Current Affairs 19 June 2021

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 19 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.

Our Current Affairs June 2021 events will help you to get more marks in Banking, Insurance, SSC, Railways, UPSC, CLAT and all State Government Exams. Also, try our Latest Current Affairs Quiz and Monthly Current Affairs 2021 PDF which will be a pedestrian to crack your exams.

Read Current Affairs in CareersCloud APP, Course Name –  Learn Current Affairs – Free Course – Click Here to Download the APP

We are Hiring – Subject Matter Expert | CA Video Creator | Content Developers(Pondicherry)

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

PM Launches ‘Customized Crash Course Programme for COVID-19 Frontline Workers’Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually launched ‘Customized Crash Course programme for COVID-19 Frontline Workers’. The training programme will be conducted in 111 training centres spread over 26 states.

• Under the training programme about 1 lakh youth will be trained under in the next 2-3 months.
• The programme has been designed as a special programme under the Central Component of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 3.0 (PMKVY 3.0) of Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).
• The programme consists of 6 courses and has been designed by top experts of India. It has been created as per demands of the states and UTs.
• The programme aims to create skilled non-medical healthcare workers to fill the present and future needs of manpower in the health sector.

About Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE)
Union Minister – Mahendra Nath Pandey (Chandauli, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State – R K Singh (Arrah, Bihar)
>>Read Full News

I&B Ministry notifies Amended Cable TV Rules; TRAI Launches Channel Selector PortalThe Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B Ministry) notified the Cable Television Networks (Amendment) Rules, 2021 (CTN ‘Amendment’ Rules 2021).
It provides a  statutory mechanism for redressal of grievances/complaints of citizens related to content broadcast by television channels, in accordance with the provisions of the Cable Television Network Act, 1995.

• The CTN (Amendment Rules 2021) amends the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994.
• Self-regulating bodies of the TV Channels will be recognized by the Government, after registration with the Central Government.

TRAI Launches Channel Selector Portal
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) launched a TV Channel Selector Web Portal similar to the TV Channel Selector App released for smartphones by TRAI. The portal was launched to help consumers who don’t own a smartphone or wish to use web browsers.
i.Through the portal consumers can,

• Check/modify their subscription, view all channels and bouquets provided by DTH (Direct-to-Home) and cable operators, add channels and do several other things.
• New Regulatory Framework for Broadcasting and Cable services  (notified by TRAI) which came  into effect in December 2018  mandates consumer choice and enables subscribers to select television channels they want to watch.

About Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B Ministry)
Union Minister – Prakash Javadekar (Rajya Sabha – Maharashtra)
About Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)
Chairman – P. D. Vaghela
Headquarters – New Delhi
>>Read Full News

MoRTH Notifies Common Format for Issuance of PUC across India; Targets to reduce Road Accident Deaths by 50% by 2024i.On June 14, 2021, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) introduced common PUC (Pollution Under Control) certificate format for all vehicles pan-India under Central Motor Vehicle Rules 1989.The PUC database will be linked with the National Register.

• The information listed in the certificate will be confidential, but only the last four digits will be visible.

ii.MoRTH has also extended the validity of motor vehicle documents under Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989 till 30th September, 2021.
iii.MoRth also sets a target to reduce road accident deaths by 50% by the year 2024.
About Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH):
Union Minister– Nitin Jairam Gadkari (Constituency- Nagpur, Maharashtra)
Minister of State (MoS)– Gen. (Dr) Vijay Kumar Singh
>>Read Full News

