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Monthly Current Affairs Capsule & Quiz June 2020
World Milk Day: 01 June
World Milk Day is observed on June 1 in order to
celebrate the dairy sector and recognise the
importance of milk as a global food.
The day was founded by the United Nations
Food and Agriculture Organisation.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of
World Milk Day.
This year’s theme is “20th Anniversary of
World Milk Day”.
Armenian PM Pashinyan tests positive for
coronavirus
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he
had tested positive for the novel coronavirus
He along with his family have tested positive for
coronavirus.
The country with a population of 3 million
has been hit by the novel coronavirus. They
have recorded 9,492 cases and 139 deaths so
far.
The hospitals in Armenia have faced a
setback ever since the virus broke out in the
country.
Due to the shortage of space, their intensive
care could be soon restricted to patients with
the best chance of surviving the virus.
World Bicycle Day: 3 June
World Bicycle Day is observed on June 3.
The day is celebrated to lay emphasis on the
benefits of cycling.
Riding a bicycle is not only good for one’s
health but is also good for the environment.
As per the World Health Organization
(WHO), safe infrastructure for walking and
cycling is also a step towards achieving
greater health equity.
This is the third anniversary of World Bicycle
Day, which was declared by the United
Nations General Assembly in April 2018.
Tropical storm Amanda kills 20 in Central
American countries
Tropical Storm Amanda has killed at least 20 people
in Central America, most of whom in El Salvador.
The storm had dumped the equivalent of
"almost 10 percent" of the annual rainfall on
the country in a relatively short space of time.
The storm came as the country of some 6.6
million people is grappling with the impact of
the coronavirus pandemic.
France assures timely delivery of Rafale aircraft
to India
France reaffirmed its commitment to ensure timely
delivery of Rafale Aircraft to India despite the
challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The IAF is likely to get the delivery of the
first batch of four Rafale jets from France by
July-end.
The four fighters were supposed to fly to their
home base in India in May 2020, but the plan
was delayed due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
Dassault Aviation had handed over the first
of 36 Rafale aircraft, which India had ordered
in 2016, during a visit by Singh to France last
year.
India had signed an inter-governmental
agreement with France in September 2016 for
procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost
of around ₹58,000 crore.
International Day of Innocent Children Victims
of Aggression: 4 June
International Day of Innocent Children Victims of
Aggression is observed globally on 4th June every
year.
This day affirms the UN’s commitment to
guard the rights of children.
This day is to acknowledge the pain suffered
by children throughout the planet who are the
victims of physical, mental and emotional
abuse.
The main aim of celebrating today is to
spread the notice about the pain and
sufferings faced by the victims as children.
World Environment Day: 5 June
World Environment Day is observed globally on 5th
June every year.
It is celebrated every year to spread
awareness and to make people understand
that they have a role to play in preventing the
loss of biodiversity and preserving nature for
our future.
The day was first observed in 1974 in the city
of Spokane in the USA to raise awareness
about the importance of protecting the
environment.
World Environment Day is hosted by a
different country. And this year, the host is
Columbia.
The theme for World Environment Day 2020:
Celebrate Biodiversity
World Economic Forum to host Unique Twin
Summit in 2021
The World Economic Forum will host a Unique
Twin Summit in January, 2021.
The twin summit will be both in-person as
well as virtual, hence connecting key global
governmental and business leaders in Davos.
The theme of the summit will be “The Great
Reset”. The summit will bring together the
key global government and business leaders
in Davos and the Great Reset dialogue will
push beyond the boundaries of traditional
thinking.
WEF will also draw on thousands of young
people from more than 400 cities worldwide,
who will be interconnected with a powerful
virtual hub network in order to interact with
the leaders in Davos.
India participates in UK-led virtual Global
Vaccine Summit
India participated in the virtual Global Vaccine
Summit 2020 hosted by the UK Prime Minister Boris
Johnson.
India was represented by the Prime Minister
Narendra Modi in the summit.
The virtual Global Vaccine Summit 2020
featured the participation of over 50 countries
including the business leaders, civil society,
government ministers, UN agencies, Heads
of State and country leaders.
During the virtual summit, India pledged a
contribution of 15 Million US Dollars to
Gavi, the international vaccine alliance.
Russian Language Day: 6 June
The United Nations celebrates Russian Language
Day every year on 6 June.
The day is observed to raise awareness of the
history, culture and development of each of
the six official languages of the UN: Arabic,
Russian, Spanish, Chinese, English and
French.
Russian Language Day is celebrated on the
birthday of the great Russian poet A.S.
Pushkin.
World Food Safety Day: 07 June
World Food Safety Day is observed every year on 07
June.
It is celebrated to draw attention and inspire
action to help prevent, detect and manage
foodborne risks, contributing to food
security, human health, economic prosperity,
agriculture, market access, tourism and
sustainable development.
This day was launched by the United Nations
in 2019.
The day is celebrated to reinforce the call
made by the Geneva Conference and Addis
Ababa Conference in 2019 on “The Future of
Food Safety”.
2020 theme: Food Safety, Everyone’s
Business
US: Joe Biden becomes Democratic presidential
nominee
Former US Vice President Joe Biden, has formally
become the Democratic presidential nominee to run
for the White House against President Donald Trump
in the elections in November this year.
Biden took his tally of pledged delegates over
the halfway mark of 1,991 from a total of
3,979, becoming eligible to earn the
Democratic Party's presidential nomination.
The veteran Democrat served as the 47th vice
president of the United States from 2009 to
2017 during the presidency of Barack
Obama.
Biden has been consistently supportive of the
India-US relations. As a Senator, he had
voted to approve the landmark civilian
nuclear deal between the two countries in
2008.
G20 countries pledge over $21 billion to fund fight
COVID-19 pandemic
Member countries of the Group of 20 pledged more
than $21 billion to fight the coronavirus (COVID-19)
pandemic.
The G20, with invited countries, has
coordinated the global efforts to support the
fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
To date, G20 members and invited countries
have pledged over $21 billion to support
funding in global health.
The announcement comes after the G20
countries injected more than $5 trillion into
the global economy in late March to fight the
virus and its economic impact.
At the time, the G20 leaders also asked the
World Bank and the International Monetary
Fund "to support countries in need using all
instruments to the fullest extent.
World Oceans Day: 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 government of Canada had proposed the
concept of World Ocean Day, at the Earth
Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.
The theme of UN World Oceans Day 2020 is
“Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean.”
OPEC & its allies agree to cut oil production by
about 10% till July
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC) and allied nations have agreed to extend a
production cut of nearly 10 million barrels of oil a
day through the end of July, hoping to boost energy
prices hard hit by the Coronavirus pandemic.
Ministers of the cartel and outside nations
like Russia met via video conference to adopt
the measure, aimed at cutting out the excess
production depressing prices as global
aviation remains largely grounded due to the
pandemic.
It represents some 10 percent of the world's
overall supply.
Algerian Oil Minister Mohamed Arkab, the
current OPEC president, warned attendees
that the global oil inventory would soar to 1.5
billion barrels by the mid-point of this year.
Tropical Storm Cristobal Hits Louisiana,
Mississippi Coasts
Tropical Storm Cristobal has reached the
southeastern United States, bringing heavy rains and
sustained winds of up to 50 mph.
Storm surge warnings have been issued for
the southeast coast of Louisiana as well as the
Mississippi coast.
Cristobal is the third named storm of the
Atlantic hurricane season.
If the storm maintains its current track,
Mississippi could be the state hardest hit.
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards
declared a state of emergency ahead of the
tropical storm and some communities in
Mississippi and Louisiana have been ordered
to evacuate.
Phillips said that winds will likely top out at
around 50 miles per hour, with the strongest
likely to come around the Mississippi coast.
World Accreditation Day: 9 June
The World Accreditation Day (WAD) is celebrated
globally on 9th June every year to highlight and
promote the role of accreditation in trade &
economy.
Accreditation has an important role in food
safety, by ensuring competent and impartial
inspection, certification and testing services
in all parts of local, national and international
food chains.
Accreditation can be applied to a wide variety
of assessment, approval or evaluation tasks
and is used by business, government and
regulators to help deliver a safer world.
2020 theme: “Accreditation: Improving Food
Safety”.
Myanmar military to use Facebook to counter
'misinformation'
Myanmar military ‘Tatmadaw’ has decided to use
Facebook again to provide ‘accurate’ news to people.
This was announced by the Tatmadaw
spokesperson Zaw Min Tun in Myanmar.
The military has decided to use the popular
social media platform to counter fake news
and misinformation and provide accurate
news to people swiftly, reports Irrawady.
Facebook had removed several accounts
linked to the Myanmar military in 2018.
While removing the accounts on August 28,
2018 the Facebook had said that they
removed 425 Facebook pages, 17 groups and
135 Facebook accounts and 15 Instagram
accounts linked to the Myanmar military as
evidence suggested that they had committed
serious human rights violations in Myanmar.
World Day Against Child Labour: 12 June
Every year on June 12, the World Day Against
Child Labour is observed on June 12 in almost
100 countries all around the globe.
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.
The ILO launched World Day Against
Child Labour in 2002
As per the United Nation's website,
World Day Against Child Labour 2020
focuses on the impact of the crisis on
child labour.
ISRO to organize online ISRO Cyberspace
Competitions-2020
The Indian Space Research Organization, ISRO will
organize the online ISRO Cyberspace Competitions-
2020 to ignite young minds in the country.
The ICC-2020 online competition will
involve drawing competition for Class 1 to 3
students, model making competition for
Class 4 to 8 and Essay competition for Class
9 and 10th students.
For the students of class 11 and 12, essay
competition is organized with space quiz
contests in Hindi and English.
HRD Minister releases NIRF ranking; IIT
Madras tops the overall list
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras is the best
higher education institution in the country, according
to the National Institutional Ranking Framework
released by Human Resource Development Minister
Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank.
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore has
bagged the second position and IIT Delhi is
in the third position.
Miranda House has been chosen as the best
college, followed by Lady Shri Ram and
Hindu College.
IISc, Bangalore has topped universities
category in the rankings, followed by
Jawaharlal Nehru University and Banaras
Hindu University.
UP govt successfully installs Tru NAAT
machines in all 75 districts
In Uttar Pradesh, the State Government has
successfully installed Tru NAAT machines in all
75 districts.
The state has also increased it's testing
capacity and yesterday tested 15,000 plus
samples. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath
has set the target to achieve 20 thousand
COVID testing per day in this month.
The Tru NAAT machines installed at
each and every district of state will help
in getting early results of the tests and
with the help of ANC, Pre-surgical and
severe acute respiratory infections SARI
Cases may be tested for COVID at all
districts now.
International Albinism Awareness Day: 13 June
International Albinism Awareness Day is celebrated
annually on June 13 to celebrate the human rights of
persons with albinism worldwide.
Albinism is a rare, non-contagious,
genetically inherited condition found in all
countries across the world irrespective of
background or culture.
This dissimilarity is a lack of melanin in the
eyes, skin and hair making prone to the sun
and bright light.
There is no treatment or cure for the absence
of pigmentation that is dominant in albinism.
2020 theme "Made To Shin."
World Blood Donor Day: 14 June
Every year on 14 June, countries around the world
celebrate World Blood Donor Day (WBDD).
The significance of this event is to celebrate
and thank all the blood donors in the world
who have selflessly donated blood and thus
saved a life unknowingly.
It also helps to raise awareness and thus
gather more donors to be part of the good
deed.
2020 theme: Save Blood Save Lives
Deforestation hits record high level in five years
in Brazil's Amazon rainforest
The Brazilian government said that the Amazon
rainforest witnessed deforestation of a record 829 sq
km in May, the highest monthly level since 2015.
The deforestation in the Amazon increased
by 91 sq km compared to the same period
last year.
Between January and April, destruction of
the forest by illegal loggers and ranchers
rose 55 per cent, or a total of 1,202 sq km
was wiped out..
A recent study by the Amazon
Environmental Research Institute (IPAM)
warned that deforestation in 2020 could
reach 11,900 sq km if the pace of May, June,
and July follows the historical average.
The Amazon rainforest, covering much of
northwestern Brazil and extending into
Colombia, Peru and other South American
countries.
Myanmar to scrutinise Chinese BRI Railway
project
The government of Myanmar has decided to
scrutinize the Muse-Mandalay railway project
connecting Mandalay with the capital city of
Yunnan province in China.
A Swiss company will review the feasibility
study of the railway project submitted by the
Chinar Railway Eryuan Engineering Group
(CREEG).
The 430 kilometre long railway project is a
key component of the China Myanmar
Economic Corridor (CMEC) which is part of
the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for
creation of infrastructure spanning the Asia
Pacific region.
The 8.9 billion dollar project seeks to
connect Kyaukphyu in western Myanmar’s
Rakhine State with Kunming via Muse in
Shan State through a high speed railway
connection.
Nepal Parliament’s Lower House unanimously
passes bill to redraw political map
The lower house of Nepal’s parliament
unanimously passed the historic Second
Constitution Amendment Bill guaranteeing legal
status for the updated political map of Nepal which
includes India’s territories in Pithoragarh district.
The voting came after a day-long discussion
which also included Maoist leader
Prachanda’s praise for the Nepal Communist
Party which he said is reversing centuries of
diplomatic humiliation of Nepal.
Following this amendment, the region of
Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and Lipulekh
located at present in Pithoragarh district of
Uttarakhand will be part of the map of Nepal
which will be included in Nepal’s national
emblem.
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day: 15 June
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) is
observed on 15th June every year.
The principal goal of World Elder Abuse
Awareness Day is to provide our
communities around the globe with an
opportunity to get a better knowledge of
abuse and neglect of older people.
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).
2020 theme: "Lifting Up Voices".
World Wind Day :15th June
Global Wind Day is a worldwide event that occurs
annually on 15 June.
The event is celebrated to spread awareness
about wind energy, the various uses of wind
energy, and the ways and possibilities as to
how wind energy can help change the world.
EWEA established the day as Wind Day in
the year 2007 and later in 2009, EWEA
(European Wind Energy Association) and
GWEC (Global Wind Energy Council)
teamed up with aims to coordinate the events
globally and the name was changed to World
Wind Day.
Global Wind Day began in Europe in 2007
and globally in 2009.
International Day of Family Remittances 16 June
International Day of Family Remittances 2020 aka
IDFR is celebrated each year on June 16 across the
world.
The day is organised by the United Nations
and is universally accepted.
This day is celebrated to recognise the efforts
of migrants who help to improve the lives of
their family members back home.
World Day to Combat Desertification and
Drought: 17th June
The World Day to Combat Desertification and
Drought is a United Nations observance each June
17.
Its purpose is to raise awareness of the
presence of desertification and drought,
highlighting methods of preventing
desertification and recovering from drought.
The World Day to Combat Desertification
And Drought was declared in the United
Nations General Assembly resolution on
January 30, 1995, after the United Nations
Convention to Combat Desertification.
This year the theme for World Day to Combat
Desertification And Drought is "Food. Feed.
Fibre".
Kyrgyzstan Prime Minister Abylgaziev resigns
The prime minister of Kyrgyzstan,
Mukhammedkalyi Abylgaziev, resigned citing a
corruption probe.
The Kyrgyz parliament raised the issue of the
offer of radio frequencies, which was trailed
by various representatives requesting
Abylgaziev demonstrate his honesty against
charges of debasement.
He was delegated as a leader by President
Sooronbai Jeenbekov in April 2018.
Sustainable Gastronomy Day: 18 June
Sustainable Gastronomy Day is observed globally on
18th June every year.
This day is observed to acknowledge
gastronomy as a cultural expression related to
nature as well as the cultural diversity of the
world.
As the COVID-19 pandemic is still unfolding
across the globe, sustainable gastronomy -
celebrating seasonal ingredients and
producers, preserving wildlife as well as our
culinary traditions - is today more relevant
than ever.
India to send Tri-Services Contingent to
participate in Russia’s Victory Day parade
India will send a 75-member Tri-Service contingent
to participate in the military parade in Moscow on the
occasion of the 75th anniversary of the victory in the
Second World War.
The parade will honour the heroism and
sacrifices made by the Russian and other
friendly people.
The Defence Minister of Russia had invited
an Indian contingent to take part in the
Victory Day Parade scheduled to be held on
24th June.
The participation will be a mark of tribute and
solidarity with the people of Russia at a time
when they remember their heroes of the Great
Patriotic War.
International Day for the Elimination of Sexual
Violence in Conflict: 19 June
International Day for the Elimination of Sexual
Violence in Conflict is observed globally on 19th
June every year.
The day honours all the victims and survivors
of sexual violence around the world and pays
tribute to the brave hearts who have devoted
and lost their lives in raising voices.
According to UN, conflict-related sexual
violence is defined as a term that "refers to
rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution,
forced pregnancy, forced abortion, enforced
sterilization, forced marriage, and any other
form of sexual violence of comparable
gravity perpetrated against women, men,
girls or boys that is directly or indirectly
linked (temporally, geographically or
causally) to a conflict".
Elbasy Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan's
First President, Tests COVID-19 Positive
First president of Kazakhstan, Elbasy Nursultan
Nazarbayev tested positive for COVID-19
coronavirus infection.
The report said that Nazarbayev continues
carrying out activities via videoconferencing.
Currently, the First President of Kazakhstan
is self-isolating.
The first two cases of coronavirus infection
were detected in Kazakhstan among those
who arrived in Almaty city from Germany on
March 13, 2020.
The total number of coronavirus cases
confirmed in Kazakhstan since the virus was
first confirmed in the country amounted to
15,877 cases.
France commits 200 million Euros for India's
COVID response
France and India signed an agreement with Paris
committing 200 million euros to support Delhi's
Covid response.
Through this loan, France will work with
India to increase the state and central
governments’ capacities to support the
country’s most vulnerable people in the wake
of the COVID-19 crisis.
The programme design, developed by the
World Bank in collaboration with the Indian
authorities, seeks to optimize and scale up the
Indian Government’s existing social
protection measures.
The programme will provide further benefits
to low-income families to ensure the health,
social and economic shocks arising from
Covid-19.
World Refugee Day: 20 June
World Refugee Day is celebrated every year on June
20.
This day is marked to honour the refugees of
the world.
Most of us are aware that refugees are forced
to leave their house because of issues like
war, terror attacks, or other crises.
But, leaving their houses and staying away
from their homes is just the beginning of a
tough and challenging journey.
Many a time these refugees have to adjust in
terrible weather conditions and sometimes
also find themselves living in camps until
they are shifted to another place.
The theme of World Refugee Day this year is
"every action counts."
World Sickle Cell Awareness Day: June 19
World Sickle Cell Awareness Day is celebrated on
June 19th of each year to raise the public awareness
about the sickle cell disease.
Sickle cell disease is a blood disorder that is
inherited and passed down from parents to
the child.
In India, sickle cell disease is more common
in south Gujarat, north Maharashtra, Madhya
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and western Odisha
with a smaller concentration in the southern
regions in India.
International Day of Yoga: 21 June
The International Day of Yoga has been celebrated
annually on 21 June since 2015, following its
inception in the United Nations General Assembly in
2014.
Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual
practice which originated in India.
The word ‘yoga’ derived from Sanskrit and
means to join or to unite, symbolizing the
union of body and consciousness.
The theme of International Day of Yoga 2020
is “Yoga for Health – Yoga at Home”.
World Hydrography Day : 21 June
World Hydrography Day is observed every year on
June 21 every year.
The day is an annual celebration to publicise
the work of hydrographers and the
importance of hydrography.
The International Hydrographic Organization
(IHO) adopted this day and started following
it since 2006 on June 21 every year.
World Hydrography Day 2020 theme is
“Hydrography enabling autonomous
technologies”
World Music Day : 21 June
World Music Day or Fête de la Musique is celebrated
on 21June.
It is an annual celebration that was founded
by Jack Lang and Maurice Fleuret in 1981.
On this day, musicians perform for free in
parks, museums, train stations, castles etc.
But this year due to the Coronavirus
pandemic the day is likely to be celebrated
mostly indoors.
World Music Day gives an opportunity to
commune and shares a special bond through
music.
More than a 66-million-year-old egg found in
Antarctica
Scientists have finally resolved the mystery behind
the 66-million-year-old fossil egg found in
Antarctica’s Seymour Island.
Some estimates also suggest its age to be 68-
million-years.
The fossil, which looks like a deflated
American football, was kept in a Chilean
museum and was nicknamed The Thing.
After much research and analysis, scientists
have said that the egg belongs to an extinct
giant sea lizard or snake that lived alongside
the dinosaurs.
According to the researchers, the millions
year old fossil egg, measuring 29 cm by 20
cm (8 inches by 11 inches), is the second-
largest egg in the world.
The first position still remains with the eggs
of Madagascar’s extinct giant flightless
elephant birds.
Nepalese FM radio stations start giving weather
bulletins of Lipulekh, Kalapani and
Limpiyadhura
After Nepal’s parliament endorsed the political map
that shows the disputed areas of Lipulekh, Kalapani
and Limpiadora as part of its territory earlier this
month, some Nepalese FM radio stations close to
India-Nepal border in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh
have started giving weather bulletins of these three
areas.
These FM radio stations are located in
Darchula district of Nepal and can be heard
in the bordering areas of Dharchula,
Baluakot, Jauljibi and Kalika towns on the
Indian side in Pithoragarh.
These Nepalese FM stations have started
giving information on weather reports of
Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura
considering these areas as their own
territories, like India, did recently with PoK.
In the first week of May, the Indian
Meteorological Department (IMD) had
started including cities like Muzaffarabad
and Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan-occupied
Kashmir (PoK) in its weather forecasts,
stating PoK was part of India.
Indonesia's most active volcano Mount Merapi
erupts
Indonesia's most volatile volcano spewed ash and hot
gas in a massive column as high as 6km (3.7 miles)
into the sky.
Mount Merapi's clouds of ash, accompanied
by a rumbling sound heard kilometres (miles)
away.
The 2,968-metre (9,737-foot) mountain is the
most active of 500 Indonesian volcanoes. It
has rumbled and generated dark hot clouds
since last year.
Its last major eruption in 2010 killed 353
people.
Indonesia, an archipelago of 270 million
people, is prone to earthquakes and volcanic
activity because it sits along the Pacific Ring
of Fire, a horseshoe-shaped series of fault
lines around the ocean.
International Widows’ Day: 23rd June
International Widows Day is observed globally on
23rd June every year.
The day is widely known to draw attention to
the voices and experiences of widows and to
galvanize the unique support that they have.
Several women around the world after losing
her life partner faces challenges and do long-
term struggle for basic needs, their human
right and dignity.
The Loomba Foundation initiated the
International Widow’s Day in 2005.
International Olympic Day: 23 June
International Olympic Day is celebrated across the
world on June 23 every year.
The Olympic Day was celebrated for the first
time ever on 23 June 1948.
The day is observed every year to mark the
importance of games and sports in our lives
and to promote participation in games and
sports across the world, irrespective of age,
gender, cast or religion.
UNHCR asks Myanmar to ensure safe return of
Rohingyas
The United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) has adopted a resolution calling
upon Myanmar to create conditions for the voluntary,
safe, dignified and sustainable return of Rohingyas
and all forcibly displaced persons.
Adopting the resolution, UNHCR also
stressed the need to address the root cause of
human rights violations and abuses against
ethnic minorities like Rohingyas in the
Rakhine state of Myanmar.
The UNHCR called upon the Myanmar
government to allow media, independent
observers and diplomatic corps full access to
the country.
It also urged the government of Myanmar to
lift the internet shutdown imposed in Rakhine
state.
UNHCR Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
Head: Filippo Grandi
Founded: 14 December 1950
India pledges $10 million to UNRWA over next
two years
India pledged USD 10 million to the United Nations
Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in
the Near East (UNRWA).
It will also donate life-saving drugs to
Palestine to help them in combating the
COVID-19 pandemic.
The contribution of USD 10 million would be
an additional amount over and above the
USD 5 million contribution announced for
year 2020.
The amount would be contributed over the
coming two years.
International Day in Support of Victims of
Torture: 26 June
June 26 marks the International Day in Support of
Victims of Torture.
The day is celebrated annually to speak out
against the crime of torture and to honour and
support victims and survivors throughout the
world.
On this day people around the globe pay their
respects to those who have suffered the
unimaginable torture.
International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit
Trafficking: 26 June
The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit
Trafficking is observed annually on 26 June, since
1989.
The day is observed by the United Nations as
an expression of its determination to
strengthen action and cooperation to achieve
the goal of an international society free of
drug abuse.
Drug abuse does not necessarily include
exploitative consumption of drugs such as
cocaine, hallucinogens, cannabis, sedative-
hypnotics and opiates, but also includes
prescription medications such as painkillers,
sleeping pills, and tranquilisers.
2020 theme: “Better Knowledge for Better
Care”.
Russia plans to take first tourist on space walk in
2023
Russia's Energia space corporation said that it will
take the first tourist on a space walk in 2023, under
the terms of a new contract with a US partner.
Energia has inked a contract with Space
Adventures, which promises to take two
space tourists to the International Space
Station.
As per the deal, two tourists will be sent to
the International Space Station (ISS) in the
year 2023 under the joint agreement of both
the companies.
From the end of RSC Energia, one of the two
tourists will be able to do a spacewalk
together with a cosmonaut from Roscosmos.
Money in Swiss banks: India at 77th place,
accounts for just 0.06% of all foreign funds
India has moved down three places to 77th rank in
terms of money parked by its citizens and enterprises
with Swiss banks at the end of 2019.
The UK has retained its top position, as per
the latest data from Switzerland's central
bank.
India was ranked 74th in the previous year.
It accounts for just about 0.06 per cent of the
aggregate funds parked by all foreign clients
of Switzerland-based banks.
In comparison, the top-ranked UK accounted
for close to 27 per cent of the total foreign
funds parked with Swiss banks at the end of
2019.
The top-15 countries account for nearly 75
percent of all foreign money in Swiss banks,
while the contribution of the top-30 is almost
90 per cent.
Terror financing watchdog FATF decides to
continue Pakistan in Grey List
In a setback for Pakistan, the global terror financing
watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has
decided to keep Pakistan in the Grey List' for terror
financing.
The decision has been taken as Pakistan has
failed to check the flow of money to terror
groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-
e-Mohammed (JeM).
The decision was taken at the Financial
Action Task Force's third and final plenary
held virtually due to the COVID-19
pandemic.
Now, Pakistan will continue to remain in the
Grey List till FATF's next meeting to be held
in October.
Now, it will be difficult for Pakistan to get
financial aid from the IMF, World Bank,
ADB and the European Union, thus further
enhancing problems for the nation which is in
a precarious financial situation.
China, Pakistan sign deal over hydel power
project under CPEC worth $2.4 billion in PoK
A tripartite agreement was signed between a Chinese
company and the governments of Pakistan and China
for construction of a 1,124-megawatt hydropower
project at Kohala on the Jhelum river at a cost of
USD 2.4 billion.
Pakistan PM termed the agreement "the
country's biggest-ever foreign investment".
The Hydropower project is located near the
villages of Siran and Barsala in Muzaffarabad
district of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.
The project is part of the China Pakistan
Economic Corridor.
The estimated cost of the project is USD
2,364 million and is expected to be completed
by 2026.
NASA names its headquarters after
Mary.W.Jackson, agency’s first African-
American female engineer
NASA is renaming its Washington DC headquarters
in honor of the first black female engineer to work at
the American space agency - the 'Mary W. Jackson
NASA Headquarters building.'
Jackson, a mathematician and aerospace
engineer, started her career in the segregated
West Area Computing Unit of the agency's
Langley Research Center in Virginia.
While working at NASA, Jackson was one of
three women who prepared astronaut John
Glenn's 1962 orbital mission as the US beat
the Soviet Union (USSR) in the space race.
She was given the Presidential Medal of
Freedom in 2015.
International Day of The Tropics: 29 May
International Day of the Tropics is observed every
year on June 29 every year.
The Day aims to raise awareness to the
specific challenges faced by tropical areas
and the role that countries in the tropics will
play in achieving the Sustainable
Development Goals.
The Tropics are a region of the Earth, roughly
defined as the area between the tropic of
Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn.
They receive sunlight that is more direct and
are generally hotter and wetter with little
seasonal change in day-to-day temperature.
The tropical region faces several challenges
such as climate change, urbanisation,
deforestation, logging and demographic
changes.
Malawi Opposition Leader Lazarus Chakwera
Wins Presidential Election Re-run
Malawi's opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera was
declared the winner of a rerun presidential election.
It is a dramatic reversal of incumbent Peter
Mutharika's discredited win 13 months
earlier in a process that analysts viewed as a
triumph for democracy in Africa.
Chakwera, 65, secured the required majority,
with 58.57% of the vote.
Chakwera won election to a five-year term as
president of the nation of 18 million people.
Malawi Capital: Lilongwe
Currency: Malawian kwacha
Trump makes vandalising national monuments
punishable offence with up to 10 yrs jail
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive
order to prosecute those who damage national
monuments, making it a punishable offence with up
to 10 years in jail.
The order comes in the wake of rioters
defacing and destroying historical sites,
monuments and statues in the country as
violence erupted following the brutal
custodial death of African-American George
Floyd on May 25.
Over the last five weeks, there has been a
sustained assault on the life and property of
civilians, law enforcement officers,
government property and revered American
monuments such as the Lincoln Memorial.
Marathon Vote on Extending Putin's Rule until
2036 Begins amid Coronavirus Epidemic
Russia has begun voting on constitutional reforms
that could allow President Vladimir Putin to serve
another two terms in office.
The official vote is scheduled for 1 July, but
authorities said they were opening polling
stations a week early to stop overcrowding
amid the pandemic.
The big changes would limit a president's rule
to two six-year terms in total, rather than two
consecutive terms, and reset the clock so Mr
Putin could continue in office after 2024.
Aside from potentially allowing him to lead
Russia until 2036 - the reforms would give
the president power to nominate top judges
and prosecutors for approval by Russia's
upper house of parliament.
Vietnam hosts online ASEAN Summit amid
pandemic
Southeast Asian leaders held their annual summit by
video to show unity and discuss a regional
emergency fund to respond to the immense crisis
brought by the coronavirus pandemic.
Long-divisive South China Sea conflicts
were also in the spotlight.
The leaders of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations talked online due to regional
travel restrictions and health risks.
Vietnam, the current ASEAN chair, had
planned face-to-face meetings, but most
member states assessed it was still too risky
for leaders to travel.
International Day of Parliamentarism: 30 June
Every year 30 June is celebrated across the world as
International Day of Parliamentarism.
It marks the day of establishment of Inter-
Parliamentary Union, the global organization
of parliaments in 1889.
On this day parliaments get the chance to take
stock, identify challenges, and find ways to
address them effectively.
