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Current Affairs 13 & 14 June 2021

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We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 13 & 14 June 2021, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2021 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

UNDP Report Lauds India’s Aspirational Districts ProgrammeUNDP Report Lauds Aspirational Districts ProgrammeThe Independent appraisal report ‘Aspirational Districts Programme: An Appraisal’ released by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India, has appreciated India’s Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) as ‘a very successful model of local area development’ and stated that it can be a best practice for other parts of the world, where regional disparities in development status exist.

  • The UNDP has appreciated ADP after analysing its 49 Indicators across 5 key sectors of ADP – health and nutrition; education; agriculture and water resources; basic infrastructure; and skill development and financial inclusion.
  • The report is based on quantitative analysis of publicly available data, interviews with stakeholders (such as district magistrates, central prabhari officers and others).
  • The report was handed over by UNDP India Resident Representative Shoko Noda to NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar & CEO Amitabh Kant.

Aspirational Districts Programme
The ‘Transformation of Aspirational Districts’ was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018 to raise the living standards of its citizens, ensure inclusive growth for all ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’, and improve India’s rankings under Human Development Index.
i.Aspirational Districts are those districts which are affected by poor socio-economic indicators. A total of 117 Aspirational districts have been identified by NITI Aayog.
About  United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Administrator – Achim Steiner
Headquarters – New York, USA
>>Read Full News

Naval Exercise: 31st Edition of India-Thailand CORPAT conducted in Andaman Sea31st edition of India-Thailand Coordinated PatrolThe 31st Edition of India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT) (Bi-Annual) between the Indian Navy and Royal Thai Navy was conducted from June 9-11, 2021 in the Andaman Sea.

  • From the Indian side, INS Saryu, an indigenously built Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) took part in the exercise.
  • From Thailand’s side, His Majesty’s Thailand Ship (HTMS) Krabi, an OPV took part in the exercise. Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft from both navies took part in the exercise.
  • The main purpose of the exercise is to keep the Indian Ocean safe and secure for International trade. It aims to consolidate interoperability between Indian Navy & the Royal Thai Navy.

Background
India & Thailand have been conducting the CORPAT Bi-Annual exercise along their International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) since 2005.
About Thailand:
Capital – Bangkok
Currency – Thai baht
Prime Minister – Prayut Chan-o-cha
>>Read Full News

SIDM, SOFF sign MoU to promote Bilateral Defence Industrial RelationsAn MoU signed between Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers and Swedish Security and Defence Industry AssociationA Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) and Swedish Security and Defence Industry (SOFF) during the webinar on India-Sweden Defence Industry Cooperation.

  • Objective – The MoU aims to boost the Bilateral Defence Industrial Relations between Indian & Sweden.
  • The Webinar held on the Theme – ‘Capitalizing Opportunities for Growth’, it was organized by the Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence through SIDM and SOFF.
  • Defence Minister Rajnath was the Chief Guest, while the Defence Minister of Sweden Peter Hultqvist was the Guest of Honour.

Key Points
i.As part of the MoU, a dedicated Joint Working Group will be set up to take forward mutual objectives.
ii.During the webinar, Rajnath Singh also released the 1st edition of the ‘SIDM Members Directory 2020-21 – An 360º Overview of the Indian Defence and Aerospace Sector’.
iii.Rajnath Singh invited Swedish firms to invest in Defence Corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and stated that India and Sweden can collaborate in the shipbuilding industry for mutual benefit.
About Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM)
President – Jayant D Patil
Headquarters – New Delhi
About Swedish Security and Defence Industry (SOFF)
Secretary-General – Robert Limmergård
Headquarters – Stockholm, Sweden
>>Read Full News

3 Indian SME firms selected for  R&D Project under India-Russia Joint Technology Assessment3 Indian SME firms selected for Indo-Russian tech cooperationThree Indian Science & Technology (S&T)-led Small-to-Medium Enterprises (SMEs)/ Start-ups have been selected to undertake joint R&D (Research & Development) and technology transfer projects under the India-Russia Joint Technology Assessment and Accelerate Commercialization Program.

