INTERNATIONAL

Naftali Bennett is Israel’s new Prime Minister

•Naftali Bennett, the former Defence Minister of Israel, and leader of the Yamina party took oath as the Prime Minister of the country. The 49-year-old former tech entrepreneur replaces Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been forced out of office after 12 years (2009 to 2021). (Netanyahu is the longest-serving PM of Israel).

•Bennett will lead a new coalition government, formed with Yair Lapid, head of the centrist Yesh Atid party. The new Coalition government will run on a rotation basis, which means that Bennett would serve as Israel’s prime minister until September 2023, following which Lapid would take charge of the office, for the next two years, until 2025.

NATIONAL

Jammu kashmir to set up mythological theme park

•The Jammu and Kashmir administration is planning to set up a theme park to showcase Indian mythology, particularly the Ramayana and Mahabharata, near the famous Vaishno Devi shrine in Reasi district and has sought investors for the project.

•The Katra Theme Park will combine education and entertainment and of course, mythology will headline Jammu and Kashmir's economic development, which aims to take a different route.

•The Union Territory's attempt at development, senior government officials said, will not be by building cement-making factories, but by using unique methods.

IIT launches new centre for digital Health

•The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay has set up the 'Koita Centre for Digital Health' (KCDH) under the aegis of the Koita Foundation. KCDH will be focused on driving academic programmes, research and industry collaboration in Digital Health. KCDH's academic and research focus areas include clinical applications (including electronic patient records and medical imaging), healthcare data management (including healthcare data privacy and security), healthcare analytics, healthcare AI/ML, consumer health, public health and public policy.

•KCDH will offer minor, dual degree, Masters and PhD programs in Healthcare Informatics.

•KCDH will conduct industry, outreach programs for healthcare and industry professionals in digital health and enable them to act as force-multipliers.

SPORTS

Vinoo Mankad and 9 others inducted into ICC Hall of Fame

•The ICC has inducted 10 icons of the game, including India’s Vinoo Mankad, into its illustrious Hall of Fame with two players each from five eras, dating back to cricket’s early days, making it to the list. The announcement has been coincided with the inaugural World Test Championship final, to be played between India and New Zealand from June 18 in Southampton.

•The 10 legends of the game to be inducted have all made a significant contribution to the history of Test cricket, and join an illustrious list of ICC Hall of Famers, taking the total number to 103 as a result of this intake. The inductees are:

•Aubrey Faulkner of South Africa and Monty Noble of Australia for the early era (pre-1918),

•Sir Learie Constantine of West Indies and Stan McCabe of Australia for the inter-war Era (1918-1945),

D. Gukesh wins Gelfand Challenge chess title

•D. Gukesh sensationally won the $15,000 Gelfand Challenge chess title and with it, a ‘wild card’ for the elite Meltwaters Champions Chess Tour.

•He 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.

OBITUARY

National award winning Kannada actor Sanchari Vijay passes away

•Veteran Kannada film actor Sanchari Vijay, who won the National award in 2015, has passed away.

•He made his debut in films in 2011 with the Kannada film Rangappa Hogbitna. His 2015 film Naanu Avanalla…Avalu, fetched him the Best Actor Award at the 62nd National Film Awards, in which he played the role of a transgender.

Former Indian volleyball captain Nirmal Milkha Singh passes away

•The former Indian women volleyball team captain Nirmal Milkha Kaur, who is the wife of sprint legend Milkha Singh (Flying Sikh), has passed away due to COVID-19 complications.

•Nirmal Milkha Singh was also a former Director of Sports for Women in the Punjab Government.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2021: 15 June

•World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is observed globally on 15th June every year. This day is celebrated to raise a voice for the elderly who are abused and victimized. The main objective of this day is to provide an opportunity for communities around the globe to promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons by creating awareness of the cultural, social, economic and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect.

•The day was officially recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2011 bypassing the resolution 66/127 of the United Nations following a request from the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA).

BANKING AND ECONOMY

Federal Bank partners with Infosys

•Federal Bank, to improve its marketing, sales and offer a better customer experience, has partnered with Infosys for Oracle CX adoption, a cloud-based tool to manage the relationship with customers.

•Federal Bank is an Indian commercial financial services institution headquartered in Kerala with generating revenue of more than $1.5 billion. The bank is spanned over 1,400 branches working with the cooperation of 11,000 employees.

•Now the bank has decided to transform its service offering model, and partnership with Infosys for Oracle CX implementation is a step in this direction.

•Shalini Warrier, the Executive director and business head for retail, in collaboration with Infosys for Oracle CX adoption, said that it fits with the bank’s value of using digital resources to build a human-like relationship with the customers.

India’s retail inflation touches 6.3%  in May 2021

•India’s retail inflation shot up to a six-month high of 6.3 per cent in May, after easing to a three-month low of 4.23 per cent in April. Inflation, based on Consumer Price Index (CPI), has breached the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) target range for the first time after five months. The RBI is mandated to maintain the crucial number at 4 per cent in the medium term, with a 2 percentage point margin on either side as part of its inflation target.

•National Statistical Office data for retail inflation showed food inflation shot up to 5% in May from 2% in April as prices of protein items such as meat, fish, eggs, oils and fats accelerated. The fuel bill also went up 11.6% as the government increased retail prices of petrol and diesel after state election results on 2 May. Services inflation jumped as costs of health, transport and personal care rose during the second wave of the pandemic.

INTERNATIONAL

Israel will become the World’s First Mask-Free Country from June 15

•Israel will become the world’s first mask-free country in the Corona period. Here the rule of applying masks in closed places will end from June 15. This was announced by Israel’s Health Minister Yuli Edelstein. The rule of applying masks outside has already been abolished in the country.

•However, most restrictions related to foreign travel have not yet been lifted. For example, travel to nine countries is still banned. There is a rule of quarantine for travellers coming from these countries. His corona test is also being done.

NATIONAL

Weyan village in Bandipora, India’s first to inoculate all adults

•Weyan, a village in district Bandipora (J&K) has become the first village in the country, where the entire population above 18 years has been vaccinated. The vaccination in Weyan village was covered under the J&K model, a 10-point strategy to inoculate everyone who is eligible for the shots at a faster pace.

•The Union territory also achieved 70 per cent vaccination for those in the 45+ age group despite the initial vaccine hesitancy, almost double the national average. The village is located only 28 kilometres away from Bandipora district headquarters, but a distance of 18 kilometres has to be covered by foot as there is no motorable road.

SPORTS

Novak Djokovic wins French Open Tennis Title 2021

•Novak Djokovic defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas to lift the French Open title for the second time in his career. Djokovic, with his 19th Grand Slam title, has closed in on Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on the all-time Grand Slam titles list. Both the players have won 20 Grand Slams each.