International Asteroid Day: 30 June
June 30th is celebrated as International Asteroid Day
worldwide. This year will mark the 6th anniversary
of World Asteroid day.
The day is celebrated to spread awareness
about the asteroid, its intensity, and how it
will impact planet Earth if it crashes it.
The date of June 30th was selected as it marks
the anniversary of the Tunguska event.
Tunguska impact over Siberia, Russian
Federation that took place on June 30, 1908.
It was the most harmful known asteroid-
related event on Earth as it destroyed local
plants and animals.
Global Day of Parents: 01 June
The United Nations celebrates Global Day of Parents
on 1st of June every year to honour all the parents
throughout the world.
The Global Day of Parents recognizes the
primary responsibility of the family in
nurturing and protecting their children.
The day acknowledges the selfless
commitment of all parents for their children
including their lifelong sacrifice towards
nurturing this relationship.
The day was designated by the General
Assembly in 2012 to honour all the parents
throughout the world.
SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft docks at ISS after
historic launch
SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft with two NASA
astronauts successfully docked with the International
Space Station after a historic launch from the
Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
It was the first time a private company put a
human into orbit.
Elon Musk's SpaceX company confirmed the
successful docking of NASA astronauts Bob
Behnken and Doug Hurley with the ISS, the
orbiting laboratory after traveling 19 hours.
With the liftoff, SpaceX became the first
private company to launch people into orbit,
a feat achieved previously by only three
governments the US, Russia and China.
Centre announces 'Mudra Shishu loan' for small
businesses and cottage industries
Government has pledged to make an Atma Nirbhar
Bharat. A 1500 crore interest subvention for small
business and cottage industries has been announced
under Mudra Shishu loan.
Under this scheme, one lakh beneficiaries can
avail interest benefit of 2 per cent for a year.
A Rs 5000 crore package was announced for
the roadside hawkers.
Under this, 50 lakh street vendors can avail
loan upto Rs 10,000.
Street vendors can contact any nationalised
bank to avail the benefit.
National “Artificial Intelligence Portal” of India
launched
The National “Artificial Intelligence Portal” of India
called “ai.gov.in” has been launched by the Union
Minister for Electronics and IT, Law and Justice and
Communications Ravi Shankar Prasad.
It has been jointly developed by the Ministry
of Electronics and IT along with IT Industry.
The portal will be jointly run by the National
e-Governance Division of Ministry of
Electronics and IT along with National
Association of Software and Service
Companies (NASSCOM) from the IT
industry.
Prime Minister announces "My Life My Yoga"
Video Blogging contest in Mann Ki Baat
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a video
blogging competition and invited citizens to
participate in it during his 'Mann Ki Baat' address to
the nation.
The 'My Life, My Yoga' contest (also called
'Jeevan Yoga) is a joint effort by the Ministry
of AYUSH and the Indian Council for
Cultural Relations (ICCR).
It focuses on the transformative impact of
Yoga on the lives of individuals and it comes
as one of the activities related to the
observation of the sixth International Day of
Yoga (IDY) coming up on June 21.
Through the competition, the Ministry of
AYUSH and ICCR seeks to raise awareness
about Yoga and to inspire people to prepare
for and become active participants in the
observation of IDY 2020.
Centre approves Rs 1,407 crore for
implementation of Jal jeevan mission in Assam
during 2020-21
Centre has approved Rs 1,407 crore for
implementation of Jal jeevan mission in Assam
during the year 2020-21.
Centre has also allocated over 1 thousand 832
crore rupees for implementation of Jal jeevan
mission in Bihar during 2020-21.
Assam has planned to provide functional tap
connections to 13 lakh rural households in
2020-21, out of total 63 lakh households.
The state has planned to immediately provide
household tap connections to all remaining
households belonging to weaker and
marginalised sections on a priority basis.
Jal Jeevan Mission was announced by the
Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year aims
to provide tap water connections to 18 Crore
rural households of the country by the year
2024.
UP becomes first state to prepare one lakh beds
for COVID-19 patients
Uttar Pradesh has become the first state in the
country to prepare one lakh beds for COVID-19
patients.
Each of the 75 districts has dedicated beds for
patients in the respective facilities.
The beds in the hospitals are classified into
three categories- Level 1, level 2 and level 3.
While level one and two beds are for patients
exhibiting mild symptoms, level three beds
are meant for graver infections.
Level three hospitals will have ventilator
support as well as ICU facilities for the
patients, besides having provisions for
dialysis.
Govt bans file sharing website ‘WeTransfer’
citing security reasons
The government has ordered internet service
providers to block computer file sharing website
WeTransfer due to security reasons.
The order issued by the department of
telecom on May 18 directed all ISP to block
two download links on the Dutch website
WeTransfer and also the entire website
www.wetransfer.com.
The DoT has received reference from the
ministry of electronics and IT to block the
website and two download links
immediately.
Exact reason for blocking of the website
could not be ascertained.
WHO launches ‘C-TAP’ for equitable access to
life-saving tech
WHO has launched the ‘COVID-19 Technology
Access Pool’ for equitable access to life-saving tech.
This comes after at least 37 countries jointly
appealed to the World Health Organisation
for common ownership of vaccines,
medicines and other diagnostic tools to
combat the global health crisis.
C-TAP aims to accelerate the development of
vaccines and medicines through the sharing
of research and information and to increase
manufacturing capacity for any products that
are developed.
WHO has also issued a ‘Solidarity Call to
Action’ urging other stakeholders of the UN
health agency to join the cause.
DRDO develops ‘Ultra Swachh’ for disinfection
of PPEs, electronic items, fabrics
Defence Research and Development Organization
(DRDO) has developed a disinfection unit named
Ultra Swachh to disinfect a wide range of materials,
including Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs),
electronics items, fabrics and others.
Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied
Sciences, the Delhi-based laboratory of
DRDO has developed this product with
industry partner Gel Craft Health care Private
Ltd.
The system uses an advanced oxidative
process consisting of multiple barrier
disruption approaches using Ozonated Space
Technology for disinfection.
Ultra Swachh is double-layered, with
specialized Ozone sealant technology
ensuring trapping of Ozone for the necessary
disinfection cycle.
It also has a catalytic converter to ensure
environment friendly exhaust.
Ultra Swachh comes in two variants namely
Ozonated Space and Trinetra Technology.
Trinetra technology is the combination of
Ozonated space and radical dispenser.
Govt targets to provide Kisan Credit Cards to one
crore 50 lakh dairy farmers
The government has set a target to provide Kisan
Credit Card (KCC) to one crore 50 lakh dairy farmers
belonging to Milk Unions and Milk producing
Companies under a special drive within next two
months.
The card will be provided from June to 31st
of July.
Farmers who already have a Kisan Credit
Card based on their land ownership, can get
their KCC credit limit enhanced.
However, interest subvention will be
available only to the extent of three lakhs
rupees.
Although the general limit for KCC credit
without collateral will remain 1.6 lakh
rupees.
This will ensure more credit availability for
dairy farmers associated with Milk Unions as
well as assuring repayment of loans to banks.
Centre approves 175 crore rupees for
implementation of Jal jeevan mission in
Meghalaya
Centre has approved 175 crore rupees for
implementation of Jal jeevan mission in Meghalaya
during 2020-21.
Jal Jeevan Mission was launched by the
Union Government last year aims to provide
Functional Household Tap Connection to
every rural household by 2024.
Out of 5.89 lakh total rural households, the
State is planning to provide 1.80 lakh tap
connections in 2020-21.
Elections to 24 Rajya Sabha seats to be held on
19th of June
Election Commission has announced that elections
for 24 Rajya Sabha seats spread across 10 states will
be held on June 19.
Polling for 18 of these 24 seats were deferred
due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Of these 18 seats, four each are from Andhra
Pradesh and Gujarat, three each from
Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, two from
Jharkhand, and one each from Manipur and
Meghalaya.
The EC also announced that Rajya Sabha
polls for a total of six seats in Arunachal
Pradesh, Karnataka and Mizoram will also be
held on June 19 along with the elections that
were deferred from March.
The Rajya Sabha is the upper house of the
bicameral Parliament of India.
It currently has a maximum membership of
245.
Out of which 233 are elected by the
legislatures of the states and union territories
using single transferable votes through Open
Ballot while the President can appoint 12
members for their contributions to art,
literature, science, and social services.
Govt unveils PM SVANIDHI scheme to provide
affordable loans to street vendors
Union Government launched PM SVANIDHI -
Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor’s Atmanirbhar Nidhi
- a special micro-credit facility scheme for providing
affordable loans to street vendors.
The scheme is aimed at enabling the street
vendors to resume their livelihoods that have
been adversely affected due to COVID-19
lockdown.
Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry
launched the scheme in pursuance of the
announcement made by Finance Minister
Nirmala Sitharaman last month.
The street vendors belonging to the
surrounding peri-urban or rural areas are
being included as beneficiaries under the
urban livelihoods programme for the first
time.
Under the scheme, each of these streets
vendors will be given a credit loan of Rs
10,000, which they can return as monthly
installments within a year.
Those who repay their loans on time will get
7 percent annual interest as subsidy which
will be transferred in their bank accounts.
PM Modi greets people on 6th Telangana State
Formation Day
Telangana is celebrating the 6th anniversary of its
Formation Day on 02 June.
The Government of India declared this
historic day for Telangana, the youngest state
in India in 2014.
This day signifies the sustained Telangana
Movement history through the years for a
separate state.
Telangana Founded: 2 June 2014
Capital: Hyderabad
Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan
Chief minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao
Gujarat govt gearing up to tackle cyclonic storm
Nisarga
Gujarat government is gearing up to tackle the
cyclonic storm Nisarg which is likely to hit the south
Gujarat coast.
The cyclone is expected to hit some parts of
Maharashtra and Gujarat.
NDRF has already deployed 13 teams in
Gujarat including two kept as reserve and 16
in Maharashtra including seven teams as
reserve while one team each was deployed
for Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar
Haveli.
At its strongest, Nisarga would be associated
with wind speeds in the range 95-105 km per
hour.
HP govt launches online portal Skill Register to
create database of migrants
In Himachal Pradesh, the State Government
launched an online portal Skill Register to create a
sound database of migrants, who have recently
entered the state during the lockdown in the wake of
the Corona pandemic.
Skill Register would provide industries in
getting information regarding skilled
manpower.
In order to utilize the services of skilled
migrants who recently returned to the state
the IT Department has created an online
portal Skill Register.
In this online portal, interested persons can
register through skillregister.hp.gov.in.
Reports regarding skill would be prepared
district wise, educational qualification wise
and on work experience.
Indian Energy Exchange launches real-time
electricity market
Energy trading platform Indian Energy Exchange
launched the real-time electricity market (RTM) on
its platform.
The RTM enables consumers, including
distribution companies (discoms) and captive
users, to buy power on exchanges just an hour
before delivery.
There will be 48 auction sessions during the
day with delivery of power within one hour
of closure of the bid session.
Delhi CM launches app to help track hospital
beds, ventilators for COVID-19 patients
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched a
‘Delhi Corona App’ for people to give accurate
information about beds and ventilators availability in
city's hospitals.
This app will be updated two times in a day.
On Delhi's preparedness to deal with the
Coronavirus, he said, it is a matter of concern
that cases in Delhi are rising but there are
sufficient arrangements of beds, ICU and
oxygen to deal with this infectious disease
and people need not to worry.
Arunachal plans tap connections for all
households by March 2023
The annual action plan of Arunachal Pradesh to
achieve 100 per cent household tap connections in
the state was approved by the National Jal Jeevan
Mission of the Union ministry of Jal Shakti.
The state had proposed to provide 100 per
cent tap connections to all the households by
March, 2023.
The Centre has approved Rs 255 crore for the
state under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in 2020-
21.
Water availability in Arunachal Pradesh is
not an issue, but its mountainous terrain,
sparsely located habitations and harsh
climatic conditions pose challenges in
implementation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches the
Silver Jubilee celebrations of Rajiv Gandhi
University of Health Sciences
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Silver
Jubilee celebrations of Rajiv Gandhi University of
Health Sciences based in Bengaluru.
Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences
(RGUHS) is a public, affiliated university in
Bangalore. It is the largest health sciences
university in India.
It was set up in 1996 by the government of
Karnataka for the regulation and promotion
of higher education in health sciences
throughout the state of Karnataka.
RGUHS is a member of Association of
Commonwealth Universities, UK.
Report on restructuring of the film sector
submitted to I&B minister
An Expert Committees on Rationalisation of Film
Media Units and Review of Autonomous Bodies
submitted its report to the Ministry of Information
and Broadcasting. The Committee was chaired by
Bimal Julka.
It has suggested an umbrella configuration
with 4 broad verticals under which institutes
should work. They are - Production, Festival,
Heritage and Knowledge.
It has recommended that these verticals be
headed by professionals.
It has also recommended creation of a Film
Promotion Fund for independent filmmakers
for making commercial films.
Bimal Julka is the Chief Information
Commissioner (CIC) of India.
Govt launches SWADES to conduct skill mapping
of citizens returning under VBM
Union Government has launched a new initiative
SWADES- Skilled Workers Arrival Database for
Employment Support to conduct a skill mapping
exercise of the returning citizens under the Vande
Bharat Mission.
This is a joint initiative of the Ministry of
Skill Development and Entrepreneurship,
Civil Aviation Ministry and External Affairs
Ministry.
SWADES aims to create a database of
qualified citizens based on their skill sets and
experience to tap into and fulfil demand of
Indian and foreign companies.
The collected information will be shared with
the companies for suitable placement
opportunities in the country.
The returning citizens are required to fill up
an online SWADES Skills Card.
The data collected through SWADES Skill
Card will help the citizens with job prospects
and bridge the demand-supply gap.
PM Modi took part in 'India-Australia Virtual
Summit' with Australian PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took part in India-
Australia Virtual Summit with his Australian
counterpart Scott Morrison.
This is the first time that Prime Minister Modi
has held a Bilateral Virtual Summit.
The Strategic Partnership between the two
countries was strengthened in 2014 - with the
visit of the then Australian Prime Minister
Tony Abbott to India and the visit of Prime
Minister Modi to Australia in November
2014.
Framework for Security Cooperation
between Australia and India signed in
November 2014 during Mr Modi's visit to
Australia.
The economic engagement has also been
growing. In 2018-19, the trade between the
two countries was around 21 billion dollars.
Karnataka invites chip manufacturing company
'Intel' to set up its unit in state
Karnataka has extended an invitation to major chip
manufacturing company Intel to set up it's unit in the
state.
Intel India Head and top executives spoke to
the Deputy Chief Minister Dr. C N Ashwath
Narayana through video conferencing,
regarding their interest to set up the unit
either in Mangaluru or Belagavi.
Mangaluru is a port city and Belagavi in
North Karnataka is at the proximity of Goa
port.
Dr C N Ashwath Narayana has assured all
help to set up the unit in either one of these
two cities.
Karnataka is home to major tech companies
and offers the ease of doing business
ecosystem.
CM Didi Kitchen emerges as lifeline for all needy
women during COVID-19 lockdown in
Jharkhand
In Jharkhand, the Chief Minister Didi Kitchen is
proving to be a lifeline for all the needy, poor,
desolate women, specially-abled and the elderly
since the lockdown orders were imposed across the
country ahead of COVID-19 pandemic.
Chief Minister Didi Kitchen scheme was
started by Chief Minister Hemant Soren
across the state on April 2 with the motive
that no poor or needy should starve to sleep
during the Lockdown period.
CM Didi Kitchen provides food to the needy,
poor, women and migrant laborers for two
times a day.
Following social distancing norms, the
beneficiaries come to eat these meals daily
and are very happy with the help being given
by the government during the lockdown
period.
CM Didi Kitchen scheme was initially started
for 21 days by the Jharkhand State
Livelihood Mission on April 2nd in the state,
but this welfare scheme has been expanded
after the lockdown was extended.
Tamil Nadu Govt starts implementation of Rs.
300-crore Rural Rejuvenation Scheme
In Tamil Nadu, the State Government has started
implementing a Rs. 300-crore Rural Rejuvenation
Scheme to ensure sustained economic growth in rural
areas.
The scheme had been announced taking into
consideration the continued stoppage of
various economic activities because of
COVID-19 lockdown.
Each district in the state has been allocated
around Rs. 10 crore to evolve development
programmes taking into consideration the
purely regional and local factors.
Under the scheme, Cauvery Delta region
districts have started planning largely
agriculture oriented schemes.
J&K L-G launches ''MeraVetan'' app for
government employees
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Girish
Chandra Murmu launched a salary tracker mobile
app ''MeraVetan'' aimed at providing salary-related
information to government employees.
The employees will easily be able to access
their salary and other details anytime, the L-
G said, while adding that this would
especially be useful for those posted in
remote and rural areas with no access to the
drawing and disbursing officers (DDOs).
The MeraVetan mobile app has been
developed by National Informatics Centre
(NIC) J&K.
After installing the app, the employees need
to enter their centralized personnel
information system (CPIS) ID, date of birth,
GPF and NPS subscription number.
It provides information on pay scale,
GPF/NPS subscription, allowances,
deductions, GPF/NPS statement, income tax
statement, SLI statement, etc.
Chhattisgarh govt launches ‘Spandan Campaign’
to check suicide and fratricide
The Chhattisgarh government launched the Spandan
Campaign to contain incidents of suicide and
fratricide involving police personnel, and
instructions were issued to senior officers to strictly
adhere to guidelines in this regard.
The motive of the campaign is to prevent the
force from depression and stress pushing
them to take extreme steps.
A total of 50 police personnel, including
personnel of paramilitary forces, committed
suicide in Chhattisgarh over the past two
years.
As part of the campaign ”Spandan”, senior
police officers will visit police lines, police
stations and armed forces companies to
interact with the personnel to know about
problems being faced by them.
No new schemes for a year, says finance ministry
amid rising COVID-19 cases
The finance ministry announced that the remainder
of this year will see no new schemes till March 31.
This move aimed at tightening the spending
even as the country is witnessing an uptick in
coronavirus cases.
The ministry said only the ones sanctioned
and announced under the Atmanirbhar Bharat
Abhiyan and other special packages will be
attended to.
The schemes already approved under the
Budget will also stay suspended till March
31.
On May 22, Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
governor Shaktikanta Das said the Covid-19
pandemic will likely lead to a contraction in
India GDP in the financial year 2020-21.
National awareness campaign on Prevention of
Human, Animal Mortality on Highways launched
Union Road, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin
Gadkari launched a national awareness campaign on
Prevention of Human and Animal Mortality on
Highways.
The need for generating awareness and
education for the masses at large towards
reducing or eliminating mortality on the
roads.
The Minister informed that the country
witnesses nearly five lakh road accidents
every year, in which about 1.5 lakh lives are
lost.
The program aims to bring down these
figures by 20 to 25 per cent by March next
year.
He requested NGOs and social organisations
to locate black spots for animals on the roads,
and inform his ministry, so that necessary
corrective action may be taken.
Power Minister launches the ‘#iCommit’
initiative on World Environment Day
Power Minister R K Singh initiated the ‘#iCommit’
campaign on the occasion of World Environment
Day.
The campaign aims to create a robust and
resilient energy system in the future by
moving towards energy efficiency,
renewable energy, and sustainability.
The ‘#iCommit’ initiative is driven by
Energy Efficiency Services Limited
It will integrate a wide set of players
including Governments, Corporates,
Multilateral and Bilateral Organisations,
Think Tanks as well as Individuals, hence
building a new energy future for India.
#iCommit initiative can bring together a
diverse spectrum of government and private
players to build a new energy future for India.
India launches Nagar Van project to create urban
forest in 200 cities
On World Environment Day, India has launched
‘Nagar Van’ an ambitious project to create urban
forest cover which will act as green lungs in 200
cities across the country.
The “Nagar Van (Urban Forests)”
programme has been launched with 200
corporations and cities across India. During
the launch of the programme, the Union
Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar
urged people to actively participate and
increase the tree cover in their areas.
The “Nagar Van” programme aims to
develop 200 Urban Forests across India in
next five years with the help of people’s
participation and collaboration between the
Forest Department, Municipal bodies, NGOs,
Corporates and local citizens.
CeNS develops low-cost catalyst for hydrogen
generation from water
Scientists from The Centre for Nano and Soft Matter
Sciences (CeNS), have found out a low cost and
efficient way to generate hydrogen from water using
Molybdenum dioxide as a catalyst.
The scientists have shown that Molybdenum
dioxide (MoO2) nanomaterials annealed in
the hydrogen atmosphere can act as efficient
catalysts to reduce the energy input to bring
about water splitting with great efficiency.
Electrolytic splitting of water is a promising
method to generate hydrogen but requires
energy input that can be brought down in the
presence of a catalyst.
Rajasthan CM Gehlot launches Online Labour
Employment Exchange
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot recently
launched the Raj Kaushal Portal and Online Shramik
Employment Exchange through video conferencing.
It is a major initiative taken by the state
government after the lockdown, to make it
easier for the workers to get employment who
are suffering from livelihood losses and to
make the labour available to the industries
facing labour shortage.
Taking a note of the migration of workers
from the state and the arrival of migrant
workers due to the corona pandemic, CM
Gehlot had directed to create an online labour
exchange.
NCL Pune develops indigenous nasopharyngeal
swab for collecting samples
The National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) Pune has
successfully developed an indigenous
nasopharyngeal (NP) swab for collecting samples
from the throat cavity of patients affected with
Corona Virus which causes the COVID-19.
The NCL, a lab under the Council for
Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR),
will manufacture one lakh nasopharyngeal
swabs a day.
The nasopharyngeal swab is a medical device
with stringent specifications of quality,
polymer grade, dimensions and sterilization.
It consists of a cylindrical plastic stick with a
brush-like tip of synthetic bristles/flocks.
Government sets up task force to examine
maternal mortality rate, women’s health
The Ministry for Women and Child Development
(WCD) has set up a task force to look into factors that
affect Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) among Indian
women.
The task force, headed by Jaya Jaitley, has
been mandated with inquiring into “matters
pertaining to age of motherhood, imperatives
of lowering MMR, improvement of
nutritional levels and related issues.
The task force will examine the correlation of
the age of marriage and motherhood with the
health, medical wellbeing and nutritional
status of the mother and her baby during
pregnancy, childbirth and afterwards.
It will also suggest measures for promoting
higher education among women and suggest
suitable legislation or amendments in
existing laws to support its recommendations.
Kylie Jenner tops, Akshay Kumar only Indian on
the Forbes highest-paid celebrities list
Kylie Jenner and Kanye West topped the annual
Forbes list of the highest paid celebrities, but sports
stars, including Roger Federer and Lionel Messi,
dominated the top 10.
Forbes estimated that Jenner earned $590
million in the last 12 months, mostly from the
sale of a 51% stake in her Kylie Cosmetics
line to Coty in 2019.
Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, 52-year-
old, is the only Indian to feature on Forbes
2020 list of World’s Highest-Paid
Celebrities, at the number corresponding to
his age, 52.
In this list, Akshay has beaten celebs such as
Hollywood actors Will Smith and Jennifer
Lopez, and singer Rihanna, with earnings of
48.5 million dollars.
ARCI, MEKINS develop UVC-based disinfection
cabinet to control spread of COVID 19
International Advanced Research Centre for Powder
Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI) and the
MEKINS Industries have developed a UVC-based
Cabinet.
The UVC-based Cabinet will disinfect non-
critical hospital items, laboratory wear, and
PPEs in order to prevent surface
contamination of COVID 19.
The cabinet will also have the capability to
disinfect items that have been exhibited to
customers in commercial establishments and
several domestic items.
With relaxation of the lockdown, there is a
chance of transmission through surface
contamination and hence the common
utilities will play a key role in such situations.
Therefore, the best way to tackle this
transmission is by using a dry and chemical-
free rapid disinfection through exposure to
UVC light.
CSIR, AIM join hands to promote culture of
innovation, entrepreneurship
Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)
has partnered with Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) to
promote innovation in India.
AIM is a Government of India flagship
initiative that promotes a culture of
innovation and entrepreneurship in the
country.
Both organizations have signed a letter of
intent to boost the innovation ecosystem of
the country.
The partnership will support world class
start-ups through CSIR Incubators under the
Atal Innovation mission initiatives.
They will jointly work on new models of
innovation and will also set-up CSIR
Innovation Parks.
With the collaboration of CSIR with ARISE,
an initiative of AIM, they will together
stimulate innovation and research in the
MSME industry.
NABARD provides Rs 270 crore to Assam
Gramin Vikash Bank
In the wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic, National
Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
(NABARD) has made available a Special Liquidity
Facility (SLF) of Rs 270 crore to Assam Gramin
Vikash Bank.
This amount has been provided for
supporting the agricultural activities of the
farmers.
Following the pandemic, NABARD has
provided Rs 25,000 crore nationwide for
providing liquidity support to Cooperative
Banks, Regional Rural Banks and
Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) during
2020-21 with a view to ensuring continued
flow of credit to farmers.
ISRO signs MoU with ARIES for space
situational awareness
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and
Aryabhatta Research Institute (ARIES) have signed
a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for
cooperation in the field of Space Situational
Awareness (SSA) and Astrophysics.
This MoU will make the way for future
collaborations between ISRO and ARIES in
setting up optical telescope observational
facilities for space object tracking, R&D
studies in space weather, astrophysics and
Near-Earth Object (NEO).
The main objective of the MoU is to shield
the Indian Space assets from the space
debris’s conjunction threats and R&D of
Astrophysics, solar sciences and space
environment are the base for future space
exploration projects and the key to progress
in the Indian Space sector.
IIT, Hyderabad researchers develops low cost
and Artificial Intelligence-based test kit for
COVID-19
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology-
Hyderabad have developed a low cost and Artificial
Intelligence-based test kit for COVID-19.
These kits can give results in about 20
minutes.
The test kits are Reverse Tranion Polymerase
Chain Reaction (RT-PCR)-free and get rid of
many processes.
He further said the cost of COVID testing
with these IIT-H BioChips will be around
600 rupees and can be almost halved in case
of mass production of the chips.
These kits can be transported to rural areas as
they are very light and helpful to increase the
testing for COVID-19 in the country.
India, Denmark sign MoU for developing
cooperation in power sector
India and Denmark have signed an MoU for
developing cooperation in the power sector.
The MoU signed is to develop a strong, deep
and long-term co-operation between two
countries in the power sector on the basis of
equality, reciprocity and mutual benefit.
It provides for collaboration in areas like
offshore wind, long term energy planning,
forecasting, flexibility in the grid,
consolidation of grid codes to integrate and
operate efficiently variable generation
options, flexibility in the power purchase
agreements and variability in renewable
energy production.
Indian electricity market will benefit from
this cooperation with Denmark.
Under the MoU, a Joint Working Group will
also be established.
Govt mandates distinct colour strip on top of
sticker carrying details of registration for BS-VI
vehicles
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has
mandated a strip of green colour of one centimetre
width on top of the existing sticker carrying details
of registration for BS-VI vehicles of any fuel type.
For petrol and CNG vehicles, there is a light
blue colour sticker and for diesel vehicles, it
is of orange colour.
The Ministry in a statement said that such
stickers will now have a green strip of one
centimetre width on top for BS VI four wheel
vehicles.
Green strips of such thickness for BS 6
vehicles for stickers of registration details are
being stuck on windshields of 4 wheelers.
Centre allocates highest ever funds of Rs 1,01,500
crore under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Scheme during 2020-
2021
A provision of one lakh one thousand 500 crore
rupees has been made under Mahatma Gandhi
National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in
the current financial year 2020-2021.
It is the highest ever provision of funds under
the programme.
A sum of 31 thousand 493 crores has already
been released in 2020-2021, which is more
than 50 percent of the budget estimate of the
current Financial Year.
Average number of persons to whom work
offered in May this year has been 2.51 crore
per day, which is 73 percent higher than the
work offered in May last year.
Indian Air Force designs, develops &
manufactures ARPIT
The Indian Air Force has designed, developed and
manufactured an Airborne Rescue Pod for Isolated
Transportation (ARPIT).
This pod will be utilised for evacuation of
critical patients with infectious diseases
including COVID-19 from high altitude
areas, isolated and remote places.
Requirement of an air evacuation system with
facility to prevent spread of infectious aerosol
from a COVID-19 patient during air travel
was felt by IAF when COVID-19 was
declared as a pandemic.
This indigenously designed system has been
developed at a cost of Rs. 60,000 only, which
is very less as compared to the imported
systems costing up to Sixty Lakh.
The system has been developed as a
lightweight isolation system made from
aviation certified material.
Jharkhand gives BRO approval to employ 11,800
workers for border projects
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has
permitted the Border Roads Organization (BRO) to
employ more than 11,800 workers from the state for
critical national projects.
Jharkhand is also set to sign a first-of-its-kind
memorandum of understanding (MoU) with
the BRO for ensuring the welfare of workers
in all recruitments in the future.
The MoU, prepared by the CMO and the
state's labour department, will ensure an
institutional framework safeguarding the
benefits and welfare of workers from the state
going to work at high-altitude projects of the
BRO.
The 11, 815 workers that the BRO had
requested for recruitment are needed for
Operation Vijayak in Ladakh (about 8,000
workers required), Project Shivalik in
Uttarakhand, Project Deepak in Himachal
Pradesh, Project Beacon in Jammu and
Kashmir.
Engineer from Maharashtra develops 'Coro-bot'
to reduce physical contact of care-givers with
COVID-19 patients
A robot named ‘Coro-bot’ has been developed by an
engineer from Thane district of Maharashtra, in order
to reduce the physical contact of care-givers with
COVID-19 patients.
Instrumentation Engineer, Pratik Tirodkar
developed the ‘Coro-bot’ to cut away the
requirement of physical contact of nurses and
ward boys with the patient as they confront a
great risk while working in the COVID-19
hospitals.
The robot ‘Coro-bot’ will be operated by a
special app from any location in the world
based on the idea of Internet of Things (IoT).
This robot can provide various services such
as delivering food, water and medicines to the
patients suffering from COVID-19, without
any necessity of physical presence of nurses
as well as other care-givers.
Impressed by its performance, Thane
Guardian Minister Eknath Shinde has
indicated to deploy Coro-bot in over a dozen
government and private hospitals of the
district.
Andhra Pradesh launches online waste exchange
website “APEMC”
Online waste exchange website of Andhra Pradesh
Environment Management Corporation (APEMC)
has been launched by the Andhra Pradesh Chief
Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Andhra Pradesh has become India’s first state
to launch a waste exchange website. Through
this platform, the state government seeks to
protect the environment by covering 100%
safe disposal of toxic waste, proper tracking,
scrutiny as well as audit of waste.
