NATIONAL NEWS
1. Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana extended till Nov 2020
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi announced the extension of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana till the end of November 2020.
• The government will provide free ration to 80 crore people for five months. Every member of the family will get five kilogram wheat or rice. Also, every family will get one kilogram of whole chana per month, free of cost.
• The PMGKAY is one of the main components of the Centre’s Rs 1.70 lakh crore relief package under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana for the poor to “help them fight the battle against coronavirus”. It was announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on March 26.
2. India becomes the first country in the world to use drones for locust control after finalizing the protocols.
• Union Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Minister, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar flagged off a Bell Helicopter with spray equipment from a helipad facility at Gautam Buddh Nagar, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
• The helicopter will fly for Air Force Station at Uttarlai, Barmer where it will be stationed initially and from there deployed for locust control in desert areas of Barmer, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Jodhpur and Nagaur. The deployment of the helicopter for locust control operations follows the need to strengthen air control capabilities for locust control through drones, helicopters and aircrafts.
• India has become the first country in the world to use drones for locust control after finalizing the protocols.
3. Union HRD Minister virtually launches World’s first-ever Online B.Sc. Degree in Programming and Data Science
• The Union Minister of HRD Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank' virtually launched World’s first ever online B.Sc. degree in Programming and Data Science by IIT-Madras.
• It is open to anyone who has passed Class XII, with English and Maths at the Class X level, and enrolled in any on-campus UG course.
• This unique online offering will be offered in three different stages - Foundational Programme, Diploma Programme and Degree Programme. At each stage, students will have the freedom to exit from the program and receive a Certificate, Diploma or a Degree, respectively, from IIT Madras. Based on the eligibility, interested candidates will have to fill a form and pay a nominal fee of Rs. 3,000 for the qualifier exam.
• Learners will get access to the 4 weeks of course content of 4 subjects (Mathematics, English, Statistics and Computational Thinking). These students will go through the course lectures online, submit online assignments and write an in-person qualifier exam at the end of 4 weeks. I
4. NBRI establishes advanced virology lab for COVID-19 testing
• The National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow, has established an “Advanced Virology Lab” for testing COVID-19.
• The facility has been developed based on the guidelines of the Indian Council Medical Research (ICMR), the World Health Organisation (WHO), and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• It is a Bio Safety Level (BSL) 3 level facility. Biosafety levels are assigned to a facility depending on the pathogen it deals with. According to ICMR guidelines, BSL2 level facility is recommended for COVID-19 but this is an advanced version.
• This advanced version has a “Negative Pressure”, which means it has a suction facility that can suck any aerosol and pass it through filters. It can filter viruses or bacteria to make it a safe COVID-19 testing facility. It reduces the possibilities of infections at culturing facilities.
5. Project PLATINA: Maharashtra launches world's largest convalescent plasma therapy project, Rs 16.65 cr approved
• Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray launched a convalescent plasma therapy-cum-trial project, PLATINA for treatment of critical COVID-19 patients, dubbed as the world's largest project of its kind.
• The trial will be carried out at 21 centres across the state, including 17 medical colleges under the Medical Education and Drugs Department and four medical colleges of the BMC in Mumbai.
• All critical patients will receive two doses of 200 ml of convalescent plasma. The entire plasma therapy treatment will be free of cost to all the patients of Maharashtra admitted in the above centres.
6. Karnataka govt launches ‘Skill Connect Forum’-a portal to connect job seekers and employers
• Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa launched ‘Skill Connect Forum’, a portal that connects job seekers with employers on a common platform.
• The initiative comes even as the state continues to reel under the economic uncertainty and acute fund crunch due to the covid-19 induced lockdown that has resulted in job losses across the state and country.
• The Skill Connect Forum portal provides information on available jobs.
7. Madhya Pradesh launches ‘Hamara Ghar-Hamara Vidyalaya’ campaign
• Madhya Pradesh has prepared a ‘Hamara Ghar-Hamara Vidyalaya’ means My Home-My school scheme, in which children will be taught at home in a school-like environment. The scheme will start from 6th July 2020.
• It has been done to maintain the academic regularity of students during the Corona crisis.
• 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.
8. Govt allots land to MSME units to set up Goa Maritime Cluster
• The Goa government has allotted land to the consortium of 49 Goan MSME units for setting up Goa Maritime Cluster with an aim to create world class facilities for ship building.
• The project, which is the first Maritime Cluster of India, has been supported by the Union shipping ministry, Directorate General of Shipping, and Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
• It is a consortium of 49 Goan MSME units, with direct benefits extending to another 180 units.
• The cluster aims at creating world class facilities for ship designers, ship and boat builders, ship repairers and marine equipment manufacturers.
9. Union Health Ministry issues updated clinical management protocol for managing COVID-19 cases
• The Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has today released an updated clinical management protocol for managing COVID-19 cases.
• The updated protocol includes the advice to use Dexamethasone as an alternative choice to Methylprednisolone for managing moderate to severe cases of COVID-19. The change has been made after considering the latest available evidence and expert consultation.
• Dexamethasone is a corticosteroid drug used in a wide range of conditions for its anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressant effects.
10. Prime Minister Inaugurates ‘Aatma Nirbhar Uttar Pradesh Rojgar Abhiyan’
• PM Modi has launched the “Atma Nirbhar Uttar Pradesh Rojgar Abhiyan” and this scheme has been linked with Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan which will double-engine growth to Uttar Pradesh.
• Under ‘Atma Nirbhar Uttar Pradesh Rojgar Abhiyan’ various developmental works will be undertaken, such as the Prime Minister Awas Yojana, PM Sadak Yojana, construction of toilets and expressways, tree plantation etc”.
• This will not only lead to development of infrastructure in the villages but will also play an important role in the comprehensive development of rural India
11. Government grants emergency funds to armed forces amid India-China face-off
• The government has granted emergency funds up to Rs 500 crore per procurement project to the three armed services to buy ammunition and weapons in view of the escalating border standoff with China.
• The special financial powers have been given to the armed forces to procure weapons and military hardware at short notice to enhance their operational preparedness along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
• The government has also decided to relax certain rules to reduce delays in military purchases such as allowing the three armed services to procure required weapons and equipment from a single vendor.
12. Karnataka amends 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’ in order to attract investment in the state and has become the first state to amend the act for Small, Medium, and large-Scale Industries.
• Under the amended act, the small, medium and large -scale industries can commence manufacturing without waiting for any statutory clearances for the first three years.