•Djokovic has also become the first man in the Open Era to complete the career Grand Slam twice. (He has won the Australian Open nine times, Wimbledon five times, and the US Open three times.) He has become the first man in 52 years, after Rod Laver, to win all the four Grand Slams twice. Overall, he is the third male tennis player to achieve this unique feat. The third being Roy Emerson.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

IIT Roorkee prof bags NSG award for ‘blast-resistant’ helmet

•Shailesh Govind Ganpule, an assistant professor at the mechanical and industrial engineering department (MIED), was conferred the award with the ‘NSG Counter-IED and Counter-Terrorism Innovator Award 2021′ for developing a “blast-resistant” helmet. This was the second edition of the annual award by NSG. Ceremony held at the National Security Guard (NSG) campus in Maneswar, near Gurgaon.

•The ‘Blast-Resistant Helmet’ designed by Prof. Shailesh Ganpule is an advanced version of conventional helmets to protect military personnel from IED-induced blast waves with a technology readiness of 4.

OBITUARY

Mahavir Chakra recipient Brigadier Raghubir Singh passes away

•Mahavir Chakra recipient legendary veteran, Brigadier Raghubir Singh has passed away. He was commissioned on 18 Apr 1943 into the Sawaiman Guards as a Second Lieutenant and fought a number of wars including the second world war. For this gallant act, the then President of India, Dr S Radhakrishnan, honoured Lieutenant Colonel (later Brigadier) Raghubir Singh with Maha Vir Chakra, the second-highest gallantry award in the country.

•He participated in the Burma war in 1944 and went to Japan to fight.

•Thereafter, he fought in the Indo Pak war of 1947-48 in the Uri sector immediately after independence.

APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS

Biotechnology company MyLab appoints Akshay Kumar as brand ambassador

•Bollywood superstar, Akshay Kumar has been appointed as the new brand ambassador of biotechnology company Mylab Discovery Solutions.

•This announcement comes days after the Pune-based firm launched the country’s first COVID-19 self-test kit “CoviSelf”. The partnership with Akshay is aimed at creating awareness for Mylab’s products and kits such as CoviSelf.

RANKING

India ranks 67th in Coursera’s Global Skills Report 2021

•As per the ‘Global Skills Report 2021’ released by Coursera, India has been ranked 67th overall globally. The report reveals that, overall, India ranks 67th globally, with 38 per cent proficiency, with mid-rankings in each domain, 55th in business and 66th in both technology and data science. Indian learners have high proficiency in digital skills like Cloud Computing (83%) and Machine Learning (52%) & 54% in Mathematical skills. Improvement is needed in digital skills because in Data Analysis and Statistical programming, ranked only at 25% and 15% skills proficiency. But, Indians trail behind in data skills and need to focus on that.

•The report is based on performance data of about 77 million learners (from across 100 countries) on the platform collected since the onset of the pandemic. It benchmarks skills proficiency across 3 categories – Business, Technology and data science.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS

‘Home in the World’ Book: by Amartya Sen’s memoir

•One of the world’s leading public intellectuals of our time, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen has penned his memoir ‘Home in the World’.

•The book will be published in July by Penguin Random House. In this book, Sen shares how it was Rabindranath Tagore who gave him his name Amartya. He also reminisces the conversations at Calcutta’s famous Coffee House and at Cambridge, and Marx’s, Keynes’ and Arrow’s ideas all of which shaped his views.

BANKING AND ECONOMY

IDFC FIRST Bank launches Customer COVID relief Ghar Ghar Ration Program

•IDFC FIRST Bank has announced the launch of ‘Ghar Ghar Ration’ Program, an employee-funded program for its low-income customers whose livelihoods are affected by COVID-19. The bank has also announced a comprehensive program for the families of employees who unfortunately lost their lives due to COVID-19, and a number of other social responsibility initiatives.

•“Ghar Ghar Ration” is a unique program where employees have contributed from their personal income to set up a Customer COVID Care Fund to provide relief to 50,000 COVID affected low-income IDFC FIRST Bank customers.

•Employees of the Bank contributed one day to one month’s salary for the purpose.  

INTERNATIONAL

India ties with Russia as 4th largest forex reserves holder

•As per Reserve Bank of India’s data, the foreign exchange reserves of India has crossed  $600 billion marks for the first time. The Forex reserve of India increased by USD 6.842 billion to $605.008 billion in the week ended June 04, 2021.

•This is the lifetime high of India’s foreign asset. With this, India has tied with Russia as the fourth largest reserve holder in the world. The forex reserve of Russia is calculated to be $605.2 billion.

NATIONAL

AISHE 2019-20 report released by Union Education Minister

•All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2019-20 report has been released by Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’. As per AISHE in the last five years (2015-16 to 2019-20), student enrolment has grown by 11.4%. As per AISHE, female enrolment in Higher Education has increased by 18.2% from 2015-16 to 2019-20. AISHE 2019-20 is the 10 in the series of All India Survey on Higher Education. Department of Higher Education releases it annually.

•Total Enrolment in Higher Education: It stands at 3.85 crores in 2019-20.

•Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER): It is denied as the percentage of students belonging to the eligible age group enrolled in Higher Education. It is 27.1% in 2019-20.

•Gender Parity Index (GPI) in Higher Education: It stands at 1.01 in 2019-20. It shows improvement in the relative access to higher education for females of eligible age group compared to males.

European Space Agency to Launch ‘EnVision’ Mission to Venus in 2030

•European Space Agency (ESA), is now developing its own probe to study Venus, for holistic view of planet from its inner core to upper atmosphere. The mission dubbed as “EnVision” will probably be launched to the planet in early 2030.

•EnVision probe of ESA will determine how and why Venus and Earth evolved so differently, even while being in the habitable zone to the Sun.

•ESA will undertake this mission with contributions from NASA.

•EnVision spacecraft will carry a range of instruments to study the planet’s atmosphere and surface, monitor trace gases in the atmosphere and analyse its surface composition. NASA would provide a radar to image and map the surface.

Ministry of Ayush Launches ‘Namaste Yoga’ App

•The Ministry of Ayush organised a curtain raiser event for the 7th International Day of Yoga. The event was organised by the Ministry of Ayush in association with Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY). The event brought together several Yoga Gurus and experienced Yoga exponents on the virtual platform, to appeal to the world community to adopt Yoga in their daily life for the betterment of both the individual self and mankind.

•The event underlined the importance of the central theme of IDY 2021 “Be With Yoga, Be At Home”. As a part of the event, a mobile application devoted to Yoga named “Namaste Yoga”, was also launched. The Namaste Yoga” app has been designed as an information platform for the public, with the aim to raise awareness about yoga and make it accessible for the larger community.