MoEF&CC Released Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of IndiaBabul Supriyo, Minister of State for Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change(MoEF&CC) released the latest version of “Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India” on the virtual event organised on the account of Desertification and Drought Day (17 June).
The new version was published by the Space Application Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO), Ahmedabad.
Features of Atlas:
i.The Atlas provides a state-wise area of degraded lands in the time period between 2018 to 2019.
ii.This also provides the change analysis for the duration of 15 years between 2003-2005 to 2018-2019.
iii.This will act as a ready reference and strengthen the National Action Plan for achieving land restoration targets by providing important baseline and temporal data and technical inputs.
Other launches:
A Coffee Table Book titled “India Hosting UNCCD-COP 14” and a short film on UNCCD-COP 14 was also released during the event.
Target of India:
India has targeted to achieve its commitments of Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) and restoration of 26 Million ha of degraded land by 2030, with a focus on sustainable and optimum utilisation of land resources.
About Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change(MoEF&CC):
Union Minister– Prakash Javadekar (Constituency- Rajya Sabha – Maharashtra)
Minister of State– Babul Supriyo (Constituency- Asansol, West Bengal)

Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar Signed Statement of Intent with UNICEF for Youth EmpowermentOn June 17, 2021, the Union Minister of State, Santosh Gangwar, Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoL&E) signed a Statement of Intent with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to provide a platform for cooperation between them to implement solutions to tackle the employment and skilling challenges for adolescents and youth in India.

• Focus: Vulnerable population including – young people with special needs, youth leaving care institutions, migrant youth, victims of child labour, violence, child marriage and trafficking, etc.
• The collaboration intends to empower the young generation of India to gain relevant skills and guidance, and enable them to contribute and shape the country’s future.
• The govt is improving the employment outcomes of all youth as every 5th person in India is a youth (15-24 years) (According to Census 2011).
• The minister mentioned National Career Service (NCS), which was launched in 2015 to provide a variety of employment-related services to youth.

About United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF):
Executive Director – Henrietta Holsman Fore
Headquarter – New York, USA
>>Read Full News

MSME Ministry Extends Validity of EM Part-II & UAMs to Dec 31, 2021 from March 31, 2021In order to curb the situation of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) amid Covid-19 hardships, the Ministry of MSME extended the validity of Entrepreneurs Memorandum (EM) Part-II and Udyog Aadhaar Memorandums (UAMs) on June 17, 2021, from March 31, 2021 to December 31, 2021.
Aim Behind this Extension:
In June 2020, the Ministry of MSME changed the definition of MSMEs and introduced a new process for the registration of MSME i.e. Udyam Registration. At that time it was announced that the existing MSME registration (Udyog Aadhaar Number (UAN) or EM would become invalid after March 31, 2021. But due to adverse effects of COVID-19 these registrations got delayed.
Now, to overcome this scenario and to make available the benefits of various government schemes of MSMEs including Priority Sector Lending (PSL) to the holders of EM Part-II and UAMs, this extension has been made.

• These benefits can be obtained by holders after migrating to the new system of Udyam Registration (https://udyamregistration.gov.in) register free of cost. Only PAN and Aadhaar are required for registration.
• These schemes will not only aid in the recovery of MSMEs but also strengthen their base thereby boosting economic activity and employment generation.

About Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME):
Union Minister– Nitin Jairam Gadkari
Minister Of State (MoS)– Pratap Chandra Sarangi

MHA operationalises National Helpline, reporting platform to Prevent Cyber FraudOn June 17, 2021, the Ministry of Home (MHA) operationalised the national helpline 155260 and reporting platform via Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System for preventing financial loss of individuals due to cyber fraud.

• These have been made operational by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under MHA, in cooperation from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), all major banks, payment banks, wallets and online merchants.

Key Points:
i.The Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System has been developed in-house by I4C to integrate law enforcement agencies and banks and financial intermediaries.
ii.The helpine was soft launched on April 1, 2021 and since then more than Rs 1.85 crore of defrauded money is saved from fraudsters.
iii.Both the above mechanisms are currently being utilised by seven states and Union territories (UTs)- Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh covering more than 35% of the country’s population.
These mechanisms have empowered the victims of cyber fraud, banks, and police to share fraud relation information resulting in real time actions.