  • The 3 Indian firms are Prantae Solutions, Jayon Implants & Ananya Technologies. Prantae Solutions & Jayon Implants are being funded under joint R&D Projects, while the 3rd company, Ananya Technologies has been funded for technology adoption from Russia.

India-Russia Joint Technology Assessment
The India-Russia Joint Technology Assessment and Accelerated Commercialization Program was launched in July 2020 as a bilateral initiative between India and Russia to foster collaboration in Science, Technology and Innovation.

  • It is a joint initiative of the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Ministry of Science & Technology, India & the Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises (FASIE),
  • On the Indian side, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) is implementing the program on behalf of DST.

About Department of Science & Technology (DST)
Secretary – Ashutosh Sharma
Head Office – New Delhi
>>Read Full News

EESL partners with MECON to implement Energy Efficient Solution in Steel IndustryEESL partners with MECON to support energy efficiency in steel Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL), under the Ministry of Power, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Metallurgical & Engineering Consultants (MECON) Ltd, under the Ministry of Steel, to implement Energy Efficient & Clean energy solutions in the Steel & Mining Industries.
About Metallurgical & Engineering Consultants (MECON) Limited:

Established in 1959 as a Public Sector Company (PSU) under the Ministry of Steel
Chairman & MD – Atul Bhatt
Headquarters – Ranchi, Jharkhand
About Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL):
Established in 2009 as a 100% government owned company by the Ministry of Power
Chairman – Rajeev Sharma
Headquarters – New Delhi
>>Read Full News

MoRTH Appointed Project Management Consultancy for Mussoorie Tunnel Project

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has approved the appointment of the Project Management Consultancy(PMC) for the proposed 2.74 kilometres long Mussoorie Tunnel project which will be built on the National Highway(NH) 707A with a budget of Rs 700 crore.
The PMC will analyze the area, draft a DPR and need to do the process for obtaining the environment and other required clearances and the process is set to take up to 1 year.

  • The tunnel will offer easy and congestion-free connectivity to Mussoorie town, Mall Road, and Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSSNA), an IAS Academy.
  • The MoRTH has also approved the preparation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the 2 lane Mussoorie tunnel.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

UNGA approves declaration to end AIDS by 2030

During the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Meeting (HLM) on HIV/AIDS (Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired ImmunoDeficiency Syndrome), the assembly  approved a declaration to end AIDS by 2030.
i.The Assembly stated that COVID-19 has increased inequalities and pushed access to AIDS medicines,  treatments and diagnosis off track.
ii.The declaration also committed assembly’s 193 member countries to implement

  • Reduce annual new HIV infections to under 3, 70, 000 and annual AIDS-related deaths to under 2, 50, 000 by 2025.
  • To eliminate all forms of HIV-related stigma and discrmination and for urgent work towards an HIV vaccine and a cure for AIDS.

Background
The 1st case of AIDS was reported in 1981, since then nearly 77.5 million people have been infected with HIV and nearly 35 million have died from AIDS.
i.The Assembly’s declaration stated that since 2001 there has been a 54% reduction in AIDS related deaths and a 37% reduction in HIV infections globally.

  • UNAIDS has stated that since 2016 the overall progress has slowed down. In 2019 there 1.7 million new infections compared to 2020 global target of fewer than 500, 000 infections and that new HIV infections have increased in at least 33 countries since 2016.
  • Africa (especially sub-saharan Africa) which demonstrated the most progress in tackling AIDS, remains the worst-affected region in the world.