SPORTS

Patiala to host Indian Grand Prix 4

•The Athletics Federation of India (AFI), announced that the Indian Grand Prix 4 will be held on June 21 at the National Institute of Sports in Patiala. The decision to host the domestic events was made to give Indian athletes the maximum chance to qualify for Tokyo.

•India’s star sprinters Dutee Chand & Hima Das are expected to participate in the fourth Indian GP of 2021. National Inter-State Athletics Championships will be held at the same venue from June 25.

OBITUARY

Padma Shri Awardee Eminent Environmentalist Radhamohan Passes Away

•Padma Shri winning noted Economist and Environmentalist, Prof Radhamohan Ji has passed away.

•He was the former information commissioner of Odisha and had also served as a lecturer of Economics in different colleges in Odisha. He along with his daughter Sabarmatee were conferred with the prestigious Padma Shri Award in 2020 for their contribution to the agriculture sector.

APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS

India’s Nagraj Adiga elected in International Association of Ultrarunners Council

•India’s Nagraj Adiga has been elected as the Asia-Oceania Representative at the recently concluded 2021 International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) Congress at which the IAU council elections were held.

•Adiga works closely with the Athletics Federation of India and with various Government bodies to promote health, fitness, and encourage budding sportspersons.

Rebeca Grynspan appointed as Secretary-General of UNCTAD

•The U.N. General Assembly has approved the appointment of Costa Rican economist Rebecca Grynspan, as the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). She will serve a four-year term of office. She is the first woman and Central American to head UNCTAD. She was nominated as Secretary-General by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

•Grynspan would replace Isabelle Durant, who is serving as acting Secretary-General since 15 February 2021. Prior to this, Grynspan served as UNDP’s regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean and second vice president of Costa Rica from 1994 to 1998.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Albinism Awareness Day: 13 June

•The International Albinism Awareness Day (IAAD) is celebrated annually on June 13 to celebrate the human rights of persons with albinism worldwide. Each year events are held to educate people and celebrate people with albinism who continue to suffer all types of human rights violations.

•“Strength Beyond All Odds” is the theme for this year’s International Albinism Awareness Day.

•In the mid-2000s, there had been reports of violent attacks on and murders of people with albinism in Tanzania. The attacks were linked to beliefs that people with albinism had magical powers, so they were preyed upon for parts to be used as lucky charms and in occult rituals.

INTERNATIONAL

Former Mongolian prime minister Khurelsukh wins presidential election

•Former Mongolian Prime Minister, Ukhnaa Khurelsukh became the country’s sixth democratically elected president, further consolidating the power of the ruling Mongolian People’s Party (MPP) with a landslide victory. With 99.7% of votes counted overnight, Khurelsukh’s tally had reached 821,136, or 68% of the total, the largest share of the vote since the democratic era began in 1990.

•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.

NATIONAL

Chief minister of Assam Sarma launched Sishu Seva Achoni for C-19 Orphans

•Assam chief minister, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma has dedicated Chief Minister Sishu Seva Scheme to the service of the beneficiaries and handed over the cheques of financial assistance to few beneficiaries who lost both their parents due to C-19. It may be noted that under the scheme an amount to the tune of Rs. 7,81,200 would be parked in the bank as fixed deposit in the name of each beneficiary.

•Monthly financial assistance of Rs. 3500 which will be realised from the fixed deposit will be given to the beneficiaries till they attain 24 years of age. On completion of 24 years of age, the principal amount parked as a fixed deposit against each beneficiary would be credited to their bank accounts.

DBS tops World’s Best Banks 2021

•DBS Bank has been named by Forbes in their list of World’s Best Banks 2021. DBS was ranked #1 out of 30 domestic and international banks in India for the second consecutive year. This is the third edition of the ‘World’s Best Banks’ list by Forbes, conducted in partnership with market research firm Statista. Over 43,000 banking customers across the globe were surveyed on their current and former banking relationships. The customer survey rated banks on general satisfaction and key attributes like trust, digital services, financial advice, and fees.

•Recently, DBS Bank India was recognised as ‘India’s Best International Bank 2021’ by Asiamoney.

•DBS was named ‘Safest Bank in Asia’ for the 12th consecutive year by New York-based trade publication Global Finance in 2020.

SPORTS

EFA named Debbie as Football Association’s first chairwoman

•England’s Football Association named corporate executive and former RAC chief, Debbie Hewitt as its first woman chair, ending months of speculation over Greg Clarke’s successor following his exit over inappropriate remarks.

•The FA, which was formed in 1863 and has been working to become more inclusive, launched its ‘Pursuit of Progress’ initiative in 2018. FA is the governing body of football located in England.

OBITUARY

Olympian S.S. Mathur passed away

•Olympian Surat Singh Mathur, the first from independent India to complete a marathon at the Olympics, passed away.

•Running with the legendary Emil Zatopek in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, Mathur completed the marathon in the 52nd place in 2:58.92s. A bronze medallist at the first Asian Games in 1951, Mathur, who was born in Mohammadpur Majri village (Karala) in Delhi, was a two-time National champion.

APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS

Ferrari appointed Benedetto Vigna as new company CEO

•Ferrari has named Benedetto Vigna as its new company CEO, taking over from interim chief John Elkann.

•Vigna currently serves as the president of STMicroelectronics’ Analog, MEMS and Sensor Group, and is a member of the company’s executive committee. Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy.

IFS officer K. N. Naidu named to lead UN bureaucracy for a year

•Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, K Nagaraj Naidu was named chef de cabinet by the incoming UN general assembly president, Maldivian foreign minister Abdulla Shahid. He was appointed for the duration of one-year tenure to lead the world body through its return to normalcy as countries strive to bring the pandemic under control.

•Naidu is India’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, and he will be on loan from the Indian government to the United Nations for a position that is comparable to the Indian prime minister’s principal secretary, who oversees the cabinet bureaucracy; also something like the chief of staff to the US president.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Day Against Child Labour 2021: 12 June

•World Day Against Child Labour is observed globally on 12th June every year. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), there are about 152 million children globally who are engaged in child labour, 72 million of whom are in hazardous work. This year’s World Day Against Child Labour focuses on action taken for the 2021 International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour.

•The theme of this year’s World Day Against Child Labour is Act now: End child labour!. It is the first World Day since the universal ratification of the ILO’s Convention No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour and takes place at a time when the C-19-19 crisis threatens to reverse years of progress in tackling the problem.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

RS Sodhi conferred with Asia Pacific Productivity Champion award

•The Managing Director of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (Amul), R.S. Sodhi, was conferred with the regional award as Asia Pacific Productivity Champion from Asian Productivity Organization (APO), Tokyo, Japan in recognition of enhanced productivity and efficient milk supply chain. He is the first Indian to have received the prestigious award, in the last 20 years.