• These permissions include getting approval from multiple state laws, including building plan approval and trade license, measures that will save a lot of time and cost for the industries.
13. Govt. of India and world bank sign loan for the first Tamil Nadu Housing Sector Strengthening Programme
• The Government of India, the Government of Tamil Nadu and the World Bank yesterday 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 – to strengthen the state’s housing sector policies, institutions, and regulations.
14. Gujarat govt's online aid of Rs 1,369 crore for MSMEs, textile industry
• Announcing an aid of Rs 1,369 crore for micro small and medium enterprises and textile industries, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani kickstarted the online cash aid initiative - 'At One Click' - for around 13,000 MSMEs in Gujarat.
• It is an online aid initiative for which the Gujarat Government has committed Rs 1,369 crore of financial aid for the MSMEs and bigger industrial units.
• By transferring Rs 768 crore directly into the bank accounts of 12,247 MSMEs the initiative was launched.
15. Serological survey to begin in Delhi
• The serological test or sero-surveillance study is a part of the new Covid-19 response plan prepared by the Centre for Delhi. It is in accordance with the recommendations of a committee headed by NITI Aayog member V K Paul.
• The National Centre for Disease Control, under the Union health ministry, and the Delhi government will jointly conduct the survey that will focus on antibody-based blood tests to find out residents’ past exposure to the Sars-Cov-2 virus, which causes Covid-19.
• A serological survey includes IgG Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) test. It estimates the proportion of the population exposed to Sars-Cov-2 infection. The IgG test indicates episodes of infections that have happened in the past. The test is approved by ICMR for its high sensitivity and specificity.
16. Madhya Pradesh to launch ‘Kill Corona campaign’ from July 1 to screen entire population
• The Madhya Pradesh government will launch a ‘Kill Corona campaign’ from July 1 to screen the entire population of the state in a fortnight.
• The campaign will start from Bhopal. The Kill Corona campaign will cover each family. Teams are being formed in this regard. Covid mitra will also be made, who will work voluntarily for this campaign.
17. Chhattisgarh launches Godhan Nyay Yojana; becomes first Indian state to buy cow dung from cattle owners
• Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel launched 'Godhan Nyay Yojana’ under which the government will procure cow dung from livestock owners at a fixed procurement rate.
• The scheme aims to make animal husbandry commercially profitable, prevent open grazing by cattle and solve the problem of stray animals on roads and for environment conservation.
• It is expected to boost the efforts made by the state government to strengthen the rural economy.
18. Virtual strike: India bans TikTok and 58 other apps with Chinese links
• The Ministry of Information Technology, invoking its power under section 69A of the Information Technology Act read with the relevant provisions of the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking of Access of Information by Public) Rules 2009 and in view of the emergent nature of threats has decided to block 59 apps with Chinese links.
• The move, however, was executed by the IT Ministry’s Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) and approved by the Gen Rajesh Pant, National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC) who is a part of the National Security Council Secretariat.
19. Bharat Biotech’s Covid vaccine 1st in India to get approval for human trials
• Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, has granted approval to Bharat Biotech India to conduct human clinical trials for ‘Covaxin’, making it the first indigenous Covid-19 vaccine candidate to receive this approval.
• Drug Controller General of India Dr V G Somani approved Bharat Biotech’s application to conduct phase I and II clinical trials for Covaxin.
• The permission was granted after the company submitted results from pre-clinical studies of the vaccine that demonstrated its safety and immune response.
• The vaccine was developed in collaboration with Indian Council of Medical Research’s National Institute of Virology.
20. Free testing of soil samples at the doorstep of farmers
• To give further boost to the Soil Testing facility in the country for promoting appropriate use of fertilizers, National Fertilisers ltd. (NFL) has launched five Mobile Soil Testing Labs for testing the soil samples at the doorstep of farmers free of cost.
• These Mobile Labs, loaded with latest soil testing equipment, shall be used for macro and micro nutrient analysis of soil. In addition to this, these Mobile Labs are also equipped with Audio-Video systems to educate farmers on various agricultural topics.
• Other than the Mobile Soil Testing Labs, the company is also serving the farming community through six Static Soil Testing Labs located in different parts of the country. All these Labs tested around 25,000 soil samples free of cost in the year 2019-20.
21. Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issues new Guidelines for Unlock 2
• Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued new guidelines for Unlock 2 to open up more activities in areas outside the Containment Zones. The new guidelines will come into effect from July 1, 2020, the process of phased re-opening of activities has been extended further.
• The new guidelines, issued today, are based on feedback received from States and UTs, and extensive consultations held with related Central Ministries and Departments.
• Curfew shall be in force from 10.00 pm to 5.00 am. Shops depending upon their area, can have more than 5 persons at a time. However, they have to maintain adequate physical distance.
• Lockdown shall continue to be implemented strictly in the Containment Zones till 31 July, 2020. States and UTs will decide the containment zones.
22. PM SVANidhi Portal launched
• The Beta version of PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi “PM SVANidhi” Portal in presence of officials from States/UTs, Banks, Payment aggregators and other stakeholders was launched.
• An integrated IT platform (pmsvanidhi.mohua.gov.in) to provide an end-to-end solution for scheme administration is being developed by SIDBI, which is the scheme implementation partner for PM SVANidhi.
• The portal will facilitate multiple scheme functions viz. loan application flow, Mobile App, e-KYC of applicants, integration with UIDAI, Udyamimitra, NPCI, PAiSA, lenders, States, ULBs and other stakeholders, calculation of digital incentives and payment of interest subsidy etc.
• The PM SVANidhi Portal shall start accepting loan applications from Street Vendors from July 2nd.
23. Minister of Minority Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi lays foundation stone for “Sanskritik Sadbhav Mandap” at Rampur (UP)
• Union Minister of Minority Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi laid the foundation stone for “Sanskritik Sadbhav Mandap” in Rampur (UP).
• It is being constructed with the cost of Rs 92 crore by the Union Minority Affairs Ministry under Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karykram (PMJVK).
• This community centre will be utilized for various socio-economic-cultural activities, skill development training, coaching, relief activities during disaster such as Corona and different sports activities.
24. West Bengal to form Covid Warrior Club with recovered patients
• Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the state government will form a ‘Covid Warrior Club’, comprising people who have recovered from the coronavirus, to perform voluntary service at hospitals and help contain the pandemic.
• It will be starting with Behrampur, where there are 60 individuals who have been cured of Covid. They will do voluntary service and make people aware of the fact that Covid can be cured. They will be given a stipend and the government will arrange for their food and accommodation.