With this platform, the Andhra Pradesh
government will promote the six ‘R’s namely
Reduce, Refurbish, Reuse, Recycle,
Redesign and Remanufacture.
The platform has been set up by the
government as there was a need for an
appropriate system for the scientific disposal
of the waste generated by the various
companies in the state.
Hence, APEMC will monitor the generation
of waste across the State and will also take
effective measures for its scientific disposal.
Manipur CM inaugurates Plant Health Clinic in
Imphal
With an aim to boost economic growth of Manipur
through agriculture and horticulture, Chief Minister
N. Biren Singh inaugurated a Plant Health Clinic at
the Directorate of Horticulture and Soil
Conservation, Imphal.
The aim to open the clinic is to boost the
economic growth of Manipur through
agriculture and horticulture. Along with the
clinic, the Chief Minister also launched a
mobile soil testing laboratory van.
The state government has decided to give
more emphasis on agriculture and
horticulture sectors in this hour of the
pandemic COVID-19.
The initiative taken up by the department to
set up such a plant clinic will provide plant
health diagnostic services to farmers.
Tech Mahindra signs UN Global Compact
Initiative to reduce emissions
Tech Mahindra has signed a joint declaration with
UN Global Compact and hence joined 155 global
companies in calling for policies to build resilience
against future shocks by supporting the activities
targeted to hold global temperature rise to within
1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, in order to reach
net-zero emissions before 2050.
Tech Mahindra seeks to reduce carbon
footprint and emissions by moving towards a
zero-carbon resilient economy. It will
achieve its objective with the use of new-age
technologies such as the internet of things,
artificial intelligence and blockchain.
These 155 global companies from across 34
sectors have a combined market
capitalization of more than $2.4 trillion,
representing five million employees.
The business voices of the above signatories
will be convened by the Science Based
Targets Initiative (SBTi) and its business
ambition for 1.5°C campaign partners, the
UN Global Compact and the We Mean
Business coalition.
IIT Guwahati students’ startup Flyzy develops
mobile application for contactless travel
Students of Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
have developed a mobile application, called ‘Flyzy’,
to provide a seamless air travelling experience to
passengers during the pandemic.
The mission is to build Flyzy into India’s
finest aviation IT technology company for
providing a stress-free and safe journey to
flyers.
The aim of the application is to provide
contactless boarding keeping in mind the
easier baggage drop, manageable parking, a
better shopping experience and providing
necessary updates during the whole journey.
They plan to install this in the airports.
This a hybrid software which will support
face-biometric recognition in the future,
without changing the complete software
system of the airport.
IIT stated the idea is not only relevant during
the present pandemic situation but also
during the non-crisis time.
DIAT Pune develops Nano-technology based
disinfectant spray to combat COVID-19
Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, a
Deemed University, Pune has developed a Nano-
technology based disinfectant spray to combat
COVID-19 by disinfecting all types of surfaces.
It has been named “ANANYA”. This can be
used by anyone, from a common man to a
healthcare worker, for individual as well as
large scale use.
This spray can be used on masks, PPEs,
hospital linens, as well as other likely
contaminated surfaces such as medical
instruments, elevator buttons, door knobs,
corridors and rooms.
This Nano-technology assisted formulation
will not only stop the novel coronavirus from
entering the human body, but it will also kill
the virus when the virus comes in contact
with this formulation layer on masks and
PPEs.
This is a water based spray and will be
effective for more than 24 hours after spray.
Madhya Pradesh govt launches urban street
vendor welfare programme
Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh
Chouhan has started Street Vendor Registration
Portal http://www.mpurban.gov.in/ and
“Mukhyamantri Shahri Path Vyavsayi Utthan
Yojana” and transferred Rs 300 crore to urban local
bodies.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi for starting
Pradhan Mantri Path Vikreta Aatmanirbhar
Nidhi Karyakram along with this Shehri Path
Vyavasayi Utthan Yojana will commence in
order to benefit the state’s urban businessmen
under which small businessmen or vendors
will be given Rs 10,000 in the form of
working capital.
The current COVID-19 situation, for
development purposes, the Government has
provided Rs 1,555 crore to 22,800 Gram
Panchayats.
Global economy to shrink 5.2% this year due to
coronavirus pandemic
According to the World Bank, the global economy,
which has plunged into a severe contraction, will
shrink by 5.2 per cent this year due to the massive
shock of the coronavirus pandemic.
The coronavirus recession is the first since
1870 to be triggered solely by a pandemic.
Emerging Markets and Developing
Economies (EMDEs) are expected to shrink
by 2.5 per cent this year, their first
contraction as a group in at least 60 years.
Per capita incomes are expected to decline by
3.6 per cent, which will tip millions of people
into extreme poverty this year.
The current projections suggest that the
coronavirus recession will involve a decline
in global per capita Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) by 6.2 per cent.
Centre allots Rs 4,000 cr to states under ‘Per Drop
More Crop’
The Central government has allocated Rs 4,000 crore
as annual allotment to states for the current financial
year under the ‘Per Drop More Crop’ component of
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY-
PDMC).
The state governments have identified the
beneficiaries to be covered under the
programme.
The Department of Agriculture Cooperation
and Farmers’ Welfare is implementing the
‘Per Drop More Crop’.
PMKSY-PDMC focuses on enhancing water
efficiency at farm level through micro
irrigation technologies such as ‘drip and
sprinkler’ irrigation.
The drip micro irrigation technique not only
helps in saving water but also reduces
fertilizer usage, labour expenses and other
input costs.
So far, micro irrigation funds have been
released to Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu
for Rs 616.14 crore and for Rs 478.79 crore,
respectively, through NABARD.
MHA reconstituted a new committee for the
welfare of freedom fighters
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has
reconstituted a new committee for the welfare of the
freedom fighters.
This committee chaired by the minister of
state for home affairs G Kishan Reddy and 9
other “eminent freedom fighters” from across
the country.
The ministry features a separate division to
serve freedom fighters who are alive and their
families.
It disburses pension to about 30,000 freedom
fighters and their families.
Besides Reddy, former Congress MLA from
Gujarat Dinakar Bhai Desai, who took part
within the 1942 Quit India movement, is
among those a part of the panel.
Operation Desert Chase: 2 arrested in Rajasthan
for sharing confidential details with Pakistan
The special branch of Rajasthan Police arrested two
civil defence employees on espionage charges.
Both the employees were passing
information to the Pakistani intelligence
agency, the police said.
The arrests were made based on the inputs
provided by Military Intelligence (MI).
The Operation is an anti-espionage operation
that was started by the Military Intelligence
in 2019. The men were arrested under
Official Secrets Act, 1923.
Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle Complex
inaugurated at Visakhapatnam
The Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV)
Complex was inaugurated at Visakhapatnam by Vice
Admiral Atul Kumar Jain.
The DSRV Complex is designed to
accommodate the newly inducted Submarine
Rescue System with state of the art facilities
to store the DSRV assets in a Rescue-Ready
state.
The DSRV system consists of a Submarine
Rescue Vessel, a Remote Operations
Vehicle, Side Scan Sonar and associated
equipment.
It also has Diver Decompression Chambers
and hyperbaric medical equipment to
decompress submariners after being rescued
from a sunken submarine.
The DSRV system can be rapidly mobilised
by air or road to facilitate submarine rescue
operations even at distant locations.
Central Railway launches Robotic ‘CAPTAIN
ARJUN’ to intensify screening, surveillance
Railway Protection Force, Pune has launched a
Robotic ‘CAPTAIN ARJUN’ (Always be
Responsible and Just Use to be Nice) to intensify the
screening and surveillance.
This Robot is launched to screen passengers
while they board trains and keep a watch on
anti-social elements.
Captain ARJUN is equipped with a motion
sensor, one PTZ camera and one Dome
Camera.
The Cameras use Artificial Intelligence
algorithms to track suspicious and antisocial
activity.
It also has an inbuilt siren, motion activated
spotlight, with an in-built internal storage for
recording in case there is a network failure.
Captain ARJUN does thermal screening and
records the temperature in a digital display
panel.
NHAI becomes first construction sector
organisation to go ‘Fully Digital’
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI)
has gone ‘Fully Digital’, with the launch of cloud-
based and Artificial Intelligence-powered Big Data
Analytics platform ‘Data Lake and Project
Management Software’.
In the current Covid-19 pandemic scenario,
the NHAI employees are working without
any fear of physical contact and touching of
physical files.
The lockdown period was used by NHAI to
train its employees about using high-tech
software.
All project documentation, contractual
decisions, and approvals are now being done
through the portal only.
Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta assumes the
charge as Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval
Command, Visakhapatnam
Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta assumed the charge
as Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command,
Visakhapatnam.
Biswajit Dasgupta is an alumnus of National
Defence Academy.
He was commissioned into the Indian Navy
in 1985 and is a specialist in Navigation and
Direction.
He has commanded four frontline ships
including the missile corvettes INS Nishank,
INS Karmuk, stealth frigate INS Tabar and
the aircraft carrier INS Viraat.
Union Agriculture Minister launches 'Sahakar
Mitra' Internship programme to provide paid
internship to youth
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar
launched Sahakar Mitra Internship programme to
provide paid internship to youth and ensure
availability of assured project loans to young
cooperators.
Launching the scheme, Mr. Tomar said that,
National Cooperative Development
Corporation (NCDC), has embarked upon a
series of initiatives in the cooperative sector
entrepreneurship development ecosystem,
through capacity development.
Sahakar Mitra Scheme will provide the
young professionals an opportunity of
practical exposure and learning from the
working of NCDC and cooperatives as a paid
intern.
Under the scheme, professionals in
disciplines including Agriculture and allied
areas, IT, Agri-business, Cooperation,
Finance, International Trade, Forestry, Rural
Development, Project Management will be
eligible for the paid internship.
Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh launches
mobile App- ‘Ghar Ghar Nigrani’
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has
launched a mobile based app - ‘Ghar Ghar Nigrani’,
to undertake house to house surveillance in the state
till the elimination of the pandemic.
It is a Health Department initiative,
encompassing ASHA workers/Community
Volunteers, as a tool for early detection and
testing of the people for Covid19, and
preventing its community spread.
Entire rural and urban population of Punjab
above 30 years of age shall be surveyed as
part of the drive, which will also cover
persons below the age of 30 having co-
morbidity or Influenza like Illness/Severe
Acute Respiratory Illness.
This would not be a one-time activity but an
ongoing process till the containment of
COVID.
He said that the survey would help the state
develop an extremely important database to
further plan its COVID containment strategy
and make targeted interventions for the
community.
MP govt gives 'corona warriors' status to Divyang
Anganwadi workers
In Madhya Pradesh, Divyang Anganwadi workers
are playing an important role in the state during the
ongoing Corona crisis.
They are distributing nutritious food from
house to house of the beneficiaries.
They are also advising people to avoid corona
infection.
The Madhya Pradesh government has given
status of Corona warriors to the Anganwadi
workers.
'STREE' to support, empower women
undergoing domestic violence launched in
Hyderabad
Hyderabad City Security Council (HCSC) in
association with Hyderabad City Police has launched
a programme 'STREE' that will support and empower
women undergoing domestic violence and abuse.
Considering the fact that this year's
International Women's Day theme is 'Each
for Equal', a programme for women's
empowerment that will be sustainable and
impactful involving women from the
community has been ideated.
The name reflects the vision - "She Triumphs
through Respect, Equality, and
Empowerment" (STREE).
Its objective is to create a platform for women
from various walks of the community to
come together on a common platform to
facilitate a joint forum for women and Police
to work together on issues of safety and
security of women and girls.
UP Government launches 'Bal Shramik Vidya
Yojana'
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath
inaugurated ‘Bal Shramik Vidya Yojana’,
Under this scheme Uttar Pradesh government
will pay Rs 1,000 to sons and Rs 1,200 to
daughters of labourers every month to
support their families and keep them away
from child labour.
Children in the age group of 8-18 years will
be eligible for the scheme and to encourage
them to focus on studies.
The government has also included another
incentive of Rs 6,000 yearly after the child
completes each class – that is 8th, 9th and
10th.
Loss of smell, taste included as new symptoms of
Coronavirus
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has
issued the clinical management protocol for Covid-
19.
Loss of smell and loss of taste are included
as new symptoms of coronavirus amongst
others.
The Health Ministry suggested that
investigational therapies and drugs-
Remdesivir, Convalescent Plasma Therapy,
Tociluzimab and Hydroxychloroquine
should only be used in a defined subgroup of
Covid patients.
The Health Ministry also suggested that use
of Tocilizumab may be considered in
patients with moderate disease with
progressively increasing oxygen
requirements and in mechanically ventilated
patients, not improving despite use of
steroids.
DRDO develops ‘GermiKlean’ to sanitise
uniforms of security forces
Defence Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO) has developed a sanitizing chamber named
‘GermiKlean’ to sanitise uniforms of security
forces.
The sanitizing chamber has been set up at
Parliament Street Police Station.
DRDO’s move came after Delhi Police gave
their requirement for sanitizing their
uniforms, canes, cane shields, helmets, etc.
This chamber is designed to sanitise 25 pairs
of uniforms within 15 minutes.
Govt launches AarogyaPath portal for
healthcare supply chain
AarogyaPath, a web based solution for the
healthcare supply chain was launched to serve
manufacturers, suppliers and customers to
effectively deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.
This national healthcare supply chain portal
will remove supply chain bottlenecks during
the Covid-19 pandemic.
The vision of this initiative is to set up an
information management and forecasting
database platform at national level.
It will capture demand and supply scenarios
for key healthcare needs items.
This public platform will help healthcare
users like hospitals, pathology laboratories,
research institutes, medical colleges and
patients.
It will also provide seamless access to
suppliers, manufacturers and importers for
prevailing needs and demand related to
medical equipment, diagnostic instruments,
drugs, Personal Protective Equipment,
respiratory assistance devices.
Grand Anicut Dam in Tamil Nadu to be opened
on June 16
The Grand Anicut Dam (Kallanai), near Trichy in
Tamilnadu, will be opened for Kuruvai irrigation in
the Cauvery Delta region on June 16th.
This will ensure the availability of Cauvery
water even in the remotest corners of the
delta region like Thanjavur, Thiruvarur and
Nagapattinam districts.
Kallanai is an ancient dam, which is built (in
running water) across the Kaveri river.
The dam was originally constructed during
the reign of Chola king Karikalan in c. 100
BC – c. 100 AD.
It is the fourth-oldest water-diversion or
water-regulator structures in the world and
the oldest in India which is still in use.
GMR signs pact with Andhra govt to develop
greenfield airport at Bhogapuram
The Andhra Pradesh government signed a
concession agreement with GMR Airports Ltd for
construction of a greenfield international airport at
Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram district.
The state cabinet on March 4 had approved
the selection of the GMR Group as the
developer for Bhogapuram international
airport.
The GMR Group would develop a state-of-
the-art international airport at Bhogapuram
which would be ready by 2023.
The government is also planning to
construct a metro rail network in
Visakhapatnam that would be extended up
to the Bhogapuram airport.
Uttar Pradesh govt decides to adopt scheme of
Flatted Factory Model
In Uttar Pradesh, the State Government has decided
to adopt the scheme of Flatted Factory Model which
will ensure easy availability of land for industries,
and in turn, generate employment also.
Flatted factories that means multi-storeyed
buildings in which multiple non-polluting
units can operate will be allowed.
The new policy will allow the owner of an
industrial land of at least five acres to
develop one-fourth of it as a flatted factory.
The model can be adopted only for non-
polluting manufacturing unit permitted by
industrial development authority like
manufacturing of readymade garments,
handicrafts.
CIMAP announces photography competition on
medicinal and aromatic plants
In an effort to create awareness about the usefulness
of Medicinal and aromatic plants, the Central
Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic plants (CIMAP)
has announced a photography competition on
medicinal and aromatic plants.
Through this competition, CIMAP also wants
to convey the message of conservation of
these medicinal plants.
The theme of the competition is ‘Know your
Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs)’.
Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic
Plants (CIMAP) is a research institute of
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
(CSIR).
It is located in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
Central Railway sets up Body Screening Facility
‘FebriEye’ in Mumbai's CSMT, LTT Stations
In order to effectively scan passengers for symptoms
of COVID-19, Central Railway has set up a body
screening facility called FebriEye.
This is yet another effort towards passenger
safety after automated ticket checking and
managing access (ATMA) machines and
Always be Responsible and robotic Captain
Arjun.
In order to effectively scan passengers for
COVID-19 symptoms and to ensure
contactless entry, body-screening facility
"FebriEye thermal cameras" have been set up
at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and
Lokmanya Tilak Terminus in Mumbai,
Maharashtra.
FebriEye is an Artificial Intelligence-based
thermal screening system for real-time and
automated, non-intrusive monitoring to
ensure that a person entering does not have a
high fever.
Odisha’s unique festival Raja Parba begins
On Raja Praba, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has
greeted the people Of Odisha.
Raja Parba, Odisha’s three-day unique
festival celebrating the onset of monsoon and
the earth’s womanhood has begun.
As a mark of respect towards the earth during
her menstruation days, all agricultural works,
like ploughing, sowing are suspended for the
three days.
Raja Sankranti is the first day of the Ashara
month.
It is celebrated on the day prior to the
Sankranti, (Pahili Raja), the day of Sankranti,
and the day after, known as Bhu Daha or
‘Basi Raja.
The festival is essentially the celebration of
the earth’s womanhood. It is believed that
during this time the Mother Earth or Bhudevi
undergoes menstruation.
Chhattisgarh Police launches Spandan campaign
to protect police personnel from depression,stress
Chhattisgarh Police has launched a campaign
‘Spandan’ to protect the jawans from depression and
stress.
Director General of Police DM Awasthi
recently initiated this campaign from a
Maoist affected Kanker district of Bastar
division.
More than 50 police personnel, including
personnel of paramilitary forces, committed
suicide in Chhattisgarh over the past two
years.
Eighteen of these cases were reported from
seven districts of Maoist-affected Bastar
division.
Apart from this, Jawans opening fire on their
colleagues were also reported in recent years.
Assam fire: MB Lal Committee recommendations
not implemented for a decade
The recent massive fire at the Baghjan Oil field,
Assam had caused serious environmental damages
and led to migration of 1000s of people in the region.
The Government of India has taken several
measures to address the issues of such oil
field fires.
In 2009 GoI constituted the M B Lal
Committee following the fire accident at the
IOCL terminal in Jaipur.
The Committee had made 118
recommendations in regards to the safety
guidelines to be followed by the oil
companies while installing oil wells.
NCLT allows Jet Airways to sell office in
Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex
The NCLT has allowed Jet Airways to sell its
premises in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) to settle
Rs 360 crore dues of mortgage lender HDFC.
Jet Airways' insolvency resolution
professional Ashish Chhawchharia had
moved the NCLT to seek approval to sell its
third and fourth floor in Godrej BKC building
to clear overseas debt.
The Principal Bench of NCLT in its order
granted permission to the grounded airline to
sell the premises for utilising the proceeds to
settle Rs 360 crore dues of HDFC.
The property is a non-core asset of the
grounded airlines, which was never used by
Jet as part of its airlines business.
IISc develops ‘Workplace Readiness Indicator’
for organizations to insulate workplaces from
Corona pandemic
A team of researchers in Indian Institute of Science,
IISc in Bengaluru have developed ‘Workplace
Readiness Indicator’ for organizations to insulate
their workplaces from Corona pandemic.
It is an online assessment tool developed in
collaboration with the Karnataka State
Disaster Management Authority for ensuring
safe workplaces.
The Workplace Readiness Indicator
developed by IISc will help plan and
establish pandemic-specific policies,
procedures and necessary management
practices.
An organization can enter relevant
information about their workplace and the
tool developed by IISc will calculate
readiness using ten specific indices like
infrastructure, precautions, outreach,
employees interaction level, transport among
others.
India's first infectious disease diagnostic lab now
ready
India's first infectious disease diagnostic lab is now
ready.
This rapid response mobile laboratory is part
of government Atma Nirbhar Bharat.
This laboratory was built in a record time of
eight days from the date of receipt of
Automotive Chassis, from Bharat Benz.
It is built with the support of the Department
of Biotechnology.
The lab is a BSL-2 facility with on site Elisa,
real-time reverse tranion polymerase chain
reaction (rRT-PCR) test and Biochemistry
analysers.
This lab can test Elisa about 200 per day and
RTPCR about 50 per day.
MoS Home G Kishan Reddy launches robot to
assist COVID-19 workers in Telangana
Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy
launched a robot ‘GermiBAN’.
The robot carries essentials products to
frontline COVID-19 workers.
The robot was developed by a Hyderabad-
based company, namely AIC ALEAP of the
WEHub.
The device has the capability of killing 99.9%
of surface and air microbes.
CBIC launches e-Office application
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs
(CBIC) launched ‘e-Office’ in more than 500 GST
and customs offices.
It will improve governance by automating the
internal processing and handling files.
The launch of the new application signifies a
crucial change in the internal office
procedures that till now relied on manual
handling of files and paper movement.
The e-Office application, developed by the
National Informatics Centre (NIC), helps
online file-related work, ranging from
receiving and marking dak, operating a file,
getting the draft letter ready, its clearance and
signature and dispatch of the inked letter.
CBIC Chairperson: M. Ajit Kumar
Founded: 1 January 1964
Headquarters: New Delhi
India ranked 43rd on IMD's World
Competitiveness Index
India continues to remain ranked 43rd on an annual
World Competitiveness Index compiled by Institute
for Management Development (IMD).
Singapore has retained its top position on the
63-nation list.
Denmark has moved up to the second
position (from 8th last year), Switzerland has
gained one place to rank 3rd, the Netherlands
has retained its 4th place and Hong Kong has
slipped to the fifth place (from 2nd in 2019).
WCI compiled by Institute for Management
Development (IMD)
KVIC taps palm industry to provide direct
employment
The Khadi and Village Industries Commission
(KVIC) rolled out a unique project to produce ''Neera
and Palmgur (jaggery)'' which it expects has a huge
potential to create employment in the country.
The project was launched at Dahanu in
Palghar district of Maharashtra, a state with
more than 50 lakh palm trees.
The initiative will provide direct employment
to 400 local traditional trappers.
The project aims at promoting ''Neera'' as a
substitute to soft drinks while also creating
self-employment for tribals and traditional
trappers.
Neera, extracted from the palm trees before
sunrise, is a nutrient-rich health drink
consumed in many Indian states.
India 9th largest recipient of FDI in 2019, US
Tops: UN Report
India became the world’s 9th largest recipient of the
foreign direct investment in 2019 scoring deals worth
$51 billion.
World Investment Report 2020 is the 30th
edition of the annual report.
The United States is the largest recipient of
FDI in 2019 at $246 billion.
China, Singapore, Netherlands and Ireland
are the top 5 largest recipients of FDI in 2019
respectively.
Magnetic Maharashtra 2.0 launched
The state government of Maharashtra has signed 12
Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) with
Indian and foreign corporations from countries like
USA, China, South Korea and Singapore.
Some of the prominent companies investing
in Maharashtra include Great Wall Motors
Company, API Motors, United Phosphorus
and ExxonMobil.
The MOUs have been signed as a part of the
‘Magnetic Maharashtra 2.0’ initiative of the
state to restart the economy which has taken
a hit by coronavirus pandemic.
The total cost of the MoU is Rs 16,100 crore.
UP becomes top state in country to provide
employment to workers under MGNREGA
Uttar Pradesh has become the top state in the country
to provide employment to the workers under the
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Scheme MGNREGA.
Uttar Pradesh provided employment to more
than 57 lakh workers under MGNREGA.
57 lakh 12975 workers got employment in
around 57 thousand village panchayats of the
state which is 18% of the total work
generated under the Mahatma Gandhi
National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
(MGNREGA) in the country.
Officials said that the state has generated 7.93
crore man-days and the government will
provide jobs to 10 lakh more workers in the
coming days.
Average temperature over India projected to rise
by 4.4 degrees Celsius
Average temperature of India experienced a rise in
temperature, along with decline in rainfall,
significant increase in frequency of very severe
cyclonic storms and droughts over the past few
decades.
Thi was declared in a research report of the
Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
According to the report, "Since the middle of
the twentieth century, India witnessed rise in
temperature, decrease in monsoon with a rise
in extreme temperature and rainfall,
droughts, and sea levels and increase in
intensity of severe cyclones.
India's average temperature has risen by
around 0.7 degrees Celsius during 1901-
2018, it said, adding that the rise is largely on
account of GHG-induced warming and
partially offset by forcing due to
anthropogenic aerosols.
It states that the average temperature over
India is projected to rise by 4.4 degrees
Celsius, while the intensity of heat waves is
likely to increase by 3-4 times by the end of
the century.
PM Narendra Modi to launch 'Garib Kalyan
Rojgar Abhiyaan' to boost livelihood
opportunities in rural India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch 'Garib
Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan' on June 20 to boost
livelihood opportunities in rural India.
The Government of India has decided to
launch a massive rural public works scheme
'Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan' to empower
and provide livelihood opportunities to the
returnee migrant workers and rural citizens.
The campaign of 125 days across 116
districts in 6 states aims to work in mission
mode to help migrant workers.
It will involve intensified and focused
implementation of 25 different types of
works to provide jobs and create
infrastructure in the rural regions of the
country.
India elected as non-permanent member of UN
Security Council for a two-year term
India was elected as a non-permanent member of the
UN Security Council for a two-year term after
winning 184 votes in the 193-member General
Assembly.
Along with India, Ireland, Mexico and
Norway also won the Security Council
elections.
India was a candidate for a non-permanent
seat from the Asia-Pacific category for the
2021-22 term.
Its victory was certain as it was the sole
candidate vying for the lone seat from the
grouping. India's two year term will begin on
January 1, 2021.
This is the eighth time that India will sit at the
UN high-table, which comprises five
permanent members and 10 non-permanent
members.
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain tested
positive for COVID-19
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain has tested
positive for COVID-19.
He was admitted to a hospital following high
fever.
The first report of Mr Jain was negative.
The minister was tested again after 24 hours
today and this time, he tested positive.
PM Modi pays tribute to Acharya Mahapragya
on his birth centenary
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to
Acharya Mahapragya on his birth centenary
celebration.
He also described Acharya Mahapragya as
the Swami Vivekanand of modern times.
The Prime Minister said that Atal Bihari
Vajpayee was also a follower of Acharya
Mahapragya.
Acharya Shri Mahapragya was the tenth head
of the Shwetambar Terapanth order of
Jainism.
Mahapragya was a saint, yogi, spiritual
leader, philosopher, author, orator, and poet.
He has written more than 300 books in
Sanskrit, Hindi, Gujarati, English on these
subjects.
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurates
an International Workshop on Good
Governance Practices in a Pandemic
The International Workshop on “Good Governance
Practices in a Pandemic for International Civil
Servants” was inaugurated by the Union Minister of
State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions,
Jitendra Singh.
The workshop was organized by Indian
Technical and Economic Cooperation
(ITEC), Ministry of External Affairs and
National Centre for Good Governance
(NCGG), Department of Administrative
Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG).
The two-day Conference featured the
participation of 81 International Civil
Servants from 16 Countries.
Government unveils auction process for coal
mines
India fully opened commercial coal mining for the
private sector through auctions designed to boost
production, reduce imports and raise state revenues.
The auction of 41 coal blocks, announced by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is expected
to attract ₹33,000 crore in investments, with
private miners sharing revenues with the
government.
The blocks are located across Madhya
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha
and Maharashtra.
There will be no restriction on the sale and
utilization of coal from the mines.
Despite hosting the world’s fourth-largest
coal reserves, India imports around 235
million tonnes (mt) of coal a year, of which
around 135 mt worth ₹1.71 trillion could be
sourced locally.
According to the coal ministry, these 41
mines are expected to hit a peak production
of 225 mt, generating around 15% of India’s
coal output in 2025-26.
'Air-Venti' App to provide information on ICU
beds, ventilators in Mumbai
In Maharashtra, amid the COVID-19 crisis,
Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM)
has launched a mobile application “Air-Venti” to
help residents in the city to know about the
availability of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds
and Ventilators.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the
acute shortage of ventilators for the
‘Respiratory Intensive Care Unit’ for
severely ill patients.
The mobile app ‘Air-Venti’ launched by the
civic body in Mumbai aims to provide overall
statistics of ICU beds and ventilators that are
occupied and vacant in both govt and private
hospitals besides location map, ability to
contact hospital through telephonic call and
email is also available.
Karnataka Government observes “Mask Day”
on 18 June
The Karnataka government has decided to observe
June 18 as "Mask Day".
The day was observed to spread awareness
about the use of masks, sanitisers, washing
hands with soap, and maintaining social
distancing among other things aimed at
controlling the spread of COVID-19.
To observe “Mask Day”, the Karnataka
government organised a march which
featured the participation of public
representatives, dignitaries and medical staff.
Indian Railways terminate Chinese Contract due
to poor performance
Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India
(DFCCIL) has decided to terminate the contract with
Beijing National Railway Research and Design
Institute of Signal and Communication Group
limited.
The contract has been terminated due to poor
performance of the company.
In 2016, the Chinese company had won the
contract to install signalling system and
telecommunications work in over 400
kilometre of rail lines of Kanpur Deendayal
Upadhyaya section.
Despite the passage of four years there is only
20 per cent progress in the work.
British oil giant BP to set up global business
centre in Pune
British Petroleum’s (BP) India is planning to set up a
global business service centre in Pune and hire 2000
people for the same.
This is in contrast to the oil major's other
plans as part of which it is laying off 10,000
employees.
BP said the global business service (GBS)
centre is expected to begin operations by
January next year and will provide business
processing and advanced analytics
capabilities in support of BP businesses
worldwide.
When fully operational it is expected to
employ around 2,000 staff.
ICICI Home Finance launches affordable
housing loan scheme
ICICI Home Finance has launched a special
affordable housing loan scheme, with special rates
for women, lower and middle income groups.
Called SARAL, it aims to fund homes in
urban and rural areas.
It has been developed for women, lower-
middle-income customers, and economically
weaker sections who have a maximum
household income up to Rs 6 lakhs annually.
This housing loan is offered at an interest rate
starting from 7.98 per cent onwards.
Under the SARAL affordable housing loan,
one can opt for a loan up to Rs 35 lakhs, and
for a maximum tenure of 20 years.
19th Great June Uprising Day observed in
Manipur
The 19th Great June Uprising Day was observed in
Imphal and other places of Manipur on 18 June.
The day is observed every year on 18 June to
pay tribute and respect to 18 persons who lost
their lives in June, 2001 to protect the
territorial integrity of Manipur.
On the occasion, family members of the 18
martyrs and leaders of some organisations
paid floral tribute & respect to 18 persons at
Kekrupat, Manipur.