•The award is conferred to eligible individuals who have significantly contributed to advancing the productivity movement in the Asia-Pacific region and those in a specific member economy of the APO. The APO regional awards are conferred every five years and each country can nominate only one candidate out of all nominations. Every five years only five regional nominees receive the award. Sodhi received the award on behalf of 3.6 million dairy farmers.

BANKING AND ECONOMY

BharatPe acquires loyalty platform PAYBACK India

•Merchant payments and financial services provider, BharatPe has acquired a multi-brand loyalty platform, PAYBACK India, to help its 6 million offline merchants roll out rewards and loyalty programmes for customers. The acquisition is expected to give an exit to American Express and ICICI Investments Strategic Fund, which hold 90% and 10% stake respectively in the entity.

•PAYBACK India will continue to function independently, after the acquisition. The deal is expected to be worth $30 million, an individual aware of the discussions told Mint on condition of anonymity.

INTERNATIONAL

UK Asian Film Festival 2021: India’s Tillotama Shome wins Best Actor award

•Indian actress Tillotama Shome has made the country proud by winning the Best Actor award at the 2021 UK Asian Film Festival (UKAFF). Tillotama won the award for her role in the film Raahgir: The Wayfarers. The film has been directed by Goutam Ghose. The UK Asian Film Festival (UKAFF) 2021 was the 23rd edition of the annual event. Apart from Tillotama, filmmaker Goutam Ghose has also won the Best Director award at the UKAFF.

•The film Raahgir: The Wayfarers, stars Adil Hussain (Lakhua), Tillotama Shome (Nathuni) and Neeraj Kabi (Chopatlal). It is a story of three strangers, living on a daily wage basis, who cross each other’s path accidentally on a journey and develop a strong bond.

Google to build the longest undersea cable

•Google on Wednesday said it is building an open subsea cable that will connect the East Coast of the US and Las Toninas, Argentina with additional landings in Brazil and Uruguay.

•With the new cable, the tech giant aims to bolster internet connectivity to users in South America and enhance its existing cable investments in the region.

•The Firmina cable, named after Brazilian abolitionist and author Maria Firmina dos Reis, will be the longest cable in the world. It is capable of running entirely from a single power source at one end of the cable if its other power source(s) become temporarily unavailable, Google said in a blog post.

US traders have benefited the most in Bitcoin Investment Gain in 2020

•The US traders have benefited the most in Bitcoin Investment Gain in 2020, with a profit of $4.1 billion, according to the latest report by Chainalysis, a blockchain analysis company based in Manhattan, New York. Chinese traders stood second, with a profit of $1.1 billion. India has been ranked at 18th spot with a profit of $241 million, among the top 25 countries, in Bitcoin investment gains 2020.

List of top 5 countries in realised Bitcoin gains for 2020:

1.United States

2.China

3.Japan

4.United Kingdom

5.Russia

SPORTS

Sunil Chhetri surpasses Argentina’s Lionel Messi and become the second-highest active international goal-scorer

•Sunil Chhetri surpasses Argentina’s Lionel Messi and he has become the second-highest active international goal-scorer with 74 strikes. He made this record in a joint preliminary qualifying round match for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup. He is currently behind Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo (103) in the active international goal-scorer list.

•Chhetri also helped India register its rst win in six years in World Cup qualiers. Chhetri is just a goal away from entering world football’s all-time top-10. Sunil Chhetri is an Indian professional footballer. He is popularly known as Captain Fantastic.

OBITUARY

Dingko Singh, Asian Games gold-winning boxer, passed away

•Former Asian Games gold medalist boxer Ngangom Dingko Singh passed away early Thursday morning at his Sekta Mayai Leikai residence, in Imphal East district, after battling a prolonged illness. He was 47.

•Dingko had a long battle with liver cancer for which he received treatment in 2017. He also tested positive for C-19 last year but had recovered.

National award-winning Bengali Filmmaker Buddhadeb Dasgupta Passed Away

•The National award-winning eminent Bengali film Director Buddhadeb Dasgupta has passed away. He had won several National Awards for his contribution to Bengali cinema. Some of his national award-winning films include:

•Bagh Bahadur(1989), Charachar(1994), Lal Darja(1997), Mondo Meyer Upakhyan (2002) and Kaalpurush(2005) – National Awards for Best Film.

APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS

LIC Chairman M R Kumar got extension till March 2022

•The appointments committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the extension of the tenure of MR Kumar as the Chairman of state-owned insurance company Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC).

•Now under the extended term, Mr Kumar will serve on the post till March 13, 2022. Earlier his term as LIC chairman was supposed to end on June 30, 2021.

Facebook named Spoorthi Priya as grievance officer for India

•Facebook has named Spoorthi Priya as its grievance officer for India, the company said on its website. This move comes close on the heels of the new Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, coming into force last month. According to the new government guidelines, social media companies with over 50 lakh users have to appoint a grievance officer, nodal officer and a chief compliance officer.

•All three personnel will have to be residents of India. Facebook owned messaging platform WhatsApp appointed Paresh B Lal as the grievance officer a few days ago. WhatsApp, Facebook, and Google had shared information on their compliance officer, resident grievance officer and nodal contact person with the government on May 29. Two days after the new IT rules kicked into action.

M. K. Jain gets two-year extension as RBI Deputy Governor

•The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the re-appointment of Mahesh Kumar Jain as the Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for two more years with effect from June 22, 2021.

•The three-year term of MK Jain as RBI Deputy Governor was to end on June 21, 2021. Currently, Michael Patra, M Rajeshwar Rao and Rabi Sankar are the other three serving RBI Deputy Governors.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Zimbabwean novelist Tsitsi Dangarembga wins PEN Pinter prize 2021

•Tsitsi Dangarembga, the Booker-shortlisted Zimbabwean writer who was arrested last year in Harare while protesting against corruption, has been awarded the PEN Pinter prize, praised for her “ability to capture and communicate vital truths even amidst times of upheaval”. Dangarembga was also shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize for her work, This Mournable Body.

•Established in 2009, PEN Pinter prize is given in memory of Nobel-laureate playwright Harold Pinter. The annual award is given to an author who, the website specifies, must have “a significant body of plays, poetry, essays, or fiction of outstanding literary merit, written in English.”

INTERNATIONAL

El Salvador becomes first country to adopt bitcoin as legal tender

•El Salvador has become the first country in the world to grant legal tender status to bitcoin. The use of bitcoin as legal tender will become law in 90 days.

•El Salvador’s economy heavily relies on remittances and so those who are working abroad can send money back home in bitcoins. The use of bitcoin will be totally optional. It will bring financial inclusion, investment, tourism, innovation and economic development to the country.