• The members will voluntarily make people aware of the treatment and may also help doctors and nurses, for which they will get a stipend.
25. Delhi government to set up India’s first plasma bank
• Delhi government will set up a plasma bank for the treatment of covid-19 patients.
• The facility will be set up at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) and will be made available for government and private hospitals after getting a doctor’s recommendation.
• The therapy requires drawing blood from patients who have recovered from covid-19 and using the plasma and antibodies from that blood on patients who are suffering. Unlike blood donation, only the plasma is drawn from the blood.
• Doctors involved in the trial said they use the therapy on patients who are in the second stage of the disease, wherein lungs get affected.
26. Giriraj Singh launches the first edition of “Matsya Sampada”
• Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Giriraj Singh launched the first edition of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Newsletter “MATSYA SAMPADA” published by the Department of Fisheries, Ministry for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India and the Operational Guidelines of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).
• The Newsletter “MATSYA SAMPADA” is an outcome of the endeavours of the Department of Fisheries to reach out to the stakeholders especially fishers and fish farmers through various means of communication, and to inform and educate them about the latest developments in the fisheries and aquaculture sector.
• The Government of India in May, 2020 launched a new Flagship Scheme i.e. the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) for sustainable and responsible development of fisheries sector at an investment of Rs. 20050 crore.
27. Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) launches ‘Accelerate Vigyan’ (AV).
• SERB has launched a new scheme called ‘Accelerate Vigyan’ (AV) to provide a single platform for research internships, capacity building programs, and workshops across the country.
• The primary objective of this inter-ministerial scheme is to give more thrust on encouraging high-end scientific research and preparing scientific manpower, which can lead to research careers and knowledge-based economy.
• It has two components: High-End Workshops (‘KARYASHALA’) and Research Internships (‘VRITIKA’). This is especially important for those researchers who have limited opportunities to access such learning capacities / facilities / infrastructure.
28. 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 Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, aimed at focussing on efforts to boost global economy in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
• It will serve as a forum for Member States to raise awareness about the danger that poverty poses to world peace, human rights and sustainable development.
• 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.
29. Assam lab isolates Covid-19 virus in tissue culture; 4th in country to do so
• Indian Council of Medical Research’s (ICMR) Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) located in Lahowal in Dibrugarh district follows National Institute of Virology, Pune, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad and Bharat Biotech, Hyderabad to be able to isolate the virus.
• It is the fourth government laboratory in Assam that has successfully isolated the SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) virus.
• Apart from vaccine development, other uses of cultures of SARS-CoV-2 include drug screening for potential drugs or drug candidates against the virus, testing effectiveness of disinfectants, use in development of therapeutic antibodies etc.
30. Kirren Rijiju launches Nada app to help athletes stay updated on banned substances
• Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju unveiled National Anti-Doping Agency's first mobile app to provide information about prohibited substances and their inadvertent use, calling the initiative an important step towards dope-free sports.
• The app aims to create a bridge between athletes and the Nada by providing easily accessible information on various aspects of sport, and most importantly about prohibited substances and their inadvertent use which may affect the career of athletes.
• The app also has exhaustive information about whether a specific commonly-prescribed medicine contains any substance that is prohibited by Nada, therefore helping athletes and coaches to decide which medicines athletes can consume in case they are unwell.
31. Uttarakhand forest department develops India’s first lichen park in Kumaon
• Uttarakhand forest department has claimed to have developed the country's first lichen park in Kumaon’s Munsiyari area, spread over 1.5 acres with over 80 species of lichens collected from across the Himalayan state.
• Lichens are the most significant bio-indicator of ecosystem fluctuations as they are more sensitive towards habitat and climate changes.
• They need pure air to grow. If pollution levels increase in a certain area, the lichen species decline there. So it serves as a natural indicator of pollution levels in an area. And they are important to study in the Himalayas, given various threats to Himalayan environment and ecology.
32. Kerala announces rehabilitation project for expats who returned home
• The Kerala government announced the “Dream Kerala Project” to rehabilitate expatriates who returned amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
• The project will be coordinated through various departments of the Kerala Government.
• The Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan has set a target of the project within 100 days. The ideas will be invited from expatriates and the public for new projects and after vetting them they will be implemented in a time-bound manner.
• The State Government will accept proposals and suggestions from the Keralites, an expert panel will be formed to decide on proposals submitted.
33. Govt. launches Drug Discovery Hackathon 2020 (DDH2020)
• The Union Government launched a Drug Discovery Hackathon. It is a joint initiative of MHRD’s Innovation Cell (MIC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and supported by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC), MyGov as well as private players.
• It is the first of its kind National initiative for supporting the drug discovery process and will see participation from professionals, faculty, researchers and students from varied fields like Computer Science, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Medical Sciences, Basic Sciences and Biotechnology.
• MHRD’s Innovation cell and AICTE will focus on identifying potential drug molecules through the Hackathon while CSIR will take these identified molecules forward for synthesis and laboratory testing for efficacy, toxicity, sensitivity and specificity.
34. HRD Minister and Sports Minister launch Fit India Talks
• The government of India’s flagship program Fit India launched a series of interactive sessions with some of the top sportspersons of our country intended to inspire the school children.
• The Fit India Talks sessions are being organized in association with the Sports Authority of India and the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).
• It will be starting with the badminton star PV Sindhu and Indian football team skipper Sunil Chhetri.
• The likes of badminton star Ashwini Ponnappa, Indian women’s hockey team skipper Rani Rampal, table tennis star Manika Batra, shooter Apurvi Chandela and inspirational Paralympian Deepa Malik will join in at the sessions.
35. Coronavirus vaccine: ICMR aims to launch COVAXIN by August 15
• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) aims to launch the Coronavirus vaccine being developed in partnership with Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech for public health use by August 15.
• ICMR has selected 12 institutes for the Phase-I and Phase-II clinical trials of the first indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine BBV152 (commonly known as COVAXIN).
• The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has already given approval for Phase I and Phase II human clinical trials.
36. Human clinical trials for second Covid-19 vaccine, ZyCoV-D in India gets DCGI nod
• After Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, another potential COVID-19 vaccine indigenously developed by Ahmedabad-based Zydus Cadila Healthcare Ltd got nod from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI)- Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for human clinical trials.
• The company has submitted data to DCGI based on animal trial, they conducted. Animals like- mice, rabbits, guinea pigs, rats were used and these animals developed antibodies against the virus.