About UNAIDS:
Executive Director – Winnie Byanyima
Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland

India ranks 55th in Global Home Price IndexIndia slips 12 spots to 55th rank globally in on-yearIndia was ranked 55th in the Global Home Price Index for the 1st Quarter (Q1) ie; January to March 2021, which is 12 spots lower than its Q1 ranking of 43rd in 2020. Global Home Price Index is prepared by the London-based Knight Frank, which monitors housing prices in 56 countries. The ranking was topped by Turkey with 32%  year-on-year (YoY) growth, followed by New Zealand and Luxembourg .
i.Due to Covid-19 pandemic, India fell to the 56th spot in the October-December quarter of 2020
Note – In January 2021, PM Narendra Modi laid foundation stones for 6 Light House Projects (LHPs), as part of the Global Housing Technology Challenge-India (GHTC-India) initiative
Highlights of the Report:
i.With 13.2% YoY annual growth rate, the United States of America saw the highest price change.
ii.Average Mainstream residential price of the 56 countries, recorded the highest growth of 7.3% in Q1 of 2021.
About Knight Frank:
Established – 1896
Headquarters – London, United Kingdom

BANKING & FINANCE

RBI’s New Rules over ATM: Hike in Interchange Fee, Customer ChargeRBI Allows Banks To Raise Charges For ATM WithdrawalsAs per the recommendations of the Committee on automated teller machines (ATM) Pricing headed by VG Kannan, under Section 10(2) read with Section 18 of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 (Act 51 of 2007), the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has made certain modifications over the ATM interchange fee, Free transaction limit and Customer charges.
RBI’s Modifications in Brief:
i.Interchange Fee: RBI has increased the interchange fee that banks could charge on ATM per transaction from Rs 15 to Rs 17 for financial transactions, and from Rs 5 to Rs 6 for non-financial transactions in all centres. This could be effective from August 1, 2021.
ii.Free Transaction Limit:

  • RBI enabled the customers eligible to make 5 free transactions (inclusive of financial and non-financial transactions) every month from their own bank ATMs.
  • The free transactions limit (inclusive of financial and non-financial transactions) for every month from other bank ATMs is fixed to 3 in metro centres and 5 in non-metro centres.

iii.Customer Charges: Customer charges that are applicable to the customers beyond the free transactions were increased by RBI from Rs 20 to Rs 21 per transaction.
About Automated Teller Machine (ATM):
i.An ATM is a computerised machine that provides customers of banks the facility of accessing their accounts for dispensing cash and to carry out other financial & non-financial transactions without the need to visit the bank branch.
ii.Types of ATM: White Label ATMs (WLAs), Green Label ATMs, Orange label ATMs, Pink Label ATMs, Yellow Label ATMs, Brown Label ATMs, Biometric ATM, Onsite ATMs, Offsite ATMs.
>>Read Full News

SBI Launched ‘Kavach Personal Loan’ – Scheme for COVID-19 TreatmentSBI unveils Kavach Personal Loan scheme for COVID treatmentState Bank of India (SBI) has introduced a collateral-free offering scheme called ‘Kavach Personal Loan’ to provide financial assistance to its customers to manage the COVID-19 treatment-related expenses.

  • Under the term loan, the customers could avail collateral-free personal loan ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 5 lakh at an interest rate of 8.5 percent per annum for 60 months which is inclusive of 3 months moratorium.
  • The loan covers expenses of COVID-19 treatment of self and family members of the customer who are found COVID-19 Positive on or after April 1, 2021
  • The scheme also has no processing fee and the loan has to be repaid in 57 EMIs (equated monthly installments), including interest charged during Moratorium.

About State Bank of India(SBI):
Establishment – 1st July 1955
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chairman – Dinesh Kumar Khara
Tagline – The Banker to Every Indian
>>Read Full News

RBI Extended RBIA System to Select HFCsRBI extends risk-based internal audit system to HFCsthe Reserve Bank of India (RBI) extended the Risk-Based Internal Audit (RBIA) system for all deposit-taking Housing Finance Companies (HFCs), irrespective of their size, and for non-deposit taking HFCs with asset size of Rs 5,000 crore and above to enhance the quality and effectiveness of their internal audit system.