BJP's Jyotiraditya Scindia, Congress leader
Digvijaya Singh and Shibu Soren of JMM among
19 elected to Rajya Sabha
Results of all eight states that went to polls for Rajya
Sabha have been declared.
Voting was held for 19 seats spread over
eight states.
Jyotiraditya Scindia of BJP, Congress leader
Digvijaya Singh and former Jharkhand Chief
Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha
(JMM) Chief Shibu Soren were among those
elected to 19 Rajya Sabha seats.
Of the 19 seats, four each were from Andhra
Pradesh and Gujarat, three each from
Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, two from
Jharkhand, and one each from Manipur,
Mizoram and Meghalaya.
India will be UN Security Council President for
August, 2021
India, which has been elected as a non-permanent
member of the Security Council, will serve as the
president of the powerful 15-nation UN body for the
month of August, 2021.
The presidency of the Council is held by each
of the members in turn for one month,
following the English alphabetical order of
the member states' names.
India will assume the rotating presidency of
the Council for the month of August next
year. India will preside over the Council
again for a month in 2022.
India, Norway, Ireland, Mexico and Kenya
were elected as the non-permanent members
of the UNSC for a two-year term beginning
January 1, 2021.
Tunisia will begin 2021 as the President of
the Council in January, followed by a month
each for the rest of the year by the UK, the
US, Vietnam, China, Estonia, France, India,
Ireland, Kenya, Mexico and Niger.
Govt Launches Portal 'SATYABHAMA' to
Promote R&D in Mining, Mineral Sector
The mines ministry announced the launch of a portal
"SATYABHAMA" with an aim to promote research
and development in the mining and minerals sector.
This portal will allow online submission of
project proposals along with monitoring of
the same and utilisation of funds.
The portal has been designed, developed and
implemented by the National Informatics
Centre (NIC), Mines Informatics Division.
The portal will increase efficiency and
effectiveness in the implementation of the
scheme.
The major institutes where research projects
have been funded include Indian Institute of
Science, Bengaluru and Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT), Kharagpur.
Housing Ministry, SIDBI sign MoU for special
micro-credit facility for street vendors
Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Small
Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) for
PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM
SVANidhi).
PM SVANidhi is a Special Micro-Credit
Facility for Street Vendors.
According to the MoU, PM SVANidhi
Scheme will be implemented by SIDBI under
the guidance of MoHUA.
The credit guarantee to the lending
institutions would also be managed by the
SIDBI through Credit Guarantee Fund Trust
for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE).
People in several parts of India witness annular
solar eclipse, with majestic Ring of Fire
The country witnessed a rare celestial event, an
annular solar eclipse on 21 June.
The annular ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse,
wherein the Sun appears like a ring of fire, is
visible in different parts of the country.
The solar eclipse is taking place on the
summer solstice, which is the longest day in
the Northern Hemisphere.
When the Moon comes between the Sun and
Earth, the shadow falls on the surface of the
Earth.
The Sun is entirely covered by the Moon for
a brief period.
China offers Bangladesh tariff exemption for
97% of exports from Dhaka amid tensions with
India
In a bid to woo Bangladesh, China has provided a
huge trade boost to the country by announcing tariff
exemption for 97 per cent of Bangladeshi products
effective from July 1.
The decision has come one month after
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a
discussion to upgrade their bilateral relations
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With this announcement, a total of 8,256
Bangladeshi products will come under the 97
percent of products that would be exempted
from tariff.
Currently, 3095 Bangladeshi products enjoy
duty-free access to Chinese market under
Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA).
World Bank approves dollar 1.05 billion to
Bangladesh for jobs and economic recovery
The World Bank has approved dollar 1.05 billion for
three projects in Bangladesh to create quality jobs
and accelerate economic recovery in the wake of the
Corona pandemic.
These projects will help the economy in
bouncing back by creating more and better
jobs and promoting direct private investment
in specialized economic zones.
The first project worth a dollar 500 million
called Private Investment and Digital
Entrepreneurship (PRIDE) project will
strengthen social and environmental
standards in selected economic zones and
software technology parks in Bangladesh.
The dollar 295 million Enhancing Digital
Government and Economy (EDGE) Project
will establish an integrated, cloud-computing
digital platform for all government agencies
and improve cyber-security.
The dollar 250 million Second Programmatic
Jobs Development Policy Credit will create
fiscal space to support the government’s
response to the COVID-19 crisis.
Over 42 crore poor received financial assistance
of Rs 65,454 crore under PMGKP
More than 42 crore poor people have received Rs
65,454 crore in financial assistance under the
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP).
As part of Rs 1.70 lakh crore relief package,
the government on March 26 announced free
foodgrains and cash doles to women, poor
senior citizens and farmers to mitigate
hardship faced due to the lockdown.
More than 42 crore poor people received
financial assistance of Rs 65,454 crore under
the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package.
India Ideas Summit 2020 on July 21-22
The two-day India Ideas Summit 2020 is being held
virtually on July 21-22, marking its 45th annual
meeting, with the focus on geopolitics in the post-
COVID-19 world.
The summit will also focus on shifting supply
chains, digitization and technology trends,
the future of healthcare, and equitable
growth.
Every year the Summit is being organized by
the USIBC. The summit is conducted to
showcase the importance of the positive
outcome of the India-United States economic
partnership and the overall bilateral
relationship between the two nations.
ISRO receives patent for protective garment for
human spaceflight
The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has
received a patent for its Liquid Cooling and Heating
Garment (LCHG).
It is made of biocompatible fabrics and
components to provide a comfortable
temperature and removal of sweat for
astronauts, for use in space for protection
from hot and cold environments.
LCHGs are used in space, military
applications, fire fighting and also for
personal cooling and heating purposes for
protection from hot and cold environments of
industrial areas or in extreme temperature and
humidity conditions that may exist in work
environments.
These garments have a system for circulating
temperature controlling fluid into and out of
the garments, for instance, through tubes
inside the garment.
Insurance Scheme under Pradhan Mantri Garib
Kalyan Package for health workers extended
The Insurance Scheme announced under Pradhan
Mantri Garib Kalyan Package for health workers
who are fighting to contain COVID-19 has been
extended for another three months till September.
The scheme provides an insurance cover of
50 lakh rupees to around over 22 lakh public
healthcare providers.
They include community health workers,
who may have to be in direct contact and care
of COVID-19 patients and who may be at risk
of being impacted by this.
Earlier the scheme was slated to end on 30th
June.
The scheme is funded through the National
Disaster Response Fund, operated by the
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Doctors, nurses, paramedics, sanitation
workers and a few others working in
hospitals under the central and State
governments are covered under the insurance
scheme.
Ward-Boys, ASHA workers and technicians
are also covered by the special insurance
scheme.
Tripura to start ‘ Play little, Study little’ scheme
for school students from June 25
With uncertainty prevailing over reopening of
schools due to COVID-19 pandemic, the Tripura
government has decided to start a scheme called
‘Ektu Khelo, Ektu Padho’ which means ‘Play little,
Study little’, from June 25.
As per the scheme, the students would be
getting audio and video contents on learning
activities , projects along with fun and
gaming activities via SMS or WhatsApp
services.
The Education state headquarters would
share the learning contents to different
district academic coordinators and they
would share the same to headmasters of the
schools in their concerned areas.
The headmasters would give the
responsibility to the teachers to share the
contents among the students.
The students would get their daily lessons
and activities on their phones every morning
and their feedback would be received every
afternoon.
Ambubachi Mela at Assam's Kamakhya Temple
cancelled
For the first time, the famous Ambubachi Mela
which is held at Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati
every year is cancelled due to the outbreak of
CoronaVirus.
Even though the Government issued
notification allowing religious institutions to
open for public on certain conditions from
8th June but Kamakhya Devalaya
Management Committee decided to keep the
temple closed till 30th June considering the
prevailing situation.
Lakhs of pilgrims visit the Ma Kamakhya
Temple during the Ambubachi Mela but like
every year no pilgrims will be entertained in
the Devalaya this year.
Only the rituals will be performed in the
temple and all the entrances will remain
closed.
IIT-Bombay develops Dhruva, Indian receiver
chip for NAVIC, GPS satellites
IIT-Bombay has developed a homegrown receiver
chip - Dhruva -that can be used in smartphones and
navigation devices to find locations and routes within
the country.
Dhruva will receive signals from India’s
NAVIC group of navigation satellites as well
as the US Global Positioning System-based
satellites to determine these accurately under
all weather conditions.
The radio frequency receiver chip was
designed in 18 months by students and
researchers at IIT Bombay.
It can receive in multiple frequency bands
and handle weak signals.
VP, PM Modi, HM pay tribute to Dr. Syama
Prasad Mookerjee on his death anniversary
The Vice President, Prime Minister and Home
Minister paid tributes to eminent educationist and
founder of Bhartiya Jan Sangh Dr. Syama Prasad
Mookerjee on his death anniversary.
Shyama Prasad Mukherjee was born in a
Bengali family on 23 June 1901.
At the age of 33, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee
became the youngest vice-chancellor of
Calcutta University in 1934.
After India’s independence, Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru made Dr.Shyama Prasad
Mookerjee Ministry for Industry and Supply
in the interim Central Government.
However he resigned from the Cabinet in
1950 as he was against the ‘Nehru-Liaquat
Ali Pact’.
After he formed Bhartiya Jana Sangh on 21st
October, 1951 and became its first President
Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurates India's one of
India's largest & first Virtual Healthcare &
Hygiene EXPO 2020
Union State Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers
Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated one of India's
largest and first Virtual Healthcare and Hygiene
EXPO 2020.
The unique exhibition which aims to give a
boost to such health and hygiene endeavours
has been organised by FICCI.
This unique exhibition aims to give a boost to
such health and hygiene endeavours. This is
the first-ever largest virtual exhibition in
India making a new beginning.
NITI Aayog with International Transport Forum
to launch 'Decarbonising Transport in India'
project on June 24
NITI Aayog in collaboration with International
Transport Forum will launch the 'Decarbonising
Transport in India' project.
The project will be launched, with the
intention to develop a pathway towards a
low-carbon transport system for India.
India has been a member of ITF, an
intergovernmental organisation for transport
policy, since 2008.
ITF Secretary-General Young Tae Kim and
NITI Aayog Chief Executive Officer
Amitabh Kant will open the public online
launch event.
HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’
virtually launches ‘YUKTI 2.0’
Union Minister of Human Resource Development,
Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, launched an
initiative ‘YUKTI 2.0’ to help systematically
assimilate technologies having commercial potential
and information related to incubated startups in our
higher education institutions.
Earlier, the Minister had launched the
YUKTI (Young India combating COVID
with Knowledge, Technology and
Innovation) web portal on 11 April, 2020/
Ministry of HRD prepared the portal in view
of Coronavirus.
The portal intends to cover the different
dimensions of COVID-19 challenges in a
very holistic and comprehensive way.
Through this portal, the Ministry of Human
Resource Development will endeavor to
ensure that students, teachers and researchers
in higher educational institutions are getting
appropriate support to meet the requirements
needed to advance their technologies and
innovations.
Commerce and Industry Ministry hailed for
'country of origin' rule
“Information about Country of Origin” has been
mandated for the sellers by the Government e-
Marketplace (GeM), a Special Purpose Vehicle
under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
The sellers have been advised to mention
“Information about Country of Origin” while
registering all new products on GeM.
While those sellers, who had already
registered their products before the launch of
this new feature on GeM, would be reminded
regularly to update the information about
Country of Origin.
If they fail to update the same, their products
shall be removed from GeM.
Karnataka Bank launches KBL Micro Mitra for
micro enterprises
Karnataka Bank has launched a new product KBL
Micro Mitra.
Under this a financial assistance up to Rs.10
lakhs can be provided to the Micro
manufacturing and service enterprises either
for working capital or for investment
purposes.
The facility comes with a simplified
procedure and competitive rate of interest.
KBL Micro Mitra would be available for the
Micro entrepreneurs across India through all
the branches of Karnataka Bank.
Moody's projects India GDP to shrink 3.1% in
2020
Moody's Investors Service projected the Indian
economy to shrink 3.1 per cent in 2020. It also said
that the clashes with China on the border also suggest
rising geopolitical risks in the Asian region.
While it pegged India's annual growth at 0.2
per cent in April, the forecast has been
sharply revised after taking into
consideration the disruptions due to the
coronavirus pandemic.
However, Moody's expects the economy to
register 6.9 per cent growth in 2021.
Moody's has forecast that China would be the
only G-20 country to post growth this year.
The expectation is that China would grow 1
per cent in 2020, followed by a strong
rebound of 7.1 per cent in 2021.
India retains its position as 3rd-largest economy
on PPP basis for 2017
India has retained and consolidated its position as the
third-largest economy after China and the US in
terms of purchasing power parity (PPP) for 2017.
PPP of the rupee per dollar at the gross
domestic product (GDP) level rose to 20.65
in 2017 from 15.55 in 2011, while the
exchange rate of a dollar to a rupee rose to
65.12 from 46.67 during the period.
The World Bank has released new PPPs for
the reference year 2017, under the
International Comparison Program (ICP),
that adjust for differences in the cost of living
across economies of the world.
Globally, 176 economies participated in the
2017 cycle of ICP.
COVID-19 to dent India's FY21 per capita
income by 5.4%: SBI report
According to the latest report by the economic wing
of State Bank of India (SBI), COVID-19 pandemic
is likely to bring down India’s per capita income
(PCI) by 5.4 per cent in the financial year 2020-21
(FY21).
It will be decreased to Rs 1.43 lakh from Rs
1.52 lakh in FY20.
This decline in PCI is higher than the nominal
GDP decline of 3.8 per cent.
Among states, Delhi, Chandigarh, and
Gujarat will be the worst hit with PCI falling
15.4 per cent, 13.9 percent and 11.6 per cent,
respectively in FY21.
At the other end of the spectrum are
Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, and Manipur that
are likely to witness the least drop in PCI
during this period.
Passport Seva Divas: 24 June
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) celebrated
Passport Seva Divas (PSD) on 24 June, 2020, to
commemorate the enactment of the Passports Act on
24 June, 1967.
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar
said there has been a complete transformation
of passport delivery service in the last six
years.
The Ministry has taken significant initiatives
for the simplification of Passport Seva rules.
The number of documents have been reduced
and passport issuance process has been eased.
EAM informed that the procurement process
for production of chip-enabled e-passports is
being carried out and their introduction will
greatly strengthen the security of Indian
travel documents.
Day of the Seafarer: 25 June
The Day of the Seafarer is celebrated each year on
June 25.
On this day, people pay respect to Seafarers
and sailors who help the entire world function
by conducting sea transport.
Even now, global trade still depends on ocean
transport, which is why Seafarers and sailors
are essential to the functioning of the world.
Day of the Seafarer celebration was first
started in 2010 by the International Maritime
Organization (IMO).
Govt decides to bring cooperative banks under
RBI through an ordinance
The Union Cabinet decided to bring all co-operative
banks under the Reserve Bank of India through an
ordinance.
Government banks, including 1,482 urban
cooperative banks and 58 multi-state
cooperative banks, are now being brought
under supervisory powers of Reserve Bank of
India (RBI).
After the Punjab and Maharashtra
Cooperative (PMC) Banks fiasco last year,
the Union Cabinet in February amended
Banking Regulation Act to strengthen the
cooperative banks in the country.
During Budget 2020, Finance Minister
Nirmala Sitharaman also announced that
cooperative banks will be brought under the
ambit of RBI.
There are more than 8.6 crore depositors in
over 1,500 urban and multi-state cooperative
banks across the country.
Vivekananda Yoga University: World’s first yoga
university outside India launched in Los Angeles
As part of the 6th International Yoga Day
commemorations, the world's first yoga university
outside India has been launched in Los Angeles.
It offers programmes that combine scientific
principles and modern research approaches to
ancient Indian practice.
Eminent Indian yoga guru Dr H R Nagendra,
Chancellor of Swami Vivekananda Yoga
Anusandhana Samsthana (SVYASA), is the
first Chairman of VaYU.
The university will help thousands of yoga
teachers in the US whose yoga education was
limited to 200 or 500 hours of certificate
programmes to progress further into
university-based higher education.
The applications for fall 2020 semester are
open with the first day of classes starting on
August 24 in a virtual mode.
Kushinagar airport in UP declared an
international airport
In a bid to boost domestic and international tourism,
the Union Cabinet approved the proposal to declare
the Kushinagar airport in Uttar Pradesh as an
international airport.
Kushinagar is regarded as a sacred Buddhist
pilgrimage centre and is dotted with several
other Buddhist sites in the surrounding areas
such as Sravasti (238 km), Kapilvastu (190
km) and Lumbini (195 km).
It already serves as the presenting site for the
Buddhist pilgrimage circuit spanning India
and Nepal.
On any given day, around 200-300 devotees
from Thailand, Cambodia, Japan, Burma, etc
are coming and offering their prayers at
Kushinagar.
Haryana govt, Reliance Jio TV enter agreement
to educate 52 lakh students
Haryana government and Reliance Jio TV have
entered an agreement that is expected to benefit
around 52 lakh school children in rural areas.
This new agreement is done under the Chief
Minister's Distance Education Programme in
order to expand education in rural areas
without jeopardizing social distancing during
the Covid-19 pandemic.
Under the agreement, all four channels of
Eduset will now be available on the Jio
platform free of cost.
Due to Covid-19 pandemic the state is facing
difficulty in imparting education to school
children, especially in the rural setup.
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurates
Devika and Puneja Bridges in Udhampur & Doda
Districts
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated two
important bridges in his Lok Sabha constituency,
namely Devika bridge in Udhampur and Puneja
bridge in Bhaderwah, through a Virtual ceremony.
The Bridge on River Devika in Udhampur
has been completed by the Border Roads
Organisation within fifteen months.
The Puneja Bridge was also constructed by
the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in 36
months.
The 10-meter-long Devika Bridge
construction resolves the traffic issues of the
region and this will also help in smooth
passage of army convoys and vehicles.
While the 50-meter-long Puneja Bridge is
strategically very important from a defence
point of view.
Rohini Commission set to get nod for its ninth
extension
The Justice Rohini Commission- set up in October
2017 to recommend sub categorization of the Other
Backward Classes (OBCs) and ensure that
marginalized sub castes get due benefits- is set to get
its ninth extension.
The Rohini Commission was to originally
submit its report by March 2018.
The move to grant yet another extension to
the Commission comes at a time when
elections are due in Bihar- a state where OBC
sub categorization of any kind will have huge
political impact.
World Bank approves $500m to improve road
connectivity in Bangladesh
The World Bank (WB) has approved 500 million US
dollar to help Bangladesh improve road connectivity
along the Jashore-Jhenaidah corridor covering four
western districts.
This project will unlock the region’s potential
by stimulating the economy of districts,
linking farms to markets, connecting Dhaka
with the western region as well as with
neighboring countries.
The Western Economic Corridor and
Regional Enhancement (WeCARE) Phase I
project is the first of a multi-phased $1.4
billion World Bank programme to upgrade
the existing 110 KM two-lane highway—
Bhomra-Satkhira-Navaron and Jahore-
Jhenaidah.
It will support the government’s plan of
developing a 260 km economic corridor in
the western part and benefit over 20 million
people.
India joins 'Alliance for Poverty Eradication' at
UN as founding member
India has become a founding member of an Alliance
for Poverty Eradication at the UN, launched by the
President of the General Assembly.
It aims to focus on efforts to boost the global
economy in the aftermath of the COVID-19
pandemic.
President of the 74th Session of the UN
General Assembly Tijjani Muhammad-
Bande will formally launch the 'Alliance for
Poverty Eradication' on June 30.
India has joined the alliance as a founding
member and stressed that ending poverty is
not just about monetary compensation but
guaranteeing access of the poor to quality
education, healthcare, clean water, sanitation,
decent housing and social security.
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan Launches
‘eBlood Services’ Mobile App Amid COVID-19
Crisis
Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launched
the ‘eBlood Services’ Mobile Application, in
partnership with the Indian Red Cross Society
(IRCS), for easy access to blood in this critical time
of coronavirus pandemic.
Notably, this initiative would help the people
to get the blood on time just by registering on
the application.
A person will be able to place orders for four
units of blood at a time.
The ‘eBloodServices’ mobile application is
developed by the ERaktkosh team of Centre
for Development of Advanced Computing
(C-DAC).
Telangana CM Launches Sixth Phase Of Haritha
Haram Programme
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao
launched the sixth phase of Haritha Haram
programme by planting a Black Plum (Neredu)
sapling in the Narsapur forest area in Medak district.
The CM inaugurated the Narsapur Urban
Forest Park, which was developed in 636
acres.
Haritha Haram programme was launched on
3rd July 2015 by Chief Minister K
Chandrashekar Rao.
Through the programme, the Telangana state
government has set a target to increase the
forest cover in the state to 33 per cent from
the 24 per cent (as per 2015 records) by
planting a total of 230 crore saplings across
the state.
Karnataka becomes the First State to Amend its
Industries (Facilitation) Act for Small, Medium
and Large-scale Industries
The Karnataka government amended the long
pending industrial reform “The Karnataka Industries
(Facilitation) Act, 2002” to facilitate and attract
investment in the state.
Under the amended Act, medium and small
industries commence manufacturing without
having to wait for any statutory clearances for
the first three years.
Currently, only Gujarat and Rajasthan are the
two states in the country that have amended
this Act for small scale industries only.
These permissions include approvals from
under multiple state laws, including trade
licence and building-plan approval, measures
that would save lot of time and cost for
industries.
The state has also simplified land and labour
laws to promote Karnataka as an investment
destination.
Skin cream ‘Fair & Lovely’ to lose ‘Fair’ from
name, says Hindustan Unilever
The Indian unit of Unilever Informed that it will drop
the word “fair” from its “Fair & Lovely” range of
products.
The products have long been criticised for
promoting negative stereotypes against
people with darker skin.
The move comes as cosmetics companies
have seen an increasing amount of backlash
on social media in the wake of the Black
Lives Matter movement.
Products marketed as skin lightening have a
huge market in South Asia due to a societal
obsession with fairer skin tones, but those
notions are being questioned more
frequently.
RailTel to provide video surveillance at 6,049
stations across country
The Indian Railways has signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with RailTel for installation of
an IP-based video surveillance system at 6,049
railway stations across the country.
RailTel is a public sector undertaking (PSU)
under the Ministry of Railways.
It will provide the video surveillance system
(VSS) work at the 6,049 stations under
categories A1, A, B, C ,D and E of the Indian
Railways.
The scope of work also includes integration
of the existing standalone CCTV network of
the railways into the VSS system for
centralised monitoring.
Indian Institute of Science develops Nanozymes
A research team at the Indian Institute of Science in
Bengaluru has developed nanozymes that destroy the
cell membrane of bacteria by directly targeting its
phospholipids.
Nanozymes are nanomaterials that can
disintegrate the cell membranes of a range of
diseases causing bacteria.
The study conducted by the Department of
Inorganic and Physical Chemistry and the
Department of Microbiology and Cell
Biology was published in ACS Applied
BioMaterials journal.
The nanomaterial developed in IISc is tested
on several potentially pathogenic bacteria
causing typhoid, gastroenteritis, dysentery,
cholera and pneumonia.
It was found that the nanozyme stopped
growth and killed the microbes.
RSWM joins hands with Switzerland''s HeiQ to
offer anti-coronavirus fabric under Mayur
brand
RSWM Ltd, the flagship firm of textiles major LNJ
Bhilwara Group has signed a strategic partnership
with Switzerland''s HeiQ to offer anti-coronavirus
fabric under its Mayur brand.
It is launching anti-viral fabric range
''ViroSecure'' through the partnership with
HeiQ, which has provided its antiviral
''Viroblock'' technology to formulate a
protective coating on the fabric to offer 99.99
percent protection against SARS-CoV-2 in
just 30 minutes.
"HeiQ ''Viroblock'' technology is among the
first textile technologies in the world to have
a proven effect against SARS-CoV-2 in the
laboratory.
The ViroSecure fabric has been made by
Mayur Suiting with HeiQ Viroblock
technology and tested successfully by HeiQ''s
Switzerland laboratories.
Tripura announces schemes to combat infant,
maternal mortality, malnourishment
In an effort to combat infant and maternal mortality
and malnutrition, Tripura announced Mukhyamantri
Matru Pushti Uphaar.
It is an ambitious scheme to provide nutrition
kits to pregnant and lactating women.
Pregnant women would be tested four times
in nearby Primary Health Centers (PHC), and
be given a nutrition kit after each test as per
the Matru Pushti Uphaar scheme.
The kit, costing Rs500, would have food
items and grocery supplies, such as peanuts,
soybeans, mixed pulses, jaggery and ghee. As
many as 40,000 women will benefit annually
under the scheme.
The state government estimates to incur an
expense of around Rs 8 crore for the scheme.
The state scheme will be in addition to the
Pradhan Mantri Matru Bandana Yojana.
IOC launches battery swapping facility for quick
recharge of EVs
Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOC) and Sun
Mobility announced the launch of a battery swapping
facility for electric vehicles (EVs) at IOC petrol
pumps.
It will offer to replace discharged batteries
with fully charged ones in a procedure that
would take only a few minutes.
IOC will begin with a pilot of battery
swapping at one of its outlets in Chandigarh
and gradually scale it up to 20 stations.
The battery swapping model is initially
targeted at commercial vehicles such as
electric autos, rickshaws and electric two-
wheelers and EVs that are either factory fitted
or retrofitted.
President Kovind wishes Prez Rajoelina, People
on Madagascar's 60th Independence Day
President Ram Nath Kovind extended warm wishes
and felicitations to his Madagascar counterpart
Andry Rajoelina on the occasion of Madagascar's
60th Independence Day.
Madagascar celebrated its 60th anniversary
of its independence day with several
restrictions due to concerns over COVID-19.
The celebration of this year was led by a
military parade in front of the city hall,
located in Antananarivo city center, with the
theme "Madagascar, my homeland, my life,
my heritage".
Madagascar, previously known as the
Malagasy Republic, is an island country in
the Indian Ocean, approximately 400
kilometres off the coast of East Africa.
At 592,800 square kilometres Madagascar is
the world's second-largest island country
Madagascar Capital: Antananarivo
Currency: Malagasy ariary
Indian Navy inducts indigenously developed
Torpedo Decoy System Maareech
The Anti-Submarine Warfare capability of the Indian
Navy received a major boost with the induction of
the Advanced Torpedo Decoy System ‘Maareech’
It is capable of being fired from all frontline
warships.
Design and Development of this anti-torpedo
decoy system has been undertaken
indigenously by DRDO labs-(NSTL and
NPOL).
The Bharat Electronics Limited, a Defence
PSU, would undertake the production of this
decoy system.
'Surakshit Dada-Dadi, Nana-Nani Abhiyan'
launched to ensure well-being of Senior Citizens
amid COVID-19 pandemic
Surakshit Dada-Dadi, Nana-Nani Abhiyan is a
collaborative effort between NITI Aayog, Piramal
Foundation.
It ensures the well-being of 2.9 million Senior
Citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic.
NITI Aayog has launched this campaign
following the appeal by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi to take care of senior citizens.
Surendranagar district is one of the 25
aspirational districts of the country, which is
implementing this scheme very successfully.
Piramal foundation with the help of social
welfare department and district
administration is implementing this
campaign in Surendranagar district.
They are also being helped to fulfill their
essential requirements like medicines, ration
or work related to ration cards.
Arjun Munda launches tribes India products on
GeM and new website of TRIFED
Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda
launched through a video conference the tribes India
products on Government e-Marketplace - GeM and a
new website of TRIFED.
The TRIBES India store on Government
eMarketplace can now help in facilitating
purchases by the government.
The new website has all relevant details
about the schemes and initiatives to
benefit tribal communities.
The Team of “Trifed Warriors” will take
Tribal Commerce based on forest products,
handlooms and handicrafts to a new high for
transforming tribal lives and livelihoods.
Odisha government to impose curfew in Puri for
Bahuda Yatra
For smooth conduct of the Bahuda Yatra of Lord
Jagannath and his siblings without participation of
devotees, the Odisha government has decided to
impose curfew in the Puri district in June. The
Bahuda Yatra (return chariot festival) of the deities
will be held on July 1.
Lord Jagannath and his siblings will return
from Gundicha Temple on three wooden
chariots during the Yatra.
After the Supreme Court allowed holding of
Rath Yatra, the nine-day annual sojourn of
the deities began on June 23.
The chariots were pulled by servitors, who
had tested Covid-19 negative, to Gundicha
Temple, nearly 3 km away from the
Jagannath Temple.
Karnataka CM lays foundation stone for 108-feet
tall statue of Bengaluru founder Kempegowda
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa laid the
foundation stone for the 108 feet tall bronze statue of
Bengaluru founder Kempegowda near the state
capital’s international airport.
The statue will cost around 78 crore rupees
and is likely to be ready in a year and a half.
On the occasion of Kempegowda’s 511th
Jayanti, the Chief Minister also laid the
foundation stone for the development of 23
acres theme park in memory of the founder of
Bengaluru.
Kempegowda founded the city on scientific
lines, creating civic amenities to suit the
demands of people.
National Statistics Day: 29 June
The Government has been celebrating Statistics Day
on June 29, to popularise the use of Statistics in
everyday life.
It has been designated as one of the Special
Days to be celebrated at the national level and
commemorates the birth anniversary of Prof
P C Mahalanobis.
The day also commemorates contributions
made by Mahalanobis in fields of statistics
and economic planning.
Year-long Centenary celebrations of former PM
P. V. Narasimha Rao begins
A year-long Centenary celebrations of former Prime
Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao began with people of
Telangana state fondly remembering him on his birth
anniversary.
Rao served as the 9th Prime Minister of India
between 1991 and 1996.
He is well known for introducing major
economic reforms in the country by ending
the license raj.
The Former Prime Minister laid the
foundation for trade liberalisation and the re-
integration of the Indian economy with the
global economy, especially East Asian
economies.
MP govt to launch 'Kill Corona' campaign from
July 1
Madhya Pradesh government will launch a 'Kill
Corona' campaign from July 1 to control the spread
of coronavirus in the state.
Under the campaign, a door-to-door survey
will be conducted and tests would also be
done on citizens for other diseases.
During the 15-day 'Kill Corona' campaign in
MP, 2.5 lakh tests will be carried out and
15,000 to 20,000 samples would be collected
daily.
Health department officials informed that the
testing capacity in the state will be doubled
from 4,000 per 10 lakh people to 8,000 per 10
lakh people.
The recovery rate in Madhya Pradesh is 76.9
per cent, which is better than the national
recovery rate.