Interpol launched "I-Familia" to identify missing persons

•Interpol has launched a new global database named “I-Familia” to identify missing persons through family DNA and help the police solve cold cases in member countries. Describing it as a groundbreaking database officially launched this month, the Interpol in a statement said it applied cutting-edge scientific research and used the DNA of relatives to identify missing persons or unidentified human remains around the world.

•I-Familia is a global database launched to identify missing persons through family DNA. It will help the police to solve cases in member countries.

•Interpol applies cutting-edge scientific research and uses the DNA of relatives to identify missing persons or unidentified human remains around the world.

•DNA kinship matching is used mostly in cases where a direct sample of the missing person is not available.

Indo-Thai CORPAT Begins in Andaman Sea

•The 31st edition of the India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT) kicked off on June 09, 2021, in the Andaman Sea. The three-day coordinated patrol between the Indian Navy and the Royal Thai Navy is being conducted from 09 to 11 June 2021. From the Indian side, an indigenously built Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel, Indian Naval Ship (INS) Saryu, is participating and from Thailand Navy, HTMS Krabi is participating in CORPAT, along with Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft from both navies.

•The CORPAT exercise is being conducted between the two navies bi-annually since 2005, along their International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).

•CORPAT builds up understanding and interoperability between navies and develops measures to prevent and suppress unlawful activities like Illegal Unreported Unregulated (IUU) fishing, drug trafficking, maritime terrorism, armed robbery and piracy.

NATIONAL

Anemia Mukt Bharat Index : Himachal in third spot

•Himachal Pradesh has climbed to the third spot in the Anemia Mukt Bharat Index 2020-21 national ranking with a score of 57.1. Himachal Pradesh was at rank 18 in the year 2018-19, but with consistent efforts of the government and the field functionaries, the state was able to achieve the third spot. Madhya Pradesh is in the first position with a score of 64.1 followed by Odisha with a score of 59.3. The prevalence of soil-transmitted helminths had decreased from 29% to 0.3% in a short span of three years.

•Anemia remains a major public health issue with high prevalence across the country irrespective of gender, age and geography.

First International Maritime Cluster of India to come up at GIFT City

•Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) will set up the country's first international maritime services cluster at GIFT City. The maritime cluster will be developed as a dedicated ecosystem comprising ports, shipping, logistics services providers and government regulators, all present in the same geographic vicinity — GIFT City. GIFT City is India's first operational smart city and international financial services.

•This will be a first-of-its-kind commercial maritime services cluster in India, which has been conceptualised to enhance the competitiveness and self-sufficiency of India in the maritime sector and provide a one-stop solution for the entire maritime fraternity.

Haryana CM announced creating ‘Oxi-van’ in Karnal

•Chief Minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar, announced to create of 80 acres of ‘Oxi-van’ (a forest) in the Karnal district. It was announced on the occasion of World Environment Day on June 5, 2021. Oxi-van will consist of 10 types of forests. On the occasion, highlighting the importance of trees and encouraging promotion, protection, planting of trees Haryana Government launched four important schemes:

Pran Vayu Devta Pension Scheme:

•Under this scheme, a pension amount of Rs 2500 will be provided in name of Pran Vayu Devta to maintain trees above 75 years. This pension would increase each year on the line of old age Samman pension.

Panchavati Plantation in Haryana:

•Under this initiative, the plantation will be done in name of Panchvati across the villages in Haryana. It will promote the process of getting natural oxygen from trees. Agroforestry will also be promoted on vacant land under the initiative. Thus, it will increase the income of Panchayats in rural areas.

Oxy-Van in Karnal:

•Oxy Forest was launched on Forest Department land in Mughal Canal, Karnal. Panchavati, trees of Bel, Amla, Ashoka, Banyan and Peepal were planted. It will be built on 80 acres area.

Oxy-Van in Panchkula:

•It will be established in Bir Ghaggar on the area of one hundred acres in a bid to create Mother Nature’s green lungs, for residents of Panchkula, to get in fresh oxygen. Rs One crore has been sanctioned for this initiative.

SPORTS

Indian Cricketer Sehwag launched cricket coaching website 'Cricuru'

•Indian star cricketer Virender Sehwag has launched an experiential learning portal for Cricket coaching named CRICURU. CRICURU is India’s first AI-enabled coaching website, to offer a personalised learning experience for the younger players. The website can be accessed at www.cricuru.com

•The curriculum for each player has been developed personally by Virender Sehwag along with former Indian Player and Batting Coach of the Indian Cricket team Sanjay Bangar (2015-19). Young players will be able to learn to play cricket through master classes by 30 player-coaches from across the globe like AB de Villiers, Brett Lee, Brian Lara, Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Harbhajan Singh, Jonty Rhodes, who will share their experience and learning with users.

APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS

Antonio Guterres second five-year term as chief of the world organisation

•The UN Security Council has recommended Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for a second five-year term as chief of the world organisation beginning January 1, 2022.

•The 15-nation Council held a closed meeting where it unanimously adopted a resolution recommending Guterres’ name to the 193-member General Assembly for a second term as Secretary-General. Last month, India had conveyed its support to Guterres for his candidature as chief of the world body for a second term beginning January 2022.

CS Ghosh MD & CEO of Bandhan Bank

•The Reserve Bank of India has granted approval for the re-appointment of Chandra Shekhar Ghosh as MD and CEO of Bandhan Bank, for a period of three years. The re-appointment as above is subject to the approval of shareholders at the ensuing annual general meeting of the bank.

•Ghosh, who has been one of the foremost proponents of microfinance in India, founded Bandhan in 2001 as a not-for-profit enterprise that stood for financial inclusion and women empowerment through sustainable livelihood creation. He was at the forefront of its transformation into an NBFC-MFI and finally the universal bank.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

BAFTA TV Awards 2021

•The winners of the BAFTA TV Awards 2021 were announced.  The ceremony itself, filmed at London’s Television Centre and hosted by Richard Ayoade, was a hybrid event that kept in line with COVID-19 protocols by allowing a number of nominees from the main performance categories to attend, with others taking part digitally.

Winners of BAFTA TV Awards 2021 are:

RANKING

QS World University Rankings 2022 released

•The London-based Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) has released the QS World University Rankings 2022 which compares and ranks Universities from across the globe on various parameters. Eight Indian universities have found a place among the best 400 global universities in the QS World University Rankings 2022, released on June 09, 2021. However, only three Universities namely the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, IIT-Delhi, and IISc Bangalore feature among the top 200.

•IIT-Bombay is ranked as the best University in India with a rank of 177. It is followed by IIT-Delhi (185) and IISc (I86).

•The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, has also been adjudged as “world’s top research university, achieving a perfect score of 100/100 for Citations Per Faculty (CPF) indicator, which measures research impact.

•This is the first time that any Indian institute has scored a perfect 100 in research or any other parameter.