  • The HFCs are directed by RBI to implement the RBIA framework by June 30, 2022.
  • The RBIA system was earlier imposed on Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) and Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks (UCBs).

Key points:
i.Third line of defence: The internal audit function is an integral part of sound corporate governance and is considered the third line of defence.
ii.Thus the RBIA audit methodology will evaluate the risk management systems and control procedures in various areas of operations, in addition to transaction testing. It will also help in anticipating areas of potential risks and mitigating such risks.
About Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
i.It was established on the recommendation of the Hilton Young Commission.
ii.The First Governor of RBI was Sir Osborne Smith (1935 – 1937).
iii.The First Indian Governor of RBI was CD Deshmukh (1943 – 1949).
iv.Manmohan Singh is the only Prime Minister to have also served as the Governor of RBI ((1982 – 1985).
v.The First woman deputy Governor of RBI was KJ Udeshi.
>>Read Full News

Bank of Maharashtra Tops PSU Banks in Terms of Loan, Deposit Growth in FY21Bank of Maharashtra tops PSU banks in terms of loanAs per the data published by the Bank of Maharashtra (BoM), it emerged as the top performer among Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) banks in terms of loan and deposit growth in FY21.

  • BoM recorded a 13.45 percent increase in gross advances at Rs 1.07 lakh crore in FY21.
  • Followed by BoM, Punjab & Sind Bank posted 8.39 percent growth in advances with aggregate loans at Rs 67,811 crore in FY21.

Key points over Financial Results of BoM in FY21:
i.Deposit mobilization: BoM was ahead of the country’s largest lender State Bank of India(SBI) in terms of deposit mobilization with nearly 16 percent growth, in turn, SBI recorded 13.56 percent.
ii.CASA: In FY21, the Current Account Savings Account (CASA) of BoM increased by 24.47 percent, the highest among the PSU Banks. Thus CASA was 54 percent or Rs 93,945 crore of the total liability of the bank.
About Bank of Maharashtra (BoM):
Establishment – Incorporated in 1935, Commenced Operations in 1936
Headquarters – Pune, Maharashtra
MD & CEO – A.S Rajeev
Tagline – One Family One Bank
>>Read Full News

SEBI Barred Franklin Templeton AMC and Vivek Kudva From Markets

The market regulator SEBI(Securities and Exchange Board of India) barred Franklin Templeton Asset Management Company from launching certain debt schemes for two years and fined Rs.5 crore for violating regulatory norms and asked it to pay Rs 517 crore to wind up six debt schemes.
Also Vivek Kudva, former head of Asia Pacific (APAC) for Franklin Templeton, and his wife Roopa were also banned from the securities market for one year and were imposed a penalty of Rs.7 crore for redeeming units of Franklin Templeton MF schemes while in possession of non-public information.

HDFC MF launched Banking and Financial services NFOHDFC MF launches banking and financial services NFOThe Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited Mutual Fund(HDFC MF) has launched the New Fund Offer(NFO) of HDFC Banking and Financial Services Fund for retail investors.

  • The NFO runs from June 11, 2021 to June 25, 2021.
  • The main objective of this fund is to provide long-term capital appreciation by investing predominantly in equity and equity related instruments of companies engaged in banking and financial services

ICICI Prudential MF to launch NFO for Flexi-cap fund
ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund has launched a New Fund Offer(NFO) of flexi cap fund, an open-ended equity scheme that will invest across market capitalisation in India and has an enabling provision to invest in the overseas markets.

  • The New Fund Offer (NFO) will open on 28 June 2021 and close on 12 July 2021.