UP Government to form a dedicated force for
industrial security
Uttar Pradesh government has decided to form a
dedicated force for security of courts, metro rail,
airports, industrial establishments, banks and other
organizations in the state.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed
officials to constitute the Uttar Pradesh
Special Security Force (UPSSF) for this
purpose.
The force will be given special training and
will be provided with security equipment. It
can be placed at important establishments
including religious places.
In the first phase, five battalions of such force
will be constituted and the chief minister has
directed the officials to present a detailed
plan in this regard.
Govt approves use of Dexamethasone steroid
Union Health Ministry has revised clinical
management protocol for treating Covid-19 patients.
Moderate and severe coronavirus patients, in
need of oxygen support who experience
excessive inflammatory response, can now be
given Dexamethasone steroid as an
alternative to Methylprednisolone.
Dexamethasone is a steroid that has been
used since the 1960s to reduce inflammation
in a range of conditions, including
inflammatory disorders and certain cancers.
It has been listed on the WHO Model List of
Essential Medicines since 1977 in multiple
formulations, and is currently off-patent and
affordable in most countries.
Culture Ministry to celebrate ‘Sankalp Parva’ to
plant trees from 28th June to 12 July 2020
On the call of the Prime Minister, the Union Culture
Ministry will celebrate “Sankalp Parva” to plant trees
from 28th June to 12 July 2020.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for
planting at least five trees either in Office
campus or wherever it is possible, to ensure a
clean and healthy environment of the
country.
The Ministry of Culture recommends plants
following five trees which represent the
herbal heritage of our country: (i) “Bargad”
(ii) “Awla” (iii) “Pepal” (iv) “Ashok” (v)
“Bel”.
Agreement for Hydroelectric Project in Bhutan
signed in presence of EAM S Jaishankar
The Concession Agreement for the 600 MegaWatt
Kholongchhu (Joint Venture) Hydroelectric Project
between Bhutan, Indian government, and
Kholongchhu Hydro Energy Limited was signed in
Thimphu.
The 600 MW run-of-the-river project is
located on the lower course of the
Kholongchhu River in Trashiyangtse District
in Eastern Bhutan.
The Project envisages an underground
powerhouse of four 150 MW turbines with
water impounded by a concrete gravity dam
of 95 meters height.
The project is expected to be completed in the
second half of 2025.
Ban on 59 Chinese apps for safety, security and
integrity of India
India banned 59 Chinese mobile applications amid
border stand-off with the neighbouring country.
The government has cited national security
for banning these apps.
The ban covers some of the most popular
apps in India like TikTok, SHAREIT, UC
Browser and WeChat.
Almost all the apps banned have some
preferential Chinese interest and the majority
have parent Chinese companies.
India, World Bank sign loan agreements for
housing sector in Tamil Nadu
The government of India, government of Tamil Nadu
and the World Bank signed legal agreements to help
low-income groups in the state of Tamil Nadu get
access to affordable housing.
The legal agreements were signed for two
projects – $200 million First Tamil Nadu
Housing Sector Strengthening Programme
and $50 million Tamil Nadu Housing and
Habitat Development Project.
The loans will strengthen the state’s housing
sector policies, institutions, and regulations.
Nearly half of Tamil Nadu’s population is
urban, and this is expected to increase to 63
percent by 2030.
An estimated 6 million people are currently
living in slums (representing 16.6 percent of
the state’s urban population).
World Bank approves USD 500 million loan to
improve education system in 6 Indian states
The World Bank has approved a USD 500 million
(about Rs 3,700 crore) loan to improve quality and
governance of school education in six Indian states.
The board approved a loan for Strengthening
Teaching-Learning and Results for States
Program (STARS).
These six states are: Himachal Pradesh,
Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Odisha, and Rajasthan.
Around 25 crore students (between the age of
6 and 17) in 15 lakh schools and over 1 crore
teachers will benefit from the programme.
NFL launches five Mobile Soil Testing Labs for
testing the soil samples at farmers' doorstep
National Fertilizers Limited- NFL has launched five
Mobile Soil Testing Labs for testing the soil samples
at the doorstep of farmers free of cost.
It will give further boost to the Soil Testing
facility in the country for promoting
appropriate use of fertilizers.
Chairman and Managing Director of NFL V
N Datt flagged off one such Mobile Lab
from the premises of NFL Corporate Office
in Noida.
These Mobile Labs, loaded with the latest soil
testing equipment will be used for macro and
micro nutrient analysis of soil.
NFL Headquarters: Noida
Founded: 1 September 1979
Chairman and Managing Director: V N Datt
Madhya Pradesh launches ‘Hamara Ghar-
Hamara Vidyalaya’ campaign
In order to maintain the academic regularity of
students during the Corona crisis, the Madhya
Pradesh Education Center has prepared a ‘Hamara
Ghar-Hamara Vidyalaya’ scheme.
Under this initiative children will be taught at
home in a school-like environment.
In Madhya Pradesh, the school bell will be
ringing in the houses of the state too from
July 6.
Children will read, perform yoga, write and
listen to stories and make notes on them.
Project Platina - world's largest convalescent
plasma therapy project launched in Maharashtra
In a notable pioneering exercise, Maharashtra Chief
Minister Uddhav Thackeray has announced that his
government will use Rs 16.65 crore to sponsor the
execution of a convalescent plasma therapy-cum-
trial project for treatment of critical COVID-19
patients.
This project of therapy and trial is also being
dubbed as the world's largest project of its
kind.
‘Project PLATINA’-World’s largest
convalescent plasma therapy trial cum
treatment of severe COVID 19 patients was
launched by & inaugurated by CM Uddhav
Balasaheb Thackeray.
In convalescent plasma therapy, antibodies
from the blood of patients who have
recovered from COVID-19 are used to treat
serious patients.
Uttarakhand forest department develops India’s
first lichen park in Munsiyari
Uttarakhand forest department has developed what it
claims is the country’s first lichen park in Munsiyari.
The park is developed across 1.5 hectares in
Patalthor. The department had started
developing the park in 2019.
The park has been developed with an aim to
conserve, protect, and cultivate lichens and to
create awareness among locals regarding
their importance.
Lichens need clean air to grow as they perish
when the air is polluted.
Moody’s downgrades India’s rating, maintains
negative outlook
Moody's Investors Service downgraded the
Government of India's foreign-currency and local-
currency long-term issuer ratings to Baa3 from Baa2
and also downgraded India's local-currency senior
unsecured rating to Baa3 from Baa2.
The negative outlook reflects dominant,
mutually-reinforcing, downside risks from
deeper stresses in the economy and financial
system that could lead to a more severe and
prolonged erosion in fiscal strength than
Moody’s current projects.
'Baa3' rating is the lowest investment grade -
- just a notch above 'junk' status.
Moody's had last downgraded India's rating
in 1998.
IndusInd Bank launches mobile based current
account opening facility
IndusInd Bank announced the launch of a first-of-its-
kind assisted mobile application based facility, that
enables the Bank to open current accounts for self-
employed individuals and businesses digitally, in just
a few hours.
Equipped with the Bank's state-of-the-art
'Indus Corporate' mobile app, bank officials
can now capture and verify information about
customers and their businesses in real-time.
With this, customers can now experience a
faster and seamless account opening journey
with the bank, without the hassle of arranging
physical KYC documents of themselves or
their firm.
HDFC Bank launches summer treats
HDFC Bank has recently launched “Summer Treats”
campaign.
The special campaign has been launched by
the bank with the easing of the lockdown
restrictions in order to provide offers to both
merchants and, salaried and self-employed
customers.
Under the “Summer Treats” campaign, bank
will offer no cost EMI and no down payment
for large appliances.
It will also offer discounts and cashbacks on
select brands along with 50% extra reward
points on online spend using credit cards.
India's economy to contract by 3.2 per cent in
fiscal year 2020-21: World Bank
The World Bank expects India's economy to contract
3.2% in the current fiscal year, a sharp downgrade
from its April projection of 1.5%-2.8% growth.
The Global Economic Prospects (GEP)
report released said the lockdown would
severely curtail activity despite fiscal and
monetary stimulus.
The latest report expects the economy to
make a modest recovery to 3.1% growth in
the next fiscal year.
A number of firms including Goldman Sachs
and Nomura have projected a contraction of
as much as 5% for India in FY21.
World Bank lends Rs. 1,950 crore loans to W
Bengal Govt for tackling COVID situation
The World Bank has given Rs. 1,950 crore loans to
the West Bengal Government for tackling COVID
situation and developmental work in the State.
Out of it, Rs. 1,100 crore will be spent for
creating Industrial infrastructures.
Remaining Rs. 850 crore have been allocated
for spending on various Social-Welfare
schemes.
CBIC launches its flagship programme 'Turant
Customs' at Bengaluru & Chennai
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, CBIC
launched its flagship programme Turant Customs, at
Bengaluru and Chennai.
This is a giant leap forward to leverage
technology for faster Customs clearance of
imported goods.
Importers will now get their goods cleared
from Customs after a faceless assessment is
done remotely by the Customs officers
located outside the port of import.
Now, the goods imported at Chennai may be
assessed by the Customs officers located at
Bengaluru and vice versa, as assigned by the
Customs’ automated system.
Turant Customs is a mega reform for the ease
of doing business.
The start of Turant Customs at Bengaluru and
Chennai will be the first phase of the All India
roll out which will get completed by 31st
December this year.
CBIC Chairperson: M. Ajit Kumar
Founded: 1 January 1964
Headquarters: New Delhi
RIL to sell 1.16% in Jio to Abu Dhabi Investment
Authority for Rs 5,684 cr
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) announced 1.16
per cent stake sale in Jio Platforms, its digital
services subsidiary, to Abu Dhabi Investment
Authority for Rs 5,683.50 crore.
This is the eighth investment in Jio Platforms
in seven weeks and values the company at Rs
4.91 trillion on equity value basis.
So far, RIL has raised Rs 97,885.65 crore
through 21.06 per cent stake sale to seven
marquee investors, including Facebook and
private equity firms like KKR and General
Atlantic.
RIL had a net debt of Rs 1.6 trillion as of
March end.
The company has advanced its debt reduction
target and plans to make the firm debt free by
December end through a mix of stake sale in
Jio, cash profit through operations, rights
issue, and divestment of 49 per cent share in
fuel retailing business to BP.
Earlier this week, the company announced a
successful closure of Rs 53,124 crore rights
issue and would raise 25 percent of it (Rs
13,281 crore) this year.
Indian economy to grow at 9.5 pct in next fiscal,
says Fitch Ratings
After a contraction in the current financial year,
India's economy is forecast to bounce back with a
sharp growth rate of 9.5 percent next fiscal, Fitch
Ratings has said.
It has forecast a 5 percent contraction in the GDP in
the ongoing financial year.
After the global crisis, India's GDP growth is
likely to return to higher levels than 'BBB'
category peers.
The government has announced stimulus
measures amounting to 10 percent of GDP.
29% rise in Asiatic lion population in Gir
The Gujarat forest department said that the number
of Asiatic lions in the Gir forest region has increased
by 29 per cent to 674.
The department carried out a `population
estimation exercise' on the night of June 5 and
6 when there was a full moon.
As per the May 2015 census, there were 523
Asiatic lions in Gir, an increase of 27 per cent
from 2010.
The "Poonam Avlokan (full-moon night
estimation exercise)" showed that the lions'
population had reached 674, a 28.87 percent
increase.
It was the highest growth rate recorded so far,
it added.
The population of 674 comprised 161 males,
260 females, 116 sub-adult lions and 137
cubs.
Bank of Baroda, Union Bank of India reduce
MCLR across all tenors
State-run lenders Bank of Baroda (BoB) and Union
Bank of India (UBI) have announced cut in their
marginal cost of funds-based lending rates (MCLR)
across all tenors.
Bank of Baroda has revised its one-year
MCLR to 7.65 per cent from 7.80 per cent. Its
six-month MCLR has been revised
downwards to 7.50 per cent from 7.65
percent earlier.
Union Bank of India has reduced its one-year
MCLR to 7.60 per cent from 7.70 per cent.
The six months MCLR of UBI has been cut
to 7.45 per cent.
Country's largest lender State Bank of India
(SBI) has reduced its MCLR by 25 basis
points across all tenors from.
While private sector lender HDFC Bank has
cut its MCLRs by 5 bps, state-run Bank of
Maharashtra has reduced it by 20 basis points
from June 8.
Customs duty hiked on bamboo imports from
10% to 25%
Union Government has hiked Customs duty on
bamboo imports by agarbatti manufacturers from 10
per cent to 25 per cent with immediate effect.
The decision has been taken to encourage use
of domestic bamboo under the Atma Nirbhar
Bharat scheme.
The 25 per cent customs duty rate shall now
uniformly apply to any import of bamboo,
including by traders.
This measure is seen to benefit farmers and
MSME agarbatti manufacturers.
TCS iON partners with NSDC to accelerate skill
development
TCS iON, a strategic unit of Tata Consultancy
Services, has partnered with the National Skill
Development Corporation (NSDC) to provide its
training partners access to digital skilling tools using
TCS' iON Digital Glass Room.
The partnership aims to strengthen NSDC's
online content aggregation platform - eSkill
India.
It enables e-learning amongst skill seekers
and will contribute towards strengthening the
Skill India mission.
The TCS iON Digital Glass Room is a web-
based digital education platform that
empowers educators to engage with students
in real-time by uploading and sharing their
own lessons.
NFL inks MoU with ITI Nangal for training of
youth in 12 trades for employment
National Fertilizers Limited, NFL has started tying
up with Industrial Training Institutes located near to
its plants to train youth in various trades and to
enhance the chances of their employability in heavy
and process industry.
The Nangal plant of the company in Punjab
has signed an MoU with ITI, Nangal to train
youth in 12 trades.
The students will be skilled under the Dual
System of Training Scheme under which they
will learn theoretical skills in the institute and
on-the-job training in NFL Nangal plant.
ITI, Nangal is one of the oldest institutes in
Punjab.
NFL has five gas based Ammonia-Urea
plants in Nangal and Bathinda plants in
Punjab, Panipat plant in Haryana and two
plants at Vijaipur in Guna District of Madhya
Pradesh.
Kerala Startup launches mask disposal smart bin & UV light-based disinfection device
VST Mobility Solutions, a Startup headquartered at Cochin, has launched an automated mask disposal machine.
The disposal device has been named as BIN-19.
The IoT-based BIN-19 (Internet of Things) is used for collecting and disinfecting Used Face-Mask.
The device has been subjected to a series of successful microbiological tests by Sree Chitra Lab.
Sree Chitra is one of the testing agency for UV based devices in the country as per the guidelines of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
The disinfecting device will be very handy in offices, homes, and other public places.
Himachal launches ‘Panchvati’ Yojana for the elderly folks
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur launched ‘Panchvati Yojna’ for senior citizens of rural areas of the state.
Under this parks and gardens would be developed in every development block with necessary facilities.
The main objective of this Yojna, which is being taken up in link up with MNREGA scheme, is to provide opportunity to the elderly people to spend their leisure time strolling in these parks and gardens.
The Ayurvedic and medicinal plants would be grown there besides providing recreational equipment, walking tracks and other basic amenities for elderly people.
During the current financial year as many as 100 such parks would be developed in different parts of the State.
Andhra CM launches 'Jagananna Chedodu' scheme for tailors, barbers and washermen
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the 'Jagananna Chedodu' scheme.
The scheme aims to provide financial assistance to tailors, barbers and washermen.
The scheme provides one-time financial assistance of ₹10,000 each to the 2.47 lakh beneficiaries under 60 years of age.
Under the scheme, 82,347 Rajakas (dhobis), 38,767 Nayee Brahmins (barbers) and 1.25 lakh tailors were provided with financial assistance.
Empays Payment Systems partners with Mastercard for cardless ATMs
With concerns over the spread of the coronavirus from contaminated surfaces, banks and payment companies are working on contactless ATM technologies.
Empays Payment Systems, which runs the IMT Payment System, announced a partnership with Mastercard to launch ‘Cardless ATM powered by Mastercard’ in India.
The facility will help users digitally locate the nearest enabled ATM and initiate a withdrawal by simply scanning a QR code on the mobile phone, using their banking app.
India's foreign exchange reserves surge to cross
half-a-trillion mark for 1st time
India's foreign exchange reserves have surged by a
massive 8.22 billion dollars to cross the half-a-
trillion mark for the first time.
The reserves rose to 501.70 billion dollars
for the week ended 5th of June, helped by a
whopping rise in foreign currency assets.
In the previous week, the reserves had
advanced by 3.44 billion dollars to end at
493.48 billion dollars.
Total value of the gold reserves, however,
continued to decline.
Gold reserves declined by 329 million
dollars to end at 32.352 billion dollars.
India's special drawing rights with the
International Monetary Fund went up by 10
million dollars to 1.44 billion dollars, while
the country's reserve position also rose by
120 million dollars to 4.28 billion dollars.
RBI sets up panel to review ownership,
corporate structure of private sector banks
The Reserve Bank of India has constituted a five-
member Internal Working Group to review the
guidelines related to ownership, governance and
corporate structure of private sector banks.
The RBI Central Board Director P K
Mohanty will head the committee, which
will submit its report by 30th September,
2020.
The panel will also examine norms for
promoter shareholding at the initial/licensing
stage and subsequently, along with the
timelines for dilution of the shareholding.
The panel has also been asked to examine
and review the eligibility criteria for
individuals or entities to apply for banking
licence and make recommendations on all
related issues.
Airtel Payments Bank launches new salary
account for MSMEs
Airtel Payments Bank launched a new salary account
for micro, small and medium enterprises.
Called the Suraksha Salary account, it will
enable MSMEs and other organisations to
make cashless payments and provide a
financial security blanket to their employees.
The account has no minimum balance
condition.
It offers no charges on cash withdrawals of
upto Rs 50,000 and deposits of upto Rs
20,000 in one month.
The account holder also gets two free
cardless cash withdrawal via IMT at ATMs
across the country.
The account holder can make online money
transfers to any bank across India.
ICICI Bank launches ‘Insta Flexicash’ paperless
overdraft facility for salary accounts
ICICI Bank has launched an overdraft (OD) facility,
Insta FlexiCash, for its salaried account customers
who are facing a cash crunch.
It is designed to protect ICICI Bank Salary
Account customers from missing their
Equated Monthly Instalments (EMIs) or
cheque bounces due to insufficient funds by
providing short-term instant credit.
Customers can easily avail of this facility by
initiating their application online.
Insta Flexicash is an end-to-end fully digital
facility which can be availed using the bank's
Internet banking platform.
The facility can be sanctioned immediately
while customers can start using the approved
OD limit within 48 hours.
The interest payable on the OD is calculated
on the basis of the actual amount availed by
the customer, not on the full amount of the
OD sanctioned.
Maruti partners with Karur Vysya Bank for
flexible financing schemes
Car market leader Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) has
partnered with Karur Vysya Bank to offer simpler
and flexible financing schemes for new customers.
Through the partnership with the bank, the
company is seeking to offer prospective
buyers special scheme of up to 100 per cent
on road funding with six months holiday
period on all models, loans for both salaried
and self-employed customers and repayment
period up to 84 months.
Karur Vysya Bank offers customers in-
principle loan sanction in 15 minutes and
existing customer of the bank can get their
loans disbursed on the same day with the
entire process from application to
disbursement of the loan being digitised with
no manual intervention.
The schemes through the partnership will be
available across Maruti Suzuki's network of
3,086 new car retail outlets across 1,964
cities and towns, along with 780 branches of
Karur Vysya Bank across 22 states across
India.
Karnataka Bank launches Covid-19 health cover
Karnataka Bank has launched a health insurance
policy to cover the uncertainties posed by the Covid-
19 pandemic.
To protect the health of the common man,
Karnataka Bank has launched a special health
insurance policy to cover the uncertainties
posed by COVID-19 pandemic.
The private sector bank said the health cover
can be availed at a nominal premium of Rs
399, inclusive of all taxes.
The policy will cover in-patient hospital
expenses up to Rs 3 lakh, outpatient treatment
expenses of Rs 3,000, and will also provide a
sum of Rs 1,000 per day towards expenses
incurred towards 14 days of quarantine at a
government or military hospital.
The validity of this policy is for a period of
120 days.
The policy is available to all the customers of
the bank in the age group of 18-65 years.
RIL becomes India's first $150 billion company
The Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has reached a
$150-billion mark in terms of market capitalization.
Hence, the Mukesh Ambani-helmed RIL has
become India’s first $150-billion company in
terms of market capitalisation.
RIL achieved this milestone when its share
price had gained 6.23% to close at Rs 1,759,
taking its market capitalisation to Rs 11.15
lakh crore i.e. around $150 billion.
Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing
director of Reliance Industries (RIL) has
entered into the list of world's top 10 richest,
according to the Forbes Real-Time
Billionaire list.
Ambani, Asia’s Wealthiest Man, Joins Club of
World’s 10 Richest
Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani has
joined the elite club of the world’s top 10 richest
people, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires
Index released on 20 June 2020.
He is ranked as the 9th richest person in the
world, in the latest update.
The net worth of Ambani jumped to $64.5
billion as of 20 June, making him the only
Asian tycoon to feature in the top 10 richest
people list.
With a total net worth of $160 billion,
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is still the
wealthiest person in the world. He is followed
by Bill Gates ($112 billion) and Mark
Zuckerberg ($90.6 billion).
Atal Innovation Mission partners with CIL to
boost its entrepreneurship initiatives
Coal India Limited (CIL) has agreed to partner with
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog to
proactively support the flagship mission’s innovation
and entrepreneurship initiatives across the country.
A Statement of Intent (SoI) of a strategic
partnership between AIM and Coal India
Limited was signed and exchanged in a
virtual e-summit for the same.
AIM has various innovation programs and
entrepreneurial ecosystem building
initiatives such as Atal Tinkering Labs (
ATL) at a school level, Atal Incubation
Centres at institutional levels, Atal
Community Innovation Centres ( ACIC) for
Tier-2, Tier3 cities and rural India, Atal New
India Challenges at industry level and
Applied Research and Innovation for
stimulating innovations in the MSME
industry.
RBI Doubles Withdrawal Limit To Rs 1 Lakh For
PMC Bank Depositors
In a relief to the depositors of fraud-hit PMC Bank,
the Reserve Bank of India enhanced the withdrawal
limit to Rs 1 lakh while extending the regulatory
restriction on the cooperative bank by another six
months till Dec. 22.
The earlier withdrawal limit was Rs 50,000
per depositor.
The RBI had placed regulatory curbs on the
Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank
Limited, Mumbai, on Sept. 23, 2019, after
finding out certain financial irregularities,
hiding and misreporting of loans given to real
estate developer HDIL.
With the latest relaxation on withdrawal,
more than 84% of the depositors of the bank
will be able to withdraw their entire account
balance.
The withdrawal limit was last enhanced to Rs
50,000 per depositor on Nov. 5, 2019, and the
restrictions extended up to June 22, 2020.
Exim Bank extends USD 20.1 mn credit line to
Nicaragua govt
Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has
extended a line of credit (LOC) of USD 20.10 million
to the government of Nicaragua for reconstruction of
Aldo Chavarria Hospital.
With signing of this agreement, Exim Bank,
so far, has extended four LOCs to Nicaragua,
on behalf of the Indian government, taking
the total value to USD 87.63 million.
Projects covered under the LOCs include
supply of equipment for building two
substations, construction of transmission
lines, building new substations, expansion of
the existing substations and reconstruction of
a hospital.
Post the signing of this LOC agreement,
Exim Bank has now in place 261 LOCs,
covering 62 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin
America and the CIS, with credit
commitments of around USD 25.70 billion,
available for financing exports from India.
Yes Bank launches co-branded cashless card
with Affordplan for heathcare needs
Indian lender Yes Bank has joined forces with
healthcare fintech Affordplan to launch a co-branded
healthcare card to enable families to plan and manage
their healthcare finance needs.
The new card is part of the Delhi-based
fintech’s ‘Swasth programme’, and therefore
named as ‘Swasth Card’.
In addition, the lender has also integrated its
wallet on Affordplan Swasth app to enable
wallet QR scan for making payments to the
merchant.
Customers can apply for the RuPay prepaid
card through this wallet.
IMF says Indian economy will contract by 4.5%
in 2020-’21
The International Monetary Fund announced that
India's Gross Domestic Product will contract by
4.5% in the 2020-’21 financial year.
This is much lower than the 1.9% positive
growth the IMF had forecast in its World
Economic Outlook for April.
India had imposed a nationwide lockdown on
March 25. The lockdown was slowly eased,
and by June 1, most non-essential services
had been allowed to operate in non-
containment zones in the country, subject to
policies made by states.
The report said that the Indian economy will
bounce back in 2021-’22 with a growth rate
of around 6%.
The IMF also said that the world economy
will experience an even deeper recession in
2020-’21. It will contract by 4.9% in 2020-
’21.
The United States economy will contract by
a whopping 8%, the IMF said.
Government approves 2% interest subsidy to
'Shishu' borrowers under Mudra Yojna
The government announced a 2% interest subvention
to borrowers under the 'Shishu' category of the
flagship Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY).
Under the Shishu category, collateral free
loans of up to ₹50,000 will be given to
beneficiaries.
Launched in 2015, the Pradhan Mantri
MUDRA Yojana provides loans up to ₹10
lakh to non-corporate, non-farm small/micro
enterprises.
These loans are classified as MUDRA loans
under PMMY.
Commercial banks, RRBs, small finance
banks, MFIs and NBFCs provide MUDRA
loans.
Gujarat govt''s online aid of Rs 1,369 crore for
MSMEs, textile industry
Gujarat govt' announced an aid of Rs 1,369 crore for
micro small and medium enterprises and textile
industries.
He also kickstarted the online cash aid
initiative - ''At One Click'' - for around 13,000
MSMEs in Gujarat.
The Chief Minister has called upon the state''s
MSME units and industries to take up the
challenge of converting this adversity of
corona crisis into an opportunity.
The Chief Minister started the initiative ''At
one click'' with Rs 768 crore in bank accounts
of 12,247 MSME units in Gujarat and also Rs
601 crore aid to bigger industrial units
including textile industry.
Thus, a total of Rs 1,369 crore in aid was
facilitated for around 13,000 units in the
state.
Sachin Bansal’s Navi launches new instant
lending app with paperless KYC
Flipkart co-founder Sachin Bansal's financial
services startup Navi has launched a mobile app to
provide instant personal loans targeted at consumers
in the middle-income segment.
The Navi lending app will provide instant
loans of up to ₹5 lakh with repayment tenures
of up to 36 months.
The loan process is done completely using
digital and contactless processes for
customers.
The app is currently available for download
on the Android platform, through which
customers can check their eligibility, select
the loan and EMI amount, and enter their
PAN and Aadhaar card number to receive the
loan amount in their bank account within
minutes.
The process is entirely paperless and does not
require customers to upload any documents
like payslips or bank statements.
PhonePe tie-up with ICICI Bank on UPI multi-
bank model
PhonePe has partnered with ICICI Bank on UPI
multi-bank model.
Through this partnership, Phonepe gives its
users the option to create and use multiple
UPI IDs with ICICI and Yes Bank”s handles
on the PhonePe app.
The PhonePe customers will now be able to
choose between multiple handles for their
UPI IDs, thus making payments easy, secure
and accessible to all.
Arun Singhal appointed as CEO of FSSAI
The appointment of Arun Singhal as Chief Executive
Officer of Food Safety and Standards Authority of
India (FSSAI) has been approved by the
Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
Arun Singhal is currently serving as the
special secretary to the department of health
and family welfare.
He will replace GSG Ayyangar as the CEO
of the food regulator.
FSSAI is the food regulatory agency in India
which is in charge for setting up standards for
the food industry and also to regulate the
manufacturing, storage, distribution, sale,
and import of foods.
Gaitri Kumar appointed India''s next High
Commissioner to the UK
Seasoned diplomat Gaitri Kumar has been appointed
as India''s next High Commissioner to the United
Kingdom.
Kumar, a 1986-batch Indian Foreign Service
officer, succeeds Ruchi Ghanashyam.
At present, Kumar is serving as Indian
Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and
the European Union.
Her appointment to the high-profile post
comes at a time India is looking at further
expanding ties with the UK after it came out
of the powerful European Union.
Adesh Kumar Gupta replaces Manoj Tiwari as
Delhi BJP chief
BJP President J P Nadda has appointed former mayor
of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation Adesh
Kumar Gupta as the new Chief of party's Delhi Unit
replacing Manoj Tiwari.
Mr Tiwari had been appointed as the BJP
Delhi Unit Chief in 2016.
Besides, Mr Nadda also named former Union
Minister Vishnu Deo Sai as its Chhattisgarh
State President and S Tikendra Singh as its
Manipur State Chief.
Twitter appoints ex-Google CFO as new board
chairman
Twitter has appointed ex-Google chief financial
officer (CFO) Patrick Pichette as the company's new
chairman of the board.
Pichette who joined Twitter's board of
directors in 2017, earlier previously served as
Google's CFO from 2008 till 2015.
Pichette will take over from Omid Kordestani
who will remain on Twitter's board.
Uday Kotak takes over as CII president
Veteran banker Uday Kotak has assumed office as
the president of the Confederation of Indian Industry
(CII) for 2020-21.
Kotak, managing director and CEO of Kotak
Mahindra Bank Limited takes over from
Vikram Kirloskar, chairman and managing
director of Kirloskar Systems.
T V Narendran, CEO and managing director
of Tata Steel Limited, is now the president
designate of CII for 2020-21, it said.
Sanjiv Bajaj takes over as CII vice president
for 2020-21. He is the chairman and
managing director of Bajaj Finserv Limited.
Kotak was appointed as non-executive
chairman of the new IL&FS board to steer the
company out of its financial crisis. He was
also chairman of the Sebi panel on corporate
governance.
Krishnendu Majumdar becomes new chairman of
BAFTA
Award-winning television producer Krishnendu
Majumdar has been named as the chairperson of
BAFTA.
Majumdar, who succeeds Pippa Harris to the
post, is the youngest to be appointed as head
in last 35 years of the British Academy of
Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).
Majumdar has been deputy chair for one year
and is due to remain as chair for the next three
years.
Majumdar previously served as the chair of
the Learning and New Talent Committee
(2006-2010), the chair of the Television
Committee (2015-2019) and a member of the
board of trustees for nine years.
V N Datt becomes new CMD of National
Fertilizers Limited
National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) Marketing
Director, Virendra Nath Datt has taken additional
charge of Chairman & Managing Director of the
Company.
He will replace Manoj Mishra.
National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) is a state-
owned Miniratna (Cat-1) company and
producer of chemical fertilizers, organic
fertilizers and industrial chemicals.