• The assent for human trials was given after the company submitted data of clinical trial on animals to the DCGI, in which the vaccine candidate was found to be successful with respect to safety and immunogenicity.
37. Ranbir Singh Committee formed for reforms in criminal law
• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has constituted a national level committee for reform in criminal law and the committee has been constituted under Ranbir Singh.
• The committee would be gathering opinions online by consulting with experts and collating material for their report to the government.
• The codification of criminal laws in India was done during the British rule, which more or less remains the same even in the 21st century.
• Lord Thomas Babington Macaulay is said to be the chief architect of codifications of criminal laws in India.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
1. China joins UN arms trade treaty to enhance world peace and stability
• The People’s Republic of China has decided to join the UN Arms Trade Treaty which is a global pact to regulate arms sales in the world.
• The UN Arms Trade Treaty to regulate the arms sales was rejected by the United State’s President Donald Trump, who in 2019 had decided to pull the US out of the agreement. The country had come into force with the treaty in 2014.
• The Arms Trade Treaty is a multilateral treaty that regulates the international trade in conventional weapons. It entered into force on 24th December 2014.
2. Russia Plans To Take First Tourists On Space Walk In 2023
• The SP Korolev Rocket, part of Roscosmos State Corporation and Space Adventures Inc. USA inked a contract to take two space tourists to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2023.
• This came after NASA signed a deal with US Virgin Galactic space tourism company to promote private missions to the station post a special training program in the US.
• It also follows the first successful mission by Elon Musk's SpaceX last month to bring astronauts to the station on a reusable Crew Dragon spacecraft, ending nearly a decade of Russia holding a monopoly on shuttling humans to orbit.
3. Iran to set up permanent base in Indian Ocean
• Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announced that it plans to set up a permanent base in the Indian Ocean in order to expand its presence in the international waters.
• Accordingly, the IRGC is planning to create a permanent base in the Indian Ocean by the end of March 2021.
• The announcement was made by Alireza Tangsiri, who is the Navy Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
• The move of setting up a Permanent Base in the Indian Ocean is as per the instructions by Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
4. China diverts rivers to encroach 11 strategic areas in Nepal
• A report, prepared by Survey Department of Agriculture Ministry of Nepal, suggests China has encroached places which make up around 33 hectares of Nepal's land, by diverting the flow of rivers which act as a natural boundary.
• A total of 10 hectares has been encroached on in Humla district with the Chinese construction works diverting Bagdare Khola and Karnali rivers. Six hectares of land has been encroached on in Rasuwa district with diversions in Sinjen, Bhurjuk and Jambu Khola. By diverting the flow of Sumjung, Kam Khola and Arun rivers in Sankhuwasabha district, China has been able to encroach on nine hectares of Nepal's land.
• A total of 11 hectares of Nepal’s land has already been claimed by China for "falling in Tibet" with diversions in Kharane Khola and Bhote Kosi in Sindhupalchowk district.
• To legitimise its annexation, China has allegedly removed boundary pillars around Rui village situated in the northern Gorkha district. The village is said to have around 72 houses.
• India is reportedly evaluating strategic implications of China occupying parts of Nepal’s territory.
5. Russians Grant Putin Right to Extend His Rule Until 2036 in Landslide Vote
• Russians opened the door to Vladimir Putin staying in power until 2036 by voting overwhelmingly for constitutional changes that will allow him to run again for president twice.
• That means Putin, 67, could rule until the age of 83.
• 77.9% of votes had supported changing the constitution and Just over 21% had voted against it.
6. China to construct Kohala hydroelectric power project in Pok under CPEC
• China will set up a 1,124-megawatt Kohakla Hydroelectric power project on Jhelum river in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir despite India’s objection to it.
• It will be a 1,124 megawatt project and a tripartite agreement has been finalised among China’s Three Gorges Corporation, the authorities in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and the PPIB under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework.
• It will be located near the villages of Siran and Barsala in Muzaffarabad district of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and the project aims at annually providing more than five billion units of clean and low-cost electricity for consumers in Pakistan.
7. World Bank approves $500-mn for cross country road projects
• The World Bank approved $500 million to help Bangladesh improve road connectivity along the Jashore-Jhenaidah corridor covering four western districts.
• The Western Economic Corridor and Regional Enhancement (WeCARE) Phase I project is the first of a multi-phased $1.4 billion World Bank program to upgrade the existing 110 KM two-lane highway, Bhomra-Satkhira-Navaron and Jahore-Jhenaidah, to a safer and climate-resilient four-lane highway in western Bangladesh.
• It will support the government’s plan of developing a 260km economic corridor in the western part and benefit over 20 million people.
8. Iran issues arrest warrant for US President Trump, asks Interpol to help
• Iran has issued an arrest warrant and asked Interpol for help in detaining President Donald Trump and dozens of others it believes carried out the drone strike that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad.
• It is unlikely Interpol would grant Iran’s request as its guideline for notices forbids it from “undertaking any intervention or activities of a political nature.
• The U.S. killed Soleimani, who oversaw the Revolutionary Guard’s expeditionary Quds Force, and others in the January strike near Baghdad International Airport.
9. China researchers discover new swine flu with 'pandemic potential'
• Chinese researchers have discovered a new type of swine flu that can infect humans and has the potential to cause a future pandemic.
• The disease, which researchers called the G4 virus, is genetically descended from the H1N1 swine flu that caused a pandemic in 2009.
• G4 now shows "all the essential hallmarks of a candidate pandemic virus," said the study, published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
• Chinese researchers based at several institutions, including Shandong Agricultural University and the Chinese National Influenza Center, discovered the G4 virus during a pig surveillance program.
ECONOMY, BUSINESS AND DEFENCE NEWS
1. Fair & Lovelywill change cream name
• Almost five decades after it patented the name Fair & Lovely, Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), the Indian arm of the global conglomerate, announced that it will move towards a “more inclusive vision of beauty” — by dropping the word “Fair” and changing the brand name.
• It will also remove the words “fair/fairness”, “white/whitening”, and “light/lightening” from its products’ packs and communication.
• The move comes in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, and protests in the US after the death of George Floyd, which has compelled companies, globally, to reassess their businesses and marketing strategies for signs of racism, colourism and discrimination.
2. TRAI launches channel selector app for DTH, cable TV subscribers
• Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has launched a Channel Selector App which will facilitate subscribers to view their TV subscription and modify the same.
• The App facilitates subscribers to check their own subscription, view all channels and bouquets provided by their DTH/ Cable Operator.
