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Current Affairs 18 June 2021

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

MoC Signed MoU with MoPSW for Cooperation in Development of NMHC at Lothal, GujaratDevelopment of National Maritime Heritage Complex at Lothal, GujaratThe Ministry of Culture (MoC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) for Cooperation in Development of National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) at Lothal, Gujarat.
Prahlad Singh Patel, Union Minister of State (IC) for Culture and Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of State (IC) for Ports, Shipping and Waterways were present during the signing ceremony held in Transport Bhawan, New Delhi.
National Maritime Heritage Complex:
i.National Maritime Heritage Complex is India’s first of its kind facility dedicated to the legacy of Maritime Heritage of India. It will be developed at the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) site of Lothal, Gujarat.
About Ministry of Culture:
Minister of State– Prahlad Singh Patel (Constituency: Damoh, Madhya Pradesh)
About Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW):
Minister of State– Mansukh Mandaviya (Constituency: Gujarat)
>>Read Full News

Union Cabinet approves restructuring of OFB into 7 new Corporate entities
Government approves restructuring of OFBThe Union Cabinet approved a plan for the restructuring of the 246-year old Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) which has 41 factories, into 7 fully government owned corporate entities on the lines of Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSU).

  • The move to replace OFB with 7 corporate entities will enable the companies to have more autonomy and also improve their accountability and efficiency.
  • The 7 entities will produce ammunition and explosives, vehicles, weapons and equipment, troop comfort items, opto-electronics gear, parachutes and ancillary products.
  • OFB is being restructured as part of India’s vision to achieve self-reliance in the defence sector.
  • In September 2020, an Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was set up to decide on matters related to restructuring of OFB.

Ordnance Factory Board

  • In 1775, British authorities accepted the establishment of the Board of Ordnance in Fort William, Kolkata.
  • OFB functions as a department under the Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence.

About Ordnance Factory Board (OFB)
Director General – C S Vishwakarma
Headquarters – Kolkata, West Bengal
>>Read Full News

Cabinet Approvals on June 16, 2021Cabinet Approval on June 16, 2021The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi accorded approvals to the proposals of Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) & Department of Fertilizers, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers. They are,

  • Proposal of the MoES for Deep Ocean Mission.
  • Proposal of the Department of Fertilizers for Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) rates for Phosphatic & Potassic (P&K) Fertilisers for the year 2021-22.

Deep Ocean Mission
The ‘Deep Ocean Mission’ of MoES will be a mission mode project to support the Blue Economy Initiatives of Government of India.
i.Objective – To explore the deep ocean for resources and develop deep sea technologies for sustainable use of ocean resources in the Indian Ocean.
ii.Cost of the Mission – Estimated cost of the Mission -INR 4077 crore for a period of 5 years, it will be implemented in a phase-wise manner.

  • The estimated cost for 1st phase for the 3 years (2021-24) would be INR 2823.4 crore.

iii.Nodal Ministry – Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
iv.The mission will consist of 6 components.
Fixation of Nutrient Based Subsidy Rate for P&K for 2021-22
The CCEA chaired by PM Modi has approved the proposal of the Department of Fertilizers for fixation of Nutrient Based Subsidy Rates (NBS) for P&K Fertilizers for the year 2021-22.The estimated additional subsidy would be around Rs 14,775 crore.
Per Kg Subsidy rate in INR

N (Nitrogen)P (Phosphorus)K (Potash)S (Sulphur)
18.78945.32310.1162.374

>>Read Full News

TRAI amended Interconnection Regulations, 2017 by adding new framework for Broadcasting & Cable ServicesTRAI releases new technical framework for broadcasting and cable servicesThe Interconnection Regulations, 2017 has been amended by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) by incorporating Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Interconnection (Addressable Systems) (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2021 in its schedule IX.

  • This new addition provides a framework for technical compliance of conditional access system (CAS) and subscriber management system (SMS) for the broadcasting and cable sector.

Reasons behind amendment:
i.To make the indigenous specifications of technical framework for the broadcasting and cable sector at par with international standards.
ii.To provide better content security in the distribution value chain as sub-standard CAS and SMS make distribution networks vulnerable to hacking and content piracy.
Key Points:
i.The operationalization and administration of the new framework will be carried out through testing and certification agency, as prescribed by TRAI.
ii.The Interconnection Regulations, 2017 is a part of the framework of Digital Addressable System (DAS) released in March 2017.
How will it be beneficial?
A synchronized working of the CAS and SMS with respect to framework will enable factual reporting of subscriber base etc. This will reduce the revenue loss to stakeholders on account of erroneous subscription reporting. Also, content security will engage the global content developer community which will result in increased availability of better quality, high-definition content to Indian television viewers.