IIM Nagpur and CIRT Sign MoU for Industry-oriented Knowledge in Transport ManagementThe Indian Institute of Management Nagpur (IIMN) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT) to build competencies and generate industry-oriented knowledge in transport management.
The MoU was signed in presence of

• Nitin Gadkari (Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways; and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises)
• CP Gurnani (Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive officer(CEO), Tech Mahindra )

Key Points:
i.Under this agreement,corporate and government professionals will be given executive training and other educational programmes.
ii.It provides for research collaboration and consultancy engagements between the two institutions.
About CIRT:
CIRT is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Shipping and Transport and the Association of State Road Transport Undertakings.
Established:1967
Headquarters:Pune,Maharashtra
Director: Capt. (Dr) Rajendra B Saner Patil
About IIM Nagpur:
The Indian Institute of Management Nagpur also known as IIM Nagpur or IIMN is a public business school located in Nagpur, Maharashtra,
Director: Dr Bhimaraya Metri
Established: 2015
>>Read Full News

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India ranked 51st in terms of Money Deposited in Swiss Banks, UK tops: SNB Statistics 2020According to ‘Annual Bank Statistics of 2020’ released by Swiss National Bank (SNB), the Central Bank of Switzerland – India with Swiss Francs (CHF) 2.55 billion ( ~ INR 20, 706 Crore) has been placed at 51st place in the list of foreign clients’ money in Swiss Banks during 2020. The United Kingdom (UK) topped the list with CHF 377 billion, followed by US (152 billion).

• The CHF 2.55 Billion (includes deposits made by Indian individuals, firms, deposits made in India-based branches of Swiss Banks and other financial institutions) has increased from 899 million CHF (INR 6, 625 Crore) in 2019.
• This reverses a two-year declining trend, and takes the aggregate fund to the highest level since 2006 (6.5 Billion CHF).
• The increase in aggregate funds of Indian clients in 2020 is due to increase in holdings via securities and similar instruments.
• In the ‘Annual banking statistics, 2019’ India was placed at the 77th position.

About Swiss National Bank (SNB)
Chairman of the Governing Board – Thomas J. Jordan
Head Offices – Berne, Zurich
>>Read Full News

Rajnath Singh addresses 8th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus 2021
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed the 8th ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM) Plus 2021, which was held  virtually on June 16, 2021. Brunei is the Chair of the ADMM Plus forum in 2021.

• ADMM Plus is an annual meeting of the Defence Ministers of 10 ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries and 8 dialogue partner countries – Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia & US.

Key Points from the address

• Rajnath Singh called for an open and inclusive order in the Indo-Pacific based on sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations.
• He reaffirmed India’s support to freedom of navigation, over-flight and unrestricted commerce for all in International waters in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
• As a member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), he said India remains committed to combat financing of terrorism.

About ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM) Plus
Established – 2010
2021 Chair – Brunei
Members – 10 ASEAN Countries & 8 Dialogue Partners

India ranked 120 in Sustainable Development Report 2021, Finland TopsAccording to the 6th Edition of  ‘Sustainable Development Report 2021 (SDR 2021)’ released by Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), India with a score of 60.1 has been placed at 120th rank out of 165 countries. Finland topped the Index followed by Sweden & Denmark.

• For the 1st time since 2015, all countries have shown a reversal in progress in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) due to COVID-19 pandemic.
• SDR 2021 has been written by a group of authors led by Professor Jeffrey Sachs, President of the SDSN and has been published by Cambridge University Press.

SDR Report

• SDR is an annual report which ranks the 193 UN member countries based on their performance against the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
• It has been released since 2015 and is based on official data sources (UN, World Bank, etc.) and non-official data sources (research institutions and non-governmental organizations)

About Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)
President – Jeffrey Sachs
Headquarters – Paris, France & New York, USA
>>Read Full News

Global Peace Index 2021: India ranked 135, Iceland Tops
According to the 15th Edition of Global Peace Index 2021 (GPI 2021) released by Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP), India with a score of 2.553 has been ranked 135 out of 163 countries, which specifies ‘Low State of Peace’. Iceland topped the GPI 2021 Index followed by New Zealand & Denmark.