About HDFC MF:
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Managing Director & Chief Executive Director(MD & CEO) – Navneet Munot
>>Read Full News

BSE set up Entity ‘BASL’ to Administer, Supervise Activities of  SEBI-RIABSE sets up an agency to administer, superviseBombay Stock Exchange (BSE), Asia’s 1st & the world’s fastest Stock Exchange, has set up its wholly-owned subsidiary company named – ‘BSE Administration & Supervision Ltd (BASL)’ for carrying out the administration and supervision activities of all SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India)- Registered Investment Advisors (RIA).

  • BASL has received recognition from SEBI to administer and supervise investment advisors (IAs) registered with SEBI.
  • All existing SEBI-registered IAs and new applicants desirous of obtaining registration as investment advisor will be required to register with BASL as a member.
  • BASL members will be supervised and administered in accordance with the capital markets regulator SEBI’s rules.

About Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE):
Establishment – 1875
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chairman – Justice Vikramajit Sen
MD & CEO – Ashishkumar Chauhan
>>Read Full News

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS        

Winners of 2021 Pulitzer Prizes Announced: The Night Watchman, Malcolm X biography won Arts Pulitzer2021 Pulitzer Prize winners announcedThe winners of the 2021 Pulitzer Prizes for Journalism, Books, Drama and Music were announced over a virtual ceremony.
The winners of the 2021 Pulitzer prize constitute the 105th class of Pulitzer Prize winners.
Aminda (Mindy) Marqués González and Stephen Engelberg were the co-chair of the Pulitzer Prize board.
Highlights:
i.Darnella Frazier, who recorded the murder of Floyd by police officer Derek Chauvin, received a special citation from the Pulitzer Prize Board.
ii.The New York Times won the Public Service Pulitzers for its extensive coronavirus coverage that exposed racial and economic inequities, government failures in the United States and beyond.
iii.Louise Erdrich won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize under the fiction category for his book titled “The Night Watchman”.
iv.Late Les Payne and Tamara Payne won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize under the Biography category for the book titled “The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X”.
>>Read Full News

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS          

IAMAI Appointed Former Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri to Chair GBR for Online Curated ContentIAMAI gets Justice Sikri to chair OTT players’ grievance redressal boardThe Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) has appointed former Supreme Court Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri to chair the Grievance Redressal Board (GRB), a part of the Digital Publisher Content Grievances Council (DPCGC).
Purpose:
To address the content grievances related to the video online streaming services of the council members.
Council members of DPCGC:
At present, the DPCGC has 14 publishers of online curated content as council members which include Amazon Prime Video, Alt Balaji, Apple, BookMyShow Stream, Eros Now, Firework TV, Hoichoi, Hungama, Lionsgate Play, MX Player, Netflix, Reeldrama, Shemaroo and Ullu.
GRB:
GRB will function as an independent body and act as the 2nd tier within the 3 tier grievance redressal mechanism proposed by the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021
Members:
The members of the GRB include personalities of the media and entertainment industry, online curated content providers, experts from child rights, women rights and media law.
Functions of GRB:
GRB will ensure the alignment and adherence of the DPCGC members to the Code of Ethics, provide guidance on the code of Ethics and address the grievances which are not resolved by the publisher within the specified period.
About Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI):
The Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) is a not-for-profit industry body registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860
Chairman– Amit Agarwal
President– Subho Ray
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra

Henri Marie Dondra Appointed as Prime Minister of Central African Republic

Former finance minister Henri Marie Dondra has been appointed as Prime Minister of the Central African Republic(CAR).He will succeed Firmin Ngrebada .
About Henri Marie Dondra:
i.Henri Marie Dondra has a good knowledge of international finance and aid programmes and played an important role in the development of CAR.
ii.He served as the finance minister of CAR and was working  with President Faustin Archange Touadera
About Central African Republic(CAR):
President: Faustin Archange Touadera
Capital:Bangui
Currency: Central African CFA franc

Akshay Kumar Becomes Brand Ambassador of Mylab Discovery Solutions 

Bollywood Actor Akshay Kumar has been appointed as the Brand Ambassador of  Biotechnology firm Mylab Discovery Solutions.