India’s H-Energy signs MoU with Petrobangla to supply LNG to BangladeshH-Energy signs MoU with PetrobanglaIndia’s H-Energy signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Petrobangla (Bangladesh Oil, Gas & Mineral Corporation), a government-owned national oil company of Bangladesh for supply of R-LNG (Regasified-Liquefied Natural Gas) to Bangladesh.

  • H-Energy will supply LNG to Bangladesh via the 250 km ‘Kanai Chatta (West Bengal) – Shrirampur (Bangladesh) Natural Gas Pipeline’, which is expected to be commissioned in 2023.
  • H-Energy was authorized by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), the regulatory body in India to build, own and operate the Kanai Chhata-Shrirampur natural gas pipeline. It became the only company to receive authorisation from PNGRB to lay a pipeline to the Bangladesh border.

About H-Energy
MD & CEO – Darshan Hiranandani
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
About Petrobangla
Chairman – A B M Abdul Fattah
Headquarters – Dhaka
>>Read Full News

Government to setup Committee on Energy Efficiency, Low Carbon Technology: R K SinghGovt to set up Committee on energy efficiency, low carbon technologiesMinister of State (I/C) for Power, New and Renewable Energy R K Singh stated that the Government will set up a committee/group for implementation of a roadmap on energy efficiency and low carbon technologies. It was stated during a high-level meeting held by the Ministry of Power to review the progress of energy efficiency programmes and preparedness for Climate Change Actions.

  • The committee/Group on Energy Efficiency, Low Carbon Technology will consist of members from all relevant ministries.

High-Level Meeting
The high level meeting was held virtually to discuss activities in the field of energy efficiency across all sectors of the economy with the objective of reducing CO2 emissions.
i.Sectors like Transport, MSME (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) & Power plants needed more focus as they have high emissions intensity compared to other sectors.
ii.Power Finance Corporation, a CPSU under the Ministry of Power will be the nodal agency for facilitating Energy Efficiency Financing.
BEE’s Programs – ROSHANEE & UNNATEE
BEE has developed two programs namely ROSHANEE (Roadmap Of Sustainable and Holistic Approach to National Energy Efficiency) and UNNATEE (Unlocking National Energy Efficiency Potential), which lay down Sector wise action plan to address Climate change and CO2 emissions for the period 2021-2030
About Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)
The Government of India set up BEE on 1st March 2002 under the provisions of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001 as a Statutory body under the Ministry of Power.
Director General – Abhay Bakre
Headquarters – New Delhi
>>Read Full News

India set to add 17 GW renewable capacity in 2021 and 19.3 GW in 2022: IEAIEA forecasts India will add 17 GW renewable capacityAccording to the ‘Renewable Energy Market Update – Outlook for 2021 and 2022’ released by the International Energy Agency (IEA),  India will add 17 GigaWatt (GW) renewable capacity in 2021 & 19.3 GW in 2022. However, the total Renewable Energy Capacity will be under 140 GW in 2022.

  • It also states that India’s Renewable Energy capacity additions declined by 50% in 2020 compared to 2019.However, the growth is expected to pick up and renewable expansion is expected to set new records by 2022.
  • Globally, in 2020 the annual renewable capacity additions increased 45% to almost 280 GW – the highest year-on year increase since 1999.

India achieved its goal of installing 175 GW renewable capacity by 2022: MNRE
The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) has stated that including Projects under construction and in bidding stages, India has achieved its goal of installing 175 GW renewable capacity by 2022.
About International Energy Agency (IEA)
Executive Director – Dr Fatih Birol
Headquarters – Paris, France
>>Read Full News

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

31st NATO Summit 2021 held in Brussels, Belgium

On June 14, 2021, 31st North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit happened at Brussels in Belgium, the leaders of NATO’s 30 member countries were participated in the summit.

  • NATO is a defensive Alliance and will continue to strive for peace, security, and stability in the whole of the Euro-Atlantic area.
  • NATO is an alliance of European and North American countries formed after World War II as a bulwark against Russian aggression.
  • NATO 2030 agenda sets a higher level of ambition for NATO. It provides clear guidelines for further adaptation to address existing, new and future threats and challenges, building on the ongoing political and military adaptation of the Alliance.