• The average level of global peacefulness decreased by 0.07 per cent in the 2021 Global Peace Index. It has deteriorated for the 9th time in the last 13 years.
• The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region remained the world’s least peaceful region, while Europe remained the most peaceful region in the world. 8 of the 10 most peaceful countries are from Europe.
• In the 2020 GPI, India was ranked 139th.

Global Peace Index

• GPI measures the relative position of nations’ and regions’ peacefulness. It is an annual report and was first released in 2009.
• It ranks countries based on 23 indicators across 3 domains: societal safety and security, ongoing domestic and international conflict and the degree of militarisation. It covers 99.7 percent of the world’s population.

About Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP)
Founder & Executive Chairman – Steve Killelea
Headquarters – Sydney, Australia
>>Read Full News

BANKING & FINANCE

Google Pay Expanded Cards Tokenisation with SBI, IndusInd, HSBC, Federal BankGoogle Pay, a digital payments platform has expanded its network of bank partners offering card tokenisation on the Google Pay app by adding lenders such as State Bank of India (SBI), IndusInd Bank, Federal Bank, and HSBC India.

• Earlier Google Pay has rolled out card tokenisation with Kotak Mahindra Bank, SBI Cards and Axis Bank.
• Currently it has added debit cards by SBI, IndusInd Bank and Federal Bank and Credit cards by IndusInd Bank and HSBC India.

Key Features:
i.Through their credit card, under tokenisation, the consumers could make contactless payments by using near-field communication (NFC) capable devices/phones at over 2.5 million visa merchant locations.
ii.They could also scan and pay at more than 1.5 million Bharat QR-enabled merchants, and pay bills and recharges from within their Google Pay app.
iii.The addition of SBI, IndusInd Bank, Federal Bank, and HSBC India will extend the tokenisation offers to millions of card users on the Visa network. Earlier Visa has issued over 2 billion token credentials globally.
About Tokenisation:
i.Tokenisation is the feature that enables users to make debit or credit card payments through a secure digital token without having to physically share their credit or debit card details (especially card numbers).
ii.During the payment process, the user’s card number will be replaced with 16 random characters known as a ‘token’ in mobile and online transactions.
iii.This token then allows payments to be processed without exposing sensitive account details that could breach security and privacy.
About Google:
Google Pay is the online payment system developed by Google to power in-app, online, and in-person contactless purchases on mobile devices, enabling users to make payments with Android phones, tablets, or watches. It was 1st released as Android Pay in 2015 and later as Google Pay in 2018.
Headquarters – California, United States
CEO – Sundar Pichai

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Indian IT to hit $300-350 billion Revenues by 2025; Top 5 IT companies to add over 96,000 employees in FY22: NasscomOn June 17, 2021, the IT (Information technology) industry body, the National Association of Software and Services Companies’ (NASSCOM) stated its perspective in the process of hiring and job creation over the IT – Business process management (BPM) sector. As per its forecast, the Indian IT industry is on track to meet its vision of $300-350 billion annual revenues by 2025.

• The top 5 IT services companies viz, TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCL, and Tech Mahindra are planning to add over 96,000 employees during FY22.
• The IT-BPM sector together employs over 5 million workers as of March 2021.

Robust Hiring over IT-BPM Sector:
i.Currently, the Indian IT industry is being a net hirer of skilled talent, it employs around 1.6 crore workers, in FY21 it added 1.38 lakh people, and it also has robust hiring plans for FY22.
ii.The industry is upskilling more than 2.5 lakh employees in digital skills and has hired more than 40,000 fresh digitally trained talents, indicating its commitment and investment towards the rapid enhancement of workforce capabilities.
iii.As of March 2021, the BPM sector in India currently employs over 1.4 million, and its addressable opportunity is being $180-220 billion.
iv.Around 33 percent of the total jobs in the BPM sector are related to customer interaction services (call centre work including mail, chat, etc).
v.The IT Industry is continuing to be a net creator of jobs and it is also committed to people-centric innovation, relentless talent focus, and delivering a superior transformative customer experience.
Key facts to be noted:
i.Currently the tech service industry contributes about 8 percent of the overall economy, it produces about 27 percent of the nation’s exports and provides livelihoods to about 4.4 million people.
ii.The domestic tech services are estimated to grow by 2-4 percent over the next 5 years.
About National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM):
It is the premier trade body and chamber of commerce of the Tech industry in India
Establishment –  1988
Headquarters – New Delhi
President – Debjani Ghosh