• TV subscribers can choose only the channels of interest and remove unwanted channels. They can get optimized solutions and get the best combination of user selected channels / bouquets in the same price or in less price.
3. IRDAI forms working group to look into drone insurance
• India’s insurance regulator, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority formed a working group to look into and make recommendations for insurance of drones.
• The group consists of members from the regulator, as well as from public and private sector insurance and reinsurance companies such as SBI General Insurance and Tata AIG.
• The group is headed by Anjan Dey, general manager of the New India Assurance, a public sector insurance company.
4. Rajnath Singh launches online portal for issue of NOC
• Union defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh launched a new web portal for the issue of No Objection Certificate (NOC) for power projects and Research Survey Exploration Exploitation (RSEE) activities in the Indian Territorial Waters (TW) and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
• The Ministry has developed the online application portal with the assistance of National e-Governance Division (NeGD), Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG) and National Informatics Centre (NIC) to ensure ease of business and transparency.
• Ministry of Defence (MoD) accords security clearances to different public and private organizations.
5. Deal inked for first India-Bhutan joint venture hydroelectric project
• A concession agreement for the first India-Bhutan joint venture hydroelectric project, 600 MW Kholongchhu project between the Bhutanese government and Kholongchhu Hydro Energy Limited was signed, paving the way for commencement of its construction and other related works.
• It is located on the lower course of the Kholongchhu river in eastern Bhutan’s Trashiyangtse district.
• This is the first joint venture project to be implemented in Bhutan.
6. Dharmendra Pradhan Lays the Foundation Stone of Indian Oil’s R&D Campus In Faridabad
• Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas &Steel Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, along with the Haryana Chief Minister Shri Manohar Lal laid the foundation stone of Indian Oil’s state-of-the-art Technology Development & Deployment Centre as its second R&D Campus at Faridabad.
• The new centre, with an investment of Rs. 2282 crore, and covers an area of about 59 acres and the new campus would focus on demonstration & deployment of various technologies developed by IndianOil R&D.
7. Govt clears purchase of fighter aircraft, missiles
• The government cleared the purchase of new fighter aircraft, including 21 MiG-29 and 12 Su-30MKI, missiles, ammunition as part of a Rs 38,900-crore package to boost the combat capabilities of the armed forces.
• The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved the package, citing “the current situation” and the “need to strengthen” the armed forces “for the defence of our borders”, and in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “clarion call for Atmanirbhar Bharat”.
• The aircraft will be bought from Russia, and also from the domestic Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
8. Private operators likely to begin passenger trains by April 2023: Railways
• The Railways expects private train operators to start running passenger trains by April 2023, breaking a state-controlled monopoly in this segment.
• Private players in passenger train operations will mean modern trains running at higher speeds, and catering to a demand that remains unmet by Railways.
• The private trains will constitute around five per cent of all trains.
• The rest of the 95 per cent of the trains in India will be operated by Railways. All the train sets and coaches will be procured under this project will be as par Make in India policy
9. SDMC, NTPC Ltd. and Indian Oil sign MoU for Waste to Energy Plant in Delhi
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Waste to Energy Plant in Okhla, Delhi between National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Ltd., Indian Oil, and South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC).
• Under the MoU, Indian Oil, NTPC, and SDMC will come together to develop a demonstration Waste to Energy Plant at Okhla landfill site with the use of Gasification Technology.
10. Intel Capital to invest Rs 1894.50 crore in Reliance's Jio Platforms
• Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) announced that Intel Capital, the investment arm of Intel Corporation, will invest Rs 1894,50 crore in Jio Platforms for 0.39 percent equity stake.
• Earlier, Jio Platforms also raised capital from leading global investors including Facebook, Silver Lake, Vista Equity Partners, General Atlantic, KKR, Mubidala, ADIA, TPG, L Catterton and PIF.
• After Intel’s investment, Jio Platforms will have raised a total investment exceeding Rs 1.17 lakh crore.
11. RBI to roll out new phase of Operation Twist
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will simultaneously buy and sell government bonds, along the lines of the Federal Reserve’s Operation Twist, in a bid to lower interest rates on long-term government bonds.
• It will conduct the bond-swapping programme under open market operations (OMOs) for ₹10,000 crore each on 2 July.
• Typically, the central bank conducts OMO sales to drain liquidity in the financial system and OMO purchases to infuse liquidity.
• As part of the programme, the central bank will purchase securities with tenures between 7 and 13 years, and sell short-dated securities maturing in October and April.
12. India, Japan Hold PASSEX Naval Exercise to Promote Understanding in Indian Ocean
• In order to promote mutual understanding, Indian Navy and Japanese Navy (Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force) have conducted a day long Naval Exercise for tactical and communications training, towards the Malacca Strait in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
• This was the 15th exercise undertaken by the navies of these two nations in the last three years.
• PASSEX (passing exercise) was a goodwill training.
13. IOC subsidiary enters JV for LPG business in Bangladesh
• IOC Middle East FZE, Dubai, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Indian Oil Corporation, and RR Holdings Ltd., Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, the holding company of Beximco LPG of Bangladesh, inked an agreement for setting up a 50:50 joint venture for LPG business in Bangladesh.
• It is a major milestone in the India-Bangladesh cooperation. This will not only boost the rural economy of that country but the presence of India will be easily felt among the people of Bangladesh.
• A group company of IndianOil based in Dubai has joined hands with one of Beximco the most important LPG companies in Bangladesh through its holding company in UAE for the LPG business in that country.
• This joint venture will help in greater penetration of affordable LPG in that country.
14. HDFC Bank launches 'e-Kisaan Dhan’ app for farmers
• HDFC Bank announced the launch of ‘e-Kisaan Dhan' app for farmers all over India. Through this app the farmers will be able to access a bouquet of services, both banking and agriculture, through their mobile phones.
• 'e-Kisaan Dhan’ will provide value-added services like mandi prices, latest farming news, weather forecast, information on seed varieties, SMS advisory, e-pashuhaat, Kisan TV, and more.
• Users can also avail multiple banking services like procuring loans, the opening of Bank accounts, availing insurance facilities, calculate KCC loan eligibility online, and acquiring Government social security schemes at their fingertips.
15. Yes Bank launched its digital wallet solution ‘Yuva Pay’
• Yes Bank launched its digital wallet solution ‘Yuva Pay’ in partnership with UDMA Technologies to enable contactless payments for its customers.