India ranked 43 in World Competitiveness Index 2021; Switzerland topsIndia's 2021 competitiveness ranking unchanged at 43In the recently released World Competitiveness Index 2021 released by the Institute for Management Development’s (IMD) World Competitiveness Center, India retained its 43rd rank out of 64 nations (for the 3rd consecutive year). Switzerland topped the Index followed by Sweden in the 2nd spot & Denmark in the 3rd spot.

  • India’s ranking in the 4 parameters are – Government Efficiency 46 (from 50 in 2020), the ranking in other 3 parameters remained unchanged compared to 2020 – Economic performance – 37, business efficiency – 32, infrastructure – 49.
  • Botswana (61st) was added to the ranking this year 2021.

World Competitiveness Index

  • It is an annual report which measures the prosperity and competitiveness of 64 nations by examining 4 parameters – economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency, and infrastructure.
  • The 2021 Index examined the impact of COVID-19 on economies around the world in 2021.
RankingCountry
43India
1Switzerland
2Sweden
3Denmark

>>Read Full News

High-level Advisory Group for Economic Recovery and Growth by World Bank & IMFWB, IMF launch high-level advisory group for economic recovery
In the face of two crises COVID-19 and climate change, The World Bank (WB)and International Monetary Fund (IMF) have launched a “High-Level Advisory Group (HLAG) on Sustainable and Inclusive Recovery and Growth”.
The HLAG will be jointly led by

  • Mari Pangestu, Managing Director for Development Policy and Partnerships, World Bank
  • Ceyla Pazarbasioglu, Director, Strategy, Policy and Review Department, IMF
  • Lord Nicholas Stern of the London School of Economics.

Key Points:
i.HLAG will propose ideas and frameworks for strategic and practical national and global action
ii.It will set a path for green, resilient, and inclusive development and help to secure a strong recovery.
iii.the HLAG will work on two phases

  • First, focus on the immediate challenge of a sustainable and inclusive recovery to inform the processes and meetings in 2021 leading up to the G20 Summit in Rome (October) and the COP26 in Glasgow (November).
  • Second, deepen the analyses and formulation of actions for sustained transformation in 2022.

iii.It will help to understand key policy and institutional issues that will inform a response to multiple interconnected challenges – the two crises, which are exacerbating poverty and inequality, as well as structural weaknesses that existed before the pandemic.
About World Bank:
Establishment – 1944 as The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Members – 189
President – David Malpass
Headquarters – Washington D.C., USA
About International Monetary Fund (IMF):
Members – 190
Managing Director – Kristalina Georgieva
Headquarters – Washington D.C., USA
Establishment – 1944

18 million kids at risk of Health hazards caused by e-Waste – WHO18 million children and adolescents working at e-wasteThe World Health Organisation (WHO) in its new report titled, “Children and Digital Dumpsites” estimates the risk faced by children and pregnant women living & working in informal electronic waste (e-waste) processing centers.
i.Over 18 million Children and 12.9 million women work at the e-waste dumpsite every year, mostly from low & middle income countries, for dismantling & recycling e-wastes.
ii.Illegal e-waste processing is mainly carried out in middle & low income countries, by violating safeguard regulations
iii.According to the Global E-waste Statistics Partnership (GESP), E-waste grew by 21% in the five years up to 2019, when 53.6 million metric tonnes of e-waste were generated, out of which 17.4% of e-waste are processed in formal e-waste processing units & the rest are met with informal waste recycling system.
iv.India is a major importer and producer of e-waste. Of the total amount of e-waste produced in India, around 95% is recycled in the informal sector. New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai are our major e-waste recycling hot spots.
Reason for e-waste processing – Over 1,000 precious metals like gold, copper, mercury is present in minute quantity in electronic components.
Major Health Hazards – Lung failure, Cardiovascular diseases and increased risk of Cancer
About World Health Organisation:
Established – 7th April 1948
Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
Director General –Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Chief Scientist – Soumya Swaminathan

BANKING & FINANCE

GoI inked $484mn loan pact with ADB for CKIC project in TNIndia signs $484 m loan pact with ADBOn June 16, 2021, Government of India (GoI) virtually signed a $484 million (Rs 3,616 cr) loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank to improve transport connectivity and facilitate industrial development in the Chennai–Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor (CKIC) in Tamil Nadu (TN).
i.
In this regard, Seven-year contracts are provided for long-term maintenance of road projects.
About Asian Development Bank
Establishment– 1966
Members– 68
Headquartered– Manila, Philippines
President– Masatsugu Asakawa
>>Read Full News

India Extends 100 million USD LoC to support Sri Lanka’s Solar Power Coverage India extends $100 million Line of Credit to Sri LankaIndia has signed an agreement to extend a 100 million USD Line of Credit (LOC) to Sri Lanka for projects in the Solar Energy Sector. The agreement was signed between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Export-Import Bank of India.

