sold McAfee to Intel. Benigno Aquino passes away  Former Philippine President Benigno Aquino III passed away in June 2021.  Aquino, known popularly as Noynoy and PNoy, led the Philippines from 2010 to 2016.  It was during Aquino’s administration that Manila took on China and filed a case before the International Court of Arbitration in The Hague over the maritime dispute in the South China Sea. Guruprasad Mohapatra passes away  Gujarat cadre IAS officer and secretary in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Guruprasad Mohapatra passed away in June 2021.  Mohapatra had played a key role in several projects including the Sabarmati Riverfront and had introduced “model roads” in Ahmedabad.  Prior to taking over as DPIIT secretary, Mohapatra served as chairman of Airports Authority of India. Milkha Singh passes away  Indian sprint legend Milkha Singh passed away in June 2021.  The legendary athlete was a four-time Asian Games gold medallist and 1958 Commonwealth Games champion.  His timing at the Italian capital was a national record for 38 years till Paramjeet Singh broke it in 1998.  He was honored with the Padma Shri in 1959.  He also represented India in the 1956 and 1964 Olympics. Obituaries- I  Former Karnataka all-rounder B. Vijayakrishna passed away in June 2021. He played 80 first-class and two List 'A' matches. In first-class cricket, he scored 2297 runs (at an average of 25.8) and took 194 wickets.

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 Actor Frank Bonner passed away in June 2021. He was a part of the TV comedy WKRP in Cincinnati that aired from 1978-1982. Obituaries-II  Actor-cinematographer Shaman Mithru passed away in Chennai in June 2021. Shaman, who worked on several projects as a Director of Photography (DOP), made his acting debut with the 2019 film Thorati.  Renowned Bengali theatre and film personality Swatilekha Sengupta passed away in June 2021. She was honored with Paschim Banga Natya Akademi award and the 2011 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. Dr. Kenneth David Kaunda passes away  Zambia's first President Kenneth David Buchizya Kaunda passed away in June 2021.  He served as the President of Zambia from 1964-1991.  He was also one of the founding leaders of post-colonial Africa.  Dissatisfied with Harry Nkumbula's leadership of the Northern Rhodesian African National Congress, he broke away and founded the Zambian African National Congress. Obituaries  Veteran actor Chandrashekhar, best known for featuring in films like Cha Cha Cha, and Surang, and playing the role of Arya Sumant on the popular TV serial Ramayan, passed away in June'21.  Actor Lisa Banes passed away in Jun 2021. Banes appeared in numerous television shows and movies, including Gone Girl in 2014 and Cocktail with Tom Cruise in 1988. Obituaries  Kannada film producer K.C.N. Chandrashekhar, popular as K.C.N. Chandru in film circles, passed away in Bengaluru in June'21.  CR Viswanathan, former President of the Tamil Nadu Football Association and Vice- President of All India Football Federation, passed away in Chennai in June'21.  Former Indonesian badminton player, Markis Kido, who won the 2008 Olympic gold medal, passed away in June'21. Actor Sanchari Vijay passes away  National award-winning Kannada film actor Sanchari Vijay has passed away on 14 June 2021.  Vijay had won the national award for his performance in the film 'Naanu Avanalla Avalu' (I'm not him, her) in 2015.  Vijay acted in a slew of Kannada films including Dasavala, Harivu, Oggarane, Killing Veerappan, Varthamana and Sipaayi among others. Obituaries:  Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Uttarakhand Assembly Dr. Indira Hridayesh passed away in June 2021. She was a Congress MLA from Haldwani and one of the seniormost Congress leaders from the state.  Former Indian women volleyball team captain Nirmal Kaur passed away due to complications related to Covid-19 infection in June 2021. She was the wife of legendary Olympian Milkha Singh.

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Gujarat RSS veteran Amrut Kadiwala dies  Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) veteran from Gujarat, Amrut Kadiwala died of post COVID-19 complications on 12 June 2021.  Kadiwala had been the Gujarat RSS chief for several years until November 2011.  He joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh at the age of 12 in 1950. Swami Shivamayanandaji passes away  Vice-President of Ramakrishna Math and Mission Swami Shivamayanandaji passed away in June 2021.  Swamiji joined the order in Belur Math in 1959 and received ''Sanyas Diksha'' from Swami Vireshwaranandaji Maharaj in 1969.  Born in Bihar on December 20, 1934, Swamiji was a disciple of Swami Vishuddhanandaji Maharaj. Obituaries:  Prominent neurologist Dr Ashok Panagariya died of post-Covid complications in June 2021. He was awarded the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2014.  Renowned Kannada Dalit poet and activist Siddalingaiah has passed away. He was a Member of Legislative Assembly in 1988, and in 2006, he became the chairperson of the Kannada Development Authority. Padma Shri Prof Radhamohan passes away  Noted social worker and retired professor in Economics Padma Shri Radhamohan passed away in June 2021.  Radhamohan and his daughter Sabarmatee were conferred with the prestigious Padma Shri Award, the fourth highest civilian honor of the country, in 2020 for their contribution to the agriculture sector.  Odisha Government had also awarded him with Utkal Seva Samman. Boxer Dingko Singh passes away  Former Asian Games gold medalist boxer Ngangom Dingko Singh passed away in June 2021.  Dingko won the gold medal in 1998 at the 13th Asian Games.  He was also Manipur’s first Asian Games gold medalist.  For his outstanding contribution, he was bestowed the Arjuna award in 1998 and conferred with Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award, in 2013. Legendary film maker Buddhadeb Dasgupta dies  Legendary Bengali filmmaker Buddhadeb Dasgupta passed away in June'21.  Five of Buddhadeb Dasgupta's films have won the National Film Awards for Best Feature Film, while he's won Best Director for two.  He was honored with the lifetime achievement award at the Spain International Film Festival in Madrid on 27 May 2008.  He was best known for films like Bagh Bahadur, Lal Darja, and Kaalpurush. Obituaries

 The senior leader of BJP in Karnataka C M Udasi passed away in Bengaluru in June

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2021. Udasi, who entered the Assembly in 1983 as an Independent from Hangal, has represented the constituency six times.  Former Haryana Minister and veteran BJP leader Kamla Verma passed away in June 2021. She was elected as MLA from Haryana's Yamunanagar in 1977 and later served as a cabinet minister. Obituaries-I  Former Karnataka Minister Prof. Mumtaz Ali Khan passed away in June 2021. He was Minister for Minority Affairs, Wakf and Hajj during 2008-11.  Industrialist Himanshu Das died in June'21. He was the President of the Balasore Chamber of Industries and Commerce and Odisha PVC Manufacturers’ Association.  Subhakirti Majumdar, former Director-General, Indian Jute Mills Association died in June'21. Obituaries-II  Veteran actor Tarla Joshi, known for shows like "Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai'' and "Bandini", passed away in June'21.  Seher Aly Latif, known for producing Netflix series Bhaag Beanie Bhaag and working as a casting director for films like Lunchbox and Monsoon Shootout, passed away in June'21.  Senior journalist Jabbar Siddique, who served in Siasat Urdu Daily for over three decades, died in June'21. Himachal BJP MLA Narinder Bragta passes away  Himachal Pradesh's senior BJP MLA Narinder Bragta passed away in June 2021 due to post covid complications.  Bragta was elected to the Vidhan Sabha for the first time in 1998 and remained the Horticulture Minister in the BJP regime led by Dhumal from 1998 to 2003.  He was also a Cabinet Minister from 2007 to 2012. Lima Bello passes away  The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Honorary Member Fernando F. Lima Bello passed away in June 2021.  Lima Bello was a world champion sailor (Snipe) in 1953 and competed at two Olympic Games, Mexico City 1968 and Munich 1972 (Dragon).  He was later a member of the International Sailing Federation (now World Sailing) and President of the Olympic Committee of Portugal. Kalipatnam Ramarao passes away  Eminent Telugu story writer, poet, and Kendriya Sahitya Academy Awardee Kalipatnam Ramarao passed away in June 2021.  The founder of Kathanilayam, known popularly as Kara Mastaru, he received the Kendriya Sahitya Academy Award for 'Yagnam', which is related to social reforms.  Rama Rao established Kadha Nilayam to collect and preserve different books on different literary forms. Bird Group ED Ankur Bhatia dies  Bird Group Executive Director Ankur Bhatia passed away on 4 June 2021.  He was credited to have launched India's first natural and perennial indoor ice-skating rink and cafe - iSKATE in Ambience Mall, Gurugram.

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 Bird Group is a leading operator in the hospitality sector and brought the travel tech brand Amadeus to the Indian sub-continent in 1994. Anerood Jugnauth passes away  Anerood Jugnauth, the former President and Prime Minister of Mauritius, passed away in June 2021.  Jugnauth was Mauritius' longest-serving PM and held the post for more than 18 years.  He served as the PM between 1982 and 1995, then again between 2000 and 2003, and later between 2014 and 2017.  Jugnauth also served as the President of Mauritius from 2003-2012. Veteran bureaucrat SV Prasad passes away  Former Chief Secretary (CS) of integrated Andhra Pradesh SV Prasad passed away due to COVID-19 on 2 June 2021.  He worked as Principal Secretary for over 10 years for three Chief Ministers - N Janardhan Reddy, K Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy and N Chandrababu Naidu.  After retirement from service in Sept 2011, he worked as Vigilance Commissioner for the combined state of Andhra Pradesh.

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International Affairs Brazil to suspend Covaxin vaccine deal  Brazil's Health Minister has announced that the country will suspend a USD 324 million contract to buy 20 million doses of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin.  The contract for the acquisition of the Covaxin vaccine was signed by the two sides in February 2021.  The vaccine doses were never sent to Brazil, as the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) denied import requests for the vaccine. World Bank provides USD 300 mn to Bangladesh  The World Bank will provide USD 300 million to Bangladesh to help about 75,000 poor and extremely poor rural people across 20 districts.  The World Bank financing under the Resilience, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood Improvement (RELI) Project will help boost the rural economy in about 3,200 villages.  90 percent of the beneficiaries will be women. Picasso painting recovered after 9 years  A painting by Pablo Picasso that was stolen nine years ago during a heist at a Greek gallery has been recovered.  Picasso's 'Woman's Head' had been found along with a 1905 painting of a windmill by Dutch artist Piet Mondrian.  The Picasso painting, a portrait of a woman in his signature cubist style, was given to the National Gallery by the artist himself back in 1949. International Day of Parliamentarism: 30 June  The International Day of Parliamentarism is celebrated every year on 30 June.  It's the date on which the IPU- Inter-Parliamentary Union was founded in 1889.  The day was established in 2018 through a United Nations General Assembly Resolution.  In 2021, the IPU members will mark the day with the IPU campaign 'I Say Yes to Youth in Parliament!'. World Bank raises China growth outlook to 8.5%  The World Bank has raised its forecast of China's economic growth for 2021 to 8.5 percent from 8.1 percent.  The report adds to positive signs for China, the first major economy to rebound from the pandemic.  Chinese economic growth is likely to decline to 5.4 percent in 2022.  Factory and consumer activity are back above pre-outbreak levels. Baihetan hydropower plant goes on-stream  Two units of China's Baihetan hydropower plant, said to be the largest under construction globally, on the Yangtze river went on-stream on 28 June 2021.  The project’s first two 1-gigawatt (GW) turbines will begin formal operations after a three- day trial.  With a total installed capacity of 16 million kilowatts, the hydropower station is equipped with 16 hydro-generating units.

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EU excludes Covishield from 'Green Pass' list  Covishield has been excluded from the list of anti-COVID-19 jabs that are eligible to avail the European Union (EU)'s 'Green Pass'.  Green Pass, which would be available from July 1 onwards, can be used for unrestricted movement in all EU member states for business and tourism purposes.  Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines have been cleared so far. Abu Dhabi to use facial scanners  Abu Dhabi will use facial scanners to detect Coronavirus infections after a trial of 20,000 people showed a high degree of effectiveness.  The technology can detect infections by measuring electromagnetic waves, which change when the RNA particles of the virus are present in the body.  The results showed 93.5 per cent sensitivity.  The scanner was developed by EDE Research Institute. Sweden's PM Stefan Lofven resigns  Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven resigned on 28 June 2021, one week after he lost a vote of confidence.  He could have either called a snap election or resigned following the no-confidence vote.  Kjell Stefan Löfven served as the Prime Minister of Sweden since 2014 and was the leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party since 2012. P. Sainath awarded 2021 Fukuoka Prize  Journalist P. Sainath has been selected as one of the three recipients of the Fukuoka Prize 2021.  Mr. Sainath will receive the ‘Grand Prize’ of the Fukuoka Prize while the Academic Prize and the Prize for Arts and Culture will go to Prof. Kishimoto Mio of Japan and filmmaker Prabda Yoon of Thailand respectively.  115 people from 28 countries have received the prize in the past 30 years. International Day of the Tropics: 29 June  Each year on June 29th, the International Day of the Tropics raises awareness about various challenges that tropical nations face.  The regions of the Earth that lie in the middle of the planet are called the Tropics.  The Tropics account for 36 per cent of the Earth’s landmass.  The theme for International Day of the Tropics 2021 is "The Digital Divide in the Tropics". Black Sea military drills starts  Ukraine and the US started a military exercise involving more than 30 countries in the Black Sea and southern Ukraine on 28 June 2021, despite Russian calls to cancel it.  Sea Breeze 2021 will last two weeks and involve about 5,000 military personnel from NATO and other allies, and around 30 ships and 40 aircraft.  U.S. missile destroyer USS Ross and the U.S. Marine Corps will take part in it. Scientists find Neanderthal ancestor  Scientists have discovered a new kind of early human in Israel after studying pieces of fossilized bone dug up at a site used by a cement plant in central Israel.

 Researchers from Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem found pieces of

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a skull and lower jaw with teeth dating back 130,000 years.  The fossil discovered has been named Nesher Ramla Homo. International MSMEs Day: 27 June  Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) Day is celebrated every year on 27 June.  The day is marked to recognize the contribution of these industries in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  As many as 90 percent of businesses are generated from MSMEs.  The contribution of MSME to GDP worldwide is 50 percent. Int Day in Support of Victims of Torture  The United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture is observed every year on June 26.  The day was first observed by United Nations General Assembly in 1997 to raise awareness about the suffering of people who undergo torture.  On June 26, 1987, the convention against torture and other inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment came into effect. Panasonic sells Tesla stake for $3.6 billion  Panasonic Corp has sold its stake in electric car maker Tesla Inc for about 400 billion yen ($3.61 billion) in the year ended March 2021.  The sale comes as it is seeking to reduce its dependence on Tesla and raise cash for growth investment.  Panasonic bought 1.4 million Tesla shares at $21.15 each in 2010 for about $30 million.  That stake was worth $730 million at the end of March 2020. World Bank provides credit to Bangladesh  Bangladesh will establish a South Asian Higher Education portal to facilitate the virtual mobility of students with the help of financing received from the World Bank under its Higher Education Acceleration Transformation Project.  The World Bank has approved a credit of $191 million under the project for Bangladesh.  It will help upgrade the Bangladesh Research and Education Network (BdREN). Pakistan on grey list of FATF  The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has retained Pakistan on its grey list.  Earlier in June'21, a regional affiliate of the FATF had retained Pakistan on the Enhanced Follow-up list and asked the country to strengthen its efforts towards the action items prescribed by FATF  FATF has recommended a list of measures for Pakistan to stop money laundering and terror financing in the nation. Ukraine extends sanction against Russian Banks  Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has extended sanctions against dozens of Russian banks blamed by Kyiv for involvement in aggression against Ukraine.  The list includes 55 banks from Russia and separatist areas in eastern Ukraine.  They are prohibited from conducting business in Ukraine, using their assets, or withdrawing capital for another three years.

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Japan confirms RCEP with China, Australia  Japan has ratified the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a free trade agreement between China, Australia, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.  Tokyo becomes the third member to ratify the agreement, which was signed by 15 countries in November 2020.  Among the signatories, Singapore and China have completed ratification procedures. Mindspace REIT joins Climate Group’s RE100  Mindspace Business Parks REIT has joined the global RE100 initiative led by Climate Group in partnership with not-for-profit charity CDP.  With this, it has committed to transform to 100 percent renewable electricity use across all areas serviced and maintained within the Mindspace Business Parks REIT portfolio by the year 2050.  It will also make renewable energy accessible to tenants. World not on track to reduce suicide rate  Reducing the global suicide mortality rate by a third is both, an indicator and a target in the UN-mandated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  But the world will not be able to reach this target, as per a new report by the WHO.  The report titled Suicide worldwide in 2019 was published on June 17, 2021.  It shows that some 703,000 people or one in a 100, died by suicide in 2019. 275 mn people used drugs worldwide in 2020  Around 275 mn people used drugs worldwide in 2020, while over 36 mn people suffered from drug use disorders, according to the World Drug Report.  The report was released by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime in Vienna.  In surveys of health professionals across 77 countries, 42 per cent said cannabis use had increased.  A rise in the non-medical use of pharmaceutical drugs was also observed. Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking  Every year on June 26, the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is observed around the world.  The day is devoted to eliminating drug misuse and addressing the structural causes that fuel the illegal drug trade.  'Share Drug Facts to Save Lives' is the theme for the year 2021.  The day also marks Lin Zexu’s attempts to strategically dismantle the opium trade. John McAfee passes away  John McAfee, who created the anti-virus software McAfee, was found dead in a Barcelona cell in June 2021.  McAfee who founded the McAfee associates in 1987 was a programmer at NASA's Institute for Space Studies in New York City from 1968 to 1970.  The anti-virus software which was created by him was quite popular in the 1980s and the 1990s.  However, in 2010, he sold McAfee to Intel.