  • As an ambassador, Akshay Kumar will educate people about the use, safety, and efficacy of products and make them equipped to fight against COVID.
  • The popularity of Akshay Kumar among people will help in creating awareness about the company’s instruments and kits for laboratories and individuals.

Note:
Akshay Kumar is also the brand ambassador of various companies like Honda, PolicyBazaar, Livguard Energy, Harpic, Dollar, etc
About My lab Discovery Solutions:
My lab Discovery Solutions is a Indian molecular biology company,which has a presence across many verticals like diagnostics, food safety, agriculture, veterinary medicine.
It had recently launched India’s first COVID-19 self-test kit, CoviSelf.
Managing director and co-founder: Hasmukh Rawal
Headquarters:Pune,Maharashtra

UNGA President-elect Appointed Indian Diplomat K Nagaraj Naidu as Chef de Cabinet

Abdulla Shahid, Foreign Minister of Maldives and the president-elect of the 76th United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) appointed Indian Diplomat Kakanur Nagaraj Naidu, India’s Ambassador/Deputy Permanent Representative of Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations(UN) as his Chef de Cabinet. 

  • He has also appointed Maldives Diplomat Thilmeeza Hussain as the Special Envoy of the President of the General Assembly (PGA).

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS        

PCHFL Received NCLT Approval To Acquire DHFL 

Piramal Capital and Housing Finance (PCHF), a subsidiary of Piramal Enterprises (PE), received approval from the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) to acquire Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd. (DHFL) for Rs 37,250 crore with certain conditions.

  • Earlier in February 2021, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approved the resolution plan of PE to acquire DHFL through PCHF with a total payment of around Rs 35,000 crores and it further referred DHFL to NCLT. Click here to know more
  • Note – PCHF also got approval from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) in May 2021.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

China launches Four Satellites into Planned OrbitsChina launches four satellites into planned orbitsChina launched 4 satellites into planned orbits aboard the Long March-2D rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Northern Shanxi Province. The satellites will be used for ecological environment monitoring, asteroid resource exploration, disaster prevention and mitigation among others.

  • The 4 satellites are Beijing-3 (BJ-3), HISEA-2 (HS-2), Yangwang-1 (YW-1) and Tianjin (TJ).
  • It was the 373rd flight mission of the Long March rocket series.

1st Gen Meteorological Satellite
On June 3, 2021 China successfully launched the 1st of a new generation meteorological satellite ‘FY-4B’ into planned orbit. China National Space Administration (CNSA) stated that  FY-4B  will strengthen China’s observation and response capability of small and medium scale disaster events.
About China National Space Administration (CNSA):
Administrator – Zhang Kejian
Headquarters – Beijing, China
>>Read Full News

Firmina – World’s Longest undersea cable built by GoogleGoogle to build the longest undersea cable in the worldGoogle announced its plan of connecting the United States of America (USA) with South American countries by constructing an Open subsea cable. The subsea cable was named as “Firmina” honouring Brazil’s 1st poet ‘Maria Firmina dos Reis’.
i.
It is the World’s longest subsea cable, which is capable of fully operating through a single power source, in case if other power sources become temporarily unavailable
ii.Firmina will be connecting the East Coast of the USA with Las Toninas, Argentina, and additional landings in Praia Grande, Brazil, and Punta del Este, Uruguay.
About Google:
Alphabet is the parent company of Google
Established – September 1998
Founders – Larry Page & Sergey Brin
CEO – Sundar Pichai
>>Read Full News

NII Gets Trademark For India’s First Indigenous Tumor Antigen SPAG9

A New Delhi-based National Institute of Immunology (NII), an Autonomous Institute of Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has received the ASPAGNIITM trademark for India’s First Indigenous Tumor Antigen SPAG9

  • In 1998,The SPAG9 antigen was discovered by Dr Anil Suri who heads the Cancer Research Programme at the NII.
  • At present, ASPAGNIITM is being used in dendritic cell(DC) based immunotherapy in cervical, ovarian cancer and  it will also be used in breast cancer.