  • The agreement was exchanged between Gopal Baglay High Commissioner of India and S.R. Attygalle, Secretary to the Treasury, Government of Sri Lanka and in the presence of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka.
  • India became the first country to partner with Sri Lanka to ensure that 70% of Sri Lanka’s national power requirements are fulfilled by renewable energy sources by 2030.

About Sri Lanka:
President– Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Judicial capital– Colombo
Legislative capital– Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Currency– Sri Lankan Rupee
>>Read Full News

IndusInd Bank Launched IndusEasyCredit, a Digital Lending PlatformIndusInd Bank launches digital lending platformIndusInd Bank launched the “IndusEasyCredit”, a comprehensive digital lending platform to enable the customers to meet their financial needs from their home.
About IndusEasyCredit:
i.IndusEasyCredit is a first of its kind platform which will offer a digital end to end process by utilising Indiastack, the public digital infrastructure of India, to offer personal loans and credit cards in a paperless, presence-less and cashless manner.
ii.This will enable both the existing and non-IndusInd Bank customers to avail of personal loans or credit cards on a single platform in a completely paperless and digital manner.
iii.The stack uses around 35 interfaces to digitally verify the Know Your Customer (KYC), employment information and analyse the bank statements.
IndiaStack:

  • IndiaStack is a set of APIs that allows governments, businesses, startups and developers to utilise a unique digital Infrastructure to solve India’s hard problems towards presence-less, paperless, and cashless service delivery.
  • Aadhaar Authentication, Aadhaar e-KYC, eSign, Digital Locker, Unified Payment Interface (UPI) are the core API’s of IndiaStack.

About IndusInd Bank:
Managing Director & CEO– Sumant Kathpalia
Headquarters– Pune, Maharashtra
Established in 1994

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

CII Projects India’s GDP Growth for FY22 to 9.5%

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has projected that India’s Gross Domestic Product(GDP) is set to increase at 9.5% in the current Financial year 2021-2022(FY22) which will be higher than the GDP of FY20.

  • The growth in the 2nd half will be supported by the external demand and large scale coverage of vaccination which allows the resumption of economic activities.
  • CII estimates that the Indian economy requires a Rs 3 lakh crores fiscal stimulus including the cash transfer to households through Jan Dhan accounts.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS        

Sumant Sinha recognised as a SDG Pioneer of the Year by UNGCReNew Power CMD Sumant Sinha recognised as SDG Pioneers by UNGCOn 16th June 2021, during the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) Leaders Summit 2021, 10-Global leaders were named as the SDG Pioneers 2021. Sumant Sinha, the Chairman and Managing Director of ReNew Power was recognised as one of the Global leaders working towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) through the implementation of the UN Global Compact Ten Principles on human rights, environment, labor, and anti-corruption.

  • SDG Pioneers – Global Business leaders who are recognised by UNGC for their exceptional work towards acheiving SDG targets

i.Sumant Sinha was recognised as a SDG Pioneer of the Year for his work towards SDG Target 7: Providing advanced access to affordable energy.
Note – In April 2021, ReNew Power announced investments of $9 Billion in Wind and Solar energy projects in India upto 2025
ii.ReNew Power is a renewable energy company in India, working towards achieving SDG-7 by 2030 and beyond. It is also a member of UNGC since 2016
About United Nations Global Compact (UNGC):
Established – July 2000
CEO & Executive Director – Sanda Ojiambo
About ReNew Power:
Founded – 2011
Chairman – Sumant Sinha
Headquarters – Gurugram, Haryana

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Microsoft appointed CEO Satya Nadella as ChairmanMicrosoft names CEO Satya Nadella as chairmanOn June 16, 2021, Microsoft Corporation appointed its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Satya Nadella as its Chairman. He will succeed John Thompson who will now serve as lead independent director.