INTERNATIONAL

Abdullah Shahid was elected President of the 76th United Nations General Assembly

•Maldivian foreign minister, Abdullah Shahid was elected President of the 76th United Nations General Assembly (PGA) with an overwhelming majority. He garnered 143 votes in favour with 48 against – that gave him victory by a three-fourths majority. The post of the UN General Assembly President rotated annually among regional groupings. The 76th session (2021-22) is the turn of the Asia-Pacific group and this is the first time Maldives will be occupying the office of the PGA.

•The PGA’s office is the highest office in the UN System and reflects the collective goodwill of the 193 Member States of the UN. Both Maldives and Afghanistan have friendly ties with India. India’s vote however went to the Maldives since New Delhi had committed support to Shahid prior to Rassoul entering the fray.

India elected as member of UN ECOSOC for 2022-24

•India has been elected as a member of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), one of the six main organs of the United Nations, for three-year terms of 2022-24. India was elected to the 54-member ECOSOC, by the UNGA on June 7, 2021, in the Asia-Pacific States category, along with Afghanistan, Kazakhstan and Oman.

•ECOSOC serves as the central platform for discussing international economic, social and environmental issues and formulating policy recommendations addressed to member states and the United Nations system.

NATIONAL

Grading index in school Education: Punjab tops performance

•Punjab, which has improved its showing from the 13th position it attained in 2018-19, topped the charts this time among all the states and union territories with a score of 929 out of 1,000, followed by Chandigarh (912) and Tamil Nadu (906).

•The performance grading index ranks the states on a set of 70 parameters relating to learning outcomes and quality, access, infrastructure and facilities, equity and governance processes to catalyse transformational change in the field of school education.

Raimona reserve forest sixth national park of Assam

•Raimona in Kokrajhar district has become Assam’s sixth national park. The 422 sq ft wildlife habitat in Kokrajhar district adjoins the western-most buffer to Manas Tiger Reserve. The five national parks that existed prior to the 422 sq. km Raimona are Kaziranga, Manas, Nameri, Orang and Dibru-Saikhowa.

•The Pekua river defines Raimona’s southern boundary. Raimona is an integral part of the 2,837 sq. km Manas Biosphere Reserve and the Chirang-Ripu Elephant Reserve. Such secured transboundary ecological landscape will ensure the long-term conservation of endemic species like the golden langur, the mascot of Bodoland Territorial Council and endangered species such as the Asian elephant, the Bengal tiger and varied other flora and faunal species it support.

Rhea Chakraborty has bagged the number 1 spot in ‘Times 50 Most Desirable Women 2020’

•The Times 50 Most Desirable Women 2020 list has been unveiled, and it features women under 40 across various fields. Rhea Chakraborty has bagged the number 1 spot on Times Most Desirable Women 2020 list. She was in the news for most of last year due to the sudden demise of Sushant Singh Rajput and the controversy around his death.

•Miss Universe 2020, 3rd runner-up Adline Castelino bagged the second spot in the list. Actress Disha Patani, Kiara Advani and Deepika Padukone were on the third, fourth and fifth spot respectively.

SPORTS

Oman will host Hockey World Cup in 2024

•Oman has been named as the host of the inaugural International Hockey Federation (FIH) Hockey’s World Cup. The FIH said the men’s and women’s events will take place in Oman’s capital city Muscat in January 2024. The governing body said its Executive Board named Oman as host, after a recommendation from the organisation’s Events Bidding Task Force.

•The FIH Executive Board announced the launch of the Hockey5s World Cup in 2019. The launch comes as Hockey is becomes an increasingly popular format of the sport, played on a smaller pitch and which has featured at the last two Summer Youth Olympic Games.

APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS

Anup C. Pandey appointed as new election commissioner of India

•The Union government has appointed Anup Chandra Pandey, a retired IAS officer of the 1984 batch, Uttar Pradesh cadre, as Election Commissioner. In the Election Commission, Pandey will have a little under three years in office and will retire in February 2024.

•Pandey has been appointed to the position left vacant by former Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora’s retirement on April 12. Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra and Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar are the other two members of the panel. This restores the three-member commission to its full strength, which will now oversee the next set of crucial assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand next year.

V. Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar assumes Charge as Director General Naval Operations

•Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, AVSM, VSM 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 and later as the Executive Officer and Principal Warfare Officer of Guided Destroyer INS Mysore.

•He has commanded the missile corvette INS Kora, the missile frigate INS Shivalik and the aircraft carrier INS Viraat.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Accreditation Day 2021: 9th  June

•World Accreditation Day (WAD) is celebrated every year on 9 June to promote the role of accreditation in trade & the economy. The theme for WAD 2021 is “Accreditation: Supporting the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”. It provides the opportunity for ILAC and IAF members to share examples with stakeholders, regulators and consumers of how accreditation may be applied to meet objectives such as increasing trade, addressing environment and health and safety concerns, and improving the general overall quality of output in an economy.

•WAD is a global initiative, jointly established by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), to raise awareness of the importance of accreditation.

BANKING AND ECONOMY

NITI Aayog recommends privatisation of Central Bank, Indian Overseas Bank

•NITI Aayog has recommended divesting government stake in the Central Bank of India and Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) as part of the privatisation initiative announced in the Union Budget. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her Budget speech, had announced privatising two public sector banks (PSBs) and one general insurance company in 2021-22. As per the new PSE (Public Sector Enterprise) policy for ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, NITI Aayog is entrusted with the task to suggest names of PSUs in strategic sectors to be merged, privatised, or made subsidiaries of other PSUs.

•The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) and Department of Financial Services (DFS) will examine the proposal and discuss legislative changes needed for the privatisation of banks. The finalisation of privatisation and disinvestment of public sector enterprises is a multi-layered process. After a Core Group of Secretaries, headed by the Cabinet Secretary, clears the suggested names, the proposal will go to Alternative Mechanism (AM) for its approval and eventually to the Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister for a final nod.

RBI imposed penalty on BoI & PNB of Rs 6 crore

•The RBI has imposed a penalty aggregating to Rs 6 crores on Bank of India and Punjab National Bank for contravention of norms, including one related to “Frauds – Classification and Reporting”. A penalty of Rs 4 crores has been imposed on the Bank of India and Rs 2 crores on Punjab National Bank.

•The bank had also conducted a review and submitted a Fraud Monitoring Report (FMR) dated January 1, 2019, pertaining to the detection of fraud in an account. In both cases, notices were issued to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on them for such violations of the directions.

INTERNATIONAL

UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration officially launched

•The United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration has been officially launched, which will run from 2021 to 2030. United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration will be co-led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO). It was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in a 2019 resolution.

•Protection and revival of millions of hectares of ecosystems all around the world for the benefit of people and nature. This in turn will contribute to the achievement of all the Sustainable Development Goals.