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Online hate speech to be a crime: Canada  Canada’s Liberal government has unveiled plans to make online hate speech a crime, although the proposed legislation excludes social media platforms for now.  The proposed amendments would make it easier for people to launch complaints against individuals who publish on the Internet - including on social media, on personal websites, and in blog posts - as well as operators of websites. Longest recorded case of covid infection  A 72-year-old British man tested positive for Coronavirus for 10 months, the longest recorded case of continuous infection.  Dave Smith, a retired driving instructor from Bristol in western England tested positive 43 times and was hospitalized seven times.  A paper on his case will be presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. World health, IP, trade bodies launch platform  Heads of the global health, intellectual property, and trade bodies have announced a joint platform to help countries bridge the gaps in accessing Covid-19 vaccines, treatments, and technologies.  World Health Organization’s Tedros Ghebreyesus, World Intellectual Property Organization’s Daren Tang and World Trade Organization’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala have come up together for the same. International Day of the Seafarer: 25 June  International Day of the Seafarer is observed every year on 25 June.  In 2010, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), decided to designate June 25th as the International Day of the Seafarer.  The purpose of the day is to give thanks to seafarers for their contribution to the world economy.  The theme for the year 2021 is “Seafarers: at the core of shipping’s future”. International Widows Day: 23 June  International Widows Day is observed on June 23 every year to draw attention towards the voices of widows and highlight their problems.  The day was established by The Loomba Foundation to raise awareness about the matter of widowhood.  June 23 was chosen to mark International Widows day as it was on this day in 1954 that Shrimati Pushpa Wati Loomba, mother of Lord Loomba, became a widow. Will Smith announce his autobiogaphy  Actor, rapper, and film producer Will Smith has announced his autobiography.  Titled “Will". the book will be published in November 2021.  He co-wrote the book with Mark Manson, author of the self-help book “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck,” a No. 1 bestseller.  Smith is a a four-time Grammy Award winner and has earned Oscar nominations for “Ali” and “The Pursuit of Happyness".

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China plans its first crewed mission to Mars  China aims to send its first crewed mission to Mars in 2033, with regular follow-up flights to follow.  This is a part of a long-term plan to build a permanently inhabited base on Mars and extract its resources.  Before the crewed missions begin, China will send robots to Mars to study possible sites for the base and to build systems to extract resources there. US bans imports of solar panel material  The US administration has ordered a ban on US imports of a key solar panel material from Chinese-based Hoshine Silicon Industry, over forced labor allegations.  The U.S. Commerce Department separately restricted exports to Hoshine, three other Chinese companies and the paramilitary Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC).  They were involved with the forced labor of Uyghurs. US President Joe Biden unveils a plan  US President Joe Biden has unveiled a plan that includes funding more police to combat a nationwide surge in homicides.  Officials in high crime areas can hire more law-enforcement personnel using coronavirus relief funding.  Announcing his five-point strategy, he urged cities and states to use $350bn of funding from a Covid-19 relief bill on public safety efforts. LowCarbon.Earth to be launched  The United Nations Environment Programme in collaboration with Massive Earth Foundation has announced the launch of LowCarbon.Earth.  A first of its kind unique initiative of Industry-Academia Partnership, the program will provide a platform for startups to interact with established corporates to build collective capabilities for the industry in areas of advanced sustainable technologies. Microsoft reaches a $2 trillion market value  Microsoft Corporation has become just the second U.S. public company to reach a $2 trillion market value.  Saudi Aramco eclipsed that threshold briefly in December 2019, but currently has a market value of about $1.9 trillion.  Co-founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, Microsoft created the personal-computer software industry and dominated the market for PC operating systems for years. International Olympic Day: 23 June  International Olympics Day is observed on June 23 every year to celebrate sports and health.  The occasion marks the day when International Olympic Committee was founded in 1894.  The day aims at promoting sports and spreads the message of making sports an integral part of life.  Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894.

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Jamsetji N Tata: World’s top philanthropist  With donations worth $102.4 billion, India’s pioneer industrialist and Tata Group founder Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata is the world’s biggest philanthropist of the 20th century.  Bill and Melinda Gates came second.  Wipro Founder-Chairman Azim Premji ranked 12, is the only other Indian in the list of 50 global philanthropists compiled by Hurun Research and EdelGive Foundation. Glenmark gets USFDA nod for inhalation product  Drug maker Glenmark Pharma has received approval from the US health regulator for Arformoterol Tartrate Inhalation Solution.  It is used to treat conditions like chronic bronchitis and emphysema, in the US market.  The approved product is a generic version of Brovana Inhalation Solution, 15 mcg/2 mL, of Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. Positive Impact Rating 2021 launched  Three Indian business schools have been ranked as pioneering B-school in the Positive Impact Rating 2021.  This year, only four business schools globally made it to the top of "pioneering" list, of which three are from India.  Among the three are: SP Jain Institute of Management and Research (JPJIMR), XLRI - Xavier School of Management and Goa Institute of Management (GIM). ADB approves USD 940 million for Bangladesh  The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a loan package of $940 million for Bangladesh for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines.  The package consists of a concessional loan of $470 million and a regular loan of the same amount.  The loan is part of the ADB’s USD 9 billion Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility (APVAX) launched in Dec 2020 to offer rapid and equitable vaccine-related support. Indian ships participate in passage exercise  Indian Naval Ships Kochi and Teg along with P8I and MiG 29K aircraft are participating in a Passage Exercise with US Navy Carrier Strike Group Ronald Reagan, on 23-24 June 2021.  The two-day exercise aims to strengthen bilateral relationship and cooperation by demonstrating the ability to integrate and coordinate comprehensively in maritime operations. Chile to draft a new constitution  Chilean President Sebastian Pinera has informed that the assembly will draft a new constitution for the country, replacing the one inherited from the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.  It will hold its first session on July 4, 2021.  The convention will consist of 155 delegates.  They will have up to one year to submit a draft text, which must then be put to a popular vote in a referendum. Great Barrier Reef to be in “in danger” list

 The Great Barrier Reef should be added to a list of “in danger” World Heritage Sites, as

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recommended by a UN committee.  The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation committee, which sits under UNESCO, informed that the world’s biggest coral reef system should be added to the list due to the impact of climate change. EU to lift sanctions against Burundi  The European Union (EU) has started the process of lifting sanctions against Burundi that stops financial aid to the Burundian government.  In March 2016, the EU suspended its direct financial support to the Burundian government following the political crisis sparked by the controversial third-term bid of then-President Pierre Nkurunziza. United Nations Public Service Day: 23 June  United Nations Public Service Day is celebrated every year on 23 June.  It recognizes that democracy and successful governance are built on the foundation of a competent civil service.  On December 20, 2002, the United Nations General Assembly designated June 23 of each year as United Nations Public Service Day (resolution 57/277). World Music Day: 21 June  World Music Day is observed every year on 21 June.  The first World Music Day was observed and celebrated on the Summer Solstice in France in the year 1982 when the former French minister of art and culture, Jack Lange, along with Maurice Fleuret started the Fête de la Musique in Paris.  That is also why World Music Day is alternatively known as Fête de la Musique. Israel successfully tests high-power laser  The Israeli military has successfully tested an airborne high-power laser that can shoot down drones.  A prototype, developed with Elbit Systems, was mounted on a civilian plane and successfully shot down several drones in a recent test over the Mediterranean Sea.  The system shot down drones from within a range of about 1 kilometer (0.6 mile). Squid sent from Hawaii into space  Dozens of baby squid from Hawaii are in space for study.  The baby Hawaiian bobtail squid were raised at the University of Hawaii's Kewalo Marine Laboratory and were blasted into space earlier in June'21 on a SpaceX resupply mission to the International Space Station.  Understanding what happens to the squid in space could help solve health problems that astronauts face. Armenia’s acting PM, Pashinyan wins election  Armenia’s acting Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, and his Civil Contract Party won a parliamentary election with 53.92 per cent votes.  A bloc led by former President Robert Kocharyan was in a distant second place with about 21% votes.  The election is being monitored by experts from the Organization for Security and Co- operation in Europe (OSCE).

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Person in News Arghyam announces Rohini Nilekani's retirement  Rohini Nilekani will retire as Chairperson and member of the board of Arghyam Foundation on September 30, 2021.  Her place will be taken by Sunita Nadhamuni, currently member of the Board at Arghyam and Head of Digital LifeCare, Dell Giving and Social Innovation at Dell Technologies, effective October 1, 2021.  Argyham is a philanthropic foundation working exclusively on water issues. Sweden's PM Stefan Lofven resigns  Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven resigned on 28 June 2021, one week after he lost a vote of confidence.  He could have either called a snap election or resigned following the no-confidence vote.  Kjell Stefan Löfven served as the Prime Minister of Sweden since 2014 and was the leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party since 2012. Apurva Chandra completes tenure at ILO  Labour and Employment Secretary, Apurva Chandra, completed his tenure as Chair of Governing Body of International Labour Organization on 25 June 2021.  He held the position for the period between October 2020 to June 2021.  He has handed over the responsibility of the Chair to Ambassador Anna Jardfelt, Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations Office in Geneva. Tata Motors CEO to step down  Tata Motors Managing Director and CEO Guenter Butschek will step down from his role from June 30, 2021, but will continue to serve as a consultant to the company till the end of FY22.  Girish Wagh is being appointed as the Executive Director to the Board of Tata Motors from July 1, 2021.  Wagh is the President of commercial vehicles division. WWF India inducts Upasana Kamineni  WWF India has inducted Upasana Kamineni, Director, Apollo Hospitals, as “Ambassador of Forest Frontline Heroes”.  The aim is to appreciate the efforts of frontline workers in hospitals and in the wildlife protection space.  World Wide Fund for Nature-India, or, WWF-India, has been devotedly working to protect and secure natural heritage and ecology for more than 50 years. M Sudan: 1st woman fighter pilot from Rajouri  Mawya Sudan, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir, has become the first woman fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF) from Rajouri district.  She has become the 12th woman officer to be inducted as a fighter pilot in the IAF.  She is the only woman pilot out of 161 officers who graduated at the Combined Graduation Parade (CGP) of Flight Cadets at Air Force Academy in Hyderabad on 19 June 2021.

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WBR awarded Khyati Naravane with Certificate  Khyati Naravane has been awarded with ‘Certificate of Commitment’ by The World Book of Records (WBR), London for her commitment towards trade and industry during the COVID times.  She is the CEO of the Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry.  The World Book of Records (WBR) has taken an initiative to motivate and inspire people to be committed to safety. S. Verma notches highest score on Test debut  Opener Shafali Verma has broken the record for the highest individual score by an Indian woman cricketer on Test debut.  Shafali hit 96 on her Test debut against England Women at the County Ground in Bristol on 17 June'21.  She broke the record of Chanderkanta Kaul who had scored 75 on her Test debut.  She also became the 1st Indian women cricketer to hit a six on Test debut. US nominates Indian-American as federal judge  US President Joe Biden has nominated an Indian-American civil rights attorney, Sarala Vidya Nagala as a federal judge in the State of Connecticut.  She would become the first judge of South Asian descent to serve on the District Court for the District of Connecticut.  She is currently serving as the Deputy Chief of the Major Crimes Unit in the US Attorney’s Office in the Dist. of Connecticut. Naftali Bennett: New Prime Minister of Israel  Naftali Bennett was on 13 June 2021 sworn-in as the new Prime Minister of Israel.  His victory ended the 12 yrs power of former PM Benjamin Netanyahu, the country's longest- serving leader.  Bennett, leader of the right-wing Yamina party, took oath of office after the Israeli parliament Knesset elected him as the 13th PM by a 60-59 vote in 120-member house.  He will be PM until September 2023. Guru Arjan Dev martyrdom day 2021  Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth guru of Sikhs, was martyred on June 16, 1606.  According to the Hindu calendar, the martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev is observed on Jeth Sudi 4, which falls on June 14 in 2021.  He had compiled the 1st edition of the Sikh scripture Adi Granth, which is now known as Guru Granth Sahib.  Born in 1563, Guru Arjan Dev was the first martyr of the Sikh religion. Vinoo Mankad named in ICC's Hall of fame list  Former India cricketer Vinoo Mankad on 13 June 2021 was among the 10 players included in the special edition list of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Hall of Fame.  The ICC announced a list of 10 cricketers who were included in their special edition of Hall of Fame players to celebrate the history of Test cricket. Djokovic clinches his 19th Grand Slam title

 World No.1 Novak Djokovic clinched his second French Open Men's Singles Tennis title after

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beating world No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas on 13 June 2021.  The Serbian Djokovic increased his Grand Slam tally to 19 titles.  Djokovic has also become the first man in the Open era, and third overall, to win all four Majors at least twice. Obituaries:  Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Uttarakhand Assembly Dr. Indira Hridayesh passed away in June 2021. She was a Congress MLA from Haldwani and one of the seniormost Congress leaders from the state.  Former Indian women volleyball team captain Nirmal Kaur passed away due to complications related to Covid-19 infection in June 2021. She was the wife of legendary Olympian Milkha Singh. Indian-origin journalist wins Pulitzer Prize  Megha Rajagopalan, an Indian-origin journalist, has won the Pulitzer Prize for exposing China's vast infrastructure for detaining Muslims.  She shared the award with two colleagues namely Alison Killing and Christo Buschek, all of are from internet media, BuzzFeed News.  Another journalist of Indian origin, Neil Bedi, has won a Pulitzer for local reporting. Krejcikova wins French Open women's singles  Barbora Krejcikova has won her maiden Grand Slam Women's Singles Tennis title, beating Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the French Open final.  Former doubles world number one Krejcikova defeated 31st seed Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 2-6, 6- 4 at Roland Garros on 12 June 2021.  Barbora became the first Czech women’s singles champion since 1981. Gujarat RSS veteran Amrut Kadiwala dies  Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) veteran from Gujarat, Amrut Kadiwala died of post COVID-19 complications on 12 June 2021.  Kadiwala had been the Gujarat RSS chief for several years until November 2011.  He joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh at the age of 12 in 1950. Sonu Sood launches a new initiative  Actor Sonu Sood has announced free coaching scholarships for those aspiring to join civil services.  He has launched a new initiative —SAMBHAVAM to help IAS aspirants.  Aspirants can register on Sood Foundation by visiting - www.soodcharityfoundation.org.  Sood has been helping people in need ever since the Covid pandemic broke in 2020. Appointments:  The US Senate has approved the historic nomination of Pakistani-American Zahid Quraishi to the District Court in New Jersey, making him the first Muslim federal judge in the country's history.  Mahindra Group has announced the appointment of Pratap Bose as the Executive Vice President and Chief Design Officer to lead its newly formed Global Design organization. Obituaries:

 Prominent neurologist Dr Ashok Panagariya died of post-Covid complications in June 2021.

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He was awarded the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2014.  Renowned Kannada Dalit poet and activist Siddalingaiah has passed away. He was a Member of Legislative Assembly in 1988, and in 2006, he became the chairperson of the Kannada Development Authority. J. Anderson: Most capped player for England  England pacer James Anderson, on 10 June 2021 became the most capped player for England in Tests.  Anderson has now played in 162 Test matches for England overtaking Cook, who featured in 161 matches.  He stands at fourth place for most wickets, behind Muttiah Muralitharan's 800, Shane Warne's 708 and former Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble's 619 wickets. French Open'21: 1st final for Pavlyuchenkova  Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova beat world No 85 Tamara Zidansek of Slovenia to reach a first Grand Slam final on 10 June 2021.  With this win, Pavlyuchenkova became the first woman to play 52 Grand Slam tournament before making her first final, breaking the previous mark of 44 set by 2015 US Open runner- up Roberta Vinci.  She will face the French Open 2021 final on 12 June 2021. Yuka Saso wins U.S. Women's Open  Filipino Japanese teenager and Japan LPGA Tour player Yuka Saso has won the U.S. Women’s Open Golf Tournament at the Olympic Club, San Francisco.  Saso stands with the record of Inbee Park as the youngest U.S. Women's Open winner.  Only two other women with Japanese citizenship have won majors — Hisako Higuchi at the 1977 LPGA Championship and Hinako Shibuno at the 2019 Women’s British Open. N.G. Ranga's 26th death anniversary  The 26th death anniversary of the "Father of the Indian Peasant Movement" Acharya NG Ranga was observed on 9 June 2021.  Gogineni Ranga Nayukulu, also known as N. G. Ranga, was an Indian freedom fighter, farmers’ leader and veteran Parliamentarian.  N.G. Ranga brought peasants into our freedom struggle and fought for their cause. Govt gives 9-month extension to LIC Chairman  The government has given a nine-month extension to LIC Chairman M R Kumar till March 2022 in view of the insurer's proposed initial public offer towards the end of the current fiscal.  Kumar was to retire in June 2021 upon attaining the age of 60 years.  Initial Public Offer (IPO) of LIC would be floated in 2021-22 as part of the ambitious Rs 1.75 lakh crore disinvestment target. IIT Bombay professor elected to EMBO  Roop Mallik, a professor in the Department of biosciences and bioengineering at IIT Bombay, has been elected as an associate member of the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO).