• The digital wallet issued under minimum KYC regulations to Yes Bank will offer bill payments via Bharat Bill Pay and provide Unified Payments Interface (UPI) facility to customers.
• Through the app, customers can pay their utility bills (including municipal, house, water tax, electricity, LPG, DTH, Mobile bill, license fees), make insurance renewals, FASTag recharges, EMI payments, and use the app to make payments at retail outlets.
16. Apollo Tyres commissions Andhra plant, to invest ₹3800 crore in phase-1
• Apollo Tyres Ltd announced commissioning of its manufacturing plant in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh and said it will invest around ₹3800 crore in building phase one of the factory in the next year and half.
• This is the fifth manufacturing capacity of the company in India and the seventh in the world.
• The deployment of state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies at the facility will enable the company to target premium original equipment manufacturers and after-market customers in India.
17. World Bank Approves USD 500 Million for STARS in India
• The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved USD 500 million (about Rs 3,700 crore) loan to improve quality and governance of school education in six Indian states-Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Rajasthan.
• The board approved a loan for Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States Program (STARS).
• STARS will also help improve learning assessment systems, strengthen classroom instruction and remediation, facilitate school-to-work transition, and strengthen governance and decentralised management.
18. SIDBI sets up Swavalamban Crisis Responsive Fund for MSMEs
• Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has set up a Swavalamban Crisis Responsive Fund to support free onboarding for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) on trade receivables discounting system (TReDS).
• The free onboarding of MSMEs would be available till September-end.
• It is an open-ended fund and the target is to onboard 10,000 MSMEs during the period. Usually, an MSME has to pay a fee of Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 for getting registered on a TReDS platform.
• TReDS is an electronic platform where receivables of MSMEs drawn against buyers, including large corporates, public sector undertakings and government departments, are financed through multiple financiers at competitive rates through an auction mechanism.
19. ICICI bank is the second official UPI partner of PhonePe
• Flipkart-owned PhonePe has announced ICICI bank as their new partner bank for creating and using UPI IDs for online payments.
• PhonePe has over 200 million registered users and giving the option to use multiple UPI IDs will ensure they can still make transactions even if any one bank's handle is temporarily out of service as it happened in March when Yes Bank's handle was suspended.
• ICICI Bank is also the UPI partner for Google Pay, MakeMyTrip, Mi Pay and TrueCaller.
20. SOLV and Standard Chartered Bank to Launch MSME Credit Card
• SOLV, a B2B digital platform for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), announced the launch of a credit card tailor-made for the MSME segment, in partnership with Standard Chartered Bank, India.
• The SOLV MSME Credit Card provides business owners with a ready means to meet ongoing business expenses including supplier payments, fuel, logistics, purchase of raw material, utility payments and others working capital outlays, in addition to also leveraging multiple benefits of the SOLV platform that helps small businesses trade goods with each other and expand their customer base across India.
21. Swiggy introduces instant digital wallet in partnership with ICICI Bank
• Food aggregator unicorn Swiggy has launched its own digital wallet Swiggy Money in partnership with ICICI Bank to enable a ‘single-click checkout experience’ on its platform. It will allow customers to store money and pay for all food orders on Swiggy.
• Swiggy Money is powered by ICICI Bank’s ‘insta wallet service’ which is built on a cloud platform.
• It enables Swiggy to create a digital wallet instantly for its customers. If the Swiggy customer happens to be an existing ICICI Bank customer, they can instantly start using the wallet. Non-ICICI Bank customers can also start using this immediately by providing details of a government ID to ICICI Bank.
22. Harsimrat Kaur Badal has launched the PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM FME) scheme named “Sapno ki Udaan”
• The Minister for Food Processing, Harsimrat Kaur Badal has launched the PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM FME) scheme named “Sapno ki Udaan” with an outlay of ₹10,000 crore.
• The scheme will assist nearly 2 lakh micro-food processing enterprises with credit-linked subsidy and special focus will be on supporting farmer producers organisations, self-help groups and cottage industries in rural and tribal regions, over the next five years.
• The Ministry will adopt the ‘One District One Product (ODOP)’ approach and focus on scaling up existing clusters. States will be given complete flexibility in deciding what product needs to be promoted and from which district
• The Operation Greens, being implemented by the Food Processing Ministry, has been extended from Tomato, Onion and Potato (TOP) crops to other notified horticulture crops for providing subsidy for their storage and transportation from surplus production areas to major consumption centres
• Under the scheme, the government, the benefit has been extended to additional 10 fruits (Mango, Banana, Guava, Kiwi, Lichi, Papaya, Citrus, Pineapple, Pomegranate, Jackfruit) and 8 vegetables (French beans, Bitter Gourd, Brinjal, Capsicum, Carrot, Cauliflower, Chillies (Green) and Okra).
• Food processors, farmer producers' organisations (FPOs), co-operative societies, individual farmers, licensed commission agents, exporters, state marketing/co-operative federation, retailers etc engaged in processing and marketing are eligible for the scheme.
• Under the scheme, the ministry will provide subsidy up to 50 per cent of the cost of transportation of eligible crops from surplus production cluster to consumption centre and hiring of appropriate storage facilities for eligible crops for three months.
REPORTS AND INDEX
1. India slips to 77th rank, accounts for 0.06% of all foreign funds with Swiss banks
• According to the data released by Swiss National Bank, 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, while the UK has retained its top position.
• India was ranked 74th in the previous year.
• India remains ranked very low when it comes to money parked by Indian individuals and enterprises in Swiss banks, including through their India-based branches, accounting for just about 0.06 per cent of the aggregate funds parked by all foreign clients of Switzerland-based banks.
• The data is for ‘total liabilities’ of Swiss banks towards Indian clients taking into account all types of funds of Indian customers at Swiss banks, including deposits from individuals, banks and enterprises. This also includes data for branches of Swiss banks in India, as well as non-deposit liabilities.
• These are official figures reported by banks to the SNB and do not indicate the quantum of the much-debated alleged black money held by Indians in Switzerland. These figures also do not include the money that Indians, NRIs or others might have in Swiss banks in names of third-country entities.
• Among the top-ranked jurisdictions, the UK is followed by the US, West Indies, France and Hong Kong in the top five.
2. Bengaluru in world's top 30 startup ecosystem list
• Indian's startup capital Bengaluru has been ranked in the world's top 30 startup ecosystems in ‘The Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2020’ by Startup Genome.
• Bengaluru is at the 26th spot and the only Indian city to feature in the list.
• This list has been topped by the Silicon Valley in California.