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS        

Indian Environment Organisation ‘Familial Forestry’ won UNCCD’s 2021 Land for Life AwardFamilial Forestry, the environment conservation concept of Rajasthan-based climate activist Shyam Sundar Jyani has won the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification’s (UNCCD) Land for Life Award for 2021.
Key points:
i.Theme: Healthy Land, Healthy Lives
ii.Focus: Individuals/Organizations that made an outstanding contribution to land degradation neutrality on a large scale for 25 years or longer and remarkable positive impacts on land, people, communities, and society.
iii.Familial Forestry: It relates the tree with family, and thereby a tree is treated as a green member of the family. It includes the matter of trees and environment in the family and gradually, the tree becomes part of the family’s consciousness.
iv.Land for Life Award: It is the world’s highest reward regarding land conservation and restoration, it was launched at the UNCCD, Conference of Parties – 10 in the Republic of Korea as part of the Changwon Initiative.
About United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD):

• It is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management under the UN.
• UNCCD 2018-2030 Strategic Framework is the comprehensive global commitment to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN).

Establishment – 1994
Headquarters – Bonn, Germany
Executive Secretary – Ibrahim Thiaw (Mauritania)
>>Read Full News

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS          

Private person Aashish Chandorkar named as Director at India’s WTO mission for a 1^st timeIn an introductory move, a private person Aashish Chandorkar was appointed by the Central Government as Counsellor in India’s Permanent Mission in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for a period of three years.

• He is a director of Bengaluru (Karnataka) based policy think tank Smahi Foundation of Policy and Research.
• WTO, a 164-member multi-lateral body headquartered at Geneva, Switzerland, deals in global trade. India has been its member since 1995.

This appointment comes ahead of a crucial ministerial conference i.e. WTO 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) which will take place from November 30 to December 3, 2021 in Geneva. It will be chaired by Kazakhstan’s Minister of Trade and Integration, Bakhyt Sultanov.

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS        

CCI Approved Proposed Deal to Acquire Stake in Magma HDI General InsuranceThe Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the proposed acquisition of a stake in Magma HDI General Insurance Company by India Advantage Fund S4 I (IAF) & Dynamic India Fund S4 US I (DIF) and NHPEA Trisul Holding B.V(NTH).
Key Points:
i.This is a combination transaction involving IAF and DIF together, picking less than 25 per cent and NTH picking up less than 10 percent combined interest in Magma HDI General Insurance.
ii.The IAF/DIF transaction and the NTH transaction are collectively referred to as the “proposed combination”.
iii.NTH is an investment holding company that ultimately belongs to a fund managed or controlled by an affiliate of Morgan Stanley.
About Magma HDI General Insurance:
Magma HDI was established in 2012 and had 133 branches as of December 30, 2020.
This General insurer offers 62 products across various categories including motor, health, personal accident, home, fire, engineering to secure all major risks in general insurance sphere.
About Competition Commission of India (CCI):
It is a statutory body that enforces The Competition Act, 2002.
Chairperson – Ashok Kumar Gupta
Headquarters – New Delhi

Danish fund IFU, UNOPS’ S3i Partners with ACME Solar’s project in RajasthanACME Solar Holdings Ltd signed a shareholders’ agreement with United Nations Office for Project Services’ (UNOPS) Sustainable Investments in Infrastructure and Innovation (S3i) and Denmark’s Investment Fund for Developing Countries (IFU) for developing a 250-megawatt (MW) solar power plant project in Rajasthan.