Prior to joining NFL, he was Executive
Director in GAIL (India) Limited. He also
had a 10-year stint with ONGC before joining
GAIL in 1995.
Sushil Singhal appointed India’s next High
Commissioner to Papua New Guinea
Sushil Kumar Singhal has been appointed as the next
High Commissioner of India to the Independent State
of Papua New Guinea.
He is presently serving as the Joint Secretary
in the Ministry of External Affairs.
Sushil Kumar Singhal will replace Vijay
Kumar as the next High Commissioner of
India to the Independent State of Papua New
Guinea.
Raveesh Kumar Appointed India's Next
Ambassador To Finland
Seasoned diplomat and former spokesperson of the
External Affairs Ministry Raveesh Kumar has been
appointed as India's next Ambassador to Finland.
Mr Kumar, a 1995-batch Indian Foreign
Service officer, served as the spokesperson of
the MEA from July 2017 to April 2020.
Raveesh Kumar will replace Vani Rao as the
next Ambassador of India to Finland.
Brajendra Navnit becomes India’s new
ambassador to WTO
India has appointed Brajendra Navnit as India’s new
ambassador to the World Trade Organization
(WTO).
He is a 1999 batch IAS officer of Tamil Nadu
cadre.
He will be posted at the Permanent Mission
of India (PMI) to the WTO in Geneva.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet,
which approved Navnit’s foreign post, also
gave a nod to the appointment of Anwar
Hussain Shaik for the post of Counsellor, at
the PMI to WTO, Geneva. He is a 2000 batch
IRTS officer.
DLF’s Chairman K.P. Singh Retires
Kushal Pal Singh retired as the Chairman of property
firm Delhi Land & Finance Limited (DLF).
Rajiv Singh has been appointed as the new
chairman of DLF while Kushal Pal Singh was
made chairman emeritus.
Kushal Pal Singh joined the DLF company in
1946 and took over as chairman of DLF on
October 1, 1995.
Under his leadership, the property firm DLF
expanded beyond Gurgaon, building
apartments, shopping malls, and hotels.
Rahul Shrivastava appointed as next Ambassador
of India to Romania
Rahul Shrivastava, a senior diplomat has been
appointed as the next Ambassador of India to
Romania.
Mr Shrivastava, a 1999 batch IFS officer is
presently a joint secretary in the ministry.
He is expected to take up the assignment
shortly.
M Nethra declared as ‘Goodwill Ambassador for
the Poor’ by UNADAP
In Tamil Nadu, 13-year old girl, M Nethra has been
appointed as the ‘Goodwill Ambassador for the
Poor’ by the United Nations Association for
Development and Peace (UNADAP).
The UNADAP recognition brings to the girl
the opportunity to address the upcoming Civil
Society forums at the UN conferences in New
York and Geneva.
The Dixon Scholarship has awarded Nethra a
scholarship amount of Rs 1,00,000.
The 13-year old girl convinced her father C.
Mohan to spend their savings of Rs 5 lakh and
donate essential items to the poor during the
lockdown.
The money had been saved for Nethra’s
education and for her to pursue her goal of
entering the civil service.
Monika Kapil Mohta appointed India's next
Ambassador to Switzerland
Diplomat Monika Kapil Mohta has been appointed
as the next Ambassador of India to Switzerland, the
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced.
Presently, Mohta, an Indian Foreign Service
officer of 1985 batch, is India's Ambassador
to Sweden.
Mohta has served as the Ambassador of India
to Poland and Lithuania from July 2011 to
January 2015.
She served as the Director of The Nehru
Centre and Minister (Culture) at the High
Commission of India to the United Kingdom
from 2006 to 2011.
She has also served at Indian Embassies in
France, Nepal, and Thailand, and in the
Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO.
Anmol Narang becomes first observant sikh to
graduate from US Military Academy
Second Lieutenant Anmol Narang is all set to create
history. She will become the first observant Sikh to
graduate from the United States (US) Military
Academy.
The graduation ceremony will take place at
the US Military Academy at West Point.
In 1987, the US Congress passed a law that
prohibited Sikhs and several other religious
communities from maintaining their articles
of faith while in the military, despite a history
of diverse service and simple
accommodations.
Imtaiyazur Rahman is appointed as the CEO of
UTI Mutual Fund
UTI Asset Management Company (AMC) appointed
Imtaiyazur Rahman (pictured) as its chief executive
officer (CEO).
Rahman was appointed interim CEO in 2018
after Leo Puri’s term came to an end.
The absence of a permanent CEO at such a
large fund house may have been one of the
concerns for SEBI.
The fund house had average assets under
management of Rs 1.5 trillion in the March
quarter.
Pankaj Tripathi became the brand ambassador of
Bihar Khadi
Bollywood actor Pankaj Tripathi has been appointed
as the brand ambassador of Bihar Khadi by the state
government
In November last year, Chief Minister CM
Nitish Kumar inaugurates country's first
Khadi Mall in Patna.
The Khadi Village Industries Board has
instructed all Khadi institutions to produce
new designs of Khadi garments to increase
production and sales.
The Madhubani Khadi of the state is being
promoted throughout the country.
Attorney General K K Venugopa to get 1-year
extension
Noted constitutional expert KK Venugopal will
continue as the Attorney General of India for one
more year.
He has accepted the government’s request to
serve as the top law officer of the country
beyond June 30 when his current three-year
tenure expires.
Venugopal, a leading lawyer of the country,
was appointed as Attorney General and
succeeded Mukul Rohatgi on June 30, 2017.
Known as a doyen of Indian Bar, Venugopal
has appeared for the Centre in Aadhaar and
Rafale cases, among others, in the Supreme
Court.
He is defending the Union government in
other important cases including those related
to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the
abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution.
Shambhu S Kumaran appointed India's next
envoy to Philippines
Diplomat Shambhu S Kumaran has been appointed
as the next Ambassador of India to the Philippines.
Kumaran is presently Ambassador of India to
the Kingdom of Morocco.
During January 2016-May 2019, he was on
deputation to the Ministry of Defence as Joint
Secretary (Planning and International
Cooperation).
BCCI’s DK Jain gets one-year extension as ethics
officer and ombudsman
Former Supreme Court judge DK Jain will continue
as Board of Control for Cricket in India’s ethics
officer and ombudsman after getting a one-year
extension from the cricket Board.
Jain was appointed by the Supreme Court in
February 2019 as BCCI’s first-ever
ombudsman.
He was later given the additional role of
ethics officer.
His term ended on February 29 this year but
his contract was renewed only last week.
Two Indian firms in WEF list of tech pioneers for
2020
Two Indian firms - ZestMoney and Stellapps - figure
in a new list of Tech Pioneers released by the World
Economic Forum (WEF).
The list described these 100 entities as future
headline-makers addressing global issues
with cutting-edge technology.
From artificial intelligence (AI) to carbon
capture, these companies are using
innovations to protect the climate, improve
healthcare and much more, helping us to reset
society and build towards a better future.
This year's class of Technology Pioneers are
improving society and advancing their
industries around the world.
JSW Cement ropes in Sourav Ganguly and Sunil
Chhetri as brand ambassadors
Cement brand, JSW Cement has roped in former
cricketer and current president of the Board of
Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Sourav Ganguly
as well as captain of the Indian national football team
and Bengaluru FC, Sunil Chhetri as its brand
ambassadors.
The company is also rolling out its new multi-
media marketing campaign ‘Leader’s
Choice’ featuring both these sports icons on
June 20th across West Bengal, Bihar and
Odisha.
The Leader’s Choice campaign is based on
the philosophy of building a solid foundation
for a better tomorrow.
Sourav Ganguly is the former Indian
cricketer and captain of the Indian Cricket
team.
He is presently serving as the president of the
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Sunil Chhetri is the captain of the Indian
national football team and Bengaluru FC.
Former RBI Governor Urjit Patel named NIPFP
chairman
Former Reserve Bank governor Urjit Patel will take
charge as chairman of the National Institute of Public
Finance and Policy (NIPFP) from June 22.
Patel will replace Vijay Kelkar, who assumed
office on November 1, 2014.
Urjit Patel has earlier served as the Governor
as well as the Deputy Governor of the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
He resigned as the Governor of RBI in
December 2018.
US Senate confirms Dr Sethuraman
Panchanathan as head of National Science
Foundation
The US Senate has confirmed eminent Indian-
American scientist Dr Sethuraman Panchanathan as
the Director of the National Science Foundation.
NSF is a top American body supporting
fundamental research in non-medical fields
of science and engineering.
Panchanathan would head the NSF, the top
American science funding body that has an
annual budget of USD 7.4 billion.
He would replace France Cordova, whose
six-year term ended in March, as the 15th
director of the NSF. He is expected to take
office on July 6.
He is the second Indian-American ever to be
nominated to the prestigious science position
with the first being Dr Subra Suresh who
served from October 2010 to March 2013.
National champion Niki Poonacha elected to ITF
panel
National champion Niki Poonacha has been elected
to the International Tennis Federation (ITF) men’s
player panel and will represent the Asia-Oceania
zone along with Ti Chen of Chinese Taipei.
Aldin Setkic and Francesco Vilardo were
elected from Europe, while Juan Pablo Paz
and Jose Bendeck were elected to represent
South America.
The ITF also has a women’s player panel
with Akgul Amanmuradova of Uzbekistan
from Asia.
The men’s and women’s panels will be
headed by Mark Woodforde and Mary
Pierce, respectively, who are already athlete
representatives on the ITF board of directors.
A coach will also be included into the player
panels.
IFTAS announces the appointment of Shri T.
Rabi Sankar as chairman
Indian Financial Technology & Allied Services
(IFTAS) has announced the appointment of T Rabi
Sankar as the Chairman of the organization.
IFTAS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Reserve Bank of India.
T Rabi Sankar, currently serving as
Executive Director, Reserve Bank of India
for Payment Systems, Information
Technology, Risk Management and Fintech
has taken over concurrent charge, ex officio,
as the Chairman of IFTAS.
Agency also appoints Dr N Rajendran as the
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the
organization.
Wasim Jaffer appointed head coach of
Uttarakhand cricket team
Former India opener Wasim Jaffer has been
appointed head coach of the Uttarakhand cricket
team for the upcoming domestic season.
The highest run-getter in Ranji Trophy, Jaffer
had announced retirement in March this year
after playing for over two decades, primarily
for domestic giants Mumbai and Vidarbha.
This will be his first stint as a head coach with
a team.
Uttarakhand had reached the quarterfinals in
their debut Ranji Trophy season in 2018-19,
where they lost to Vidarbha, by an innings
and 115 runs.
IAS officer Vini Mahajan appointed as Punjab's
first woman Chief Secretary
Senior IAS officer Vini Mahajan took over as
Punjab’s first woman chief secretary.
She replaced Karan Avtar Singh who was due
to retire in August.
The 1987 batch IAS officer’s appointment
marked another first in Punjab’s
administrative history as her husband Dinkar
Gupta is the state Director General of Police
(DGP).
As of now, Punjab is the lone state in the
country to have a couple heading both civil
and police administration.
Prior to this appointment, she was serving as
Additional Chief Secretary, Investment
Promotion, Industries and Commerce, IT and
Governance Reforms and Public Grievances.
Syed Ali Shah Geelani resigns from All Parties
Hurriyat Conference
In Jammu and Kashmir, Syed Ali Shah Geelani has
announced his resignation from All Parties Hurriyat
Conference (G).
He was elected as its lifetime chairman in
2003.
He named Rawalpindi-based Abdullah
Geelani as his successor amid speculation
that he was doing ISI's bidding.
All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), or
Tehreek e Hurriyat is an alliance of 26
political, social and religious organizations
formed as a united political front to raise the
cause of Kashmiri separatism in the Kashmir
conflict.
Indian writer wins regional award for Asia in
Commonwealth Short Story Prize
Kritika Pandey, a writer from Ranchi was announced
as the regional winner for Asia in the 2020
Commonwealth Short Story Prize.
The 29-year-old writer won for her story The
Great Indian Tee and Snakes, which is about
two young people trying to navigate the idea
of love in an era of hatred and prejudice.
The story about a Hindu girl falling in love
with a Muslim man had made it to the
shortlist for the Asian region.
Set up in 2012, the Commonwealth Short
Story Prize is awarded for the best piece of
unpublished short fiction from the
Commonwealth.
The prize is given to five regional winners
namely Asia, Pacific, Africa, Canada and
Europe, and the Caribbean. Each winner
receives £ 2,500 (about Rs 2.4 lakh) and an
overall winner from among them receives a
total of £ 5,000 (about Rs 4.72 lakh).
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw named EY World
Entrepreneur Of The Year 2020
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, executive chairperson of
Biocon Ltd, was named the EY World Entrepreneur
of The Year at a virtual award ceremony.
Mazumdar-Shaw was picked from among 46
award winners from 41 countries and
territories vying for the world title.
In the 20-year history of the award, she
became the third EY World Entrepreneur of
The Year Award winner from India, after
Uday Kotak of Kotak Mahindra Bank (2014)
and Narayana Murthy of Infosys
Technologies Ltd (2005).
Renjith Kumar honoured by NASA Distinguished
Service Medal
Renjith Kumar, an aerospace entrepreneur, has been
bestowed with NASA Distinguished Service Medal.
‘Renji’, as he is popularly called, belongs to
the prominent Elankath family and is only the
second Indian after R K Chetty Pandipati to
win the coveted award.
During his 30-year long association with the
US space agency, Kumar had helped redesign
the International Space Station(ISS), He was
a member of the Class of 85 at the Central
Engineering College Trivandrum and won a
gold medal in mechanical engineering.
The Ramon Magsaysay awards cancelled
The Ramon Magsaysay awards, regarded as Asia’s
version of the Nobel Prize, have been cancelled this
year due to the global pandemic.
This is the only third time the annual awards
were disrupted in six decades.
The awards were also cancelled due to a
financial crisis in 1970 and a disastrous
earthquake that hit the Philippines in 1990.
The Ramon Magsaysay awards are named
after Ramon Magsaysay, the third president
of the Republic of the Philippines after World
War II.
Australian honour for Indian musician
Shobha Sekhar, founder of Kalakruthi, a music organisation in Australia will be conferred the Medal of the Order of Australia later this year.
Since 1994, Shobha Sekhar, a management graduate, has let music enrich her own life and provide the
community with the much needed aesthetic touch.
Trained by several stalwarts, including DKP, D.K. Jayaraman and K.V. Narayanaswamy, Shobha started Kalakruthi in that year and has been training countless aspirants in Carnatic music.
She has presented several concerts in Australia and other parts of the world.
Kalakruthi is affiliated to The Music Academy, Chennai, and the students receiving lessons in advanced levels from the faculty of the Academy’s music school.
Indian-American soil scientist Rattan Lal gets 2020 World Food Prize
Eminent Indian-American soil scientist Rattan Lal has been named this year's recipient of the World Food Prize.
He has developed a soil-centric approach to increasing food production that conserves natural resources and mitigates climate change.
Lal, a native of India and a citizen of the United States, will receive the 2.5 lakh dollar award that honours his contribution throughout his career spanning more than five decades and four continents to promote innovative soil-saving techniques.
Hyderabad’s Deccan Development Society wins
Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Award
Hyderabad-based Deccan Development Society has
won the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation
Award.
It is one of the most coveted environmental
awards in the world for the year 2020.
This is in recognition of “the individuals who
dedicate their actions and organisations for
their deep commitment to preserving our
planet, in each of the Foundation’s three
priority areas: limiting the effects of climate
change, preserving biodiversity, managing
water resources and fighting against
desertification.
The award of 40,000 Euros (approximately
Rs 35 lakhs) has been given to the society “in
recognition of the work of DDS women to
rehabilitate degraded lands and promote
biodiversity”.
Golden Globe awards postponed to February
2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic
The annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony for film
and television has been postponed to February 2021.
The Golden Globes ceremony, which kicks
off Hollywood’s awards season, will now
take place on 28th of February instead of its
usual slot on the first Sunday in January.
The decision follows the postponement by
two months of the Oscars to 25th of April
because of Coronavirus pandemic.
The ceremony, hosted by Tina Fey and Amy
Poehler, will take place on the originally
scheduled date of the Oscars, which has been
pushed back two months.
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association,
the group behind the awards, will provide
details about eligibility, voting period and
nominations timing in the weeks ahead.
Himachal bags e-Panchayat Puraskar 2020
The Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj department
has won a first prize under the E-Panchayat
Puraskars-2020 to be given by the Union Ministry of
Panchayati Raj.
The state has been selected for the award for
effective implementation of the e-application
developed by the Central government and
other applications developed by the state
government.
All 3,226 panchayats in the state have been
provided with internet facility, now with the
help of it, people can access various services
online.
Various services such as family register,
registration of birth, death and marriages are
registered online in the panchayats.
Folk artist Gulabbai Sangamnerkar to get
lifetime honour
The Maharashtra government announced the
Vithabai Narayangaonkar lifetime achievement
award to folk artist Gulabbai Sangamnerkar.
Also, the Annasaheb Kirloskar award will be
conferred upon veteran theatre actress-singer
Madhuvanti Dandekar.
The awards were announced by culture
minister Amit Deshmukh.
The award carries the cash prize of Rs 5 lakh,
a citation and a memento.
Sangamnerkar has been performing since the
age of nine.
Dandekar''s career in theatre spans more than
five decades. She has performed in 25
Marathi stage musicals.
Kiren Rijiju, Arjun Munda inaugurate Khelo
India e-Pathshala programme
Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju and Tribal Affairs
Minister Arjun Munda inaugurated Khelo India e-
Pathshala programme with a webinar, attended by
young archers, archery coaches and experts of the
discipline from across the country.
The e-pathshala aims to provide online
coaching and education to athletes living in
far-off areas.
The programme was launched by the Sports
Authority of India (SAI), in association with
National Sporting Federations (NSFs).
The unique programme will connect athletes
from secluded areas of India, who may not
always have access to established players and
coaches.
The e-learning programme will cover 21
sporting disciplines, including, athletics,
archery, boxing, cycling, fencing, football,
gymnastics, hockey, judo, kayaking &
canoeing, kabaddi, para games, rowing,
shooting, taekwondo, table tennis, volleyball,
weightlifting, wrestling and wushu.
India to host 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup
India has been awarded the hosting rights of the 2022
Women’s Asian Cup by the Asian Football
Confederation.
The tournament will be held in India for the
second time since 1979.
As hosts, India will get an automatic
qualification to the tournament.
The tournament has been expanded from the
previous slots of eight teams to 12 teams.
Gomathi Marimuthu gets four-year doping ban
Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has banned athlete
Gomathi Marimuthu for 4-years after testing positive
for banned substances.
Her ban starts from 17th May 2019 to 16th
May 2023.
All of Gomathi’s competition results between
March 18 and May 17, 2019, stand annulled.
The Gold Medal she bagged in the 2019
Asian Championship that was held in Doha,
Qatar with the timing of 2 minutes and 2.70
seconds has been stripped by the Athletics
Integrity Unit(AIU) when the B sample of
Gomathi returned positive.
Russian high jumper Shustov receives four-year
doping ban
Russian high jumper Alexander Shustov, the 2010
European champion, has received a four-year ban for
anti-doping violations.
Shustov, who retired from competition in
2017, has been suspended until 2024 for "use
or attempted use of a banned substance or
prohibited method".
Russia's athletics federation was suspended
in 2015 after a report commissioned by the
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) found
evidence of mass doping in the sport.
Chef Angad Singh Rana won the QualityNZ
Culinary Cup 2020
Chef Angad Singh Rana has won QualityNZ
Culinary Cup 2020.
The award was announced by Cricket legend
and Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen
Fleming.
Chef Angad Singh Rana grabbed the
QualityNZ Culinary Cup 2020 alongside INR
50,000 worth of QualityNZ lamb and seafood
and a Weber BBQ valued at over INR 46,000.
Sports Ministry all set to establish Khelo India
State Centres of Excellence
The Sports Ministry is all set to establish Khelo India
State Centres of Excellence under the Khelo India
Scheme.
One such centre will be identified in each
State and Union Territory with an aim to
create a robust sporting ecosystem in the
entire country.
In the first leg, the Ministry has identified
state-owned sports facilities in eight states
including Karnataka, Odisha, Kerala,
Telangana, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur,
Mizoram and Nagaland which will be
upgraded into Khelo India State Centre of
Excellence.
These centres are being established to
strengthen India’s pursuit for excellence in
Olympics.
4th Asian Youth Para Games to be held in
Bahrain in December 2021
The Asian Paralympic Committee (APC) announced
that the fourth Asian Youth Para Games will take
place in Bahrain from December 1-10, 2021.
Around 800 athletes under 20 years of age are
expected to compete in nine sports: athletics,
badminton, boccia, goalball, para taekwondo,
powerlifting, swimming, table tennis and
wheelchair basketball.
The competition will take place across
numerous venues in Khalifa Sports City, a
multi-use stadium in Isa Town, and Isa Sports
City.
The event is being organised in conjunction
with the National Paralympic Committee
(NPC) of Bahrain with the support of the
local government.
Mamedyarov wins Sharjah Online Chess C’ship
Azerbaijan’s Shakhriyar Mamedyarov bagged top
honours at the World Stars Sharjah Online
International Chess Championship.
Grandmaster Mamedyarov won the coveted
title and pocketed $3000 with 7.5 points from
10 rounds Indian Grandmaster Pentala
Harikrishna finished second with 6.5 points
after losing his 10th and final round game to
Radoslaw Wojtszek.
Both Mamedyarov and Harikrishna had
chances to win the title as at the start of the
final round they were on 6.5 points each.
Luck eluded the Indian as he lost his 10th and
final round game to Poland’s Radoslaw
Wojtszek. Harikrishan finished second with
6.5 points.
Mamedyarov, who remained the only
unbeaten player in the double round-robin
tournament, got the better off UAE
Grandmaster Salem Abdulrahman Mohamed
Saleh to grab the victory.
Former India football captain IM Vijayan
recommended for Padma Shri
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has
recommended former skipper IM Vijayan for Padma
Shri.
The 51-year-old former India striker, who
scored 40 goals in 79 matches for India since
making his debut in early 90s.
He was awarded the Arjuna award in 2003.
He was also awarded the Indian 'Player of the
Year' in 1993, 1997 and 1999.
Vijayan, who led Indian team from 2000 to
2004, used to form a formidable pair with
fellow striker Bhaichung Bhutia.
New Zealand's Rachel Priest announces
retirement from international cricket
New Zealand wicketkeeper-batswoman Rachel
Priest has announced her retirement from
international cricket.
Priest was not included in the White Ferns'
list of centrally-contracted players announced
earlier this month.
After her retirement, she has now signed up a
contract with Cricket Tasmania to play in
Australia Women’s National Cricket League
and will represent Tasmanian Tigers for the
2020/21 season.
Liverpool Win Premier League title
Liverpool has won the English Premier League
2019-20 title.
This is the first time that Liverpool has won
the English Premier League title.
Liverpool had beaten 18 of the 19 teams in
the league heading into their match against
West Ham.
Liverpool can end up becoming the 1st team
to win all home games in Premier League
season
Sanjita Chanu to receive Arjuna award after IWF
drops doping charges
Two-time Commonwealth Games gold medal
winning weightlifter K. Sanjita Chanu, who was
recently exonerated from doping charges, will get the
Arjuna award for 2018.
She fought a long battle for over two-and-a-
half years before seeing her name being
cleared of doping charges by the International
Weightlifting Federation (IWF) earlier this
month.
Sanjita had moved the Delhi High Court after
being ignored for the Arjuna Award in 2017.
Following Sanjita’s exoneration of the
doping charges, the IWLF reminded the
Sports Ministry about the court order.
Australia, New Zealand to co-host FIFA 2023
Women’s World Cup
Australia and New Zealand will co-host the
Women’s World Cup in 2023, with the following
edition possibly set to take place just two years later.
The joint bid beat Colombia 22-13 in a vote
by FIFA’s ruling council, which judged them
as having the best commercial prospects for
women’s soccer.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino was one of
the members who voted for Australia and
New Zealand to stage the first 32-team
Women’s World Cup.
FIFA’s decision means South America is still
waiting to host its first Women’s World Cup,
a tournament that was first played in 1991.
The 2023 tournament will be the first time a
World Cup for men or women will be shared
across two countries from different FIFA
confederations.
Both Australia, the No. 7-ranked team in
women’s soccer, and No. 23 New Zealand
will qualify automatically for the tournament.
FIFA approves $1.5 bn COVID-19 relief fund for
world football
FIFA''s ruling council has unanimously approved the
COVID-19 Relief Plan giving a total of $1.5 billion
to help the global football community weather the
coronavirus pandemic.
FIFA said that each of the 211 member
associations will get a one million dollars
payment, part of which will be granted in July
this year.
To ensure a healthy restart for women''s
football, a lump-sum of 500,000 dollars will
be paid to support the specific community.
The member associations would be able to
apply for interest-free loans amounting to up
to 35 per cent of their audited annual
revenues.
Dravid beats Tendulkar in Wisden India's poll
Indian batting great Rahul Dravid narrowly beat his
former teammate Sachin Tendulkar in Wisden India's
poll for the greatest Indian Test batsman of all time.
The poll was taken on Facebook and Dravid
got 52 percent of the 11,400 votes that came
in from fans.
It started with a pool of 16 Indian batsmen
and came down to a final four of Dravid
against Sunil Gavaskar and Tendulkar
against Virat Kohli.
Gavaskar managed to later beat Kohli in a
closely contested third place play-off.
Music composer Wajid Khan of Sajid-Wajid
fame dies due to COVID-19
Music composer, director and singer Wajid Khan
died due to COVID-19.
The 42 year old music composer was also
suffering from kidney ailments and had
undergone a kidney transplant a few months
ago.
Wajid Khan, of the famous Sajid-Wajid
music composer duo, composed most of the
songs of actor Salman Khan's movies.
Former Olympic sprint champion Bobby Morrow
dies aged 84
American sprinter Bobby Morrow, who won three
gold medals at the 1956 Olympic Games in
Melbourne, died.
Morrow won gold in the 100 and 200 metres
and anchored the US to victory in the 4x100m
relay, in which they set a world record.
He is one of the four men to win these three
events at a single Games, alongside Jesse
Owens, Carl Lewis and Usain Bolt.
He was named Sports Illustrated's
"Sportsman of the Year" in 1956 and set 11
ratified world records during his career.
BJP Tamil Nadu former president KN
Lakshmanan passes away
Former two-time Tamil Nadu State BJP president K
N Lakshmanan died.
Born in Salem on October 20, 1930, he
completed schooling at the Gokulnatha
Hindu Mahajana school and did his BA at
what was then the Salem Municipal College.
In 1944, he joined the RSS and in 1957
started the Jana Sangh in Salem district along
with nine others.
In 1969, he and senior RSS leader Vasudevan
started the Vidya Mandir school at Shevapet
in Salem city. From 1970 to 1974, he started
branches of the school in 24 towns across the
State.
When the Jana Sangh became the BJP,
Lakshmanan was appointed the party’s State
president and held the post from 1984-89.
He also held the post from 1996 to 2000. In
2001, he was elected to the State Assembly
from the Mylapore constituency in Chennai.
NBA legend Wes Unseld who played for
Washington Wizards dies
NBA legend Wes Unseld, who played for the
Washington Wizards died following lengthy health
issues.
Unseld who led Washington Wizards (the
then Baltimore Bullets) in 1978 to its only
NBA championship is considered as one of
the greatest players in league’s history.
A five-time All-Star selection, Unseld spent
his entire 13-year career with the same team
and appeared in a franchise-record 984
games, averaging 10.8 points, 14.0 rebounds
and 3.9 assists over his career.
He was inducted into 'The Naismith
Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame' as a
player in 1988 and was voted as a 'top 50
player in league history' in 1996.
Lyricist Anwar Sagar passes away
Veteran lyricist Anwar Sagar passed away.
Anwar wrote many popular songs in the 80s
and 90s.
He wrote the lyrics of the song “Waada Raha
Sanam” for the 1992 film Khiladi, starring
Akshay Kumar and Ayesha Jhulka.
The lyricist also has to his credit films like
Yaarana, Salaami, Aa Gale Lag Jaa and
Vijaypath among more.
Anwar Sagar also worked with music
directors like Nadeem-Shravan, Rajesh
Roshan, Jatin-Lalit and Anu Malik.
British Producer and songwriter Rupert Hine
passes away
British Producer and songwriter Rupert Hine who
worked with artists including Tina Turner, Howard
Jones, passed away.
He began his career as a musician in folk
band Rupert & David and also worked with
other bands such as Quantum Jump and Spin
1ne 2wo.
Rupert Hine was a dominant producer in the
1980s and 1990s.
His renowned works that appeared on
soundtracks for the films Better Off Dead,
Golden Eye, The Fifth Element, etc.
He also produced the Grammy-winning
single Better Be Good to Me.
Former India footballer Hamza Koya died of
COVID-19 in Kerala
Former Indian footballer Hamza Koya has died of
COVID-19 in Kerala.
He was a former football player who had
represented Maharashtra at the Santosh
Trophy and also an India team member in
Nehru trophy.
The deceased is a native of Parapanagadi,
who had returned from Mumbai recently and
passed away in Manjeri Medical College in
Malappuram.
Former Delhi Police commissioner Ved Marwah
dies
Former Delhi Police commissioner Ved Marwah
died in Goa. He was 87.
Marwah was the police commissioner of
Delhi from 1985-88 and served as the third
director general of the elite National Security
Guard from 1988-90.
He was a former governor of Manipur,
Jharkhand and Mizoram.
He was an outstanding civil servant and an
able administrator.
Kannada actor Chiranjeevi Sarja passes away
Kannada actor Chiranjeevi Sarja passed away.
He had made his debut with the movie
‘Vayuputra.
He has featured in films such as Samhaara,
Aadyaa, Khaki, Sinnga, Amma I Love You,
Prema Baraha, Dandam Dashagunam and
Varadhanayaka among others.
He was last seen in the Kannada action-
drama Shivarjun.
Former US gymnast Thomas passes away
The first U.S. male gymnast to win a world
championship gold medal, Kurt Thomas passed
away.
He won the gold medal at the world championships
in 1978.
Thomas won a record six gold medals at the
1979 world championships.
His record has since been tied by Simone
Biles, who accomplished the feat at the 2018
world championships.
Prior to competing professionally, Thomas
was a five-time NCAA champion at Indiana
State University.
Former union minister Arjun Charan Sethi dies
Former Union minister Arjun Charan Sethi died in a
hospital following a brief illness.
An eight-time MP from Bhadrak Lok Sabha
constituency, Sethi was the Union Water
Resources Minister in the Atal Bihari
Vajpayee-led NDA government from 2000 to
2004.