•A Multi-Partner Trust Fund has also been launched for the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Germany is the first country to provide funding of Euro 14 million towards this fund.

•In order to support the launch of the UN Decade, a report has also been released which defines the need of having such a global restoration effort.

SPORTS

Germany’s footballer Sami Khedira announced retirement

•Germany’s FIFA World Cup-winner, Sami Khedira has announced retirement. He began his career at VfB Stuttgart and helped them win the league title in the 2006-07 season before moving to Real Madrid, where he won the league and Champions League in a trophy-laden spell. He played 77 games for Germany scoring seven goals and helped them win the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Sergio Perez of Red Bull wins Formula 1's Azerbaijan Grand Prix

•Red Bull's Sergio Perez won a chaotic Azerbaijan Grand Prix with both Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton failing to finish. This was the first win for Perez since joining Red Bull. 

•Sebastian Vettel for Aston Martin and Pierre Gasly for Alpha Tauri completed the unexpected podium. Verstappen crashed with five laps to go and the race at his mercy. Hamilton then locked up at the restart when on target for the second.

APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS

R Disale Appointed World Bank Education Advisor

•Ranjitsinh Disale has been appointed as the World Bank Education advisor, starting from June 2021 to June 2024. He is the first Indian to have been awarded the Global Teacher Award in 2020, will now be working on the Coach Project, launched by the World Bank in March 2021. The project's aim is to 'help countries accelerate learning by improving teacher professional development.'

•Disale is from Paritewadi Village in the Solapur district of Maharashtra. He had initially wanted to become an engineer, but later took up the teacher's training programme. He is the first Indian to have been awarded the Global Teacher Award in 2020. He won the award in recognition of this work in promoting the education of girls.

Vishwavir Ahuja New MD and CEO of, RBL Bank

•The Reserve Bank of India has approved the appointment of Vishwavir Ahuja as the Managing Director and CEO of RBL Bank for a one-year period with effect from June 30, 2021.

•He has been the Managing Director & CEO of RBL Bank since June 30, 2010. Before RBL Bank, Ahuja was the Managing Director & CEO of Bank of America, India.

World Oceans Day 2021: 8 June

•World Ocean Day is observed globally on 8th June every year. This day is observed to raise global awareness about the importance of the ocean in our lives and the ways through which we can protect it. The purpose of the Day is to tell the general public of the impact of human actions on the ocean, develop a worldwide movement of citizens for the ocean, and mobilize and unite the world’s population on a project for the sustainable management of the world’s oceans.

•“The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods” is the theme for World Oceans Day 2021, as well as a declaration of intentions that launches a decade of challenges to get the Sustainable Development Goal 14, “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources”, by 2030. This year's theme is especially relevant in the lead-up to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, which will run from 2021 to 2030. The Decade will strengthen international cooperation to develop scientific research and innovative technologies that can connect ocean science with the needs of society.

SUMMITS AND MOU’S

NTPC Joins UN’s CEO Water Mandate for Water Conservation

•India’s largest power utility, NTPC Ltd, under the Ministry of Power, has become a signatory to the prestigious UN Global Compact’s CEO Water Mandate, that focus on efficient water management. The initiative also provides a platform for companies to partner with like-minded businesses, UN agencies, public authorities, civil society organizations, and other key stakeholders.

•The CEO Water Mandate is an initiative by the UN Global Compact, designed to assist companies in the development, implementation, and disclosure of comprehensive water strategies and policies, to better their water and sanitation agendas as part of long term Sustainable Development Goals.

RANKING

Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings 2021 released

•Times Higher Education Asia university rankings 2021, three Indian universities secured positions in the top 100 list. IISc Bangalore, IIT Ropar and IIT Indore have secured ranks among the top 100 universities in Asia. Like last year, not a single Indian varsity made it to the elite top 10. IISc Bangalore ranked at 37th position. IIT Ropar is placed at 55th rank and IIT Indore at 78th rank among the top 100 universities.

•Tsinghua University, China has gained the first position in the Asia university rankings 2021. The second place is also secured by China’s Peking University. The third and fifth ranks have been secured by Singapore varsities. Whereas, the University of Hong Kong is at fourth rank.

Sustainable Development Goals report

•India’s rank has slipped by two places from last year to 117 on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted as a part of the 2030 agenda by 193 United Nations member states in 2015. India ranks below four South Asian countries: Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

•The State of India’s Environment Report 2021 revealed that India’s rank was 115 last year and dropped by two places primarily because of major challenges like ending hunger and achieving food security (SDG 2), achieving gender equality (SDG 5) and building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and fostering innovation (SDG 9) remain in the country.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS

Book ‘1232 km: The Long Journey Home’ by Vinod Kapri

•A new book titled ‘1232 km: The Long Journey Home’ by filmmaker Vinod Kapri chronicles the journey of seven migrant workers from Bihar, who journeyed back home on their bicycles and reached their destination after seven days. The book is published by Harper Collins. The nationwide lockdown in March 2020 forced thousands of migrant workers to return to their native villages by covering thousands of kilometres on foot.

•Kapri accompanied these seven migrant workers — Ritesh, Ashish, Ram Babu, Sonu, Krishna, Sandeep and Mukesh — on their 1,232-km journey from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh to Saharsa in Bihar. It is a story of courage as well as the desperation of seven men braving police lathis and insults, battling hunger and exhaustion to reach their home. According to the author, he was curious to know what makes labourers’ cycle 1,232 kilometres without food or any help in such extreme circumstances. He wanted to see them up close.

NATIONAL

PM Modi Launched Three E-100 Ethanol Dispensing Stations in Pune

•Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually addressed the World Environment Day event, which was jointly organised by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. During the event, PM Modi also released the “Report of the Expert Committee on Road Map for ethanol blending in India 2020-2025”. The theme of the report is ‘promotion of biofuels for a better environment’.

•PM Modi also launched a Pilot Project of E 100 ethanol dispensing stations at three locations in Pune, for the production and distribution of ethanol across the country, because ethanol has a better impact on the environment as well as on the lives of farmers.

Tamil Nadu CM forms panel to study NEET

•Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday constituted a high-level committee headed by retired judge of Madras High Court AK Rajan, to study and submit a report on the impact of National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) on admissions to medical courses in State.

•In a statement, Stalin said that many educationists have opined that NEET had denied students hailing from rural areas, those from poor economic background, and those from Tamil medium of education, a chance at medical education.

•Keeping this in mind, the State government has been fighting a legal battle to ensure that the admission to medical courses is granted on the basis of class 12 marks, and for scrapping  NEET.  The committee headed by AK Rajan would study whether the NEET has affected socially backward students during the past few years and if so, the panel would suggest alternative admission procedures to set right the ill-effects.