• ACME holds an equity stake of 51 percent in the project, while IFU and UNOPS S3i and IFU will hold 39 percent and 10 percent stakes, respectively, in the project
• The total value of the project was equivalent to under USD 200 million and a quarter of the amount will be financed through equity contributions by the 3 co-investors.
• It is UNOPS’s 1^ST investment under the ‘India-Denmark Green Strategic Partnership’, that was signed between the governments of India and Denmark in 2020.

Features of the Project:
i.The 250 MW project was won by ACME in 2019 at a tariff of Rs 2.48 per unit. The solar plant will provide clean electricity to the equivalent of 500,000 households.
ii.Job creation: The project was estimated to create around 225 jobs in the construction phase, and 75 jobs after operation.
iii.The partnership is towards ACME’s vision for developing a portfolio of 25 GW of renewable energy projects in line with India’s plans to achieve 450 GW of renewable energy power by 2030.
Key Facts:
i.India is running the world’s largest clean energy programme to achieve 175 GW of renewable capacity, including 100GW of solar power by 2022.
ii.In 2019 at UN climate summit, India announced the doubling of the renewable energy target from 175GW by 2022 to 450GW.
iii.The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) of India has estimated the country’s 817 GW of power need by 2030, more than half of that power would come from clean energy sources. The government has set a target to generate 280 GW of power from solar units alone.
About Investment Fund for Developing Countries (IFU):
It is a Danish investment fund for developing countries, it provides risk capital to companies operating in developing countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and parts of Europe.
Establishment – 1967
Headquarters – Copenhagen, Denmark
Chairman – Michael Rasmussen
About United Nations Office for Project Services’ (UNOPS):
S3i is a fund by UNOPS for investing in projects affordable housing, renewable energy, health, and innovation.
Establishment – 1973
Headquarters – Copenhagen, Denmark
Executive Director – Grete Faremo
About ACME Solar Holdings Ltd:
It is India’s largest pure-play solar platform with a portfolio of 5GWp, out of which 2.3 GWp is operational.
Headquarters – Gurugram, Haryana
Founder & Chairman – Manoj K Upadhyay

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

PASIPHAE, an International Collaborative Sky Survey Led by an Indian AstronomerPolar-Areas Stellar-Imaging in Polarisation High-Accuracy Experiment (PASIPHAE) is an instrument used in sky surveys to study stars, and is being led by an Indian astronomer.
Objective:
To study the polarisation in the light coming from millions of stars.
Members:
The Institute of Astrophysics, Greece is the leader. Other members include Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), India; the University of Oslo etc are the members.
Key Points:
i.The project has been funded with $1 million (~Rs.7.39crore) each by ,

• The Infosys Foundation, India,
• Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Greece and
• USA’s National Science Foundation

combined with contributions from the European Research Council and the National Research Foundation in South Africa.
ii.The instrument will survey the night sky in the southern and northern hemisphere using high quality optical polarimeters.
iii.The instrument will put more focus on faint polarisation that takes place in light coming from far away stars, which are not yet properly studied. Measurements are obtained from the GAIA satellite.
iv.The project will help to understand the mysteries surrounding the origin of the universe.
v.Emerging polarised light signals present in high galactic latitudes will be detected through the Wide Area Linear Optical Polarimeter (WALOP) that is fixed on optical telescopes.

SPORTS

Filipino Japanese Yuka Saso wins U.S. Women’s Open 2021

Yuka Saso became the first Filipino (Philippines) player to win a major Golf Tournament, Saso a dual citizen with a Filipino mother and Japanese father tied Park Inbee as the youngest champion at the tournament, after winning the 76th US Women’s Open golf championship 2021 at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.

Neeraj Chopra wins gold medal in Meeting Cidade de Lisboa in Portugal

Indian Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra  from Haryana won the gold medal in the Meeting Cidade de (Meeting, City of Lisbon) in Lisbon, Portugal, with a throw of 83.18 metres recorded with his sixth and last attempt. He had qualified for the Tokyo Olympics 2020 with a throw of 87.86m in South Africa (January  2020).