Active in social and political spheres since
his youth, soft-spoken Sethi was also elected
to the Odisha Assembly twice.
During his long stint as an MP and an MLA,
the late Arjun Sethi had earned the goodwill
of the people for his dedicated service and
commitment.
Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza dies of
'cardiac arrest' at 55
Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza has died after
suffering a cardiac arrest.
After 15 years in power, Mr Nkurunziza was
due to step down in August.
In 2015, the announcement that he would run
for a third term plunged the country into
chaos.
He was also due to receive a $540,000
(£440,000) retirement pay-out and a luxury
villa.
Manchester United great and former European Cup winner Tony Dunne passes away at 78 Manchester United’s European Cup-winning defender Tony Dunne has died aged 78. ● Dunne, who joined United from Irish club Shelbourne in 1960, made 535 appearances for Matt Busby’s side and played an integral role in their European
Cup triumph in 1968. ● Tony Dunner also won two league titles and an FA Cup during his 13-year stint with Manchester United. ● Dunne, capped 33 times by the Republic of Ireland, joined Bolton Wanderers in 1973 on a free transfer and made over 170 appearances before ending his career with American club Detroit Express in 1979.
Former Planning Commission Member Vaidyanathan passes away
Former Member of the Planning Commission Dr A Vaidyanathan died in Coimbatore. ● Vaidyanathan was a professor at the Madras Institute of Development Studies and Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram. ● He had chaired the Government of India Task Force on Revival of Cooperative Credit Institutions (2004) and was a member of the K N Raj Committee on Taxation of Agricultural Income (1969-70). ● From 1962 to 1972, Dr Vaidyanathan was a member of the perspective planning division of the Planning Commission.
Urdu poet 'Gulzar' Dehlvi dies days after
recovering from Covid-19
Veteran Urdu poet Anand Mohan Zutshi "Gulzar"
Dehlvi passed away five days after he recovered
from Covid-19.
A freedom fighter and a premier 'inquilabi'
poet, Dehlvi was admitted to a private
hospital on June 1 after testing positive for
coronavirus.
Born in old Delhi's Gali Kashmeerian in
1926, he was also the editor of 'Science ki
Duniya', the first Urdu science magazine
published by Government of India in 1975.
Former Head of Publications Division, Surinder
Kaur passes away
Mrs. Surinder Kaur, former Head of Publications
Division and Directorate of Advertising & Visual
publicity passed away after a brief illness.
A senior Indian Information Service Officer
of 1968 batch, and wife of former CBI
Director late Joginder Singh, she held
several important positions in All India
Radio News and Press Information Bureau.
Mrs. Kaur also served as a Director in the
Ministry of Home Affairs.
Senior journalist, freedom fighter Dinu Randive
passes away
Senior journalist and freedom fighter from
Maharashtra, Dinu Randive passed away.
Mr. Randive played a key role in the struggle
movement to carve out Maharashtra state
called Samyukta Maharashtra movement.
The veteran journalist was born in 1925 at a
tribal hamlet at Dahanu near Mumbai, he
started his journalistic career in 1956.
Early this year, he was conferred with the
lifetime achievement award by the
Mantralaya and Vidhimandal Vartahar
Sangh, an association of journalists covering
Maharashtra legislature and secretariat.
Former New Zealand cricketer Matt Poore dies
Former New Zealand Test cricketer Matt Poore, who
is remembered for catching a stray dog during a
match in Bangalore in 1955, has died at the age of
90.
He was featured in 14 Tests for New Zealand,
scoring 355 runs and picking up nine wickets
between 1953-1956.
He also played 61 Tests for Canterbury and
scored 2,336 runs and ended up with 68
wickets.
Former Lok Sabha MP, banker Madhavrao
Patil dies in Nashik
Former Lok Sabha MP and founder of Janalaxmi
Cooperative Bank Madhavrao Patil died after a brief
illness.
He was a staunch supporter of Sharad Pawar
and was among the first to join when the latter
formed the Nationalist Congress Party in
1999.
Patil had won from Nashik Lok Sabha
constituency on a Congress ticket in 1998.
Noted Uttarakhand folk singer Heera Singh Rana
passes away in Delhi
Noted folk singer of Uttarakhand Heera Singh Rana
died at the age of 78.
Heera Singh Rana was born in 1942 in
Manila Dandholi village of Almora.
He began singing in various forums since the
age of 15. Recently he was appointed vice-
chairman of Garhwal, Kumaoni and Jaunsari
Academy by the government of Delhi.
His song ‘Tyar pahad-myar pahad hoi
dukhon ko dyar pahad’ depicted the
migration problem of the hills.
Maha Vir Chakra awardee and 1971 war hero, Lt
Gen Raj Mohan Vohra dies of COVID-19
Lt Gen (retd) Raj Mohan Vohra, who was a 1971 war
hero and a Maha Vir Chakra awardee, has died due
to COVID-19.
Then a lieutenant colonel, Vohra commanded
the elite Hodson's Horse in the Shakargarh
Sector during the Indo-Pak War of 1971 and
was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra for his
conspicuous bravery and leadership.
During the Battle of Basantar, the regiment
came under heavy fire from the enemy and
faced huge resistance, but 27 enemy tanks
were destroyed under his able command.
The Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) is the country's
second highest gallantry award.
It is awarded for acts of conspicuous
gallantry in the presence of enemy whether
on land, at sea or in the air.
Vohra had received the coveted award in
1972.
Former Goa minister Achyut Usgaonkar passes
away
Former Goa minister Achyut Kashinath Sinai
Usgaonkar passed away following age-related
ailments.
Usgaonkar was a leader of the
Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP),
the oldest regional outfit in Goa.
He served as a cabinet minister from August
13, 1977 to April 27, 1979 in the then
Shashikala Kakodkar government of Goa,
Daman and Diu.
Before serving as a minister, Achyut
Usgaonkar was the deputy speaker of Goa
during the Dayanand Bandodkar-led
government.
Bandodkar was the first chief minister of the
coastal state.
Malayalam filmmaker Sachidanandan passes
away
Malayalam writer-director KR Sachidanandan,
popularly known in the industry as Sachy, passed
away.
Sachy was on ventilator support prior to his
death for almost two days.
He suffered a cardiac arrest and hypoxic
brain damage, wherein the brain does not get
enough oxygen.
Sachy debuted in the film industry as a writer,
collaborating with fellow writer and
screenwriter Sethunath.
The duo, known as Sachy-Sethu, went on to
write hits such as Chocolate, Makeup Man,
Robin Hood, and Seniors.
Sachy started off as a writer in the Malayalam
film industry, and then moved on to direction,
debuting as a director in 2015 with the
Prithviraj-starrer Anarkali.
Veteran economist & FC member B.P.R. Vithal
passes away
Veteran economist and the member of 10th Finance
Commission, B.P.R. Vithal passes away.
He was a former IAS officer of the 1950
batch. He also served as the Secretary,
Finance and Planning, government of Andhra
Pradesh, from 1972 to 1982.
B.P.R. Vithal also worked at the International
Monetary Fund as the fiscal adviser to the
governments of Malawi and Sudan.
He also played an instrumental role in the
establishment of Centre for Economic and
Social Studies, Hyderabad.
Social worker Vidyaben Shah passes away
Social worker Vidyaben Shah passed away at her
residence.
She was 98. As a university student, she
participated in the Quit India Movement.
Shah had established India's first ever Bal
Bhavan in Rajkot in the 1940s, which was to
become a harbinger of the entire Bal Bhavan
Movement in India.
She was president of the Indian Council for
Child Welfare (ICCW).
She was the first non-official to become
president of the New Delhi Municipal
Council (NDMC) in the 1970s.
She played a leading role in the establishment
of one of Delhi's most renowned schools,
Sardar Patel Vidyalaya and of the Triveni
Kala Sangam, a premier institution for
imparting training in dance, music and
painting.
She was honoured with the Padma Shri in
1992 and Government of India's National
Award for outstanding services in the field of
Child Welfare in 1986.
Ranji Trophy's Highest Wicket Taker Rajinder
Goel Passes Away Aged 77
Former left-arm spin legend Rajinder Goel, whose
record Ranji Trophy wicket haul of 637 scalps still
stands, passed away.
Goel, who played for Haryana, Punjab and
Delhi, was a towering presence in domestic
cricket during a 25-year first-class career that
began in the 1958-59 Ranji season and
extended until 1984-85, when he was 42.
Goel finished with 750 first-class wickets.
Goel and contemporary left-arm spinner,
Padmakar Shivalkar of Mumbai, dominated
batsmen in the domestic circuit for three
decades.
Goel and Shivalkar were two of the finest
spinners produced by India never to play for
the country.
Maj Gen Lachhman Singh Lehl, renowned
veteran of 1948, 1971 wars, dies
Major General (Retd) Lachhman Singh Lehl, who
commanded the 20 Mountain Division of the Army
that exhibited massive courage and valour during the
1971 Indo-Pak war, has died aged 97 in Delhi.
Major General (Retd) Lehl had assumed
command of the 20 Mountain Division on
November 13, 1970.
The famous battles of "Hilli" and "Bogra"
were fought in 1971 operations, which were
decisive battles in the Eastern Theatre," the
official said.
The Instrument of Surrender taken by the
officer against Pakistan's 16 Infantry
Division speaks of the valour of the 20
Mountain Division on the eastern front under
his command.
Film producer Steve Bing passes away
Film producer & philanthropist, Steve Bing passed
away.
He produced films such as Get Carter and
Every Breath, and also wrote the screenplay
for movie Kangaroo Jack.
Steve Bing financed the 2004 film ‘The Polar
Express‘ to the tune of a reported $100
million, which was nearly half of the
production cost.
He also produced Martin Scorsese’s
documentary “Shine A Light” in 2008, which
was about legendary rock band The Rolling
Stones.
Veteran journalist, former MP Vishwa Mohan
Gupta passes away
Former MP and veteran journalist Vishwa Bandhu
Gupta died.
Gupta was associated with the Congress party
during the 1980s and he was a Member of
Parliament from April 1984 to 1990,
representing the state of Delhi in the Rajya
Sabha.
Gupta was Chairman and Editor-in-chief of
the Tej-Bandhu group of publications.
He was one of the founding members of the
Press Club of India and the President of the
All India Newspaper Editors Conference.
Former India shooter Pournima Zanane passes
away after two-year battle with cancer
Former India shooter Pournima Zanane has passed
away aged 42.
An International Shooting Sport Federation-
licenced coach, Zanane had been suffering
from cancer for the past two years and also
underwent extensive treatment for the same.
She has represented India at multiple ISSF
World Cups, Asian Championships,
Commonwealth Championships, among
others.
Zanane, who was a national record holder in
10m air rifle event, took to coaching and was
honoured with the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports
award by the Maharashtra government.
Former Karnataka basketball player K
Raghunath passes away
Former Karnataka basketball star K Raghunath
passed away.
Fondly referred to as ‘Pappachi’, Raghunath
was one of the founding members of the still-
popular Beagles Basketball Club.
Raghunath’s tryst with basketball began in
1958, and before long he was winning
accolades for the Malleswaram High School
and subsequently National College and
Government Science College (B.Sc).
The shooter, who was diagnosed with cancer
during the Nationals in Kerala two years ago,
started her career in Mumbai before shifting
base to Pune.
'Batman' director Joel Schumacher passes away
Costume designer-turned director Joel Schumacher,
known for helming films including 'St Elmo's Fire',
'Falling Down' as well as two 'Batman' movies, has
passed away.
Schumacher started off as a costume designer
for 1970s films.
Joel Schumacher’s first movie was Batman
Forever which starred Val Kilmer, Tommy
Lee Jones, Jim Carrey and Nicole Kidman.
He also directed the movie titled “The
Phantom of the Opera” which received three
Oscar nominations.
Trinamool MLA Tamonash Ghosh dies of
COVID-19
Trinamool Congress MLA, Tamonash Ghosh passed
away due to COVID-19.
He represented Falta Assembly constituency
in South 24 Parganas district in West Bengal.
He was three-time MLA from Falta & party
treasurer since 1998.
Ghosh is the first elected public
representative in the State to succumb to the
contagious viral infection.
Veteran Kannada novelist Geetha Nagabhushan
passes away
Veteran novelist Geetha Nagabhushanpassed away.
She was suffering from age-related ailments
since recent years.
She started her career as lecturer at
Nagareshwar College in Kalaburagi and had
retired as principal.
She had chaired the 76th Akhil Bharat
Kannada Sahitya Sammelan held in Gadag in
2010.
She was the first woman writer to get Nadoja
award of Kannada University Hampi, and
first Kannada woman writer to be honored
Sahitya Akademi award for her novel
'Baduku' in 2004.
Amish announces his new book, Legend of
Suheldev: The King Who Saved India
The author of The Immortals of Meluha Amish
Tripathi, has announced the launch of his new book,
Legend of Suheldev: The King Who Saved India.
Published by Westland Publications Pvt Ltd,
his latest fiction is set in 11th-century, India.
The book begins with Mahmud of Ghazni’s
invasion and the massacre of the holy
Somnath Temple.
It then proceeds to document the adventure of
the warrior-king Suheldev and the way he
brings together people from various faiths.
June English Monthly Quiz
Q. World Milk Day is observed every year on
_______.
29 May
30 May
31 May
01 June
02 June
Q. Which of the following companies became the
first private company to put a human into space
orbit?
Astra
Virgin Galactic
SpaceX
AirLaunch
OneSpace
i-Space
Q. Who among the following launched “Artificial
Intelligence Portal” of India called “ai.gov.in”?
Ram Vilas Paswan
Ravi Shankar Prasad
Prakash Javadekar
Jagat Prakash Nadda
None of these
Q. In his recent episode of Mann Ki Baat, Prime
Minister Modi announced a video blogging contest
named as ________.
Yoga: Part of My Life
My Life My Yoga
Yoga, Road to healthy life
Aarogyam
None of these
Q. Jal Jeevan Mission announced by the Prime
Minister Narendra Modi r aims to provide tap water
connections to 18 Crore rural households of the
country by the year________.
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Q. Which of the following became the first state to
prepare one lakh beds for COVID-19 patients?
Maharashtra
Uttar Pradesh
Rajasthan
Madhya Pradesh
None of these
Q. Recently, the Government has banned
‘WeTransfer’ website citing security reasons. We
Transfer is a/an _______.
File Sharing website
Money transfer website
Social Networking website
Micro blogging website
None of these
Q. Who among the following has been appointed as
the Chief Executive Officer of Food Safety and
Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)?
Maneesh Pal
Arun Singhal
Komal Tyagi
Sachin Jaiswal
None of these
Q. Recently, Wajid Khan passed away. He was a/an
________.
Journalist
Music composer
Doctor
Politician
None of these
Q. Recently, Nikol Pashinyan had tested positive for
the novel coronavirus. He is the Prime Minister of
_______.
Armenia
Ukraine
Belarus
Croatia
Montenegro
Q. Which of the following has launched ‘C-TAP’
(COVID-19 Technology Access Pool) for equitable
access to life-saving tech?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA
World Health Organization
Ministry of Health, Brazil
Indian Council of Medical Research
None of these
Q. Which of the following has developed ‘Ultra
Swachh’ for disinfection of PPEs, electronic items,
fabrics?
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
Defence Research and Development Organization
Indian Space Research Organisation
Ordnance Factory Board
None of these
Q. Recently, Government has set a target to provide
Kisan Credit Cards to ________ dairy farmers
1.0 crore
1.5 crore
2.0 crore
2.5 crore
5 crore
Q. Recently, the centre has approved 175 crore
rupees for implementation of Jal jeevan mission in
_______.
Himachal Pradesh
Odisha
Meghalaya
Chhattisgarh
Telangana
Q. PM SVANIDHI scheme is related to ________.
Aquaculture
Dairy Farming
Street Vendors
Cotton cultivators
None of these
Q. PM Modi greets people on Telangana State
Formation Day. Telangana was formed in the year
_______.
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
Q. Which of the following Indian states are expected
to be effected from cyclonic storm Nisarga?
Kerala
Kerala and Karnataka
Odisha and west Bengal
Odisha and Andhra Pradesh
Maharashtra and Gujarat
Q. Which of the following state governments has
launched an online portal ‘Skill Register’ to create a
database of migrants?
Uttarakhand
Assam
Meghalaya
Himachal Pradesh
Bihar
Q. Which of the following agency has downgraded
the Government of India's foreign-currency and
local-currency long-term issuer ratings to Baa3 from
Baa2?
Goldman Sachs
Moody’s
Fitch Ratings
S&P Global
Bloomberg
Q. World Bicycle Day is observed every year on
________.
31 May
01 June
02 June
03 June
04 June
Q. Which of the following parts of the world is
affected by tropical storm Amanda?
Eastern Africa
Central America
Northern Europe
Northern America
None of these
Q. In 2016, At a cost of around ₹58,000 crore, India
placed an order of ________ Rafel fighter jets from
France.
20
22
31
36
39
Q. Recently, Energy trading platform Indian Energy
Exchange has launched the real-time electricity
market (RTM) on its platform. This will allow
________ auction sessions during the day.
12
20
24
26
48
Q. Which of the following states/UT has launched an
app to help track hospital beds, ventilators for
COVID-19 patients?
Goa
Assam
Madhya Pradesh
Delhi
Rajasthan
Q. Which of the following state has planned to
provide tap connections for all households by March
2023?
Uttarakhand
Assam
Himachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Haryana
Q. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches the
Silver Jubilee celebrations of Rajiv Gandhi
University of Health Sciences. Rajiv Gandhi
University of Health Sciences is in _______.
Pune
New Delhi
Bengaluru
Panipat
Indore
Q. Who among the following has been appointed as
India''s next High Commissioner to the United
Kingdom?
Sameer Pathak
Amitabh Chaudhary
Gaitri Kumar
Ranjan Tripathi
None of these
Q. Bimal Julka is currently in the news. He is the
________ of India.
Chief Information Commissioner
Chairman of Khadi and Village Industries
Commission
Director General of Airports Authority of India
Chairman of University Grants Commission
None of these
Q. Who among the following has replaced Manoj
Tiwari as Delhi BJP chief?
Arvind Singh
Adesh Kumar Gupta
B.S. Bhullar
Sanjeev Ranjan
None of these
Q. International Day of Innocent Children Victims
of Aggression is observed every year on ________.
1 June
2 June
3 June
4 June
5 June
Q. Government has launched _________ initiative
to conduct skill mapping of citizens returning under
Vande Bharat Mission
BHARAT
SWADES
SWAYAM
SAUBHAGYA
None of these
Q. Which of the following state has recently invited
chip manufacturing company 'Intel' to set up its unit
in the state?
Maharashtra
Uttar Pradesh
Karnataka
Tamil Nadu
Kerala
Q. CM Didi Kitchen emerged as a lifeline for all
needy women during COVID-19 lockdown.CM
Didi Kitchen was launched by ________.
Telangana
Rajasthan
Bihar
Jharkhand
None of these
Q. Which of the following state government has
started implementation of Rs. 300-crore Rural
Rejuvenation Scheme ?
Kerala
Jharkhand
Assam
Manipur
Tamil Nadu
Q. Who among the following has been appointed as
Twitter’s new chairman of the board?
David Wehner
Patrick Pichette
Sheryl Sandberg
Eduardo Saverin
Mike Schroepfer
Q. Who among the following has assumed office as
the president of the Confederation of Indian
Industry (CII) for 2020-21?
Shiv Nadar
Uday Kotak
Anand Mahindra
Kumar Mangalam Birla
Aditya Puri
Q. Who among the following has been appointed as
the youngest chairperson of British Academy of
Film and Television Arts (BAFTA)?
Krishnendu Majumdar
Archie Panjabi
Christopher Eccleston
Billie Piper
None of these
Q. Who among the following has been appointed as
the Chairman & Managing Director of National
Fertilizers Limited?
Ashok Pandey
Manish Rawat
V N Datt
Sam Gill
Mahendra Joshi
Q. Recently, Sushil Singhal has been appointed as
India’s next High Commissioner to _________.
Timor-Leste
Papua New Guinea
Lesotho
Laos
Liberia
Q. World Environment Day is observed every year
on ________.
1 June
2 June
3 June
4 June
5 June
Q. The World Economic Forum will host a Unique
Twin Summit in ________.
October, 2020
November, 2020
January, 2021
March, 2021
June, 2021
Q. Which of the following country hosted the Global
Vaccine Summit 2020?
France
USA
Japan
UK
Italy
Q. Which of the following states/UT launched the
''MeraVetan'' app for government employees?
Jammu and Kashmir
New Delhi
Assam
Punjab
Haryana
Q. Recently, Which of the following state
government has launched ‘Spandan Campaign’ to
check suicide and fratricide?
Telangana
Jharkhand
Chhattisgarh
Madhya Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Q. Which of the following bank has recently
launched a mobile based current account opening
facility?
ICICI Bank
Axis Bank
IndusInd Bank
State Bank of India
None of these
Q. Recently, Raveesh Kumar has been appointed as
India's next ambassador to _______.
Germany
Nepal
Finland
France
None of these
Q. Who among the following has been appointed as
India’s new ambassador to the World Trade
Organization (WTO)?
Brajendra Navnit
Ajay Shrinivas
Manoj Desai
Pankaj Chaturvedi
None of these
Q. Who among the following Indian has won the
2020 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for Asia?
Akansha Deshwal
Ambika Negi
Jyoti Anand
Kritika Pandey
None of these
Q. Recently, Anwar Sagar passed away. He was a
famous ________.
Painter
Football player
Cricketer
Lyricist
Journalist
Q. Russian Language Day is observed every year on
_______.
3 June
4 June
5 June
6 June
7 June
Q. The United Nations has how many languages as
its official languages?
3
5
6
7
9
Q. The finance ministry announced that it will not
launch any new schemes till________.
31 October 2020
31 December 2020
31 March 2021
31 June 2021
None of these
Q. Who among the following has recently launched
an awareness campaign on Prevention of Human,
Animal Mortality on Highways?
Rajnath Singh
Prakash Javadekar
Nitin Gadkari
Amit Shah
None of these
Q. Who among the following has recently launched
‘#iCommit’ campaign on the occasion of World
Environment Day?
Mahendra Nath Pandey
R. K. Singh
Narendra Singh Tomar
Thawar Chand Gehlot
None of these
Q. Recently, India has launched Nagar Van project
to create urban forest in how many cities?
100
200
400
500
700
Q. Recently, Scientists from The Centre for Nano
and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) developed a low-
cost catalyst for hydrogen generation from water
using ________ as a catalyst.
Molybdenum dioxide
Manganese dioxide
Mercury oxide
Chromium oxide
Chromium trioxide
Q. Which of the following banks has recently
launched a “Summer Treats” campaign?
Axis Bank
State Bank of India
HDFC Bank
Canara Bank
ICICI Bank
Q. Recently K.P. Singh has announced his
retirement. He was serving as Chairman of _______.
Delhi Land & Finance Limited (DLF)
Kirloskar Brothers Limited
Ashok Leyland
Eicher Motors
Hero MotoCorp
Q. Which of the following countries will host the
2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup?
China
Bangladesh
India
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
Q. World Food Safety Day is observed every year on
________.
04 June
05 June
06 June
07 June
08 June
Q. Who among the following has formally become the
US presidential nominee from democratic party?
Bernie Sanders
Elizabeth Warren
Joe Biden
Donald Trump
Nancy Pelosi
Q. Recently, the G20 countries pledged around
________ to fund fight COVID-19 pandemic.
$6 billion
$14 billion
$21 billion
$33 billion
$46 billion
Q. Which of the following states has launched an Online
Labour Employment Exchange?
Haryana
Telangana
Rajasthan
Punjab
Karnataka
Q. The National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) has
recently developed indigenous nasopharyngeal swab for
collecting samples. NCL is based in ________.
Hyderabad
Pune
Chennai
New Delhi
Gandhinagar
Q. Who among the following is the head of the
government’s task force which is established to examine
maternal mortality rate, women’s health?
Jaya Jaitley
Michael Fernandes
Laila Tyabji
Devaki Jain
None of these
Q. Who among the following has topped the annual
Forbes list of the highest paid celebrities?
Cristiano Ronaldo
Lionel Messi
Tyler Perry
Neymar
Kylie Jenner
Q. Recently, Rahul Shrivastava has been appointed as
next Ambassador of India to ________.
Romania
Finland
Oman
Denmark
None of these
Q. Recently, Rupert Hine passed away. He was a famous
________.
Film producer
Football player
Scientist
Doctor
None of these
Q. Recently, Hamza Koya passed away. He was
associated with which of the following sports?
Cricket
Hockey
Football
Badminton
None of these
Q. Recently, Ved Marwah passed away. He served as the
Police commissioner of ________.
Chennai
Hyderabad
Delhi
Agra
None of these
Q. World Oceans Day is observed every year on
________.
6 June
9 June
8 June
7 June
5 June
Q. Which of the following countries had proposed
the concept of World Ocean Day?
India
USA
France
Canada
Japan
Q. Mohamed Arkab is the current president of the
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC). He is the Oil Minister of ________.
Oman
Algeria
UAE
Russia
None of these
Q. Which of the following organisation has recently
partnered with Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) to
promote innovation in India?
Indian Space Research Organisation
Council of Scientific & Industrial Research
Defence Research and Development Organisation
Union Public Service Commission
None of these
Q. Recently, the National Bank for Agriculture and
Rural Development (NABARD) has provided Rs
270 crore to which of the following bank?
Assam Gramin Vikash Bank
Andhra Pradesh Grameena Vikas Bank
Kerala Pradesh Grameena Vikas Bank
Uttar Pradesh Grameena Vikas Bank
Jharkhand Grameena Vikas Bank
Q. Aryabhatta Research Institute (ARIES) have
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with __________ for the cooperation in the field of
Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and
Astrophysics?
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Indian Space Research Organisation
Council of Scientific & Industrial Research
Defence Research and Development Organisation
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research,
Pune
Q. Which of the following institute have developed
a low cost and Artificial Intelligence-based test kit
for COVID-19?
Indian Institute of Technology-Hyderabad
Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi
Indian Institute of Technology-Madras
Indian Institute of Technology-Mumbai
None of these
Q. Who among the following has been declared as
‘Goodwill Ambassador for the Poor’ by UNADAP?
Karthyayani Amma
Ajeet Mohan
M Nethra
Jyoti Kumari
None of these
Q. Recently, Chiranjeevi Sarja passed away. He
was a famous ________.
Actor
Journalist
Lyricist
Footballer
None of these
Q. Recently, Kurt Thomas passed away. He was a
famous ________.
Cricketer
Gymnast
Boxer
Architech
None of these
Q. Which of the following countries is currently
affected by tropical storm Cristobal?
USA
Australia
South Africa
Indonesia
None of these
Q. Recently, India has signed an MoU for developing
cooperation in the power sector with which of the
following countries?
France
Denmark
Russia
Australia
Bhutan
Q. Government has mandated a _______ colour strip
on top of sticker carrying details of registration for
diesel BS-VI vehicles?
Yellow
Blue
Orange
Black
None of these
Q. Recently, the Centre has allocated the highest ever
funds of ________ crore under Mahatma Gandhi
National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
during 2020-2021.
Rs 1,01,500
Rs 84,500
Rs 90,500
Rs 1,20,500
Rs 1,30,500
Q. Recently, Indian Air Force has designs, develops
& manufactures pod named as ________ that will be
utilised for evacuation of critical patients
AJAY
BHARAT
SAAVDHAN
ARPIT
None of these
Q. Which of the following state has permitted the
Border Roads Organization (BRO) to employ more
than 11,800 workers from the state for critical
national projects?
Maharashtra
Bihar
Uttar Pradesh
Jharkhand
Telangana
Q. Which of the following state has launched an
online waste exchange website “APEMC”?
Maharashtra
Assam
Andhra Pradesh
Telangana
None of these
Q. Which of the following state/UT governments has
recently launched a Plant Health Clinic?
Odisha
Uttarakhand
Himachal Pradesh
Manipur
Jammu and Kashmir
Q. Which of the following companies has recently
signed the UN Global Compact Initiative to reduce
emissions?
Tech Mahindra
Wipro
Tata Consultancy Services
Accenture
None of these
Q. According to the World Bank’s report, Indian
economy is expected to contract at ________.
2.5%
5.5%
1.9%
3.2%
4.6%
Q. World Accreditation Day is observed every year
on ________.
7 June
8 June
9 June
10 June
11 June
Q. Students from which of the following university
startups developed ‘Flyzy’ mobile application for
contactless travel?
IIT-Hyderabad
IIT-Ropar
IIT-Kanpur
IIT-Guwahati
IIT-Delhi
Q. Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, Pune
has developed a Nano-technology based disinfectant
spray to combat COVID-19 named as _______.
SWATCH
AAROGYA
ANANYA
HEALTH
SANKALP
Q. Who among the following has been honoured by
NASA Distinguished Service Medal?
Renjith Kumar
Mohan Prajapati
Maneesh Yadav
Shakti Das
None of these
Q. Which of the following state started
“Mukhyamantri Shahri Path Vyavsayi Utthan
Yojana” ?
Rajasthan
Telangana
Madhya Pradesh
Sikkim
None of these
Q. Recently, the World Bank has lent 1,950 crore
loans to which of the following states for tackling
COVID situation?
Maharashtra
West Bengal
Uttar Pradesh
Assam
Telangana
Q. Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs
(CBIC) has launched its flagship programme 'Turant
Customs' at Bengaluru & Chennai. Who among the
following is the current Chairperson of CBIC?
M Ajit Kumar
S S Deswal
Arvind Kumar
Shashank Kumar
None of these
Q. Recently, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority has
bought 1.16% share in _______.
Flipkart
OYO Rooms
Ola Cabs
Jio Platforms
Zomato
Q. The Ramon Magsaysay awards have been
cancelled this year due to the global pandemic.The
Ramon Magsaysay awards are named after Ramon
Magsaysay who served as the president of ________.
Laos
Vietnam
Cambodia
Philippines
Malaysia
Q. Recently, Gomathi Marimuthu gets four-year
doping ban. She is associated with _______.
Hockey
Swimming
Athletics
Weightlifting
Boxing
Q. According to the World Bank, the global
economy will shrink by _______ this year.
1.2%
2.4%
3.1%
4.8%
5.2%
Q. Recently, the central government has allocated
__________ as annual allotment to states for the
current financial year under the ‘Per Drop More
Crop’.
Rs 1,000 crore
Rs 4,000 crore
Rs 8,000 crore
Rs 13,000 crore
Rs 16,000 crore
Q. What is the name given to an anti-espionage
operation that was started by the Military
Intelligence in 2019?