  • Notably, Satya Nadella backed billion dollar acquisitions like LinkedIn, Nuance Communications and ZeniMax.
  • Satya Nadella was appointed the CEO of Microsoft in 2014, succeeding Steve Ballmer.          

Yuvraj Singh Becomes Brand Ambassador of PUMA Motorsport in IndiaPUMA signs Yuvraj Singh as brand ambassador of PUMA Motorsport in IndiaGlobal sports brand PUMA extended its partnership with former Indian Cricketer Yuvraj Singh by signing him as the Brand Ambassador of PUMA motorsports in India. He has been associated with the brand for over a decade.

  • Besides Yuvraj Singh ,PUMA’s other global brand ambassadors are Thierry Henry, Boris Becker and Usain Bolt.
  • Globally, PUMA is associated with Scuderia Ferrari, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, Aston Martin Red Bull Racing, BMW M Motorsport and Porsche Motorsport.

About Yuvraj Singh:
i.Yuvraj Singh was awarded  the Padma Shri Award in 2014 for his contribution to the Indian Cricket.
ii.He was awarded with the Arjuna Award (India’s second highest, Sporting Award) in 2012 by the President of India.
iii.Also he was honoured with FICCI Most Inspiring Sportsperson of the Year Award in 2014.
iv.He was also the Man of the Tournament in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

Mukund Gosavi Becomes Brand Ambassador of Corona Vaccination Program in Maharashtra

The Maharashtra government has appointed Mukund Gosavi as a brand ambassador of the Corona vaccination program for speedy implementation of Corona vaccination in the Jalgaon district, Maharashtra due to his selfless service

  • Mukund Gosavi is a person with 80 percent who assisted disabled people and senior citizens in remote areas by providing medical care facilities,arranging essential items to at least 1000 people and reducing fear among COVID positive patients by counselling them.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

ADI PRASHIKSHAN portal launched by Ministry of Tribal Affairs in collaboration with UNDPTribal Affairs Minister Shri Arjun Munda launches 'AdiPrashikshan Portal'On 16th June 2021, Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, Arjun Munda launched “Adi Prashikshan” portal, a unique online portal to provide quality training to Tribal population. The portal was jointly developed by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Tribal Research Institute (TRI) – Odisha and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Objective – To provide quality skill development and capacity building programs to Tribal population across India, and improve their socioeconomic status
The portal includes all training programs conducted by National Society for Education of Tribal Students (NESTS), Centre of Excellences (CoE’s) funded by Ministry of Tribal Affairs, TRIs across India and National Tribal Research Institute.
Arjun Munda inaugurates 3-day long “Capacity Building Training of Master Trainers For ST PRI Members”
i.Tribal Minister also launched a 3-day long training program on “Capacity Building Training of Master Trainers For ST PRI Members” from 16th -19th June 2021
ii.The program is conducted specially for the members of Scheduled Tribes (ST) Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI).
iii.The program was jointly organised by National Tribal Research Institute and Madhya Pradesh government
About Ministry of Tribal Affairs:
Eklavya Model Residential Schools are built across India in rural areas to provide quality education to the Tribal population
Union Minister – Arjun Munda (Constituency – Khunti, Jharkhand)
Minister of State – Renuka Singh Saruta (Constituency – Surguja, Chhattisgarh)

OBITUARY

Mahavir Chakra Awardee Veteran Brigadier Raghubir Singh Passed AwayMahavir Chakra recipient legendary veteran Brigadier Raghubir Singh passes awayMahavir Chakra awardee legendary veteran, Brigadier Raghubir Singh has passed away due to old age illness.He was born on 2nd  November 1923, in Tonk District,Rajasthan.
About Brigadier Raghubir Singh:
i.Brigadier Raghubir Singh was honoured with Maha Vir Chakra, the second highest gallantry award in India by the then President of India, Dr S Radhakrishnan.
ii.He is fondly called as “Dadosa”
iii.He served as the Provost Marshal in the Military police, during the 1971 Indo-Pak war.
iv.During the 1965 Indo Pak war,he was commanding his battalion, 18 Rajputana Rifles (later 11 Mechanised Infantry).
v.He was also part of the United Nations Emergency Force, during the 1958-59 Israel – Egypt war.
vi.He was posted as Chairman of the Neutral Nations Representative Commission (NNRC) as part of the peace keeping force,during the war of North and South Korea in 1954.
vii.He fought in the Indo Pak war of 1947-48 in the Uri sector immediately after independence and was also involved in the Burma war in 1944 and went to Japan to fight.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik Released Bishnupada Sethi’s book “Beyond Here and Other Poems” 'Beyond Here and Other Poems'Naveen Patnaik Chief Minister(CM) of Odisha released the book titled “Beyond Here and Other Poems”, a collection of 61 poems written by senior bureaucrat Bishnupada Sethi. The book was published by Har Anand Publications. 
About the book:
i.The poems featured in the book reflect the experiences of life, perception of death, and philosophical contemplation.
ii.The preface of the book was written by noted Odia poet Haraprasad Das.
iii.The cover design of the book was made by famous artist Gajendra Sahu.
About Bishnupada Sethi:
Bishnupada Sethi a 1995 batch IAS officer is serving as the Principal Secretary of Revenue & Disaster Management Department, Government of Odisha with an additional charge of Principal Secretary of Odia Language, Literature & Culture Department and  Information & Public Relations (I&PR) Department.