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 He is the fifth Indian scientist and the only one from IIT Bombay to join the life scientists’ community.  He is the only Indian among nine associate members elected to EMBO for the year 2021. Anup Chandra Pandey appointed as new EC  President Ram Nath Kovind on 8 June 2021 appointed Anup Chandra Pandey, a retired Uttar Pradesh cadre IAS officer, to the post of Election Commissioner.  Anup Pandey, a 1984 batch IAS, served as the former Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh.  The three-member Election Commission has Sushil Chandra as the Chief Election Commissioner and Rajiv Kumar as the other Election Commissioner. M K Jain reappointed as RBI Deputy Governor  The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on 8 June 2021 approved the re-appointment of Mahesh Kumar Jain, Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), for two years with effect from 22 June.  With the re-appointment of Jain, the central bank now has four serving Deputy Governors.  The other three serving Deputy Governors are Michael Patra, M Rajeshwar Rao and Rabi Sankar. Abdulla Shahid elected President of UNGA  Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid was elected as President of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly on 7 June 2021.  Abdulla Shahid will succeed Turkish diplomat Volkan Bozkir who was UNGA President for the 75th session of the UN body.  India, at present, is serving the 2021-22 term as a non-permanent member of the powerful UN Security Council. IIC appoints two new life trustees  The India International Centre (IIC) appointed two new life trustees Meenakshi Gopinath and Shailesh Nayak to its Board of Trustees.  This was necessitated after the demise of former attorney general Soli J Sorabjee and the resignation of Justice (retired) BN Srikrishna from the board.  Gopinath was the first woman to be nominated to the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) of India. Appointments:  Ride-hailing app Ola has appointed G.R. Arun Kumar as its new Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO).  Swayam Saurabh will be the new CFO for OLA's mobility, financial services and food businesses vertical.  Amol Muzumdar, the eight-time Ranji Trophy champion with Mumbai, was appointed as Coach of the Mumbai cricket team for the 2021-22 cricket season. Horse rider F. Mirza qualifies for Olympics  Expert horse rider Fouaad Mirza has completed the minimum eligibility requirement (MER) to compete in Olympics Games’ event.  Fouaad Mirza, a double 2018 Asian Games medallist, officially became the first Indian to qualify for Olympics after the 2000 Sydney Games,

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 Imtiaz Anees had competed at the 2000 Olympics while Wing Commander IJ Lamba represented India at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics Games. Devon Conway breaks 125 yr old record  New Zealand's opener Devon Conway smashed a double hundred on his Test debut against England at Lord's on 3 June 2021.  He broke a 125-year-old record held by the legendary KS Ranjitsinhji for the highest score by a batsman on Test debut in England.  He had also broken Sourav Ganguly’s 25-year-old record of the highest Test score on debut at Lord’s, when he went past 131. Dr. Harsh Vardhan completes his tenure at WHO  Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan on 2 June 2021 addressed the 149th Session of the World Health Organization, Executive Board Meeting through Video Conference.  He has successfully completed his tenure as Chairperson of Executive Board of WHO.  In May 2020, he was entrusted with the responsibility to be the Chair of the Executive Board. Veteran bureaucrat SV Prasad passes away  Former Chief Secretary (CS) of integrated Andhra Pradesh SV Prasad passed away due to COVID-19 on 2 June 2021.  He worked as Principal Secretary for over 10 years for three Chief Ministers - N Janardhan Reddy, K Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy and N Chandrababu Naidu.  After retirement from service in Sept 2011, he worked as Vigilance Commissioner for the combined state of Andhra Pradesh. India's Nagraj Adiga elected in IAU Council  India's Nagraj Adiga has been elected as the Asia-Oceania representative at the 2021 International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) Congress.  The Congress was held virtually on 22 and 23 May 2021.  For the Asia-Oceania representative, Adiga won by a margin of 7-3 against South Korea's Gilsoo Park.  He will work closely with AFI and various govt bodies to encourage budding sportspersons. A book by Supriya Paul tells stories of josh  Supriya Paul has come up with the stories of some unique individuals in her new book “All You Need Is Josh: Stories of Courage and Conviction in 21st-century India”.  A book is a collection of 30 awe-inspiring real-life stories of people bracing odds and obstacles and achieving their dreams.  The stories in the book have been edited by Paul and published by Bloomsbury. P Chandran: Director General of Assam Rifles  Lieutenant General Pradeep Chandran Nair on 1 June 2021 took over as Director-General of the Assam Rifles.  Nair is the 21st Director-General of the Assam Rifles (popularly known as Sentinels of the North-East).  Earlier, he had served as an Inspector General and a Company Commander in Assam Rifles.  He is the awardee of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Yudh Seva Medal.

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New Director of CCMB, Hyderabad  Dr Vinay K Nandicoori was appointed as the new Director of the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad on 1 June 2021.  He is a well-known molecular biologist and has been a scientist at the DBT-National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi.  Dr Nandicoori succeeded Dr Rakesh K Mishra as CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Director. Book on Veer Savarkar by Vikram Sampath  Historian Vikram Sampath has come up with the second and concluding volume of the book on the life and works of Veer Savarkar titled “Savarkar: A contested Legacy (1924-1966)”.  This second volume will bring to light the life and works of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar from 1924 to 1966, the year he died.  The book will be launched on 26 July'21, under the publication of Penguin Random House India. 'Stargazing': A book by Ravi Shastri  Cricket legend, commentator and one of Team India's most successful coaches, Ravi Shastri has penned a book titled 'Stargazing: The Players in My Life'.  In 'Stargazing: The Players in My Life', he writes about some 60 extraordinary talents he has met from across the world who have inspired him.  The book is co-authored by Shastri and Ayaz Memon and is expected to be out in 2021. Magma Fincorp appoints Poonawalla as Chairman  The Mumbai-based non-banking financial company, Magma Fincorp Limited on 31 May 2021 appointed Serum Institute of India's CEO Adar Poonawalla as the Chairman of the company.  Magma Fincorp also appointed Abhay Bhutada as the Managing Director.  Vijay Deshwal, a seasoned banker with a track record of over two decades, will take charge as CEO at Magma Fincorp from the first week of July 2021. Navy Dy. Chief Vice Admiral MS Pawar retires  Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Murlidhar Sadashiv Pawar superannuated after almost four decades of distinguished service on 31 May 2021.  He looked after several important operations, including the operations undertaken during the Galwan Valley standoff between India and China.  He was awarded Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, and Param Vishisht Seva Medal. Ashok Kumar to officiate bouts in Olympics  India's international wrestling referee Ashok Kumar will be the only Indian who will be officiating bouts during the Tokyo Olympics to be held between July 23 and August 8, 2021.  The United World Wrestling (UWW), the governing body of the sport, has nominated him.  His final selection took place during the World Olympic Qualifiers in Sofia, Bulgaria in May 2021.

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Govt. Policies and Schemes PLI Scheme extended by one year  The tenure of the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for large scale electronics manufacturing had been extended by one year.  This scheme was to begin in 2020-21 and continue for a period of five years.  It will now continue till 2025-26.  Participating companies will get any five years for meeting their production targets under the scheme. J&K initiates work on launch of IVDS  The J&K administration has initiated work on launch of Integrated Village Development Scheme (IVDS) for tribal areas.  The new scheme includes formulation of Integrated Village Development Plan (IVDP) under Special Central Assistance for tribal development.  Under the scheme, a special grant of 98 cores will be provided for infrastructure gap filling in more than 400 tribal villages. Delhi government launches a portal  The Delhi government has developed a portal through which families of COVID-19 victims will apply for “Mukhyamantri COVID-19 Pariwar Aarthik Sahayata Yojana" to avail financial assistance.  Under the scheme, an ex-gratia of ₹50,000 will be provided to those who have lost a family member to coronavirus.  An additional ₹2,500 pension per month will be given if the deceased was the sole earner. Delhi notifies scheme for Covid victims’ kin  Delhi govt has notified a scheme to provide financial assistance to the families that lost a member due to COVID-19.  Under the Mukhyamantri COVID-19 Pariwar Aarthik Sahayata Yojana, ₹50,000 ex-gratia will be given to every family that has lost a member due to COVID-19.  Additionally, a pension of ₹2,500 per month would be given to the families that lost the sole earner due to pandemic. Agricultural Diversification Scheme launched  In Gujarat, CM Vijay Rupani e-launched Agricultural Diversification Scheme-2021 on 22 June 2021.  Under this scheme, tribal farmers will get fertilizer-seed assistance of Rs. 31 crores in which 45 kg of urea, 50 kg of NPK, and 50 kg of ammonium sulphate will be provided.  Seeds of crops like maize, Bitter Melon (karela), Calabash (dudhi), tomato, millet, etc. are provided under this scheme. Gujarat announces policy for electric vehicles  The Gujarat govt has announced the policy for electric vehicles for the next 4 years.  The state aims to witness 2 lakh electric vehicles on the roads in the next 4 years.  With the new policy minimum 6 lakh tonnes of carbon emission will be reduced.  The policy also aims to establish additional 250 charging stations which will take the total

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number of charging stations in the state to 528. QCI launches ICMED Plus scheme  The Quality Council of India and the Association of Indian Manufacturers of Medical Devices (AiMeD) have added further features to the ICMED.  ICMED is the scheme that was launched for certification of medical devices in 2016.  ICMED stands for Indian Certification of Medical Devices.  The ICMED 13485 PLUS will undertake verification of the quality, safety, and efficacy of medical devices. Mukhya Mantri Udyaymi Yojna extended in Bihar  Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has launched two schemes - the 'Mukhya Mantri Yuva Udyaymi Yojna' and the 'Mukhya Mantri Mahila Udyami Yojna'.  Both will promote entrepreneurship among youth and women of all sections under the state's 'Mukhaya Mantri Udyami Yojna' scheme.  Youth and women, irrespective of caste and creed, wishing to start entrepreneurship, will get a loan of Rs 10 lakh. Gujarat govt approves a Rs 102 cr scheme  The Gujarat government has given in-principle approval to a scheme worth 102 crore rupees to prevent marine salinity entering in the coastal villages of Saurashtra.  The scheme has been approved keeping in view the long-term interest of lakhs of citizens and villages in the area.  With this scheme, around 2100 hectares of land in 23 villages of Gir Somnath district will become more fertile. Odisha CM announces a special scheme  Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has announced a special scheme to provide financial support to the orphans.  The scheme "Aashirbad", is meant to offer financial support to orphan children, who have lost both their parents, or either of the earning parents.  Under the scheme, different slabs of financial support, the maximum being Rs. 2500 per month, have been envisioned for such children. Tamil Nadu CM inaugurates new scheme  Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin has inaugurated a new scheme for children who have lost their parents due to COVID.  The scheme assures a five lakh rupees deposit and takes care of their education until they attain 18 years of age.  The amount is invested in Tamil Nadu Power Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited. PLI scheme to boost self-sufficiency in drugs  The Union government has expanded its performance-linked incentive (PLI) scheme to the pharmaceutical sector, aiming to achieve self-sufficiency in the output of drugs.  The PLI scheme offers eligible manufacturing companies and sectors a 4% to10% incentive on incremental sales over the base year of 2019-20 for a five-year period.  India is the world’s largest manufacturer of generic drugs.

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Budgetary support approved to iDEX for 5 yrs  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the budgetary support of Rs 498 crore to Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), a Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) for the next 5 yrs.  The scheme is aimed at providing financial support to nearly 300 start-ups, MSMEs and individual innovators and 20 partner incubators under the DIO framework. Anganwadi workers to get smartphones  The Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath on 8 June 2021 directed to provide smartphones to all Anganwadi workers in the State.  There are 1.89 lakh Anganwadi centres in the State with about four lakh workers available.  The CM has also launched “Mukhya Mantri Bal Seva Yojana” for the children whose parents have died due to Covid, as well as the children who are suffering from non-Covid diseases. K'taka to give ₹2k subsidy to street vendors  Karnataka government on 8 June 2021 launched a ₹33.83 crore scheme for street vendors through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) of ₹2,000 each to 2.16 lakh vendors in the state.  The state govt distributes Covid-19 relief to street vendors registered under the Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood's Deendayal Antyodaya Scheme, a National Urban Livelihood Mission. Odisha sanctions ₹26.29 cr for street vendors  Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik on 8 June 2021 sanctioned an amount of ₹26.29 crores from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund as Covid-19 assistance for 87,657 street vendors in urban areas.  The street vendors will receive financial assistance of ₹3,000 each.  In 2020, the Central government sanctioned ₹8.2 crore collateral-free loans for street vendors in Odisha under PM SVANidhi Yojana. NMMC to deposit ₹1k in student's bank account  Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation has announced financial assistance of Rs.1000 for all its students to buy unlimited internet packs and continue their digital learning.  The decision has been taken to lessen the parents' burden and ensure that children do not miss out on schooling due to a lack of resources.  The corporation has further decided to provide worksheets to students. Scheme for ‘pension’ for trees in Haryana  The Haryana government has come out with a unique and first of its kind initiative.  Haryana CM has announced the launch of the Pran Vayu Devta Pension Scheme and Oxy Van (Oxygen Forests).  The state government has taken an initiative to honour all those trees which are of the age of 75 years and above and have served humanity throughout their life by producing oxygen. Knowledge Economy Mission launched  Kerala has launched the Knowledge Economy Mission to provide employment to the educated and support ‘knowledge workers’ under a single programme.  The initiative was announced in State Budget on June 4, 2021.  It will be spearheaded by Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC) which has been tasked with submitting a complete challenge report before 15 July'21.

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Rajasthan launches free coaching scheme  Rajasthan has launched Chief Minister Anuprati Coaching Scheme to help underprivileged students prepare for entrance examinations to civil services and professional courses.  Students belonging to scheduled caste, scheduled tribe, other backward classes (OBC), minority and economically weaker sections with annual family income less than ₹8 lakhs per annum will be able to avail the scheme. Ladakh LG launches YounTab scheme 2021  Ladakh LG R K Mathur launched the YounTab scheme 2021 from Leh on 4 June 2021.  In the first phase of the YounTab Scheme, 9 to 12 class students are handed over Educational Tabs in Leh and Kargil.  Tab has online and offline apps along with 35 books in PDF format.  A total of 12300 students of 6th to 12th class from Govt schools will be benefited from the scheme worth Rs 15 cr. Maharashtra govt to implement MAPS  The Maharashtra govt has decided to implement the Maharashtra Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (MAPS) with the objective of providing employment and training to the youth of the state.  The scheme aims to provide employment and training to 5 lakh well-educated unemployed youth in the next 5 yrs.  Under this scheme, 75% of stipend or Rs 5000 whichever is less will be provided to the apprentice. Tamil Nadu CM launches welfare schemes  Tamil Nadu CM M.K.Stalin launched a series of welfare schemes to commemorate the 97th birthday of late patriarch and father M.Karunanidhi on 3 Jun'21.  He inaugurated the scheme of distributing 15 grocery items bags to the BPL card holders along with the second installment of Rs.2000.  He also distributed Rs.10 lakh compensation to the families of the journalists who lost their lives to Covid. One Nation, One Standard scheme launched  One Nation, One Standard scheme has been launched with an aim to synergize standards adopted by various Standard Development Organisations in the country.  The voluntary integration scheme of multiple standard formulating bodies will bring uniformity in the quality of goods and services produced in the country.  It will be subjected to review at least once every five years. Uttar Pradesh govt rolls out welfare scheme  Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath has launched a welfare scheme for those children who have lost either one or both parents due to Covid-19.  Under the 'Uttar Pradesh Mukhyamantri Bal Seva Yojana', the govt will provide financial assistance to a child's guardian.  As a part of the scheme, the state govt will provide Rs. 4000 to a child's guardian or caretaker till he or she attains adulthood.

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‘Saksham’ pension, scholarship in J&K  The Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Council has approved the grant of financial relief through the Special Assistance Scheme for Covid mortalities (SASCM/Saksham) to the families of Covid victims.  Under the new scheme Saksham, the surviving spouse, and one eldest surviving member of affected families would receive a special monthly pension of Rs 1,000 through Direct bank transfer (DBT).

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Science and Tech IIT Madras develops drone algorithms  Researchers at IIT Madras have developed algorithms for drones to help study how fire behaves in space stations, shuttles and satellites.  According to the team, a multirotor microgravity platform can also simulate reduced-gravity environments similar to Moon and Mars, thereby recreating those conditions on Earth for experiments. Scientists develop nanochannels  Scientists have developed electrically configured nanochannels that can eliminate unwanted energy waste and promise wave-based computing.  This can revolutionize on-chip data communication and processing in the future.  A team from the S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences has developed the nanochannels that tune the behaviour of spin waves in nano-structure elements. Bihar Agricultural Univ. develops black guava  Scientists of Bihar Agriculture University, Bhagalpur have developed a unique variety of guava 'black guava'.  It is rich in antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins.  It has been developed with more than three years of scientific research and is likely to be launched for commercial farming soon.  The exclusive variety of black guava will be fully ripe by August-end or September 2021. First uncrewed mission of Gaganyaan in Dec  ISRO will launch the first uncrewed mission in December 2021, as part of the human spaceflight programme 'Gaganyaan'.  The objective of the Gaganyaan program is to demonstrate the capability to send humans to low earth orbit onboard an Indian launch vehicle and bring them back to earth safely.  ISRO's heavy-lift launcher GSLV Mark III has been identified for the mission. Scientists find Neanderthal ancestor  Scientists have discovered a new kind of early human in Israel after studying pieces of fossilized bone dug up at a site used by a cement plant in central Israel.  Researchers from Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem found pieces of a skull and lower jaw with teeth dating back 130,000 years.  The fossil discovered has been named Nesher Ramla Homo. Bio-compatible nanogenerator developed  Scientists have fabricated a simple, cost-effective, bio-compatible, transparent nanogenerator.  It can generate electricity from vibrations all around for use in optoelectronics, self-powered devices, and other biomedical applications.  The team from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences, Bengaluru, have designed triboelectric nanogenerators, using thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU). ARCI develops cost-effective catalysts  International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI)