• While Delhi is in the runner-up category at the 36th spot, Mumbai ranks first in the list of top 100 emerging ecosystem ranking. The list of emerging startup hubs also includes Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune.
3. The Young University Ranking 2020
• Times Higher Education (THE) has released the world’s young university ranking for the relatively newer generation of universities, which are 50 years old or younger. The 2020 ranking includes 414 universities, up from 351 in 2019.
• IIT-Ropar is at 62nd rank and IIT Indore is at 64th rank.
• The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology topped the worldwide ranking.
• The young university ranking judges varsities on the basis of five parameters of teaching, research, international outlook and industrial output with weightages of 30 per cent to teaching, research and citation each and 7.5 percent weightage to international aspect and 2.5 to the industry aspect.
4. NITI Aayog releases 'Towards a Clean Energy Economy' report
• NITI Aayog and Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) released Towards a Clean Energy Economy: Post-Covid-19 Opportunities for India’s Energy and Mobility Sectors report, which advocates for stimulus and recovery efforts that work towards building a clean, resilient, and least-cost energy future for India.
• These efforts include electric vehicles, energy storage, and renewable energy programs.
• The report lays out four principles as a framework for policymakers and other key decision-makers considering programmes to support India’s clean energy future:
1) Invest in least-cost-energy solutions,
2) Support resilient and secure energy systems,
3) Prioritise efficiency and competitiveness, and
4) Promote social and environmental equity.
• The report states that India’s transport sector can save 1.7 gigatonnes of cumulative carbon dioxide emissions and avoid about 600 million tonnes of oil equivalent in fuel demand by 2030 through shared, electric, and connected passenger mobility and cost-effective, clean, and optimized freight transport.
PEOPLE IN NEWS
1. Vini Mahajan become the First Woman Chief Secretary of Punjab
• Vini Mahajan, a 1987-batch IAS officer became the first woman bureaucrat in the history of Punjab to be elevated to the top post of the state’s Chief Secretary.
• With her elevation it is also for the first time in Punjab’s history that both the civil and police administrations in the state are headed by an IAS-IPS couple. Mahajan is the wife of state DGP Dinkar Gupta.
• She took charge as the new Chief Secretary replacing Karan Avtar Singh, who has now been posted as Special Chief Secretary, Governance Reforms and Public Grievances.
2. NASA names headquarters after Mary Jackson
• NASA has decided to name its headquarters building in Washington, DC, after Mary W. Jackson, the first African-American female engineer at the US space agency.
• The 2016 film "Hidden Figures" told the story of Jackson who started her NASA career in the segregated West Area Computing Unit of the agency’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.
• The movie was based on the 2016 Margot Lee Shetterly book "Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race."
• The US space agency renamed the street outside its headquarters as Hidden Figures Way last year.
3. Malawi opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera wins historic poll rerun
Malawi's opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera has won the country's rerun presidential vote.
He defeated incumbent Peter Mutharika with 58.57% of the vote.
4. K. K. Venugopal and Tushar Mehta reappointed
• K K Venugopal was reappointed as the Attorney General for India for one year. He succeeded Mukul Rohatgi as the Attorney General on June 30, 2017. The Attorney General for India is the Indian government's chief legal advisor, and is primary lawyer in the Supreme Court of India.
• Tushar Mehta has been re-appointed as the Solicitor General for a period of 3 years. The Solicitor General of India is subordinate to the Attorney General for India. He/She is the second law officer of the country, assists the Attorney General.
5. UP Governor Anandiben Patel Gets Additional Madhya Pradesh Charge
President Ram Nath Kovind has assigned Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel additional charge of Madhya Pradesh in the absence of Governor Lal Ji Tandon, who has taken ill and has been in a hospital.
6. Former French Prime Minister Francois Fillon sentenced to jail for embezzling public funds
• Former French Prime Minister François Fillon and his British wife Penelope received prison sentences after being found guilty of misappropriation in a fake job scandal that wrecked his presidential bid.
• Mrs Fillon was paid nearly £1 million of public money over 15 years for a purported job as her husband’s parliamentary aide. But the Paris Correctional Court found that she had not performed the duties associated with such a role.
7. Micheál Martin Elected as the New Prime Minister of Ireland
• Micheál Martin was elected as the new (Taoiseach) Prime Minister of Ireland and he will take over the office from Leo Varadkar.
• The results were announced by the speaker of the lower house, Sean O Fearghail.
• He will lead a three-party coalition consisting of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party.
8. Joe Biden Names Indian-American Medha Raj As His Campaign's Digital Chief
• Indian-American Medha Raj has been named by Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden as his digital chief of staff, a key role in his election campaigns which are entirely going virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the US.
• In this capacity, Ms Raj will work across all facets of the digital department to streamline and coordinate how to maximise the impact of its digital outputs.
• Joe Biden, 77, is challenging the 74-year-old Republican incumbent President Donald Trump in the November 3 US presidential elections.
9. India's Nitin Menon becomes youngest umpire to enter ICC's Elite Panel
• India's Nitin Menon became the youngest ever to be included in the International Cricket Council's Elite Panel of Umpires for the upcoming 2020-21 season, replacing England's Nigel Llong.
• He is only the third from India to make it to the prestigious group after former captain Srinivas Venkatraghavan and Sundaram Ravi.
10. Ravinder Bhakar Assumes Charge as CEO of Central Board of Films Certification
• Ravinder Bhakar, a 1999 batch officer of Indian Railway Stores Service (IRSS), has taken over as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Central Board of Films Certification (CBFC).
• Prior to his appointment as CEO, CBFC, Mr. Bhakar was posted as the Secretary & Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railways.
• Chairperson, CBFC Shri Prasoon Joshi extended a warm welcome and wished Shri Bhakar for his tenure with the organization, which has been undergoing important digitization and modernization initiatives since the last few years.
11. Indra Mani Pandey Appointed India's Permanent Representative To UN In Geneva
• Seasoned diplomat Indra Mani Pandey has been appointed as India's next Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva.
• He succeeds Rajiv K Chander in Geneva.
12. Ravindra Jadeja named India’s ‘most valuable player’ of 21st Century
• India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was named as the country’s ‘Most Valuable Player’ (MVP) of the 21st century by Wisden. Jadeja’s contribution to his team has been noteworthy with the ball, bat, and while fielding.
• Wisden used CricViz, a detailed analysis tool in cricket to analyse his performance.
• Jadeja’s MVP rating was an astounding 97.3, second only to Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan and thus making him the second most valuable Test player of the 21st century.