OBITUARY

Famous Neurologist Padma Shri Dr Ashok Panagariya Passes AwayPanagariya diesProminent neurologist and Padma Shri awardee Dr Ashok Panagariya passed away due to post-Covid complications in Jaipur,Rajasthan.
About Dr Ashok Panagariya:
i.Dr Ashok Panagariya was the first Indian doctor to become Doctor of Medicine in Neurology.
ii.He was awarded the prestigious Dr. BC Roy award in 2002 by the Medical Council of India.
iii.In 2014, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the government of India for his contribution to the field of medicine.
iv.He was also the chairman of DISHA Foundation, a non-profit non governmental organization engaged in the welfare of people with special needs.
v.He also won the UNESCO Award for his medical and social contributions.
vi.He won the Lifetime Achievement Award from various institutions like the Times of India and Madras Neuro Trust.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Day Against Child Labour 2021 – June 12World Day Against Child Labour 2021United Nations(UN)’s World Day Against Child Labour is annually observed across the globe on 12th June to highlight the focus on the global extent of child labour and the action and efforts required to eliminate Child Labour.

  • UN declared 2021 as the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour.
  • Based on the themeAct now: end child labour“, a high-level virtual event will be carried by International Labour Conference(ILC) on 2021 World Day Against Child Labour.

Background:
i.The World Day Against Child Labour was formally launched by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 2002.
ii.The first World Day Against Child Labour was observed on 12th June 2002. 
About International Labour Organization (ILO):
Director-General– Guy Ryder
Headquarters– Genève, Switzerland
Created in– 1919
>>Read Full News

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Current Affairs Today (AffairsCloud Today)

S.noCurrent Affairs 13 & 14 June 2021
1UNDP Report Lauds India’s Aspirational Districts Programme
2Naval Exercise: 31st Edition of India-Thailand CORPAT conducted in Andaman Sea
3SIDM, SOFF sign MoU to promote Bilateral Defence Industrial Relations
43 Indian SME firms selected for  R&D Project under India-Russia Joint Technology Assessment
5EESL partners with MECON to implement Energy Efficient Solution in Steel Industry
6MoRTH Appointed Project Management Consultancy for Mussoorie Tunnel Project
7UNGA approves declaration to end AIDS by 2030
8India ranks 55th in Global Home Price Index
9RBI’s New Rules over ATM: Hike in Interchange Fee, Customer Charge
10SBI Launched ‘Kavach Personal Loan’ – Scheme for COVID-19 Treatment
11RBI Extended RBIA System to Select HFCs
12Bank of Maharashtra Tops PSU Banks in Terms of Loan, Deposit Growth in FY21
13SEBI Barred Franklin Templeton AMC and Vivek Kudva From Markets
14HDFC MF launched Banking and Financial services NFO
15BSE set up Entity ‘BASL’ to Administer, Supervise Activities of  SEBI-RIA
16Winners of 2021 Pulitzer Prizes Announced: The Night Watchman, Malcolm X biography won Arts Pulitzer
17IAMAI Appointed Former Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri to Chair GBR for Online Curated Content
18Henri Marie Dondra Appointed as Prime Minister of Central African Republic
19Akshay Kumar Becomes Brand Ambassador of Mylab Discovery Solutions
20UNGA President-elect Appointed Indian Diplomat K Nagaraj Naidu as Chef de Cabinet
21PCHFL Received NCLT Approval To Acquire DHFL
22China launches Four Satellites into Planned Orbits
23Firmina – World’s Longest undersea cable built by Google
24NII Gets Trademark For India’s First Indigenous Tumor Antigen SPAG9
25Famous Neurologist Padma Shri Dr Ashok Panagariya Passes Away
26World Day Against Child Labour 2021 – June 12