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has developed a cost-effective electrocatalyst by anchoring transition metal ions into the sulfur-doped carbon framework.  It has been done through carbonization of a polymer called sPEEK (sulphonated polyether ether ketone).  The catalyst also leads to reduced voltage polarization. River runoff projected to increase in future  Snow and glaciers are melting rapidly in the Himalayan range due to climate change, altering water supplies in the rivers like Ganga in the Himalaya-Karakoram ranges.  Total river runoff, glacier melt, and seasonality of flow in these rivers are projected to increase until the 2050s.  This was given in a study “Glacio-hydrology of the Himalaya-Karakoram” published in the journal ‘SCIENCE’. World’s first genetically modified rubber  The world’s first genetically modified (GM) rubber plant was planted on the outskirts of Guwahati, Assam, on 22 June 2021.  The GM rubber plant, the first of its kind developed exclusively for the northeast, is expected to thrive in the climatic conditions of the region.  The plant has additional copies of gene MnSOD (manganese-containing superoxide dismutase) in it. An instrument gives results on solar corona  An instrument onboard India's Chandrayaan-2 mission has provided outstanding science results on solar corona and heliophysics.  It is known that the corona consists of ionized gas at temperatures exceeding one million Kelvin, which is much higher than the photospheric temperature of 6000 K, the visible surface temperature of the Sun. Squid sent from Hawaii into space  Dozens of baby squid from Hawaii are in space for study.  The baby Hawaiian bobtail squid were raised at the University of Hawaii's Kewalo Marine Laboratory and were blasted into space earlier in June'21 on a SpaceX resupply mission to the International Space Station.  Understanding what happens to the squid in space could help solve health problems that astronauts face. SENSIT Rapid COVID-19 Ag Kit developed  Under the aegis of COVID-19 Research Consortium, DBT-BIRAC supported product ‘SENSIT Rapid COVID-19 Ag kit’ has been developed by UBIO Biotechnology Systems Pvt. Ltd.  It has been developed for the qualitative detection of SARS CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Protein with an assay time of 15 minutes.  The samples are collected using nasopharyngeal swabs from the suspected individual. Climate change to increase sea level  Sea levels will rise around the Lakshadweep Islands between 0.4 mm per year to 0.9 mm per year and will affect airport and residential areas, according to a study.  The study was carried out by a team of scientists from the Department of Architecture and

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Regional Planning and the Department of Ocean Engineering and Naval Architecture, IIT Kharagpur. Covid Severity Score (CSS) Software launched  A software can now identify patients likely to require ventilator support in an ICU and referral in time and make necessary arrangements before emergency sets in.  The software called Covid Severity Score consists of an algorithm that measures a set of parameters.  The Foundation For Innovations In Health, Kolkata in collaboration with IIT Guwahati has developed it. Aloe vera may be useful in making memory chips  Aloe vera may be useful in making memory chips, according to a study by IIT Indore.  Aloe vera has an "electronic memory effect chemical", which may be useful in making memory chips and other data storage devices.  The study was carried out by the Materials and Device (MAD) laboratory of the institution's physics department.  Synthetic chemicals are used for making memory chips currently. Xiaomi develops a new technology  Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has developed a technology that allows smartphones and other electrical devices to charge using sound.  The patent was filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration.  The system uses mechanisms for storing energy and a sound charger.  It converts the vibration from sound waves into the alternating current. Pune startup develops non-toxic sanitizer  A Pune-based startup Weinnovate Biosolutions is all set to launch an alcohol-free, aqueous, non-inflammable, and non-toxic hand sanitizer that is gentler to one's skin.  Developed from silver nanoparticles, this environment-friendly sanitizer is a perfect solution to the problem of drying up hands due to repeated application.  The hand sanitizer prolongs antimicrobial activity. 15-metre tree discovered in A&N Islands  A 15-meter-tall tree that belongs to the genus of the coffee family has recently been discovered from the Andaman Islands by a team of researchers from India and the Philippines.  The new species, Pyrostria laljii, is also the first record of the genus Pyrostria in India.  The tree is distinguished by a long stem with a whitish coating on the trunk, and oblong- obovate leaves. Method of imaging objects through fog  Imaging of objects in foggy weather conditions may now be clearer.  Researchers have found a method that can improve the images captured on such days.  The technique involves modulating the light source and demodulating them at the observer’s end.  The team from the Raman Research Institute modulated the light source and demodulated them at the observer’s end to achieve sharper images.

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World's first wooden satellite to be launched  The world’s first "wooden satellite" is preparing to launch in 2021.  WISA Woodsat, a nanosatellite that measures 4 by 4 by 4 inches (10 by 10 by 10 centimetres) and weighs about 2.2 lbs. (1 kilogram), uses a special type of coated plywood (called WISA) for its surface panels.  The wooden satellite will launch as part of a mission, designed by Arctic Astronautics. Cryo-EM can help research in enzymology  Researchers in India would soon have access to four Cryogenic-Electron microscopy (Cryo- EM) facilities.  The National Facilities supported by the Science and Engineering Research Board would help explore macromolecular structures and complexes and create research knowledge base for cryo-EM research in India to establish leadership in structural biology, enzymology, ligand/drug discovery. New study on cancer causing virus  Indian scientists have found that the cancer-causing virus Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) affects the glial cells or the non-neural cells in the central nervous system and alters molecules like phospho-inositols.  Scientists’ teams from the Departments of Physics and Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering at IIT Indore used Raman Spectroscopy System to trace the propagation mechanism of the virus. A new blood test device developed  Bhopal-based Professor Dr. Nishant Nambisan of Government College of Homeopathy and his colleagues have developed a new blood test device for sickle cell anemia.  Under the Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign, the central government has also approved it.  The device delivers test results in less than five minutes and is 10 times cheaper than the cost of the testing technology currently in use. IIT Ropar develops power free CPAP device  IIT Ropar has developed a device "Jivan Vayu" which can be used as a substitute for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine.  This is the nation's first such device that functions even without electricity and is adapted to both kinds of oxygen generation units like CO2 cylinders and oxygen pipelines in hospitals.  These provisions are not available in existing CPAP machines. EnVision mission to Venus  The European Space Agency (ESA) has announced that it has selected EnVision as its next orbiter that will visit Venus sometime in the 2030s.  EnVision is an ESA-led mission with contributions from NASA.  Once launched on an Ariane 6 rocket, the spacecraft will take about 15 months to reach Venus and will take 16 more months to achieve orbit circularisation. New waste water treatment technology  A technology has been developed by Dr. Chiranjib Bhattacharjee, Professor at the Chemical Engineering Department in Jadavpur University, Kolkata.

 It uses a combination of Electrocoagulation and Electroflotation Enhanced Membrane

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Module (ECEFMM) techniques for wastewater treatment.  Electrocoagulation is a technique that uses an electrical charge for changing the particle surface charge. 3D-printed masks coated with anti-viral agents  An integration of 3D printing and pharmaceuticals has resulted in a novel type of mask which attacks the virus when viral particles come in contact with it.  Developed by Pune-based start-up firm Thincr Technologies India Private Limited, these masks are coated with anti-viral agents known otherwise as virucides.  The coating has been tested and shown to inactivate the SARS-COV-2 virus. 3-D seismic data used by scientists  Deep down in the ocean, marine sediments move over the base of the ocean, shaping the probability of geohazards.  Scientists have now used 3D seismic data to understand the interaction between the bottom surface of marine sediments and the seafloor in the northern Taranaki basin offshore New Zealand.  This can help apprehend the precursors of marine geohazards. Aerosol particles formed frequently  Scientists tracing the concentration, size, and evolution of aerosol particles smaller than 3 nanometres at an urban location in India have found the frequent formation of sub-3nm aerosol particles in the atmosphere.  This has critical importance as a major fraction of these newly formed particles can reach sizes of cloud condensation nuclei where they have climatic impacts. Bdelloid rotifer survives 24,000 years  A microscopic multi-celled organism has returned to life after being frozen for 24,000 years in Siberia, according to new research.  Scientists dug up the animal known as a bdelloid rotifer from the Alayeza River in the Russian Arctic.  The new study was published in Current Biology.  Previous research said they could survive frozen for up to 10 years. Scientists discover new exoplanet ‘TOI1231 b’  Scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratories and the University of New Mexico have discovered a planet outside our solar system that is similar to Earth in terms of its temperature.  The planet has been named ‘TOI1231 b’ but the scientists also like to call it a sub-Neptune, given its size.  The planet, larger than Earth and smaller than Neptune, is about 90 light yrs away from the earth. Tiny particles power chemical reactions  MIT engineers have discovered a new way of generating electricity using tiny carbon particles that can create a current simply by interacting with the liquid surrounding them.  The liquid, an organic solvent, draws electrons out of the particles, generating a current that could be used to drive chemical reactions or to power micro- or nanoscale robots.

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New process to enhance life of aluminium alloy  Indian scientists have developed an environmental-friendly process, which can provide excellent corrosion resistance to the high-strength aluminium (Al) alloys.  It involves an electrochemical method for the production of an oxide film on a metallic substrate.  High-strength aluminium (Al) alloys are extensively used in aerospace, textile, and automotive applications. First CAR-T cell therapy conducted at ACTREC  The Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy has emerged as an important development in cancer treatment.  On 4 June 2021, the first CAR-T cell therapy (a type of gene therapy) was done at the Bone Marrow Transplant unit at ACTREC, Tata Memorial Center in Mumbai.  The CAR-T cells were designed and manufactured at Bioscience and Bioengineering (BSBE) department of IIT Bombay. Novel technique to help detect cyclones  Indian scientists have found a promising technique for early detection of the development of tropical cyclones in the atmospheric column prior to satellite detection over ocean surface in North Indian Ocean region.  A team of scientists from IIT Kharagpur have devised a novel method using the Eddy detection technique.  The research was published in the journal Atmospheric Research. Largest dinosaur species discovered  A gigantic dinosaur discovered in Australia's outback has been identified as a new species and recognized as one of the largest to ever roam the Earth, according to palaeontologists.  The Australotitan cooperensis, part of the titanosaur family that lived about 100 mn years ago, has finally been named and described 15 years after its bones were first uncovered.  It has the nickname Cooper. ISRO develops three types of ventilators  The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has developed three types of ventilators to battle Covid-19.  A low-cost and portable critical care ventilator, 'Prana' (Programmable Respiratory Assistance for the Needy Aid) is based on the automated compression of an Ambu (Artificial Manual Breathing Unit) bag.  The other two ventilators are ‘VaU’ and 'SVASTA'. ICAR-IISR gets patent for a mixture  Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR) has received a patent for black pepper micronutrient foliar formulation.  It had submitted the application for it in 2013.  It has developed crop designer micronutrient foliar formulations for major spices like black pepper, turmeric, ginger, and cardamom in a bid to overcome micronutrient deficiencies. India's first indigenous tumor antigen SPAG9

 The SPAG9 antigen developed by the National Institute of Immunology (NII) has received

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the ASPAGNIITM trademark.  India's first indigenous tumor antigen SPAG9 was discovered in 1998 by Dr. Anil Suri who heads the Cancer Research Programme at the NII.  Currently, ASPAGNIITM is being used in dendritic cell-based immunotherapy in cervical, ovarian cancer and will also be used in breast cancer. IIT Hyderabad develops oral Amphotericin B  The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Hyderabad has developed nano-fibre based oral tablets of Amphotericin B, called AmB, to treat fungal infections post COVID treatment.  This was a first-ever attempt to fabricate nanofibrous oral tablets of Amphotericin B for the potential cure of Kala Azar (Mucormycosis).  At present, the Amphotericin B is available in injectable form. CSIR-NCL comes up with a new technique  The CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL), Pune has come up with a new technique for disinfecting water by using natural oils.  Scientist Dr V.M. Bhandari and his group at CSIR-NCL Pune has developed the novel hybrid technology called "SWASTIIK", which involves boiling of a liquid as a result of pressure reduction (cavitation) and also uses natural oils having antimicrobial properties. NASA announces two new missions to Venus  NASA is sending two new missions to Venus in order to examine the planet's atmosphere and geological features.  The missions, which have each been awarded $500m in funding, are due to launch between 2028 and 2030.  Venus is the second planet from the sun and the hottest planet in the solar system with a surface temperature of 500ºC - hot enough to melt lead. Hyderabad witnesses sun halo  A bright 'halo' around the sun was spotted in the skies on 2 June 2021 afternoon across Hyderabad, which is also the Telangana Formation Day.  A halo is a rainbow-coloured ring around the Sun and It is also known as a 22 degree Halo.  This optical phenomenon occurs when the sunlight gets refracted in millions of hexagonal ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere. Artificial synaptic network developed  Scientists have fabricated a device that can mimic human brain cognitive actions and is more efficient than conventional techniques in emulating artificial intelligence.  It enhances computational speed and power consumption efficiency.  Scientists from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research have devised an approach of fabricating an artificial synaptic network (ASN). NASA to send water bears to Space Station  On June 3, 2021, NASA will send 128 glow-in-the-dark baby squids and some 5,000 tardigrades (also called water bears) to the International Space Station for research purposes.  The water animals, which will be launched aboard SpaceX’s 22nd cargo resupply mission to the ISS, are part of experiments that could help scientists design improved protective

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measures for astronauts. IIT Roorkee researchers discover new fossils  IIT Roorkee researchers have discovered new fossils that show India was home to a variety of sea cows millions of years ago.  Sea cows, or Dugongs, are an endangered species of herbivorous marine mammals, which feed on seagrass in shallow coastal waters.  Although protected in India under the Wild (Life) Protection Act, 1972, these rare animals are fighting for survival in the Indian waters. IIT-Ropar develops ‘AmbiTAG’  IIT-Ropar has developed a device that records temperature during the transportation of vaccines, body organs and blood.  'AmbiTag' is a USB-shaped device that continuously records temp of its immediate surrounding from -40 to +80 degrees.  The device has been developed by researchers at IIT-Ropar, Technology Innovation Hub- AWaDH (Agri and Water Tech Development Hub) and Startup ScratchNest.

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Business and Economy 6th review meeting on CAPEX held  Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman held a virtual meeting with senior government officials to discuss the infrastructure roadmap ahead, on 29 June 2021.  This was the 6th review meeting by the Finance Minister.  During the meeting, Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) plans of Ministries, and measures to expedite infrastructure investment were discussed. RBI imposes penalties on 4 cooperative banks  The RBI has imposed penalties on four cooperative banks.  ₹112.50 lakh fine has been imposed on Andhra Pradesh Mahesh Co-operative Urban Bank, for contravention of certain regulatory directions.  A penalty of ₹62.50 lakh has been imposed on The Ahmedabad Mercantile Co-operative Bank, Ahmedabad; ₹37.50 lakh on SVC Co-operative Bank, Mumbai; and ₹25 lakh on Saraswat Cooperative Bank, Mumbai. HDFC Ltd acquires 8.42% stake in Ansal Housing  HDFC Ltd has acquired an 8.42% stake in Ansal Housing Limited by invoking pledged shares of the company following loan repayment default.  Ansal Housing reported a turnover of Rs 116.93 crore for the year ended 31 March 2020 and its net worth as of that date was Rs 214.12 crore.  It has already completed many development projects in Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Meerut, and Ghaziabad. Pernod Ricard to set up venture fund in India  Pernod Ricard will launch a venture fund in India that will invest in and mentor smaller companies, startups, and adjacent businesses such as restaurants.  Pernod is the maker of Absolut vodka and Chivas Regal scotch.  India is Pernod Ricard’s largest market by quantity and the third-biggest contributor to gross sales and revenue globally. Capacity of fortification of rice to increase  The center has expedited the capacity of fortification of rice to increase from 15,000 MT to 3.5 lakh MT by incentivizing and creating awareness among rice millers.  The Dept of Food and Public Distribution has approved pilot scheme on fortification of rice and its distribution under Public Distribution System for a period of 3 years beginning in 2019-20 with a total outlay of Rs 174.64 crore. Banking service to be introduced in Ladakh  In Ladakh, cooperative banking service with micro ATMs where both deposition and withdrawal of cash can be availed by the users will be introduced in remote areas.  This was decided during a meeting under the chairmanship of MD J&K State Cooperative Bank Qazi Sarwar in Srinagar.  The meeting aimed at facilitating cashless transactions of sale proceeds of fertilizers by using POS Machines.

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SEBI approves a proposal  Securities and exchange board of India (SEBI) has approved a proposal to introduce a framework for ‘Accredited Investors’ in the Indian securities market.  It will be a class of investors who may be considered to be well informed or well advised about investment products.  Accredited investors may be Individuals, Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs), partnership firms, etc. CRISIL launches ESG scores of 225 companies  CRISIL Ltd has launched its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) scores for 225 companies across 18 sectors in India, in line with its mission of making markets function better.  The scores are based on CRISIL’s proprietary framework and is assigned on a scale of 1-100, with 100 denoting best-in-class ESG performance.  The current evaluation analyses three annual reporting cycles. Quadria to pick stake in Encube  Healthcare focused private equity firm Quadria Capital along with its co-investors, including Gulf Islamic Investments, has committed over $100 mn for a minority stake in Encube Ethicals.  Founded in 1998, Encube is engaged in contract development and manufacturing of topical formulations for a global customer base.  It has successfully developed multiple own products in regulated markets. Invesco Medium Term Fund launched  Invesco Mutual Fund has announced the launch of its Medium-Term Fund.  The new fund offer (NFO) for the scheme will run from 29 June to 13 July 2021.  Being an open-ended scheme, it will be available for subscription thereafter as well.  The scheme will focus on the debt with a maturity of three-five years.  The fund is benchmarked to CRISIL Medium Term Debt Index. Govt to develop rating system for MSMEs  The central government is planning to develop a system of financial ratings for upcoming micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).  This system of ratings will help banks to make better credit judgments for such borrowers.  As per the draft plan, it will depend on the annual turnover, goods and services tax (GST) records, income tax records, exports, and the credentials of each company. KIOCL Ltd. gets nod for iron ore mining  The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has accorded Stage I ‘in principle approval’ for diverting 401.5761 hectares of forest land at Devadari Hill Range in Ballari district for iron and manganese ore mining by the KIOCL Limited.  The company expects about 33 mn tonnes of ore to be available for mining over 50 yrs.  It will begin by mining 0.3 mn tonnes of ore per annum. 5 lakh free tourist visas announced  Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced that once the government starts issuing visas again, the first 5 lakh tourist visas will be given free of cost.