13. Shashank Manohar steps down as ICC chairman, Imran Khwaja to take interim charge
• ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar stepped down from the post after two, two-year tenures at its helm.
• Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja will assume the responsibilities of the Chairperson until a successor is elected. The process for the Chairperson election is expected to be approved by the ICC Board within the next week.
14. Two Indian Agricultural Experts Named by UN Chief to Scientific Group for 2021 Food Summit
• Prof. Rattan Lal of Ohio State University and Dr Uma Lele have been named members of an international scientific group, aimed to offer foremost scientific evidence for sustainable food systems in the Global Food Summit 2021.
• Guterres, in collaboration with the United Nations (UN) Rome-based Agencies, will convene the Food Systems Summit in 2021, as a critical contribution to the Decade of Action to deliver the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• The summit aims to raise global awareness to understand the food systems challenges that nations must solve, build a global conversation on the way in which nations produce, process, and consume food, and galvanise global actions and commitments to change food systems to provide safe, nutritious food for all within the planetary boundaries
IMPORTANT DAYS AND EVENTS
1. International Day of the Tropics-29 June
• The inaugural State of the Tropics Report was launched on 29 June 2014, as the culmination of a collaboration between twelve leading tropical research institutions. The report offers a unique perspective on this increasingly important region.
• Marking the anniversary of the report’s launch the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution in 2016, which declared that 29 June of each year is to be observed as the International Day of the Tropics.
• The Tropics are a region of the Earth, roughly defined as the area between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn.
2. National Statistics Day- 29 June
• Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis’ birth anniversary is celebrated as the National Statistics Day in India.
• He is considered the father of modern statistics in India, founded the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI). He shaped the Planning Commission and pioneered methodologies for large-scale surveys.
• He was also instrumental in formulating India’s second five-year-plan (1956-1961), which laid the blueprint for industrialisation and development in India.
• Theme of Statistics Day 2020 is SDG- 3 (Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages) & SDG- 5 (Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls).
3. International Day of Parliamentarism-30 June
• June 30 is the day designated to celebrate the International Day of Parliamentarism. It was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2018.
• It marks the day of establishment of Inter-Parliamentary Union, the global organization of parliaments in 1889.
• This Day celebrates parliaments and the ways in which parliamentary systems of government improve the day-to-day lives of people the world over. It is also an opportunity for parliaments to take stock, identify challenges, and ways to address them effectively.
4. National Doctor’s Day-1 July
• National Doctor's Day 2020 in India was celebrated on July 1st to thank physicians and doctors for their dedicated services to patients.
• The day honors the contribution and dedication of the doctors in the worst of times. It was established by the Government of India in 1991.
• This day marks the death anniversary of legendary physician and second West Bengal CM Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy.
• He was born on July 1, 1882, and died on the same date in 1962, aged 80 years. Dr. Roy was honoured with the country's highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna on February 4, 1961.
• Theme 2020-'Lessen the mortality of COVID-19’.
5. National CA day-1 July
• Chartered Accountants Day or CA Day is celebrated on July 1 every year to commemorate the founding of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) by the parliament of India in 1949.
• ICAI is India's national professional accounting body and also the second biggest accounting organization in the world.
• The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) was established on this day in 1949 under an Act passed in Parliament.
• Every year on the day of the establishment of the ICAI, CA Day is celebrated to honor the Chartered Accountant.
• Theme 2020 - Transforming the Future: Enabling Excellence, Augmenting Trust
6. Culture Ministry to celebrate Sankalp Parva from June 28-July 12
• Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (I/C) Prahlad Singh Patel announced that the Ministry has decided to celebrate “Sankalp Parva” from June 28 to July 12, 2020 and plant trees as desired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• Under “Sankalp Parva”, all the subordinate offices, academies, affiliated and attached institutions of the Culture Ministry have been urged to plant trees in their campus or surroundings wherever possible.
• The Ministry has recommended the planting of five trees- Bargad, Awla, Peepal, Ashok, and Bel.
7. President of India inaugurates the Dhamma Chakra Day
• The International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, celebrated the Asadha Poornima on July 4, 2020 as Dharma Chakra Day. It is the annual flagship event of IBC.
• The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the Dhamma Chakra Day celebrations from Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.
• The auspicious day of Asadha Poornima which falls on the first full moon day of the month of Asadha as per Indian sun calendar is also known as Esala Poya in Sri Lanka and Asanha Bucha in Thailand. It is the second most sacred day for Buddhists after the Buddha Poornima or Vesak.
• The day marks Buddha's first teaching after attaining Enlightenment to the first five ascetic disciples (pañcavargika) on the full-moon day of Asadha at ‘Deer Park', Ṛiṣipatana in the current day Sarnath, nearThe day marks Buddha's first teaching after attaining Enlightenment to the first five ascetic disciples (pañcavargika) on the full-moon day of Asadha at ‘Deer Park', Ṛiṣipatana in the current day Sarnath, near Varanasi, India.
• This teaching of Dhamma Cakka- PavattanaSutta (Pali) or Dharma chakra Pravartana Sutra (Sanskrit) is also known as the First Turning of Wheels of Dharma and comprised of the Four Noble Truths and Noble Eightfold Path.
AWARDS
1. India’s AI enabled MyGov Corona Helpdesk bagged two awards
• AI enabled MyGov Corona Helpdesk bagged two awards under categories (1) “Best Innovation for Covid-19 – Society” and (2) “People’s Choice Covid-19 Overall Winner”, at the recently held CogX 2020, which is a prestigious Global Leadership Summit and Festival of AI & Emerging Technology held annually in London.
• The awards were won by Technical Partner of Mygov, JioHaptik Technologies Limited.
• MyGov is the world’s largest citizen engagement platform, which facilitates two-way communication between the Government and Citizen and facilitates participatory governance in India, the world’s largest democracy.
• In the fight against Covid-19, MyGov, JioHaptik Technologies Limited and WhatsApp team collaborated to develop AI enabled MyGov Corona Helpdesk in the record time of 5 days including weekend.
• CogX is one of the world's largest events on AI, held annually in London with over 15,000 participants in attendance from the highest levels of business, government, industry, and research.
2. Former RBI Governor C. Rangarajan Receives the First Prof. P. C. Mahalanobis Award
• The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) presented the first Prof. P. C. Mahalanobis National Award in Official Statistics’2020 to Dr. Chakravarthi Rangarajan, Former Governor, Reserve Bank of India for his contribution to the National Statistical System (NSS).