Amitav Ghosh’s Authored a book titled “The Nutmeg’s Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis”Amitav Ghosh's new book 'The Nutmeg's Curse'Jnanpith awardee and Renowned author Amitav Ghosh authored a new book ‘The Nutmeg’s Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis’.This Book is Published by John Murray and will be released on October 14, 2021.
About the Book:
i.This book is about the history of the influence of colonialism on the world today, told through the story of the nutmeg.
ii.It discusses everything from the global history of the oil trade to the migrant crisis and the animist spirituality of indigenous communities around the world.
About the Author:
i.Amitav Ghosh is an Indian writer best known for his work in English fiction.
ii.He won the 54th Jnanpith award, India’s highest literary honor in 2018.
iii.He was also awarded the Padma Shri in2007.
iv.Some of his other notable works include the Ibis trilogy and ‘The Great Derangement’ among others.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2021 – June 17 World Day to Combat Desertification and DroughtThe United Nations(UN)’s World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is annually observed across the globe on 17th June to create and raise awareness regarding prevention of desertification of the soil in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas caused due to climate change and human activities.
The theme of World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2021 is “Restoration.Land.Recovery: We build back better with healthy land”. 
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/49/115 on 19 December 1994 and proclaimed the 17th June of every year as the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.
ii.The first World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought was observed on 17th June 1995. 
About United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD):
Executive Secretary– Ibrahim Thiaw
Secretariat– Bonn, Germany
>>Read Full News

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S.no Current Affairs 18 June 2021
1MoC Signed MoU with MoPSW for Cooperation in Development of NMHC at Lothal, Gujarat
2Union Cabinet approves restructuring of OFB into 7 new Corporate entities
3Cabinet Approvals on June 16, 2021
4TRAI amended Interconnection Regulations, 2017 by adding new framework for Broadcasting & Cable Services
5India’s H-Energy signs MoU with Petrobangla to supply LNG to Bangladesh
6Government to setup Committee on Energy Efficiency, Low Carbon Technology: R K Singh
7India  set to add 17 GW renewable capacity in 2021 and 19.3 GW in 2022: IEA
8NATO Leaders declared China as Global Security Challenge at NATO Summit in Brussels, Belgium
9India’s 2021 competitiveness ranking unchanged at 43
10High-level Advisory Group for Economic Recovery and Growth by World Bank & IMF
1118 million kids at risk of Health hazards caused by e-Waste – WHO
12GoI inked $484mn loan pact with ADB for CKIC project in TN
13India Extends 100 million USD LoC to support Sri Lanka’s Solar Power Coverage
14IndusInd Bank Launched IndusEasyCredit, a Digital Lending Platform
15CII Projects India’s GDP Growth for FY22 to 9.5%
16Sumant Sinha recognised as a SDG Pioneer of the Year by UNGC
17Microsoft appointed CEO Satya Nadella as Chairman
18Yuvraj Singh Becomes Brand Ambassador of PUMA Motorsport in India
19Mukund Gosavi Becomes Brand Ambassador of Corona Vaccination Program in Maharashtra
20ADI PRASHIKSHAN portal launched by Ministry of Tribal Affairs in collaboration with UNDP
21Mahavir Chakra Awardee Veteran Brigadier Raghubir Singh Passed Away
22Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik Released Bishnupada Sethi’s book “Beyond Here and Other Poems”
23Amitav Ghosh’s Authored a book titled “The Nutmeg’s Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis”
24World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2021 – June 17