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 The free tourist visa scheme will be applicable till March 31, 2022, or till 5 lakh visas are issued.  Financial support will be proved to more than 11,000 registered tourist guides/travel and tourism stakeholders. 8 economic relief measures announced  Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced relief measures to various sectors.  8 relief measures have been announced; of which four are new.  Rs 1.1 lakh crore loan guarantee scheme has been announced for COVID-affected sectors.  A credit guarantee scheme to facilitate loans to 25 lakh persons through microfinance institutions has also been announced. Navi Nifty 50 Index Fund launched  Navi Mutual Fund, part of Sachin Bansal’s BFSI group Navi, has announced the launch of the Navi Nifty 50 Index Fund.  It is an open-ended equity scheme which will replicate the Nifty50 index, with the lowest cost compared to any other index schemes in the passive funds category.  The 10-day NFO will open on 3 July and close for subscriptions on 12 July 2021. Maruti Suzuki expands subscription services  Maruti Suzuki India has expanded its vehicle subscription services to 4 more cities - Jaipur, Indore, Mangalore, and Mysore, taking the total number to 19 cities.  It has partnered with three subscription partners namely Orix Auto Infrastructure Services Ltd. (Orix), ALD Automotive India (ALD Automotive), and Myles Automotive Technologies Pvt Ltd (Myles) for its subscription service. Ind-Ra lowers FY22 GDP growth forecast to 9.6%  India Ratings and Research's (Ind-Ra) earlier estimate of GDP growth at 10.1% for the current financial year (FY22) is unlikely to hold due to the speed and scale of Covid 2.0.  It now expects GDP growth to come in at 9.6% in FY22.  It expects agricultural growth to come in at 3% in FY22.  It also expects average retail and wholesale inflation to come in at 5.5% and 6.6% respectively in FY22. HDFC Bank approves shares under ESOP scheme  HDFC Bank has allotted 26,51,520 equity shares to the employees of the Bank pursuant to exercise of options under its Employees Stock Options Scheme (ESOS).  The paid-up share capital of the Bank will accordingly increase from Rs 5,52,40,67,578 equity shares of Re.1/- each to Rs 5,52,67,19,098 equity shares of Re.1/- each.  It will also pick up a stake worth ₹6.9 crore in Borderless Softtech. SEBI clears liquidity holding norms  The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has issued the guidelines for calculating mandatory liquid holdings in debt mutual funds.  The mandatory liquid portion will be excluded for rules on asset allocation.  In November 2020, the regulator had said that debt mutual funds have to invest at least 10% of assets in liquid papers, such as cash, treasury bills, etc.

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Panasonic sells Tesla stake for $3.6 billion  Panasonic Corp has sold its stake in electric car maker Tesla Inc for about 400 billion yen ($3.61 billion) in the year ended March 2021.  The sale comes as it is seeking to reduce its dependence on Tesla and raise cash for growth investment.  Panasonic bought 1.4 million Tesla shares at $21.15 each in 2010 for about $30 million.  That stake was worth $730 million at the end of March 2020. RedBird picks up 15% stake in Rajasthan Royals  Investment firm RedBird Capital Partners has acquired a 15 percent stake in the IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals.  However, the deal amount has not been disclosed.  Emerging Media owns a majority stake in the IPL team which won the inaugural edition in 2008.  Emerging Media will increase its ownership from 51 percent to 65 percent. SBI launches new business loan scheme  State Bank of India (SBI) has launched a new healthcare business loan 'Aarogyam'.  The new loan product is specially designed to support the healthcare ecosystem of the country.  Under this scheme, the new loans can be availed by way of term loan, cash credit, bank guarantee, or letter of credit.  The loan amount under Aarogyam ranges from a minimum sum of Rs 10 lakh to a maximum of Rs.100 cr. RBI issues eligibility criteria for NBFCs  The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has put in place certain conditions for non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) to pay dividends to shareholders from the financial year ending 31 March 2022.  A non-bank financier must report a net NPA ratio of less than 6% in each of the last three years, including as at the close of the financial year for which dividend is proposed. Proposal of AAHL approved by Maharashtra  The Maharashtra Cabinet has approved a proposal to allow Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL) to operate the Navi Mumbai international airport that is coming up in Panvel.  Earlier, the greenfield project was to be developed by GVK Airport Developers Limited (GVK ADL).  In 2020, the Adani Group had taken control of the Mumbai airport and the proposed Navi Mumbai airport through AAHL. RBI penalises 3 co-operative banks  The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a total penalty of ₹8 lakh on three Maharashtra-based co-operative banks.  They have been fined for deficiencies in regulatory compliance.  A penalty of ₹4 lakh has been imposed on Excellent Co-operative Bank, Mumbai, and ₹2 lakh each on Janseva Sahakari Bank Limited, Pune and The Ajara Urban Co-operative Bank, Ajara (Kolhapur).

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Twitter adds first Indian payments aggregator  Twitter has added the first payments operator to its Tip Jar feature, which allows Twitter users to pay creators for content.  The company has announced a tie-up with Razorpay, though the feature is only available to “select users" right now.  Integrating Razorpay allows Twitter users to pay creators through credit and debit cards, along with UPI, net-banking, and payment wallets in India. 12% more wheat procured in 2021  Till 22 June 2021, a quantity of 432.19 LMT of wheat has been procured.  It is an all-time high, as it has exceeded the previous high of 389.92 LMT in 2020.  Wheat procurement in Rajasthan has reached all-time high of 22.85LMT.  Paddy procurement has also reached all-time high level, surpassing the previous high of 773.45 LMT in 2019-20. S&P cuts India's FY22 growth forecast to 9.5%  S&P Global Ratings has cut India's growth forecast for fiscal 2021-22 to 9.5%, from 11 percent earlier.  It projected India's growth at 7.8 percent in the next fiscal ending March 31, 2023.  Earlier in June 2021, RBI too cut India's growth forecast to 9.5 percent for this fiscal, from 10.5 percent estimated earlier. FDI in April increased by 60% to $4.44 billion  Foreign direct investment into India increased by 60% to $4.44 billion in April 2021 as against $2.77 billion in the same month in 2020.  Total FDI, including equity, re-invested earnings and capital, rose 38% to $6.24 billion in April, as against $4.53 billion in April 2020, as per the govt data.  During April 2021, Mauritius was the top investing country with 24% of the FDI equity inflows. Microsoft reaches a $2 trillion market value  Microsoft Corporation has become just the second U.S. public company to reach a $2 trillion market value.  Saudi Aramco eclipsed that threshold briefly in December 2019, but currently has a market value of about $1.9 trillion.  Co-founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, Microsoft created the personal-computer software industry and dominated the market for PC operating systems for years. Moody's cuts India growth forecast to 9.6%  Moody's Investors Service has slashed India's growth projection to 9.6 percent for the 2021 calendar year, from its earlier estimate of 13.9 percent.  It has released a report titled 'Macroeconomics – India: Economic shocks from second COVID wave will not be as severe as last year's'.  Indian economy contracted by 7.3 percent in fiscal 2020-21. SBM Bank introduces Step Up Credit Card  Paisabazaar.com and SBM Bank India have launched the Step Up Credit Card.  It is a credit-builder product designed for consumers with limited access to formal credit, due to ineligible credit score.

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 It is the first product to be launched under Paisabazaar’s neo-lending strategy.  It will help consumers with damaged credit or those with no credit history to steadily build their Credit Score. Minda Industries to buy 51% stake in UZ Chasys  Minda Industries will acquire a 51 per cent stake in Uzbekistan-based automotive lighting manufacture UZ Chasys for around ₹58 crores.  The company has won the bid to acquire a 51 per cent stake in UZ Chasys in Uzbekistan for a purchase consideration of 83.1 billion.  UzChasys specializes in manufacturing automobile headlights and lamps. RBI imposes fine on 3 cooperative banks  The RBI has imposed penalties of ₹23 lakh on three cooperative banks.  The RBI imposed a penalty of ₹12 lakh on Mogaveera Co-operative Bank Limited, ₹10 lakh on Indapur Urban Cooperative Bank, and ₹1 lakh on The Baramati Sahakari Bank Limited.  The penalty was imposed due to deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction. Intel to work with Reliance Jio on 5G  Intel Corp will work with India's Reliance Jio to develop 5G networking technology.  Intel's venture capital unit in 2020, invested $250 million in Reliance Industries Ltd's Jio Platforms unit.  Intel will work on "co-innovations" with Reliance Jio for its 5G radio-access network (RAN), among other things. Government eases listing norms for companies  Companies that have a market capitalization of more than ₹1 lakh crore at the time of listing can now sell just five percent of their shares, with the latest amendment in rules.  The move will be beneficial for the government during the proposed initial public offer of LIC.  Such entities will be required to increase their public shareholding to 10 percent in two years and 25% within 5 years. US solar firm plans an investment in India  Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures-backed 1366 Technologies plans to invest $300 million to set up a 2-gigawatt (GW) solar wafer and cell manufacturing facility in India.  It would be set up under the government’s production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme.  1366 Technologies also has North Bridge Venture Partners and Polaris Partners as investors. HDFC Bank to buy stake in HDFC Ergo  HDFC Bank will buy more than 3.55 crore shares in group firm HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company for over ₹1,906 crores from the parent company Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC).  The board of directors of HDFC Bank has approved the purchase of 3,55,67,724 equity shares of ₹10 each, representing 4.99 percent of the outstanding issued and paid-up capital of HDFC ERGO General. Google Pay launches cards tokenisation with SB

 Digital wallet platform Google Pay has expanded its network of bank partners offering cards

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tokenization on the Google Pay app.  The app has added lenders including SBI, IndusInd Bank, Federal Bank, and HSBC India.  It had successfully rolled out tokenization with Kotak Mahindra Bank, SBI Cards, and Axis Bank earlier. CFS to set up a small finance bank  The RBI has given an in-principle nod to Centrum Financial Services to set up a small finance bank (SFB).  This approval has been accorded in specific pursuance to Centrum Financial Services Limited’s offer dated 1 Feb 2021, in response to the Expression of Interest notification dated November 3, 2020, published by the Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative (PMC) Bank. Indians' funds in Swiss banks rise  Funds parked by Indian individuals and firms in Swiss banks, including through India-based branches and other financial institutions, jumped to 2.55 billion Swiss francs (over Rs 20,700 crore) in 2020.  The increase in aggregate funds of Indian clients with Swiss banks, from 899 million Swiss francs (Rs 6,625 crore) at the end of 2019, reverses a two-year declining trend. One-time grant for Sikkim  The Group of Ministers set up by the GST Council on Sikkim's demand of levying Covid cess on power and pharmaceutical sectors has ruled out levying any cess on production.  It has instead recommended that a one-time grant be given by the Centre to the state.  A state does not have the right to levy a cess on sale outside the state.  The provision is not there under integrated GST. KVIC records highest ever turnover  Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has recorded its highest-ever turnover.  In the year 2020-21, KVIC registered a gross annual turnover of Rs. 95,741.74crores, as compared to Rs. 88,887 crores turnover in 2019-20, thus, registering an increase of 7.71%.  The overall production in Khadi and Village Industry sectors in 2020-21 has registered a whopping growth of 101%. Govt cuts tariff value for edible oil import  The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has reduced tariff value for the import of edible oil by up to $112 (around ₹8,300) per tonne.  It cut the tariff import value of crude palm oil by $86 (around ₹6,400) per tonne and of crude palmolein by $112 (around ₹8,300) per tonne.  It also reduced crude soyabean oil's base import price by $37 (around ₹2,750) per tonne. LIC-CSL, IDBI Bank launch 'Shagun'  LIC Cards Services Limited (LIC-CSL) has joined hands with IDBI Bank to launch contactless prepaid gift card ‘Shagun’ on the RuPay platform.  The Shagun card will initially be available to LIC and its subsidiaries and associates for official use.  It will be used to facilitate awards and special rewards during official conferences and functions.

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Canara Bank to buy 12% stake in bad bank  Canara Bank will be the lead sponsor of National Asset Reconstruction Company Limited (NARCL) or a bad bank with a 12 percent stake in the entity.  A bad bank refers to a financial institution that takes over the bad assets of lenders and undertakes resolution.  The bank has sought approval from the Reserve Bank of India for participating in NARCL as a sponsor contributing a 12 percent stake. Paytm hires JPMorgan, Goldman for IPO  Paytm has hired four banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. for its proposed initial public offering.  The board of the startup formally called One97 Communications, also approved Morgan Stanley and ICICI Securities Ltd. to help with the sale.  Paytm is joining a global share sale with a plan to raise as much as Rs 218 bn.  That would make it India’s largest IPO. IndusInd Bank launches ‘IndusEasyCredit'  IndusInd Bank has announced the launch of ‘IndusEasyCredit’.  It is a comprehensive digital lending platform that enables customers to meet their financial requirements from the comfort of their homes.  With this, both existing, as well as non-IndusInd Bank customers, can instantly avail of personal loans or credit cards on a single platform in a completely paperless and digital manner. Net Direct Tax collection doubles  Net Direct Tax collections have grown at a healthy pace despite the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  They have increased over 100% in fiscal year 2021-22 in comparison to corresponding period of fiscal year 2020-21.  Figures for this financial year show that net collections are at 1,85,871 cr rupees compared to 92,762 cr rupees over the corresponding period of the preceding year. J&K govt doubles District Capex Budget  Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to double the District Capex Budget for the current fiscal.  It has allocated over 12,600 crore rupees, which is more than double compared to the previous year’s budget of 5134 crore rupees.  The District Capex Budget for all 20 districts was approved during a high-level meeting chaired by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in Srinagar on 16 June 2021.

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Sports Manipur CM announces cash award for Olympians  Manipur Chief Minister has announced that all five Olympic-bound athletes from the state will be handed financial support of Rs 25 lakh and will be given more cash awards if they return with medals.  The gold medal winner will be given a cash prize of Rs 1.20 crore and the silver medallist will get Rs. one crore.  The bronze medal winner will get Rs 75 lakh. Seema Punia qualifies for Tokyo Games  In the National Inter-State Athletics Championships in Patiala, 2018 Asian Games bronze medallist discus thrower Seema Punia has won a gold medal.  Seema bettered the Olympic qualification mark of 63.50m.  Meanwhile, Aditi Ashok qualified for her second Olympic Games.  In gymnastics, the Asian Championships bronze-medallist in vault, Pranati Nayak, earned a quota for Tokyo Olympics. SFI announces cash reward for Sajan Prakash  Swimming Federation of India has announced a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh for Sajan Prakash.  He has created history by becoming the first swimmer from the country to earn a direct qualification for the Olympics.  Prakash qualified for the Tokyo Olympic Games by breaching the 'A' standard time, clocking 1:56:38 seconds in the men's 200m butterfly event at the Sette Colli Trophy in Rome, Italy. Badminton Sudirman Cup moved to Finland  In badminton, two key tournaments, the Sudirman Cup Finals 2021 and the BWF World Tour Finals have now been moved to Vantaa, Finland, and Bali, Indonesia respectively.  They were originally planned to take place in China in 2021.  Vantaa, Finland is the new host of the Sudirman Cup Finals 2021 from Sept 26 to Oct 3, 2021, followed by the Thomas and Uber Cup Finals 2020 in Aarhus, Denmark. BCCI confirms 2021 T20 World Cup switch to UAE  The BCCI has informed that T20 World Cup 2021 will be held in the UAE.  However, BCCI retains the hosting rights of the 16-team event that is scheduled to begin on October 17, 2021.  BCCI President Sourav Ganguly stated that the decision had been taken after several rounds of discussions internally.  The ICC is expected to make an official announcement in due course. Rahi Sarnobat wins gold in 25 m pistol event  In the ISSF World Cup shooting, India’s Rahi Sarnobat won gold in the women’s 25 meters pistol event in Osijek, Croatia.  She Rahi shot 39 out of 50 in the 25m pistol final to win the first gold for India in the ongoing World Cup.  Manu Bhaker finished seventh in the eight-competitor final.  Mathilde Lamolle won silver while Russia’s Vitalina Batsarashkina took home bronze.