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, with an aim to give them equal opportunity, said a circular issued by the state finance department.

•Students belonging to scheduled caste, scheduled tribe, other backward classes (OBC), extremely backward castes, minority and economically weaker sections with annual family income less than Rs.8 lakhs per annum will be able to avail the scheme run by the tribal area development, minority affairs, and social justice and empowerment departments.

•Coaching will also be provided for engineering and medical entrance examinations apart from Common Law Admission Test (CLAT). Students’ eligibility for the scheme will be based on marks scored in class 10 and 12.

Uttarakhand police to plant 1 lakh saplings

•The Uttarakhand Police on the occasion of World Environment Day, started a tree plantation campaign under which one lakh saplings will be planted in police premises across the state.

•The campaign will end on July 16. Environmentalist Dr Anil Joshi who inaugurated the campaign said, "If we do not take care of the environment even now, then destruction is certain."

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Food Safety Day: 7th June

•World Food Safety Day is observed on 7th June globally. The aim of the day is to raise awareness about different foodborne risks and the measures of how to prevent it. The campaigns will also spread awareness that how food safety is very much important and related to different other important factors of life such as human health, economic growth, and many others. Also, the day will surely ensure in building up a connection between food safety and other elements such as agriculture, sustainable development, and market access.

•This year’s theme is “Safe food today for a healthy tomorrow”. It discusses the fact that the production and consumption of safe food have immediate and long-term benefits. Recognizing the systemic connections between the health of people, animals, plants, the environment and the economy will help us meet the needs of the future.

UN Russian Language Day: 06 June

•The UN Russian Language Day is observed annually on 06 June. It is one of the six official languages used by the United Nations throughout the Organization. The day was established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2010.

•6 June is chosen as UN Russian Language Day as it coincides with the birthday of Aleksandr Pushkin, a Russian poet who is considered the father of the modern Russian language. Each of the six official languages has been assigned a day of celebration by the UN’s Department of Public Information in 2010 to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity as well as to promote equal use of all six official languages throughout the Organization.

World Pest Day: 06 June

•Every year, World Pest Day (also sometimes called World Pest Awareness Day) is observed on 06 June. The main purpose of the day is to increase public, government, and media awareness of the important role pest management organization plays in protecting public health, project the professional image of the pest management industry, promote the use of professional pest management in a scientific and socially responsible way and call attention to the big threats caused by small pests.

•The first World Pest Day was marked in 2017. World Pest Day was initiated by the Chinese Pest Control Association, and co-sponsored by the Federation of Asian and Oceania Pest Managers’ Association (FAOPMA), the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), and the Confederation of European Pest Management Associations (CEPA).

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Thomas Vijayan Wins Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2021

•Kerala-based Thomas Vijayan, who is now settled in Canada, has won the 2021 Nature TTL Photography Awards for his photo of an Orangutan clinging to a tree. The photograph is titled ‘The World is Going Upside Down’.

•Vijayan was adjudged as the overall winner of the competition from over 8,000 entries for Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2021, which carries a grand prize of 1,500 pounds (Rs.1.5 lakh). Nature TTL is the world’s leading online nature photography resource.

INTERNATIONAL

Pakistan To Produce Chinese C-19 Vaccine As 'PakVac

•Pakistan has launched a C-19 vaccine named 'PakVac' which will be manufactured in Pakistan. The vaccine is made with the assistance of the all-weather ally China to an extent that it is said to be a localised version of China's CanSinoBio vaccine. Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan expressed happiness over the launch and said Pakistan will soon be able to start the production of the vaccine.

•The vaccine is categorically said to be a localised version of the CanSinoBio vaccine of China, which means the vaccine has been designed and developed in China.

NATIONAL

Govt extends visa validity of foreigners stuck in India till August 31

•Owing to C-19 restrictions on international commercial flights, the government on Friday extended visa validity of foreigners stuck in India since March last year to August 31, 2021. Earlier, these foreigners had to get their visa extended every month.

•“In the light of non- resumption of normal commercial flight operations, it has been decided that the Indian visa or stay stipulation period of such foreign nationals stranded in India will be considered as deemed to be valid till 31.08.2021 on gratis basis without levy of any overstay penalty. These foreign nationals will not be required to submit any application to the FRRO/FRO concerned for extension of their visas,” a statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs said.

Uttarakhand to establish 451 health centre

•Under the Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Program a budget of Rs one crore has been approved for establishing five new dialysis centres will be established in Bageshwar, Chamoli, Champawat, Tehri, Uttarakashi district, a statement issued by state government on Friday said.

•Along with the dialysis centre, the peritoneal dialysis centre is also to be established in Doon Medical College for which a total budget of Rs 52 lakh have been approved.

•Under NPCDCS Programme, two five bedded cardiac care units will be established in Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi district, for which Rs 170 lakh at 85 lakh per unit have been approved.

•The government will also establish an NCD clinic in 34 CHC of Uttarakhand for which Rs. 34 lakh has been approved.

Adani launches green tarif initiative

•Adani Electricity Mumbai Limited (AEML) has decided to offer a Green Tariff Initiative for its consumers in Mumbai suburban area.

•As per the company's official release, all consumers right from corporates, industrial, commercial, hotels, restaurants, and residential consumers can now switch to green energy.

SPORTS

Singapore F1 Grand Prix Cancelled Due To C-19 Pandemic

•Formula One’s Singapore Grand Prix has been called off this year due to C-19 restrictions, local organiser Singapore GP Pte Ltd have confirmed.

•“To cancel the event for a second year is an incredibly difficult decision, but a necessary one in light of the prevailing restrictions for live events in Singapore.” said Colin Syn, deputy chairperson of Singapore GP Pte Ltd.

OBITUARY

Noted writer Kalipatnam Rama Rao passes away

•A renowned literary luminary Kalipatnam Rama Rao, popularly known as KaRa Master, has passed away. He was 97. Telugu literary persons and other celebs have mourned the writer’s death. According to the reports, the writer had been suffering from age-related ailments for the past few days. The Central government has felicitated the eminent Telugu story writer with Sahitya Akademi Award.

•Born in 1924 in the Srikakulam District, KaRa Master rose to fame in 1964 with his story ‘Yagnam,’ a critique of feudal society. The former teacher has founded Katha Nilayam(Library) in 1997. It is a rich archive of rare Telugu literary works written by numerous authors from across the state. 

Lima Bello passed away due to C-19

•The demise of IOC Honorary Member Fernando F. Lima Bello, who passed away at the age of 89. 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.

APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS

Rajesh Nambiar appointed head of digital biz

•Cognizant's India chairman Rajesh Nambiar appointed head of digital biz. Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. has appointed Rajesh Nambiar, chairman and managing director of India operations, as president of Digital Business & Technology (DB&T) effective 4 June.