Operation Lakshay
Operation Desert Chase
Operation Seema Paar
Operation Lifeline
None of these
Q. According to Fitch Ratings, Indian economy is
expected to grow at __________ in next fiscal.
4.2%
6.1%
8.6%
9.5%
10.1%
Q. According to a recent survey, the number of
Asiatic lions in the Gir forest region has increased by
________.
18%
21%
29%
31%
32%
Q. Recently, a Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle
Complex has been inaugurated at _______.
Chennai
Mumbai
Goa
Visakhapatnam
Kolkata
Q. Recently, Customs duty hiked on bamboo imports
has been increased from 10% to ________.
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
Q. Recently, the National Skill Development
Corporation (NSDC) has partnered with ________ to
provide its training partners access to digital skilling
tools.
HCL Technologies
TCS iON
Wipro
Infosys
None of these
Q. Recently, Alexander Shustov has received a four-
year ban for anti-doping violations. He was
associated with which of the following sports?
Football
Cricket
High Jump
Golf
Snooker
Q. Recently, Pierre Nkurunziza passed away. He
served as the president of __________.
Malawi
Burundi
Lesotho
Botswana
None of these
Q. International Albinism Awareness Day is
observed every year on _______.
10 June
11 June
12 June
13 June
14 June
Q. Which of the following railways zones has
launched Robotic ‘CAPTAIN ARJUN’ to intensify
screening, surveillance?
Central Railway
Northern Railway
Northern Eastern Railway
Western Railway
North Western Railway
Q. Which of the following organisations became the
first construction sector organisation to go ‘Fully
Digital’?
Indian Railways Construction Limited
National Buildings Construction Corporation
Rail India Transportation and Engineering Services
Engineers India Limited
National Highway Authority of India
Q. Who among the following assumed the charge as
Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command,
Visakhapatnam?
Biswajit Dasgupta
G. Ashok Kumar
Ajendra Bahadur Singh
Murlidhar Sadashiv Pawar
None of these
Q. Recently, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra
Singh Tomar launched an Internship programme
named as _______ to provide paid internship to
youth and ensure availability of assured project
loans to young cooperators.
Market Sahayak
Sahakar Mitra
Bazar Mitra
Sugam
None of these
Q. Which of the following state’s chief minister has
launched mobile App ‘Ghar Ghar Nigrani’ to
undertake house to house surveillance in the state?
Punjab
Rajasthan
Maharashtra
Assam
Telangana
Q. Which of the following state government gave
'corona warriors' status to Divyang Anganwadi
workers?
Madhya Pradesh
Rajasthan
Punjab
Haryana
Telangana
Q. Which of the following city police has launched
'STREE' initiative to support, empower women
undergoing domestic violence?
Pune
Hyderabad
Chandigarh
Delhi
Chennai
Q. Under 'Bal Shramik Vidya Yojana' launched by
Uttar Pradesh government will provide Rs
________ to sons of labours every month to support
their families?
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
Q. Recently, 'Gulzar' Dehlvi passed away. He was a
famous _______.
Actor
Poet
Politician
Journalist
None of these
Q. World Blood Donor Day is observed every year
on _______.
11 June
12 June
13 June
14 June
15 June
Q. Deforestation hits a record high level in five years
in the Amazon rainforest. Which of the following
countries is not a part of Amazon rainforest?
Brazil
Colombia
Peru
Ethiopia
1 and 2
Q. Which of the following country has decided to
scrutinize the Muse-Mandalay railway project?
Indonesia
China
Kyrgyzstan
Myanmar
Kazakhstan
Q. Limpiyadhura is a disputed territory between
India and ______.
China
Bangladesh
Nepal
Sri Lanka
Bhutan
Q. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has
included _________ as new symptoms of
Coronavirus.
Loss of smell
Loss of taste
Body Rashes
1 and 2
1, 2 and 3
Q. Which of the following organisation has
developed ‘GermiKlean’ to sanitise uniforms of
security forces?
Defence Research and Development Organisation
Indian Space Research Organisation
Ordnance Factory Board
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
None of these
Q. Recently, government has launched a portal
named as ______ for the healthcare supply chain?
AarogyaPath
Shaksham
Sugam
Sachet
None of these
Q. Grand Anicut Dam is in _______.
Karnataka
Rajasthan
Telangana
Tamil Nadu
Maharashtra
Q. GMR Airports Ltd has signed a MoU for
construction of a greenfield international airport at
Bhogapuram in _______.
Jharkhand
Andhra Pradesh
Telangana
Maharashtra
None of these
Q. For the first time, India's foreign exchange
reserves surge to cross _______.
50 million
0.5 trillion
1 trillion
2 trillion
5 trillion
Q. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is observed
every year on _______.
12 June
13 June
14 June
15 June
16 June
Q. Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic
Plants (CIMAP) is in ________.
Chennai
Lucknow
Agra
New Delhi
Pune
Q. Which of the following state is observing Raja
Parba festival?
Rajasthan
Odisha
Maharashtra
Karnataka
Chhattisgarh
Q. Which of the following state police has launched
the Spandan campaign to protect police personnel
from depression,stress?
Chhattisgarh
Uttar Pradesh
Haryana
Telangana
None of these
Q. The MB Lal Committee is related to _______.
Ownership of Private banks
Safety of female workers at workplace
Safety of animals in biodiversity park
Safety guidelines to be followed by the oil
companies
Safety guidelines to be followed for water treatment
by chemical industries
Q. Who among the following became the first
observant sikh to graduate from the US Military
Academy?
Shakti Singh
Anmol Narang
Akashdeep Gill
Manmohan Virk
None of these
Q. Who among the following has been appointed as
the CEO of UTI Mutual Fund?
Tapan Singhel
Vineet Arora
Imtaiyazur Rahman
Ashish Vohra
None of these
Q. Who among the following has been appointed as
the brand ambassador of Bihar Khadi by the state
government?
Manoj Bajpayee
Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Shweta Tripathi
Pankaj Tripathi
None of these
Q. Recently, K K Venugopal got a 1-year extension.
He is serving as the ________ of India.
Attorney General
Election Commissioner
Comptroller and Auditor General
Central Vigilance Commissioner
None of these
Q. World Wind Day is observed every year on
_________.
12 June
13 June
14 June
15 June
16 June
Q. International Day of Family Remittances is
observed every year on _______.
13 June
14 June
15 June
16 June
17 June
Q. Which of the following institutes has developed
‘Workplace Readiness Indicator’ for organizations to
insulate workplaces from Corona pandemic?
Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru
Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi
Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
None of these
Q. Recently, Minister of State for Home Affairs G
Kishan Reddy launched a robot named ‘GermiBAN’
in _______.
Maharashtra
Rajasthan
Telangana
Assam
New Delhi
Q. Recently, The Central Board of Indirect Taxes
and Customs (CBIC) has launched ‘e-Office’ in
more than 500 GST and customs offices. Who
among the following is the chairperson of CBIC
_______.
M. Ajit Kumar
K F Rustamji
G. Satheesh Reddy
Sanjay Mitra
Avinash Chander
Q. Which of the following banks has launched a new
salary account for micro, small and medium
enterprises named as Suraksha Salary account?
HDFC Bank
Airtel Payments Bank
ICICI Bank
Paytm Payments Bank
Axis Bank
Q. Which of the following banks has launched ‘Insta
Flexicash’ paperless overdraft facility for salary
accounts?
ICICI Bank
State Bank of India
Axis Bank
Canara Bank
Punjab National Bank
Q. Who among the following has won the QualityNZ
Culinary Cup 2020?
Chef Kunal Kapur
Chef Ranveer Brar
Chef Vikas Khanna
Chef Angad Singh Rana
Chef Sanjeev Kapoor
Q. Recently, Dinu Randive passed away. He was a
famous ________.
Actor
Lyricist
Journalist
Painter
None of these
Q. Recently, Matt Poore passed away. He was
associated with which of the following sports?
Boxing
Football
Cricket
Badminton
None of these
Q. Recently, Madhavrao Patil passed away. He was
the co-founder of which of the following banks?
Gujarat Cooperative Bank
Janalaxmi Cooperative Bank
Maharashtra Cooperative Bank
Mehsana Urban Cooperative Bank
None of these
Q. World Day to Combat Desertification and
Drought is observed every year on _________.
15 June
16 June
17 June
18 June
19 June
Q. Recently, Mukhammedkalyi Abylgaziev resigned
from his post, He was serving as the Prime Minister
of________.
Uzbekistan
Kyrgyzstan
Tajikistan
Azerbaijan
None of these
Q. Which of the following countries topped IMD's
World Competitiveness Index?
Switzerland
Singapore
Norway
Denmark
Austria
Q. Neera is a nutrient-rich health drink obtained from
_______.
Palm trees
Mango trees
Coconut trees
Tea leaves
None of these
Q. India became the world’s _______ largest
recipient of the foreign direct investment in 2019
4th
7th
9th
11th
13th
Q. Which of the following state topped in providing
employment to workers under Mahatma Gandhi
National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
MGNREGA?
Rajasthan
Uttar Pradesh
Madhya pradesh
Bihar
None of these
Q. According to a research report of the Ministry of
Earth Sciences (MoES), Average temperature over
India projected to rise by ________.
1.1℃
2.7℃
3.2℃
4.4℃
5.7℃
Q. In the first leg, the Sports Ministry has identified
state-owned sports facilities in ________ states to
establish Khelo India State Centres of Excellence?
3
4
8
10
13
Q. Recently, Heera Singh Rana passed away. He was
the folk singer of _______.
Uttar Pradesh
Uttarakhand
Assam
Himachal Pradesh
None of these
Q. Recently, Mohan Vohra passed away, He was
a/an _______.
Journalist
Actor
Army Officer
Cricketer
None of these
Q. Sustainable Gastronomy Day is observed every
year on ________.
15 June
16 June
17 June
18 June
19 June
Q. India will send its Tri-Services Contingent to
participate in the Victory Day parade of _______.
US
Russia
France
Japan
None of these
Q. India has been elected as non-permanent member
of UN Security Council for the _______ time
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
Q. Recently, Satyendar Jain has been tested positive
for COVID-19. He is the health minister of
_________ .
Delhi
Maharashtra
Goa
Andhra Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Q. Which of the following bank has partnered with
Maruti for flexible financing schemes?
Karur Vysya Bank
Lakshmi Vilas Bank
Axis Bank
HDFC Bank
None of these
Q. Which of the following Indian company included
in the new list of Tech Pioneers released by the
World Economic Forum (WEF)?
ZestMoney
Stellapps
KrazyBee
A and B
A, B and C
Q. Which of the following countries will host the 4th
Asian Youth Para Games?
India
Bangladesh
Bahrain
Kyrgyzstan
Mongolia
Q. Who among the following won Sharjah Online
Chess Championship?
Pentala Harikrishna
Baskaran Adhiban
Vidit Gujrathi
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
None of these
Q. Recently, IM Vijayan has been recommended for
Padma Shri. He is associated with which of the
following sports?
Football
Cricket
Hockey
Banketball
None of these
Q. Recently, Achyut Usgaonkar passed away. He
was a famous _________.
Journalist
Football player
Politician
Actor
None of these
Q. International Day for the Elimination of Sexual
Violence in Conflict is observed every year on
_________.
15 June
16 June
17 June
18 June
19 June
Q. Recently, Elbasy Nursultan Nazarbayev has been
tested positive for COVID-19. He is the president of
________.
Tajikistan
Kazakhstan
Azerbaijan
Armenia
Georgia
Q. Recently, France has committed to give financial
assistance of _________ for India's COVID
response.
100 million Euros
200 million Euros
500 million Euros
700 million Euros
800 million Euros
Q. PM Modi paid tribute to Acharya Mahapragya on
his birth centenary. Acharya Mahapragya was
_______.
Jain Saint
Buddhist Monk
Head of Somnath Temple
Founder of Isha Foundation
None of these
Q. Who among the following inaugurated an
International Workshop on Good Governance
Practices in a Pandemic?
Amit Shah
Dr. Jitendra Singh
Smriti Irani
Nirmala Sitharaman
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
Q. Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi
announced the auction of _______ coal blocks?
14
27
33
41
52
Q. Which of the following states has observed “Mask
Day” on 18 June?
Maharashtra
Karnataka
Odisha
Andhra Pradesh
Telangana
Q. Recently, Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation
of India (DFCCIL) has decided to terminate the
contract to install signalling system and
telecommunications work with _______.
USA
Nepal
China
Russia
None of these
Q. British Petroleum’s (BP) India is planning to set
up a global business service centre in ________.
Hyderabad
Pune
Chennai
New Delhi
Agra
Q. Recently, KR Sachidanandan passed away. He
was a famous _______.
Journalist
Filmmaker
Poet
Politician
Army Officer
Q. World Refugee Day is observed every year on
_______.
17 June
18 June
19 June
20 June
21 June
Q. Which of the following Indian states observed the
19th Great June Uprising Day on 18th June?
Telangana
Gujarat
Manipur
Assam
Maharashtra
Q. India will be the UN Security Council President
for _________.
August, 2021
May, 2021
January, 202
November, 2021
None of these
Q. Recently, the government has launched _______
portal to Promote R&D in Mining, Mineral Sector.
SAGAR
SATYABHAMA
SAARTHI
SWAYAM
None of these
Q. The Housing Ministry has signed an MoU with
_______ for a special micro-credit facility for street
vendors.
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development
Securities and Exchange Board of India
Small Industries Development Bank of India
Exim Bank
None of these
Q. Karnataka Bank has launched a health insurance
policy to cover the uncertainties posed by the Covid-
19 pandemic. Karnataka Bank is headquartered in
_______.
Bangalore
Belgaum
Mangalore
Mysore
Udupi
Q. Which of the following has become India's first
$150 billion company?
Reliance Industries Limited
Tata Consultancy Services
HDFC Bank
Indian Oil Corporation
None of these
Q. Who among the following has been appointed as
the brand ambassador of JSW Cement?
Sourav Ganguly
Sunil Chhetri
Rahul Dravid
Both A and B
A,B and C
Q. Who among the following will take charge as
chairman of the National Institute of Public Finance
and Policy (NIPFP)?
Urjit Patel
Viral Acharya
Raghuram Rajan
R Gandhi
None of these
Q. Recently, B.P.R. Vithal passed away. He was a/an
________.
Freedom Fighter
Economist
Football player
Poet
None of these
Q. First International Day of Yoga was observed in
the year ________.
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
Q. World Hydrography Day is observed every year
on ________.
18 June
19 June
20 June
21 June
22 June
Q. World Music Day is observed every year on
________.
18 June
19 June
20 June
21 June
22 June
Q. What is the theme of World Hydrography Day
2020?
Hydrography enabling autonomous technologies
Hydrographic information driving marine
knowledge
Bathymetry - the foundation for sustainable seas,
oceans and waterways.
Mapping our seas, oceans and waterways - more
important than ever.
None of these
Q. Recently, Scientists have finally resolved the
mystery behind the 66-million-year-old fossil egg
found in Seymour Island. Seymour Island is in
________.
Madagascar
Indonesia
Antarctica
Peru
None of these
Q. Summer solstice was observed on _______.
18 June
19 June
20 June
21 June
22 June
Q. Which of the following countries has offered tariff
exemption for 97% of exports from Bangladesh?
India
China
Pakistan
Japan
USA
Q. Recently, the World Bank has approved
________ to Bangladesh for jobs and economic
recovery.
1.05 billion dollar
2.64 billion dollar
3.48 billion dollar
3.88 billion dollar
4.26 billion dollar
Q. According to a recent report, Mukesh Ambani is
ranked as the _______ richest person in the world.
14th
11th
9th
8th
7th
Q. Which of the following organisations has
partnered with Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI
Aayog to proactively support the flagship mission’s
innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives across
the country?
NTPC Limited
Coal India Limited
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation
Indian Oil Corporation
None of these
Q. Which of the following country’s radio stations
started giving weather bulletins of Lipulekh,
Kalapani and Limpiyadhura?
China
Bangladesh
Nepal
Pakistan
None of these
Q. Mount Merapi volcano is in _______.
Japan
Chile
Peru
Australia
Indonesia
Q. Which of the following organisation has recently
received a patent for its Liquid Cooling and Heating
Garment (LCHG)?
Indian Space Research Organisation
Defence Research and Development Organisation
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
None of these
Q. The Insurance Scheme announced under Pradhan
Mantri Garib Kalyan Package for health workers has
been extended till _________.
July
August
September
October
November
Q. Which of the following state has started a ‘Play
little, Study little’ scheme for school students?
Assam
Uttar Pradesh
Odisha
Tripura
Punjab
Q. Kamakhya Temple is in _______.
Bihar
Uttar Pradesh
Uttarakhand
Assam
Gujarat
Q. The Reserve Bank of India has enhanced the
withdrawal limit of the depositors of fraud-hit PMC
Bank to _______.
Rs 60,000
Rs 80,000
Rs 1,00,000
Rs 1,25,000
Rs 1,50,000
Q. Recently, the Exim Bank has extended USD 20.1
mn credit line to which of the following countries?
El Salvador
Guatemala
Nicaragua
Costa Rica
None of the above
Q. Recently, Rajinder Goel passed away. He was a
famous _______.
Journalist
Cricketer
Poet
Filmmaker
None of these
Q. Recently, Vidyaben Shah passed away. She was a
famous _______.
Painter
Social Activist
Politician
Actress
None of these
Q. International Widows’ Day is observed every year
on ________.
20 June
21 June
22 June
23 June
24 June
Q. International Olympic Day is observed every year
on ________.
20 June
21 June
22 June
23 June
24 June
Q. The United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) is headquartered in _________.
Geneva
Vienna
Stockholm
New York
None of these
Q. Which of the following institute has developed
Indian receiver chip ‘Dhruva’ for NAVIC, GPS
satellites?
IIT-Kharagpur
IIT-Madras
IIT-Bombay
IIT-Guwahati
None of these
Q. Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee formed the
Bharatiya Jana Sangh in the year ________.
1961
1982
1951
1967
1977
Q. Who among the following inaugurated one of
India's largest & first Virtual Healthcare & Hygiene
EXPO 2020?
Rao Inderjit Singh
Mansukh Mandaviya
Parshottam Rupala
Suresh Angadi
None of these
Q. Which of the following organisations has
partnered with the International Transport Forum to
launch the 'Decarbonising Transport in India'
project?
Reserve Bank of India
National Human Rights Commission of India
Defence Research and Development Organisation
NITI Aayog
None of these
Q. Which of the following bank has partnered with
Affordplan for the launch of co-brand card ‘Swasth
programme’ for healthcare needs?
Axis Bank
ICICI Bank
HDFC Bank
IDBI Bank
Yes Bank
Q. Recently, Lachhman Singh Lehl passed away. He
was a _______.
Filmmaker
Actor
Journalist
Singer
Army Officer
Q. Recently, Steve Bing passed away. He was a
_______.
Film producer
Poet
Journalist
Footballer
Actor
Q. India recently committed _________ to the
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
USD 1 million
USD 4 million
USD 8 million
USD 10 million
USD 15 million
Q. Who among the following launched YUKTI
(Young India combating COVID with Knowledge,
Technology and Innovation)?
Harsh Vardhan
Ravi Shankar Prasad
Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’
Prakash Javadekar
None of these
Q. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has
recently mandated to provide information about
_________ for the sellers by the Government e-
Marketplace (GeM).
Country of origin
GI Tag information
Nutrition importance
Composition
None of these
Q. Which of the following banks has launched Micro
Mitra program to provide financial assistance up to
Rs.10 lakhs.
Canara Bank
Yes Bank
Karnataka Bank
South Indian Bank
Axis Bank
Q. According to the World Bank's new release, India
has retained its position as _______ largest economy
on PPP basis for 2017.
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
Q. According to the latest report by the economic
wing of State Bank of India (SBI), COVID-19
pandemic is likely to bring down India’s per capita
income (PCI) by ________ in FY21.
3.2%
4.7%
5.4%
6.1%
8.2%
Q. Who among the following has been appointed as
the chairman of Indian Financial Technology &
Allied Services (IFTAS)?
R Manohar
Satish Kumar Ojha
T. Rabi Sankar
Mohit Iyyer
None of these
Q. Wasim Jaffer has been appointed as the head
coach of ________ cricket team.
Uttar Pradesh
Uttarakhand
Assam
Manipur
Himachal pradesh
Q. Recently, Vishwa Mohan Gupta passed away. He
was a/an _______.
Poet
Actor
Footballer
Journalist
None of these
Q. Recently, Pournima Zanane passed away. She
was associated with which of the following sports?
Football
Hockey
Shooting
Archery
None of these
Q. Passport Seva Divas is observed every year on
_______.
22 June
23 June
24 June
25 June
26 June
Q. Day of the Seafarer is observed every year on
_______.
22 June
23 June
24 June
25 June
26 June
Q. World’s first yoga university outside India
‘Vivekananda Yoga University’ has been established
in _______.
Singapore
Munich
Moscow
Los Angeles
Paris
Q. Which of the following airports in UP has been
declared an international airport?
Kanpur
Kushinagar
Ayodhya
Jhansi
Gorakhpur
Q. Recently, Reliance Jio TV has entered an
agreement with which of the following states to
educate 52 lakh students?
Uttar Pradesh
Maharashtra
Haryana
Assam
Manipur
Q. Recently, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh has
inaugurated Devika and Puneja Bridges in
________.
Manipur
Assam
Arunachal Pradesh
Jammu and Kashmir
None of these
Q. Rohini Commission is associated with _______.
Mid Day Meal scheme
Categorization of the Other Backward Classes
Formation of New States
Army Pay Scales
None of these
Q. Recently, the government has announced a
________ interest subvention to borrowers under the
'Shishu' category of the flagship Pradhan Mantri
MUDRA Yojana (PMMY).
1%
2%
3%
4%
5%
Q. Recently, Joel Schumacher passed away. He was
a/an ________.
Football player
Film director
Singer
Journalist
None of these
Q. Who among the following is the author of the
book ‘Legend of Suheldev: The King Who Saved
India’?
Sanjeev Sanyal
Ashwin Sanghi
Amish Tripathi
Devdutt Pattanaik
Anand Neelakantan
Q. International Day in Support of Victims of
Torture is observed every year on _______.
23 June
24 June
25 June
26 June
27 June
Q. What is the theme of International Day Against
Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 2020?
Health for Justice. Justice for Health
Better Knowledge for Better Care
Listening to children and youth
Listen First
None of these
Q. In June 2020, The World Bank (WB) has
approved_______ to help Bangladesh improve road
connectivity.
100 million US dollar
200 million US dollar
500 million US dollar
800 million US dollar
1,000 million US dollar
Q. Which of the following country joined the
'Alliance for Poverty Eradication' at the UN as its
founding member?
Bangladesh
India
Sri Lanka
Nepal
Myanmar
Q. Recently, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan
has launched ‘eBlood Services’ Mobile App Amid
COVID-19 Crisis in partnership with _______.
Indian Red Cross Society
Indo-Global Social Service Society
Savelife
Friends2support
None of these
Q. Which of the following state has won the first
prize under the e -Panchayat Puraskars-2020?
Punjab
Telangana
Tripura
Himachal Pradesh
Assam
Q. After the amendment in “The Karnataka
Industries (Facilitation) Act, 2002”, Karnataka
allows medium and small industries to commence
manufacturing without having to wait for any
statutory clearances for the first _______ year.
1 year
2 years
2.5 years
3 years
5 years
Q. Skin cream ‘Fair & Lovely’ will drop ‘Fair’ from
its name. ‘Fair & Lovely’ is a product of _______.
ITC Limited
Hindustan Unilever
Dabur
Britannia Industries
Procter and Gamble
Q. Recently, Maharashtra government has
announced the Vithabai Narayangaonkar lifetime
achievement award to Gulabbai Sangamnerkar.
Gulabbai is a/an _______.
Folk artist
Painter
Journalist
Social Activist
None of these
Q. New Zealand's Rachel Priest announces her
retirement. She was associated with which of the
following sports?
Football
Badminton
Cricket
Tennis
Cricket
Q. Russia plans to take the first tourist on a space
walk in ________.
2021
2022
2023
2024
None of these
Q. Which of the following country has topped the list
in terms of Money parked in Switzerland's central
bank?
USA
France
Mexico
UK
None of these
Q. Which of the following company has signed a
MoU with Indian Railways for installation of an IP-
based video surveillance system at 6,049 railway
stations across the country?
Rail Vikas Nigam
RITES Limited
RailTel
Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India
None of these
Q. Which of the following institute has developed
nanozymes that destroy the cell membrane of
bacteria?
IIT Mumbai
IIT Madras
IIT Delhi
IISc Bengaluru
None of these
Q. Which of the following company has partnered
with Switzerland''s HeiQ to launch anti-viral fabric
range ''ViroSecure''?
RSWM Ltd
Dinesh Mills
Raymond
OCM
None of these
Q. Which of the following state has launched
‘Mukhyamantri Matru Pushti Uphaar Yojana’?
Gujarat
Maharashtra
Telangana
Assam
Tripura
Q. Which of the following company has announced
the launch of a battery swapping facility for electric
vehicles (EVs) in partnership with Sun Mobility?
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation
Indian Oil Corporation Limited
Bharat Petroleum
Hindustan Petroleum
None of these
Q. Which of the following team has won the English
Premier League 2019-20 title?
Chelsea F.C.
Liverpool FC
Manchester City F.C.
FC Barcelona
Real Madrid C.F.
Q. Sanjita Chanu will receive the Arjuna award for
2018. Sanjita Chanu is associated with _______.
Boxing
Weightlifting
Wrestling
Swimming
None of these
Q. Which of the following country will host the
FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup?
Australia
New Zealand
France
Russia
Both A and B
Q. China, Pakistan signed a deal for the development
of the Kohala power project under CPEC worth $2.4
billion in PoK. Kohala power project will be
constructed on ________ river.
Jhelum
Indus
Chenab
Satluj
None of these
Q. NASA named its headquarters after agency’s first
African-American female engineer _________.
Katherine Johnson
Mary.W.Jackson
Dorothy Vaughan
John Glenn
None of these
Q. President Kovind wishes Prez Rajoelina, People
on Madagascar's 60th Independence Day. What is the
capital of Madagascar?
Maputo
Luanda
Antananarivo
Harare
None of these
Q. Indian Navy recently inducts indigenously
developed ‘Maareech’. ‘Maareech’ is a/an
_________
Patrol Vessels
Torpedo Decoy System
Landing Craft Utility vessels
Submarine
Radar system
Q. 'Surakshit Dada-Dadi, Nana-Nani Abhiyan' was
launched by ________ in collaboration with Piramal
Foundation.
National Development Council
NITI Aayog
National Human Rights Commission of India
Central Information Commission
None of these
Q. Who among the following is the current Union
Minister of Tribal Affairs?
Arjun Munda
Babulal Marandi
Hemant Soren
Ramesh Pokhriyal
None of these
Q. Kempegowda is the founder of the city of
_______.
Chennai
Chandigarh
Bengaluru
Visakhapatnam
None of these
Q. Which of the following state governments has
launched ''At One Click'' online cash aid initiative for
MSMEs in the state?
Maharashtra
Karnataka
Gujarat
Punjab
None of these
Q. Financial services startup Navi has launched a
mobile app to provide instant personal loans targeted
at consumers in the middle-income segment. Who
among the following is the co-founder of Navi?
Kalyan Krishnamurthy
Ritesh Agarwal
Sachin Bansal
Sameer Nigam
None of these
Q. Who among the following has been first woman
Chief Secretary of Punjab?
Vini Mahajan
Aruna Sundararajan.
Poonam Malakondaiah
Shantha Sheela Nair
Smita Sabharwal
Q. International Day of The Tropics is observed
every year on _________.
26 May
27 May
28 May
29 May
30 May
Q. Malawi’s opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera
recently, won presidential election re-run of Malawi.
What is the capital of Malawi?
Dodoma
Lilongwe
Gitega
Kigali
None of these
Q. Which of the following countries has recently
signed an executive order to prosecute those who
damage national monuments, making it a punishable
offence with up to 10 years in jail?
Japan
US
China
Bangladesh
None of these
Q. Recently, Russia has begun voting on
constitutional reforms that could allow President
Vladimir Putin to serve till ________ in office.
2028
2030
2032
2036
2040
Q. Which of the following country has the chair of
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)?
Laos
Vietnam
Singapore
Philippines
Cambodia
Q. National Statistics Day is observed every year on
________.
26 May
27 May
28 May
29 May
30 May
Q. P. V. Narasimha Rao served as the _______ Prime
Minister of India?
5th
6th
9th
11th
13th
Q. Which of the following state government will
launch a 'Kill Corona' campaign from July 1 to
control the spread of coronavirus in the state?
Maharashtra
Telangana
Andhra Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Q. The Culture Ministry will celebrate ‘Sankalp
Parva’ from 28th June to 12 July 2020. Sankalp
Parva is related to ________.
Polio Vaccination
Plantation of trees
Nutrition to 0-6 months of children
Online classes for school childrens
None of these
Q. PhonePe has recently tied-up with which of the
following banks for UPI multi-bank model?
HDFC Bank
ICICI Bank
Axis Bank
IndusInd Bank
None of these
Q. International Day of Parliamentarism is observed
every year on _________.
27 June
28 June
29 June
30 June
01 July
Q. International Asteroid Day is observed every year
on _________.
27 June
28 June
29 June
30 June
01 July
Q. India has signed an agreement for the
development of Kholongchhu (Joint Venture)
Hydroelectric Project with which of the following
countries?
Myanmar
Nepal
Bhutan
Bangladesh
None of these
Q. Recently, the Indian government has banned
________ Chinese mobile applications citing
national security?
51
52
59
63
66
Q. Recently, the World Bank has signed loan
agreements for the housing sector of which of the
following Indian state?
Bihar
Assam
Manipur
Tamil Nadu
None of these
Q. Recently, the World Bank has approved a loan of
________ to improve the education system in 6
Indian states.
USD 100 million
USD 200 million
USD 500 million
USD 700 million
USD 900 million
Q. National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) has launched
five Mobile Soil Testing Labs for testing the soil
samples at the doorstep of farmers free of cost. NFL
is headquartered in _______.
Jaipur
Agra
Lucknow
Noida
Patna
Q. What is the name given to the world's largest
convalescent plasma therapy project launched in
Maharashtra?
Project Platina
Project Sankalp
Project Rakshak
Project Indra
None of these
Q. Uttarakhand forest department has developed
India’s first lichen park in _______.
Joshimath
Kotdwar
Nainital
Munsiyari
None of these
Q. Recently, Who among the following has
announced his resignation from All Parties Hurriyat
Conference (G)?
Syed Ali Shah Geelani
Mehbooba Mufti
Shabir Shah
Farooq Abdullah
None of these