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Red Bull's Verstappen wins Styrian GP  Max Verstappen dominated the Styrian Grand Prix on 27 June 2021 to win back-to-back races for the first time in his career.  Hamilton's teammate Valtteri Bottas finished third ahead of Sergio Perez as Red Bull and Mercedes occupied the top four places once more.  It was Verstappen’s 14th career win and fourth of the season.  A race win is worth 25 points. SAI, IOA with MyGov to organize a quiz  In light of the upcoming Olympics, a quiz is being organized by the Sports Authority of India and the Indian Olympic Association in collaboration with the MyGov platform.  Participants will be required to answer 10 questions within a span of 120 seconds.  This quiz will be based on the past and current Olympics and athletes.  The Quiz is open till the 22nd of July. Deepika Kumari bags 3 gold medals  In Archery, India’s Deepika Kumari defeated Russia's Elena Osipova 6-0 in the final of the women's individual recurve event on 27 June'21.  She completed a hat-trick of gold medals in one day at the World Cup Stage III in Paris.  She was also a part of the mixed recurve event and women's recurve team winning gold medal.  In the mixed recurve team event, Atanu Das and Deepika Kumari won a gold. Neeraj Chopra bags bronze medal  Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra clinched the bronze medal at the Kuortane Games in Finland on 26 June 2021.  He finished third behind world no. 1 Johannes Vetter of Germany and former Olympic gold medallist Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago.  Neeraj Chopra threw his javelin at the 86.79m mark.  This was Chopra's third best performance. Sajan Prakash qualifies for Tokyo Olympics  Sajan Prakash has become the first Indian swimmer to qualify for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.  Sajan achieved the feat as he clocked 1 minute 56.38 seconds in the men's 200m butterfly at the Sette Colli Trophy in Rome.  The qualification cut-off was 1 minute 56.48 seconds.  The Tokyo Olympics will begin on July 23 and the games will run up to August 8, 2021. Gurindervir Singh shatters 100m record  Punjab's Gurindervir Singh won the men's 100 metres dash with a meet record of 10.27 seconds at the National Inter-State Athletics Championships in Patiala.  Lovepreet Singh of Punjab was second with a time of 10.47 secs while Amiya Kumar Mallick of Odisha was third with a time of 10.49 secs.  Mallick holds the national record of 10.26 secs. Manu, Saurabh settle for silver medal

 The Indian duo of Saurabh Chaudhary and Manu Bhaker settled for a silver medal in the

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10m air-pistol mixed team event at the ISSF Shooting World Cup in Osijek, Croatia on 26 June 2021.  The duo lost to Russia's Vitalina Batsarashkina and Artem Chernousov in the gold medal match.  Russia currently leads the medal tally with three golds as many silver and one bronze. 60th National Inter-State Athletics Ch’ships  The 60th National Inter-State Athletics Championships began on 25 June'21, at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NSNIS), Patiala.  The first day of the 5-day event witnessed six finals: men’s 10000m, men’s pole vault, women’s 5000m, 100m hurdles, triple jump, and hammer throw events.  Vikram Bharatsinh of Madhya Pradesh won gold in men’s 10,000 m by clocking 30 mins 16.44 seconds. Judoka Sushila Devi qualifies for Olympics  Indian judoka Sushila Devi has qualified for the Tokyo Games through the continental quota.  Sushila, who competes in the 48-kg category, has 989 points which puts her at the seventh spot in the Asian list.  The continental quotas are allotted based on a judoka’s ranking in the region.  Avtar Singh in the 90-kg was the lone Indian judoka to compete at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Zhizhen: 1st Chinese to qualify for Wimbledon  Zhang Zhizhen has qualified for Wimbledon to become the first Chinese man in the Open era to play in the Grand Slam tournament.  He defeated Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo 6-0, 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (8/6) in the final round of qualifying to make the main draw.  Ranked 178 in the world, Shanghai native Zhang is the only Chinese man in the world top 250. Andy Murray selected for Tokyo Games  Two-time defending champion Andy Murray has been selected for Great Britain’s tennis team at the Tokyo Games.  He will play in the men’s singles alongside Dan Evans and team up with Joe Salisbury in the doubles.  Heather Watson and Johanna Konta will compete in the women’s singles.  The Games will be held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Japan. Saurabh Chaudhary bags bronze medal  In shooting, world number two Saurabh Chaudhary won a bronze medal at the ISSF World Cup at Osijek, Croatia in the men’s 10-meter air pistol event on 24 June 2021.  Saurabh scored 220 in the eight-man finals after qualifying with a score of 581.  Iran’s Javad Foroughi claimed gold, his 2nd in successive ISSF World Cups, while the seasoned three-time Olympian Damir Mikec of Serbia won silver. New Zealand crowned World Test Champions  New Zealand has become ICC World Test Champions after beating India.  They defeated India by 8 wickets in Southampton on 23 June 2021.  This is their first-ever ICC title.

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 Kyle Jamieson (NZ) has been adjudged as the “Player of the match”, while Kane Williamson (NZ) is the “Player of the series”. Manipur okays incentive for Mirabai Chanu  The Manipur Cabinet has decided to extend a one-time cash incentive of ₹10 lakh to Tokyo Olympics-bound weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu.  Mirabai Chanu has qualified for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics in the women’s 49 kg category.  She has been ranked 2nd in the International Weightlifting Federation’s Absolute Ranking List in the 49 kg category. India launches its Olympic Theme Song  India's "Official Olympic Theme Song" was launched on 23 June 2021 ahead of the Summer Games in July-August.  Mohit Chauhan has composed and sung the song titled "Lakshya Tera Samne Hai".  The Games will open on 23 July 2021 and over 100 Indian athletes have qualified for the event so far.  The event was organized by Indian Olympic Association (IOA). Manpreet Singh: Captain of men's hockey team  Hockey India has named Manpreet Singh as captain of the 16-member Olympic-bound men’s hockey team.  Birendra Lakra and Harmanpreet Singh were named vice-captains.  This will be Manpreet’s third Olympics.  Under Manpreet’s captaincy, the Indian team won the Asia Cup in 2017, the Asian Champions Trophy in 2018, and the FIH Series Final in 2019. South Africa's Keshav picks 1st Test hat-trick  South African spinner Keshav Maharaj has bagged a hat-trick against West Indies to hand a 158-run win to his team in the second Test in Saint Lucia.  He became only the second South African bowler, and the first Proteas cricketer in more than 60 years, to take a hat-trick in Test.  The only previous South African to take a hat trick in tests was Geoff Griffin against England at Lord’s in 1960. Laurel: 1st trans athlete at Olympics  Laurel Hubbard has become the first openly transgender woman to individually qualify for the Olympics, even though the Games have had an inclusion policy for trans athletes since 2003.  She lifted a net weight of 628 pounds across two lifts to qualify and will enter the Games ranked 4th among women's weightlifters weighing more than 192 pounds.  She is the oldest weightlifting qualifier at 43. Ons Jabeur: 1st Arab woman to win a WTA title  Tunisia's Ons Jabeur made history on 20 June 2021, when she became the first Arab woman to win a WTA title.  She beat Russian Daria Kasatkina in the final of the grasscourt event in Birmingham.  Jabeur's victory means she has now won 28 matches on Tour for 2021, more than any other

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player apart from world number one Ash Barty who also has 28. Tokyo Olympics: Maximum of 10,000 fans allowed  Tokyo Olympics organising committee on 19 June confirmed that the spectator limit for the Games has been set at 50 per cent of venue capacity, up to a maximum of 10,000 people.  The decision on the Paralympic Games will be made by July 16.  Students in the schools' spectator programme and their supervisors will not be considered in these limits and will be treated separately. Dr Tadang Minu: AIBA’s coaches member  Dr Tadang Minu from Arunachal has become the first woman in the country and the second Indian to be appointed as a member of the Coaches Committee of the International Boxing Association (AIBA).  AIBA is the parent body for boxing in the world.  Dr. Minu is an assistant professor at Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU).  She is also the president of the Arunachal Amateur Boxing Association (AABA). Seoul will host 2022 Formula E electric race  The electric motorsport competition will be held in Seoul in August 2022.  'SEOUL E-PRIX 2022', the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, will be held at Jamsil Sports Complex from August 13 to 14, 2022.  The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, called shortly 'Formula E', is the competition event by International Automobile Federation (FIA) and is being held annually since 2014. BCCI approves support for Olympic campaign  BCCI Apex Council has approved up to Rs 10 crore to support India's forthcoming Olympic campaign in Tokyo.  It sanctioned the proposal in an emergent meeting after it received a request from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.  The apex council has decided to release Rs 2.5 crore liquid funds and a maximum of Rs 7.5 crore for running a promotional campaign in the lead-up to the Olympics. Max Verstappen wins French Grand Prix 2021  Red Bull's Max Verstappen has won the French Grand Prix on 20 June 2021.  This was Verstappen's 3rd victory in the ongoing F1 2021 season.  He has also set the fastest lap and has 131 points as compared to 119 points of Hamilton who finished second.  Verstappen's Mexican teammate Sergio Perez finished third.  Mercedes' Valterri Bottas finished 4th while Lando Norris completed the top 5. Kevin O’Brien announces retirement from ODIs  Ireland’s batsman Kevin O’Brien has decided to retire from the One Day International but he has decided to remain available for the T20Is and the Test format.  He has taken 114 wickets in his 50-overs career.  Kevin O’Brien played the biggest knock of his ODI career when he scored 113 runs off just 63 balls in the 2011 World Cup match against England. Romania banned from Olympic weightlifting

 Romania has been banned from competing in weightlifting at the Tokyo Olympics over past

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doping cases, the International Weightlifting Federation ruled in a decision.  The Romanian Weightlifting Federation was issued a one-year ban from competition over five doping cases.  Romania becomes the fourth country barred from the Tokyo weightlifting competition after Egypt, Malaysia and Thailand. First ever 10 meter shooting range in J&K  In Jammu and Kashmir, the first-ever 10-meter shooting range was inaugurated at Youth Hostel in Srinagar on 17 June 2021.  The shooting range has all the modern equipment for 10-meter air rifle and 10-meter air pistol events.  A first of its kind basic training camp will be started within a few days for students and the shooting range shall be utilized for the upliftment of this sport. 'Khedo Punjab' mobile app launched  Punjab Sports and Youth Services Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi launched a special mobile app Khedo Punjab on 18 June'21.  This is the first time in the history of the Sports Department that the department has launched a mobile app.  With the launch of it, the current sportspersons and the budding players will be in a position to register online and can choose any game of their interest. Shefali: Youngest to score twin half-centuries  In the Women’s Cricket Test at Bristol, India’s 17-year-old Shafali Verma became the youngest woman and the fourth overall, to score twin half-centuries in her debut Test.  The record was previously held by Australia’s Jessica Louise Jonassen, who was 22, when she scored the fifties in both innings of her debut Test against England. BCCI lifts ban on Ankeet Chavan  Former Mumbai left-arm spinner Ankeet Chavan, who was involved in the IPL spot-fixing scandal in 2013 along with S Sreesanth, has been formally cleared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to resume competitive cricket.  In 2020, the BCCI's Ombudsman Justice DK Jain had reduced the quantum of sentence for both Sreesanth and Chavan to seven years from the life ban. MP para shooter wins gold at Peru event  Madhya Pradesh shooter, Rubina Francis won the gold in the 10-metre air pistol para women event at the World shooting Para Sport Cup in Peru on 16 June 2021.  Rubina scored 238.1 points and beat the world record of Aysegul Pehlivanlar of Turkey in 10m air pistol shooting.  She has also secured the Paralympic quota for India at Tokyo Olympic 2020. S. Verma notches highest score on Test debut  Opener Shafali Verma has broken the record for the highest individual score by an Indian woman cricketer on Test debut.  Shafali hit 96 on her Test debut against England Women at the County Ground in Bristol on 17 June'21.  She broke the record of Chanderkanta Kaul who had scored 75 on her Test debut.

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 She also became the 1st Indian women cricketer to hit a six on Test debut. D. Gukesh wins Gelfand Challenge  World's second youngest Grandmaster D. Gukesh won the $15,000 Gelfand Challenge chess title in June 2021.  With this win, he has also won a ‘wild card’ for the elite Meltwaters Champions Chess Tour.  Gukesh won all four rounds, including the key battle against Praggnanandhaa, and emerged on top after a series of favourable results from the games involving other title-contenders. ICC signs Upstox as its official partner  The International Cricket Council (ICC) has signed up digital stockbroking firm Upstox as its official partner.  The partnership will encompass all ICC events until the end of 2023, starting with the inaugural ICC World Test Championship Final between India and New Zealand.  Established as RKSV Securities India Private Ltd in 2009, Upstox currently claims to have over four million customers. Tennis player, Bertens announces retirement  Former World No. 4 tennis player, Kiki Bertens announced on 16 June 2021 that she will retire at the end of the 2021 season.  Bertens had won 10 doubles titles and reached her high singles ranking of No. 4 in May 2019.  Bertens’ best showing in a Grand Slam event came in 2016 when he reached the semifinals of the French Open before losing to Serena Williams. Kathryn: ICC Player of the Month for May  ICC has announced Scotland's Kathryn Bryce and Bangladesh's Mushfiqur Rahim as the winners of the ICC Player of the Month Awards for May 2021.  Kathryn is the first player from Scotland, to make it to the top 10 of the batting or bowling lists in the ICC Player Rankings.  Mushfiqur played one Test and three ODIs in May'21 where he helped Bangladesh win their first ODI series. Ronaldo breaks record for most goals  Cristiano Ronaldo scored two late goals in a 3-0 Euro 2020 win against Hungary on 15 June 2021.  With this win, Ronaldo is now the all-time leading goal scorer in the European Championship finals.  Ronaldo has now scored 11 goals in the tournament, two more than French great Michel Platini, who netted nine times when he led France to glory in 1984. ICC announces prize money for World Test  The ICC has announced prize money for the winner and runner-up of the World Test Championship final.  The winning team of the final between India and New Zealand will receive about 12 crore rupees along with an ICC Test Championship Mace.  The losing team will receive 6 crore rupees approximately.  The final match will start on June 18, 2021, at Ageas Bowl, Southampton.

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Dentsu launches sports marketing unit  Advertising firm Dentsu International has announced the launch of its sports marketing unit in India.  The launch is supported by Tokyo headquartered Dentsu Sports International (DSI) and Dentsu Sports Asia (DSAsia), Singapore.  The agency has appointed former cricketer and sports marketing executive Anand Yalvigi as the Director of the new vertical for India. Mirabai Chanu qualifies for Tokyo Olympics  India’s Mirabai Chanu, the 2017 world champion in weightlifting, has qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in the women's 49-kg category.  She is ranked second in the women’s 49-kg category.  As per the rules of the International Weightlifting Federation, the top eight lifters in each of the 14 weight categories, including seven in the women’s group, are eligible to compete in Tokyo Games. Vinoo Mankad named in ICC's Hall of fame list  Former India cricketer Vinoo Mankad on 13 June 2021 was among the 10 players included in the special edition list of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Hall of Fame.  The ICC announced a list of 10 cricketers who were included in their special edition of Hall of Fame players to celebrate the history of Test cricket. Djokovic clinches his 19th Grand Slam title  World No.1 Novak Djokovic clinched his second French Open Men's Singles Tennis title after beating world No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas on 13 June 2021.  The Serbian Djokovic increased his Grand Slam tally to 19 titles.  Djokovic has also become the first man in the Open era, and third overall, to win all four Majors at least twice. Krejcikova wins French Open women's singles  Barbora Krejcikova has won her maiden Grand Slam Women's Singles Tennis title, beating Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the French Open final.  Former doubles world number one Krejcikova defeated 31st seed Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 2-6, 6- 4 at Roland Garros on 12 June 2021.  Barbora became the first Czech women’s singles champion since 1981. Wrestler Vinesh Phogat wins a gold medal  Wrestler Vinesh Phogat won the women's 53kg freestyle gold with an 8-0 win over Khrystyna Bereza of Ukraine at the Poland Ranking Series in Warsaw on 11 June 2021.  This was India’s second medal at the event after Ravi Kumar Dahiya’s silver in the men’s 61kg.  Vinesh has earlier won a gold medal at the Matteo Pellicone event in Rome, Italy.

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Defence India, South Korea conduct military exercise  An Indian Navy warship carried out a military exercise with a South Korean vessel in the East China Sea on 28 June 2021.  Indian Navy's indigenous ASW Corvette INS Kiltan deployed in the Far East undertook Navy Partnership Exercise with Republic of Korea Navy Ship--ROKS Gyeongnam.  It was aimed at enhancing interoperability and facilitating exchange of best practices with partner navies. Shatrujeet Brigade conducts airborne exercise  The Shatrujeet Brigade of the Indian Army on 27 June 2021, conducted Maroo Strike, an airborne exercise to validate its Rapid Response Capability.  The exercise was preceded by a series of intense preparation involving joint planning and integration between the Indian Army and Indian Airforce elements taking part in the exercise. DRDO successfully test-fires Agni-Prime  India successfully carried out the test-firing of a new missile of the Agni series known as Agni-Prime off the coast of Odisha on 28 June 2021.  The new nuclear-capable missile is fully made up of composite material and it was a textbook launch.  It is a canisterised missile with a range capability between 1000 and 2000 kilometres. Indian Air Force Chief visits Dhaka  Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria arrived in Dhaka on 26 June 2021on a three-day visit to Bangladesh.  The Air Chief has been invited as the Chief Guest of the Commissioning Ceremony on the occasion of President Parade 2021 at BAF Academy, Jessore.  This is the first time that an Indian Air Chief would have the honour of reviewing the parade at BAF Academy. INS Tabar deployed to participate in exercises  Indian Naval Ship Tabar commenced her prolonged deployment on 13 June 2021.  It will visit a number of ports in Africa and Europe till the end of September 2021.  During port visits, INS Tabar will conduct professional, social, and sporting interactions.  During the deployment, INS Tabar will transit across the Gulf of Aden, Red Sea, Suez Canal, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea and Baltic Sea. Western Air Command Commanders' Conference  The two-day Station Commanders’ Conference of Western Air Command was held on 24 and 25 Jun 21 in New Delhi.  It was conducted in a hybrid mode where a few of the commanders attended through video tele conferencing.  Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) was the chief guest.  He emphasized the need for critical analysis and measures to enhance Op preparedness.

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Pinaka rocket successfully test-fired  DRDO successfully test-fired extended-range version of indigenously developed Pinaka rocket from a Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher at Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Odisha, on 25 June 2021.  The enhanced range version of Pinaka Rocket System can destroy targets at distances up to 45 km.  It also successfully test-fired enhanced range versions of indigenously developed 122mm Caliber Rocket. India's first IAC will be commissioned in 2022  India's first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) will be commissioned in 2022.  The Carrier will be called INS Vikrant on commissioning.  This was announced by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh when he visited the IAC being built at Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kochi.  Singh, reviewed Project Seabird at Karwar, which will be the largest naval base of the Indian Navy in the future. Army plans to buy 1750 FICVs, 350 light tanks  The Indian Army has issued the Request for Information to finalize the specifications for acquiring 1,750 Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicles (FICVs).  It wants to deploy the vehicles in places like Eastern Ladakh along with desert and amphibious terrain.  The Indian Army is also looking at the prospect of acquiring 350 light tanks in a phased manner, along with performance-based logistics. UK liaison officer joins IN's IFC-IOR  A UK liaison officer has joined the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre for Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), which is meant for maritime domain awareness.  The centre is located in Gurugram.  Lt Cdr Stephen Smith will be based full-time at the centre, working directly with the Indian armed forces and fellow liaison officers from partner nations to enhance maritime domain awareness. Canopy Severance System developed  A Canopy Severance System has been developed ab-initio at Armament Research and Development Establishment in association with High Energy Material Research Laboratory (HEMRL).  It is for the indigenously developed LCA Tejas and Trainer Aircraft, HJT-36 Aircraft and HTT- 40 Aircraft.  It provides safe passage by pre-weakening/severing the canopy to facilitate the smooth escape of the pilot. Indian ships participate in passage exercise  Indian Naval Ships Kochi and Teg along with P8I and MiG 29K aircraft are participating in a Passage Exercise with US Navy Carrier Strike Group Ronald Reagan, on 23-24 June 2021.  The two-day exercise aims to strengthen bilateral relationship and cooperation by demonstrating the ability to integrate and coordinate comprehensively in maritime

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operations. M Sudan: 1st woman fighter pilot from Rajouri  Mawya Sudan, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir, has become the first woman fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF) from Rajouri district.  She has become the 12th woman officer to be inducted as a fighter pilot in the IAF.  She is the only woman pilot out of 161 officers who graduated at the Combined Graduation Parade (CGP) of Flight Cadets at Air Force Academy in Hyderabad on 19 June 2021. INS Trikand participating in IN - EUNAVFOR  Indian Naval Ship Trikand, a mission deployed for Anti-Piracy Operations, is participating in the maiden IN - EUNAVFOR Joint Naval Exercise in the Gulf of Aden.  A total of five warships from four navies are participating in the two-day exercise which commenced on 18 June'21.  Other countries that are participating are Italy, France, and Spain. 7 Navy pilots awarded prestigious "Wings"  In Tamil Nadu, 7 Indian Navy pilots were awarded the prestigious "Wings" by Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh, Flag officer, Commanding in Chief Eastern Naval Command at the passing out parade on 18 June 2021.  The graduation of the 96th Helicopter Conversion Course was held at the INS Rajali Air Base Arakkonam.  The pilots were given rigorous training for 22 weeks. 135 soldiers receive medals of recognition  135 Indian and 103 Sri Lankan peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) received medals of recognition from the UN Force Commander in Bor in June'21.  Indian peacekeepers are mainly stationed in Bor, Pibor, and at a temporary operating base in Akobo in South Sudan.  Medal winners from Sri Lanka are from the Blue Berets aviation unit. Vacancies for Nepali women in Military Police  In a first, the Indian Army has opened vacancies for Nepali women in Military Police.  The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu has released the announcement calling for eligible Nepali females to submit their applications online.  As per the criteria those who have passed class 10, aged between 16 to 21 years or those who were born between October 1, 2000, to between April 1, 2004, can apply. ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus on 16 June 2021 through video conferencing.  The ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) is a forum comprising 10 ASEAN member countries and eight partner nations including India, China, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States. Union Cabinet approves corporatisation of OFB  Union Cabinet has approved the splitting of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and its 41 factories into seven corporate entities on the lines of Defence Public Sector Undertakings

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(DPSU).  The move is aimed at providing these seven companies greater autonomy and improve their accountability.  The OFB has an annual turnover of around 19,000 crore rupees. Successful trial run of military trains  The Indian Army has successfully conducted trial runs of military trains loaded with vehicles and equipment on the dedicated freight corridor.  The trial run was done on 14 June 2021 which ferried heavy equipment from New Rewari station in Haryana to New Phulera in Rajasthan.  The aim was to hasten the mobilization of the Indian Army in the future. India, Japan conduct bilateral naval exercise  Ships of the Indian Navy and Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) on 13 June 2021 participated in a joint naval exercise at the Indian Ocean.  The exercise was conducted to realize "free and open Indo-Pacific".  In September 2020, the Indian Navy and JMSDF conducted a three-day naval exercise JIMEX-2020 which was held in North Arabian Sea. Budgetary support approved to iDEX for 5 yrs  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the budgetary support of Rs 498 crore to Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), a Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) for the next 5 yrs.  The scheme is aimed at providing financial support to nearly 300 start-ups, MSMEs and individual innovators and 20 partner incubators under the DIO framework. War heroes of 1971 Indo Pak war felicitated  Lt Gen YK Joshi, GOC-in-C, Northern Command laid wreath to Swarnim Vijay Mashaal and paid tributes to fallen heroes at the Warrior’s Grove War Memorial, Akhnoor as a part of Swarnim Vijay Varsh celebrations, on 12 June 2021.  The General officer felicitated war heroes of the 1971 Indo-Pak war.  A documentary on the 1971 Indo-Pak War was screened for the audience. Defence Minister approves a policy  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the policy on archiving, declassification and compilation/publication of war/operations histories by the Ministry of Defence.  The policy envisages that each organisation under the Ministry of Defence will transfer the records to the History Division of the Ministry of Defence for proper upkeep, archival and writing the histories. Saudi, US forces launch military exercise  The Royal Saudi Land Forces (RSLF) and the US Army Ground Forces (AGF) have launched a joint exercise in the northwestern region of the Kingdom.  The exercise called “Falcon Claws 4” aims to strengthen military relations between the two countries.  It also aims to facilitate the exchange of information and military experiences and improve compatibility between military equipment and doctrines.

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Indo-Thai Coordinated Patrol  The 31st edition of the India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT) between the Indian Navy and the Royal Thai Navy is being conducted from 9-11 June 2021.  INS Saryu, an indigenously built naval offshore patrol vessel and His Majesty’s Thailand Ship (HTMS) Krabi, an offshore patrol Vessel, along with Dornier maritime patrol aircraft from both navies are participating in the CORPAT. Kapil Mohan appointed as Joint Secretary  Rear Admiral Kapil Mohan Dhir has taken over as the Joint Secretary (Navy and Defence Staff) in the Department of Military Affairs.  He is the first Armed Forces officer to tenant this assignment.  He is the Senior most Serving Marine Commando (MARCOS) and has served in frontline afloat and ashore assignments including Command of the premier MARCOS establishment. Navy inducts three advanced light helicopters  The Indian Navy on 7 June 2021 inducted three indigenously-built advanced light helicopters ALH MK-III that would be used for maritime reconnaissance and coastal security.  The three helicopters were made indigenously by the Centre-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.  The helicopters were inducted at the Indian Naval Station (INS) Dega, Eastern Naval Command (ENC), Visakhapatnam. Rajesh Pendharkar: Dir Gen. Naval Operations  Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar has assumed Charge as Director General Naval Operations.  The Flag Officer is a specialist in Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and has served on frontline warships of the Navy as ASW Officer.  He also served as the Executive Officer and Principal Warfare Officer of Guided Destroyer INS Mysore. INS Sandhayak decommissioned  Indian Navy’s oldest hydrographic survey ship INS Sandhayak was decommissioned in June 2021 at Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam after serving the nation for 40 glorious years.  The ship has been an active participant in many significant operations such as Operation Pawan (assisting the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka in 1987) and Operation Rainbow. Construction of six submarines approved  The Defence Ministry has cleared a mega project to build six conventional submarines for the Indian Navy at a cost of around Rs 43,000 crore.  The Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Make-in-India project named 'P-75 India' will be issued soon.  The decision was taken at a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Vivek Ram Chaudhari: Vice Chief of Air Staff  Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari has been appointed as the next Vice Chief of Air Staff in the Air headquarters.

 Two new commanders-in-chief would also be moving for their new assignments.

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 Air Marshal Ballabha Radha Krishna would be succeeding Chaudhari at the Western Command in Delhi while Air Marshal RJ Duckworth would be taking charge of the Central Air Command in Prayagraj. India to get 8 new Flying Training Academies  India will get 8 new Flying Training Academies under the liberalised Flying Training Organisation (FTO) policy of the Airports Authority of India (AAI).  These academies will be set up at Belagavi, Jalgaon, Kalaburagi, Khajuraho and Lilabari.  The set-up of these eight FTOs is aimed at making India a global flying training hub.  It will also prevent the exodus of Indian cadets to foreign FTOs. Pakistan and Egypt hold military exercise  Pakistani and Egyptian forces are taking part in the ‘Sky Guardians 1’ exercise to bolster military cooperation between the two countries.  The two-week-long joint air defence exercise, which began on May 26, 2021, in Cairo, is focused on robust and realistic training to confront existing and emerging threats in the air domain.  The drills are focused on building operational readiness. P Chandran: Director General of Assam Rifles  Lieutenant General Pradeep Chandran Nair on 1 June 2021 took over as Director-General of the Assam Rifles.  Nair is the 21st Director-General of the Assam Rifles (popularly known as Sentinels of the North-East).  Earlier, he had served as an Inspector General and a Company Commander in Assam Rifles.  He is the awardee of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Yudh Seva Medal. Eastern Army Command gets new Chief  The Eastern Command got a new Commander, with Lt Gen. Manoj Pande taking the charge on 1 June 2021.  The country’s only tri-service command, Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), which Lt Gen. Pande headed, also got a new Commander on 1 June 2021 when Lt Gen Ajai Singh took over.  Lt Gen. Pande took the charge from Lt Gen. Anil Chauhan who retired on 31 May 2021. Ravneet Singh: Deputy Chief of Naval Staff  Vice Admiral Ravneet Singh, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM), and Nausena Medal (NM) holder has assumed charge as the Deputy Chief of Naval Staff.  He was commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1983, and specialised in aviation.  He replaced Vice Admiral MS Pawar, a Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), AVSM, Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) holder, who superannuated on May 31, 2021. MoD notifies 2nd Positive Indigenisation List  Rajnath Singh has approved a proposal of the Dep of Military Affairs to notify the ‘Second Positive Indigenisation List’ of 108 items.  It will help in fulfilling twin objectives of achieving self-reliance and promoting defence exports.  The second list lays special focus on weapons/systems which are currently under

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development/trials and are likely to translate into firm orders in the future. Rajnath Singh launches DGNCC app  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has launched the Directorate General National Cadet Corps (DGNCC) mobile training app.  The app will be useful to NCC cadets in digital learning and overcoming the difficulties posed by COVID-19 due to restrictions on direct physical interactions.  It will also assist in conducting countrywide online training of the NCC cadets. Killers' Squadron annual awards function  The ships of the 22nd Missile Vessel Squadron had their annual awards ceremony on 28 May'21 at the Mumbai Dockyard.  Aptly called by the epithet ‘Killers’, these swift ships are the ‘first strike’ elements of the Indian Navy.  They live by the singular aim and motto of ‘Hit first and Hit hard’.  The Navy Day each year is celebrated on 4 Dec to commemorate the heroic acts of these fighters.

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Books and Authors Tahira Kashyap announces new book  Author Tahira Kashyap Khurrana has announced her fifth book ‘7 Sins of Being A Mother'.  Tahira Kashyap Khurrana had launched her fourth book ’12 Commandments of Being A Woman’ in 2020.  She is also one of the co-founders of Indian Women Rising, a cinema collective that aims to promote and accentuate female content creators across the globe. Book ‘Habba Khatoon’ by Kajal Suri released  Book ‘Habba Khatoon’ has been released by Sanjana Prakashan, New Delhi.  The book has been penned down by Kajal Suri.  Habba Khatoon was a renowned poetess of Kashmir.  Kajal has done a creative work by publishing a play on her in a book shape.  She is presently working as a programming executive at All India Radio, New Delhi. Will Smith announced his autobiogaphy  Actor, rapper, and film producer Will Smith has announced his autobiography.  Titled “Will". the book will be published in November 2021.  He co-wrote the book with Mark Manson, author of the self-help book “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck,” a No. 1 bestseller.  Smith is a a four-time Grammy Award winner and has earned Oscar nominations for “Ali” and “The Pursuit of Happyness". Dr Krishna Saksena's new book launched  Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan unveiled Dr. Krishna Saksena’s book ‘My Joys and Sorrows – as a Mother of a Special Child', on 20 June 2021.  The book talks about the journey of Dr. Saksena and her disabled son Shiv.  The author, Dr. Krishna Saksena has been a teacher by vocation.  Dr Saksena was the first woman to get a PhD degree from Lucknow University in 1955. Amitav Ghosh's new book to release in October  Jnanpith awardee, author Amitav Ghosh's new book 'The Nutmeg's Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis' is all set to release in October 2021.  The upcoming book is said to be a panoramic history of the influence of colonialism on the world today, told through the story of the nutmeg.  Some of Ghosh's other notable works include the Ibis Trilogy and 'The Great Derangement' among others. Suresh Raina's autobiography 'Believe'  Cricketer Suresh Raina has come up with his autobiography ‘Believe- What Life Taught me’.  The cricketer has shared a glimpse of his cricket career which included success, failure, injuries, setbacks, and how he came out on top of it, in the book.  Co-authored by Bharat Sundaresan, Suresh Raina has narrated his journey from being a schoolboy in UP to living the dream of playing for India.

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Amartya Sen's new book to be released in July  One of the world's leading public intellectuals, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen has penned his memoir 'Home in the World'.  The book will be published in July 2021 by Penguin Random House.  In 'Home in the World', Sen shares details from his life and explores the idea of 'home'.  Some of Amartya Sen's notable books are 'The Argumentative Indian', 'The Idea of Justice' among others. E-book on 20 medicinal plants released  Minister of State for Ayush Kiren Rijiju, released the e-book on 20 medicinal plants for Covid- 19 care on 8 June 2021.  National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), has prepared an e-book “20 Medicinal Plants for 2021 for Covid-19 care” to highlight important medicinal plants and their therapeutic properties.  The herbs described in the e-book can be used in conditions leading to fever, cough, etc. Meghan Markle releases kid's book  Meghan Markle, Britain's Duchess of Sussex, released her debut children's book on 8 June 2021, dedicating it to her husband Prince Harry and their two-year-old son Archie.  The book titled "The Bench" looks at the relationship between father and son through a mother's eyes.  There is also an audio version of the book, which features watercolour illustrations by artist Christian Robinson. A book by Supriya Paul tells stories of josh  Supriya Paul has come up with the stories of some unique individuals in her new book “All You Need Is Josh: Stories of Courage and Conviction in 21st-century India”.  A book is a collection of 30 awe-inspiring real-life stories of people bracing odds and obstacles and achieving their dreams.  The stories in the book have been edited by Paul and published by Bloomsbury. Book on Veer Savarkar by Vikram Sampath  Historian Vikram Sampath has come up with the second and concluding volume of the book on the life and works of Veer Savarkar titled “Savarkar: A contested Legacy (1924-1966)”.  This second volume will bring to light the life and works of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar from 1924 to 1966, the year he died.  The book will be launched on 26 July'21, under the publication of Penguin Random House India. 'Stargazing': A book by Ravi Shastri  Cricket legend, commentator and one of Team India's most successful coaches, Ravi Shastri has penned a book titled 'Stargazing: The Players in My Life'.  In 'Stargazing: The Players in My Life', he writes about some 60 extraordinary talents he has met from across the world who have inspired him.  The book is co-authored by Shastri and Ayaz Memon and is expected to be out in 2021.

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Vinod Kapri's new book '1232 km'  Author and filmmaker Vinod Kapri has come up with a new book ‘1232 km: The Long Journey Home’.  The book chronicles the journey of seven migrant workers from Bihar, who journeyed back home on their bicycles and reached their destination after seven days during lockdown.  Kapri accompanied these workers on their 1,232-km journey from Ghaziabad to Saharsa.  The book was launched on 31 May 2021.

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National Affairs 6th review meeting on CAPEX held  Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman held a virtual meeting with senior government officials to discuss the infrastructure roadmap ahead, on 29 June 2021.  This was the 6th review meeting by the Finance Minister.  During the meeting, Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) plans of Ministries, and measures to expedite infrastructure investment were discussed. Glacial Lake Atlas of Ganga Basin released  The Glacial Lake Atlas of Ganga Basin was released on 29 June 2021 in a virtual event.  The present glacial lake atlas is based on the inventoried glacial lakes in part of the Ganga River basin from its origin to the foothills of the Himalayas covering a catchment area of 2,47,109 sq. km.  The Atlas is available on the Bhuvan portal of NRSC, ISRO, India WRIS Portal, and NHP website of DoWR. ‘SUKOON’ initiative launched  SDRF First Battalion's 24×7 mental health helpline 'SUKOON' was inaugurated at its headquarters in Srinagar on 29 June 2021.  ‘SUKOON’ is a mental health helpline initiative (toll-free number 1800-1807159) to offer guidance to persons who are experiencing anxiety, depression, stress, etc.  It has been launched in collaboration with Mission Youth J&K and Tourism Department. Manipur CM announces cash award for Olympians  Manipur Chief Minister has announced that all five Olympic-bound athletes from the state will be handed financial support of Rs 25 lakh and will be given more cash awards if they return with medals.  The gold medal winner will be given a cash prize of Rs 1.20 crore and the silver medallist will get Rs. one crore.  The bronze medal winner will get Rs 75 lakh. Association of cloud bursts with forest fires  A recent study has found a connection between the formation of the tiny particles, the size of a cloud droplet on which water vapor condenses leading to the formation of clouds and forest fires.  The quantity of such particles is called the cloud condensation nuclei (CCNs).  Scientists from Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University and IIT Kanpur jointly measured the activation of CCNs. SERB-DST partners with Intel India  A first-of-its-kind research initiative called ‘Fund for Industrial Research Engagement (FIRE)’ was launched on 29 June 2021.  It was launched by Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) in collaboration with Intel India.  It will increase research opportunities in the space of Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine

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Learning (ML), platform systems, Internet of Things (IoT), etc. RBI imposes penalties on 4 cooperative banks  The RBI has imposed penalties on four cooperative banks.  ₹112.50 lakh fine has been imposed on Andhra Pradesh Mahesh Co-operative Urban Bank, for contravention of certain regulatory directions.  A penalty of ₹62.50 lakh has been imposed on The Ahmedabad Mercantile Co-operative Bank, Ahmedabad; ₹37.50 lakh on SVC Co-operative Bank, Mumbai; and ₹25 lakh on Saraswat Cooperative Bank, Mumbai. NCERT to develop curriculum frameworks  The government has asked the National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT) to develop separate National Curriculum Frameworks (NCFs) for school, early- childhood, teacher, and adult education.  This is a part of the process to implement the new National Education Policy.  The four NCFs will be crucial for developing new textbooks and designing the pedagogy. Agritech projected to grow to $30 billion  The $370 billion agriculture sector is expected to undergo a complete transformation in the coming years.  Agritech in the country will see significant investment and is projected to grow to a $30 bn- $35 bn market by 2025, with e-sales of produce, inputs, and digitally-enabled logistics as key segments, according to a new report ‘Indian Agriculture: Ripe for disruption’ by Bain & Company. HDFC Ltd acquires 8.42% stake in Ansal Housing  HDFC Ltd has acquired an 8.42% stake in Ansal Housing Limited by invoking pledged shares of the company following loan repayment default.  Ansal Housing reported a turnover of Rs 116.93 crore for the year ended 31 March 2020 and its net worth as of that date was Rs 214.12 crore.  It has already completed many development projects in Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Meerut, and Ghaziabad. Pernod Ricard to set up venture fund in India  Pernod Ricard will launch a venture fund in India that will invest in and mentor smaller companies, startups, and adjacent businesses such as restaurants.  Pernod is the maker of Absolut vodka and Chivas Regal scotch.  India is Pernod Ricard’s largest market by quantity and the third-biggest contributor to gross sales and revenue globally. J&K LG Manoj Sinha launches “HAUSLA"  Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on 29 June 2021 launched “HAUSLA".  It is a comprehensive programme for catalysing women entrepreneurship at Kashmir International Convention Centre (KICC) in Srinagar.  The first batch of the five-month programme with 100 women entrepreneurs on board will start from July 2021. A loading operation inaugurated

 The loading operation on the maiden voyage of coastal shipping service 'Green Freight

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Corridor-2' from Cochin Port to Beypore and Azhikkal Ports, has been inaugurated.  The service will connect Kochi-Beypore-Azhikkal and later Kollam port will be added to this service.  The commodities that would be shipped include rice, wheat, salt, and cement unloaded at Cochin from Gujarat. Capacity of fortification of rice to increase  The center has expedited the capacity of fortification of rice to increase from 15,000 MT to 3.5 lakh MT by incentivizing and creating awareness among rice millers.  The Dept of Food and Public Distribution has approved pilot scheme on fortification of rice and its distribution under Public Distribution System for a period of 3 years beginning in 2019-20 with a total outlay of Rs 174.64 crore. Banking service to be introduced in Ladakh  In Ladakh, cooperative banking service with micro ATMs where both deposition and withdrawal of cash can be availed by the users will be introduced in remote areas.  This was decided during a meeting under the chairmanship of MD J&K State Cooperative Bank Qazi Sarwar in Srinagar.  The meeting aimed at facilitating cashless transactions of sale proceeds of fertilizers by using POS Machines. Enforcing Contracts Portal launched  The Department of Justice has launched Enforcing Contracts Portal.  It aims to promote ease of doing business and improve the ‘contract enforcement regime’ in the country.  The portal will provide easy access to latest information on commercial cases in dedicated commercial courts of Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata.  The portal will also provide access to a repository of commercial laws. SEBI approves a proposal  Securities and exchange board of India (SEBI) has approved a proposal to introduce a framework for ‘Accredited Investors’ in the Indian securities market.  It will be a class of investors who may be considered to be well informed or well advised about investment products.  Accredited investors may be Individuals, Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs), partnership firms, etc. Atmanirbhar Krishi app launched  Atmanirbhar Krishi App was launched by the office of Principal Scientific Adviser to the union government on 29 June 2021.  The app has been developed to equip farmers with actionable agricultural insights.  Data related to soil type, soil health, moisture, weather, and water table were aggregated and analyzed to generate personalized insights related to crop selection, water needs, etc. Rural Development Min. releases a compendium  Minister of Rural Development Narendra Singh Tomar has released a compendium.  It is on best practices relating to how Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission is addressing gender issues.

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 The unique feature of this scheme is that poor women form Self-Help Groups and their federations, provide financial, economic and social development services to their members. PM Grameen Kalyan Anna Yojana extended  The union govt has now extended the Pradhan Mantri Grameen Kalyan Anna Yojana for five months that is from July to November 2021.  Further allocation of 198.78 lakh MT foodgrains has been made under PMGKAY-IV.  Under PMGKAY-III, the Food Corporation of India has supplied 77.42 LMT free foodgrains to all 36 states and UTs so far.  23 states and UTs have lifted full allocation for May-June 2021. MoU signed between Indian Navy and BEL  An MoU has been signed between the Indian Navy and Bharat Electronics Limited.  It has been signed for the creation of a joint Technology Incubation Forum (TIF).  The TIF will spearhead mission mode development of deployable products under the government's 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiative with the involvement of industry, academia and Startups. Centre allocates grant to Jharkhand  The Centre has allocated Rs 2479 cr grant to Jharkhand under Jal Jeevan Mission.  In Jharkhand, out of 58.95 lakh households in 29,752 villages only 7.72 lakh households have been provided with tap water connections.  In August 2019, at the time of launch of Jal Jeevan Mission, only 3.45 lakh households had tap water supply.  Now 4.27 lakh households have been provided tap water connections. NITI Aayog releases a study  NITI Aayog has released a comprehensive study on the not-for-profit hospital model in the country.  The study provides insights into the operation model of not-for-profit hospitals.  The report was released by VK Paul.  The report revealed that the for-profit hospitals account for 55.3% of in-patients, while the not-for-profit hospitals account for only 2.7% of in-patients in the country. Asia's longest high-speed track inaugurated  Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Prakash Javdekar on 29 June'21 inaugurated Asia's longest high-speed test track located in Pithampur, Indore.  The National Automotive Test Tracks (NATRAX) facility measures 11.3 km in length and will facilitate automotive and component testing for automobile companies.  The track is the longest in Asia and the fifth-largest in the world. Cipla gets DCGI nod to import Moderna vaccine  Drugs Controller General of India has granted permission to Cipla to import Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine for restricted emergency use in the country.  Moderna’s vaccine will be the fourth Covid-19 jab to be available in India after Covishield, Covaxin, and Sputnik.  Modern is the first internationally developed vaccine and permission has been given for restricted use.

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Assam Police launches 3 initiatives  The Assam Police has rolled out 3 initiatives that will strengthen its capabilities in handling cybercrime and ensuring speedy delivery of services to the people.  Director-General of Assam Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta has inaugurated the Cyber Forensic Lab cum Training Centre, the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System and distributed Cyber Crime First Responder Kits. Shambhu Nath appointed chairman of IFUNA  A former judge of the Allahabad High Court Justice Shambhu Nath Srivastava has been appointed Chairman of the Indian Federation of United Nations Associations.  It is a non-profit organization to promote the objectives of the United Nations and its specialized agencies.  Shambhu Nath succeeds Mukul Sangma, former Chief Minister of Meghalaya. Delhi Metro bags an award  The Delhi Metro has bagged an award from the Japan Society of Civil Engineers for its "high-quality" infrastructure development projects under phases I-III.  The 'Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award' is for the year 2020.  This award is given to highly selective showcasing projects in the development of civil engineering technology across the world. Odisha govt to set up district industry  Odisha government has decided to set up district-level Industry and Investment promotion agencies (DIPAs) in different districts.  This was decided in a high-level meeting headed by Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra.  It was decided that DIPAs would be managed by three professionals under the direct supervision of the respective collectors Manesh Mahatme: Head Of Payments, Whatsapp  WhatsApp has appointed former Amazon executive Manesh Mahatme as a Director to lead the growth of its payments business in India.  As Director WhatsApp Payments - India, Mahatme will focus on enhancing the payments experience for users.  He joins WhatsApp from Amazon where he spent close to seven years as Director and Board member of Amazon Pay India. NCW launches 5-day training prgramme  The National Commission for Women (NCW) has launched a five-day project series, 'Training Programme of Protection Officers in addressing Domestic Violence', on 28 June 2021.  It will address the specific needs of Protection Officers in responding to survivors of domestic violence.  It has been started in collaboration with Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA). Uttarakhand issues its first transgender IDs

 Aditi Sharma from Uttarkashi and Kajal from Dehradun have become first two transwomen

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in Uttarakhand to get their ‘official trans identity’.  They needed a gender-neutral option to express their identity and this certification has given this option to them.  The Dehradun district administration felicitated their paperwork and through the social welfare department got them certified legally. Praveen Sinha: Special Director of CBI  The govt has appointed CBI Additional Director Praveen Sinha as the Special Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).  The post was earlier held by Rakesh Asthana.  He has been appointed for a tenure up to his superannuation on April 30, 2022, from the date of assumption of charge, or until further orders.  He had also served as the Deputy Director, ACB, Ahmedabad, in 1996. Jeremy Kessel: Twitter Grievance Officer  Twitter has appointed its Global Legal Policy Director as the new Grievance Officer for users in India.  Dharmendra Chatur, who was recently appointed to the post, has quit amid Twitter’s ongoing tussle with the government.  Before this, he was a partner at a law firm that represented Twitter.  California-based Jeremy Kessel has been appointed to the post. Punjab Police providing coaching to aspirants  Punjab Police is providing free coaching and training on physical screening tests to candidates who aspire to join the state police force.  This move comes days after Punjab CM Amarinder Singh announced recruitment of a total of 4,362 constables in district and armed cadre of the state police.  The recruitment will commence on July 15 and a written test will be held on Sept 25 and 26, 2021. Arghyam announces Rohini Nilekani's retirement  Rohini Nilekani will retire as Chairperson and member of the board of Arghyam Foundation on September 30, 2021.  Her place will be taken by Sunita Nadhamuni, currently member of the Board at Arghyam and Head of Digital LifeCare, Dell Giving and Social Innovation at Dell Technologies, effective October 1, 2021.  Argyham is a philanthropic foundation working exclusively on water issues. Quadria to pick stake in Encube  Healthcare focused private equity firm Quadria Capital along with its co-investors, including Gulf Islamic Investments, has committed over $100 mn for a minority stake in Encube Ethicals.  Founded in 1998, Encube is engaged in contract development and manufacturing of topical formulations for a global customer base.  It has successfully developed multiple own products in regulated markets. L&T Tech partners with Mavenir  L&T Technology Services and Mavenir have partnered on open RAN and 5G test automation

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solutions.  It will deliver end-to-end 5G automation services with Mavenir.  The automation services will include Continuous Integration / Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) automation of the 5G ORAN portfolio of RU/DU/CU products in conjunction with the Cloud Native 5G NSA and SA core network products. Invesco Medium Term Fund launched  Invesco Mutual Fund has announced the launch of its Medium-Term Fund.  The new fund offer (NFO) for the scheme will run from 29 June to 13 July 2021.  Being an open-ended scheme, it will be available for subscription thereafter as well.  The scheme will focus on the debt with a maturity of three-five years.  The fund is benchmarked to CRISIL Medium Term Debt Index. POWERGRID hands over vaccine van to Kargil  V. K Singh Director Personnel Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), handed over one vaccine delivery van, twelve ice lined refrigerators, and nine deep freezers in Kargil, Ladakh  POWERGRID has also built a state-of-the-art 220/66 kV Gas Insulated sub-station at Kargil, which connects the region to the national grid. Govt to develop rating system for MSMEs  The central government is planning to develop a system of financial ratings for upcoming micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).  This system of ratings will help banks to make better credit judgments for such borrowers.  As per the draft plan, it will depend on the annual turnover, goods and services tax (GST) records, income tax records, exports, and the credentials of each company. Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar cultural centre to come up  President Ram Nath Kovind will lay the foundation stone of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar cultural centre in Lucknow on 29 June 2021.  The centre is being developed by the Culture Ministry of the state.  It will have a 750 seated auditorium, library, picture gallery, museum, multipurpose hall, dormitory, cafeteria, parking and other basic facilities.  The cost of the project is Rs 45.04 crores. Simranjit Kaur nominated for Arjuna awards  Simranjit Kaur, Gaurav Solanki, and Sonia Chahal have been nominated for the Arjuna award by the Boxing Federation of India.  Simranjit (60kg) is a 2018 world championships bronze winner and is among the four Indian women boxers who have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics.  Solanki (57kg) had won his Commonwealth gold in 2018, while Chahal (57kg) claimed her world silver in the same year. IICT ties up with Nosch Labs  CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) and Nosch Labs have entered into a non-exclusive agreement.  CSIR will transfer the process know-how for the synthesis of anti-Covid-19 drug 2-DG (2- Deoxy -D - Glucose).

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 As per the pact signed, Nosch Labs would commence manufacture of 2-DG drug after obtaining regulatory clearances from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). Telangana to provide assistance to Dalits  Telangana govt has decided to send Rs 10 lakh financial assistance directly to the bank accounts of Dalit beneficiaries under the Chief Minister Dalit Empowerment Programme.  This will help them be financially self-sufficient and enable independent decision making.  In the first phase, the assistance would be given to 100 families selected from each of the 119 Assembly Constituencies. Uttarakhand develops biodiversity garden  In a first in India, Uttarakhand has inaugurated 'Bharat Vatika'.  It showcases 24 species of trees from 28 states and 5 Union Territories.  Established in Haldwani of the Nainital district, the Vatika aims to promote national integration with the display of the magnificent bio-diversity of the country.  It also has a Devadar tree from Himachal Pradesh and Rodorendran species from Uttarakhand. India extends FAME scheme by two years  The union government has announced a decision to extend the second phase of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric vehicle (FAME) scheme by two years to March 31, 2024.  The scheme, started in 2019 for promoting sales of electric vehicles, was supposed to end by 2022.  The Fame scheme was announced in 2019 with an outlay of ₹10,000 crores. NDDB Dir. takes additional charge as Chairman  Meenesh Shah, Executive Director (ED) of Anand-headquartered National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has been given additional charge of the post of Chairman.  Shah had taken over the post for a period of six months with effect from June 1, 2021, until further orders as the tenure of NDDB’s interim Chairman Varsha Joshi ended on May 31.  NDDB was founded in 1965 by Verghese Kurien. KIOCL Ltd. gets nod for iron ore mining  The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has accorded Stage I ‘in principle approval’ for diverting 401.5761 hectares of forest land at Devadari Hill Range in Ballari district for iron and manganese ore mining by the KIOCL Limited.  The company expects about 33 mn tonnes of ore to be available for mining over 50 yrs.  It will begin by mining 0.3 mn tonnes of ore per annum. 5 lakh free tourist visas announced  Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced that once the government starts issuing visas again, the first 5 lakh tourist visas will be given free of cost.  The free tourist visa scheme will be applicable till March 31, 2022, or till 5 lakh visas are issued.  Financial support will be proved to more than 11,000 registered tourist guides/travel and tourism stakeholders.

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Committees and Recommendations West Bengal govt forms a 4-member committee  The West Bengal govt has formed a 4-member expert committee to examine the effect of the fake COVID-19 vaccination in Kolkata and also to take corrective actions.  It will include Prof Santanu Tnpathi of Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine (STM), Dr Jyotirmoy Pal of RG Kar Medical College, Dr Soumitra Ghosh and Dr GK Dhali of Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (IPGMER). IFSCA constitutes a committee  International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has constituted a committee to examine global best practices in ship financing and leasing.  This Committee will also identify opportunities and devise a roadmap to enable such activities.  The committee will be chaired by former Senior Economic Advisor, Vandana Aggarwal. Expert group formed by the central government  The Central govt has constituted an expert group under the chairmanship of Professor Ajit Mishra, a renowned economist.  It will provide technical inputs and recommendations on the fixation of minimum wages and national floor wages to the got.  The tenure of the group is three years.  The first meeting of this Group was held on 14 June'21 and the second meeting is scheduled for 29 June' 21. NGT forms committee for rejuvenation of Varuna  The National Green Tribunal has formed a committee for the rejuvenation of the Varuna and Assi rivers in Varanasi.  The rivers are tributaries of the river Ganga.  A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel constituted an independent Monitoring Committee for the purpose.  Fecal coliform bacteria count at Varun-Ganga confluence is 71 million per 100ML of water (Ganga Jal). Rajasthan govt to set up Vedic Shiksha Board  The government of Rajasthan has decided to set up Vedic Shiksha and Sanskar Board within 4-5 months.  It aims to teach students how Vedic education is linked to Science and Yoga.  A committee formed to look into the matter has submitted its report on 14 June 2021.  In June 2019, the state govt had announced forming a Vedic education board to revive the knowledge of ancient Sanskrit scriptures. Committee launched in cooperation with IMD  Malaria No More, an NGO, in collaboration with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is creating an India Interagency Expert Committee on Malaria and Climate (IEC).  It will explore and advance climate-based solutions for accelerating malaria elimination in

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India.  The IEC's launch is part of a global initiative Forecasting Healthy Futures. Form heritage panels to protect monuments  The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu govt to establish in eight weeks the 'Mamallapuram World Heritage Area Management Authority' to manage and safeguard monuments.  The Heritage Commission shall act as an advisory body to the Authority and the government as well.  It shall consist of 17 members, including the representatives from the Archaeological Survey of India. Committee to study Banking Regulation Act  Maharashtra Govt has formed a committee to study the amendments in the Banking Regulation Act and its impact on the functioning of cooperative banks.  The 13-member committee will be headed by Co-operation Minister Balasaheb Patil with other senior Ministers.  Maharashtra has about 457 urban cooperative banks that have been under dual regulation by the State Registrar of Societies and the RBI. Stalin forms panel to study NEET impact  Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin has formed a high-level committee to submit a report on the impact of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) on admission to medical courses in the state.  The committee is headed by retired judge AK Rajan.  He has also urged Governor Banwarilal Purohit to give his assent to the bill passed in State Assembly to provide 7.5% horizontal reservation. Centre sets up expert panel to fix wages  The Labour and Employment Ministry has constituted an expert group to provide technical inputs and recommendations on the fixation of minimum wages and the national floor for minimum wages.  This is the second expert committee on minimum wages formed by the government within the last two years.  The earlier panel, headed by Anoop Satpathy, was set up by the Ministry on January 17, 2018.

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