OBITUARY

Zambia’s 1^st President Kenneth Kaunda Passed AwayZambia’s founding president and liberation hero, Kenneth David Kaunda passed away due to pneumonia at a military hospital in Lusaka,Zambia.He was born on April 28, 1924 in Chinsali,  Northern Rhodesia.
About Kenneth Kaunda:
i.Kenneth Kaunda popularly known as “KK” was the 1^st President of  Zambia and also ruled Zambia for 27 years from 1964, when the Southern African nation won its independence from Britain, until 1991.
ii.He stood up to white minority rule in Southern African countries such as Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe.
iii.He also organized civil disobedience known as the Cha-cha-cha campaign.
iv.Earlier he worked as a teacher and a mine welfare officer.
v.He was a founder member of the Northern Rhodesian African National Congress.
vi.He was also one of the most committed activists against HIV/AIDS in Africa.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Sustainable Gastronomy Day 2021 – June 18 The United Nations(UN)’s Sustainable Gastronomy Day is annually observed across the globe on 18th June to acknowledge gastronomy as a cultural expression related to the natural and cultural diversity of the world.
The day is observed to create public awareness of its contribution to sustainable development.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) observe the Sustainable Gastronomy Day.
Background:
The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/71/246 on 21st December 2016 and proclaimed the 18th June as Sustainable Gastronomy Day.
Initiative:
UNESCO launched the “UNESCO Creative Cities Network” created in 2004 to share best practices and develop partnerships in 7 creative fields.

• As of 2020, 26 cities have been designated Creative Cities of Gastronomy.

>>Read Full News

Autistic Pride Day 2021 – June 18 The Autistic Pride Day is annually observed across the globe on 18th June to create awareness about Autism and to provide space for people with autism to celebrate their neurodiversity and difference.
The day recognises the importance of pride for people with autism and highlights the unique individuals and not cases for treatment.
The “rainbow infinity” is the symbol of Autistic Pride Day which represents diversity with infinite variations and infinite possibilities.
Background:
i.Autistic Pride Day was initiated by the Aspies For Freedom (AFF), an autism activist group that remains controversial within the autism community.
ii.The first Autistic Pride Day was observed in 2005 in Brazil by the AFF created by Gareth and Amy Nelson and later became a global event.
About World Health Organisation(WHO):
Director-General– Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Headquarter– Geneva, Switzerland
>>Read Full News

World Crocodile Day 2021 – June 17World Crocodile Day is annually observed across the globe on 17th June to create awareness about the difficulties faced by the endangered crocodiles and alligators around the world. World Crocodile Day is also known as World croc day.

• Land encroachment, Dredging,  pollution, culling and invasion of other aggressive species, can lead to huge extinction of these reptiles.
• The Crocodile Research Coalition (CRC) in collaboration with the Belize Zoo observed the first World Crocodile Day in 2017.

About Crocodiles:
Crocodiles are the semiaquatic reptiles that are present across Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia.

• There are 24 different Species of Crocodile exist in the world. Philippines crocodile and the Chinese alligator are on the critically endangered list .

Crocodiles in India:

• Mugger or Marsh crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) – International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN) Vulnerable
• Estuarine or saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) – IUCN Least Concern
• Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) – IUCN Critically Endangered

International Picnic Day 2021 – June 18 

International Picnic Day is annually celebrated across the globe on 18th June. The objective of the day is to encourage people to spend quality time with family and to go outdoors.

• Picnic is derived from the French word picque-nique which refers to an outing in which the participants carry food.
• The modern picnic came into existence after French Revolution, as the public park became available for all.

STATE NEWS

Odisha government Launched e-learning methods for students: e-Pathshala, e-MulyankanOn June 17, 2021, Odisha State School Education Programme Authority (OSEPA)minister Samir Ranjan Sprint launched e-learning platforms viz, e-Pathshala and e-Mulyankan to benefit students, teachers and district education officers (DEOs) of Odisha under COVID-19.
e-Learning Platforms:
i.e-Pathsala: It is a web-based studying platform that has repositories of e-contents within the type of paperwork, audios and movies. Those e-contents will help for self-learning, on-line lessons, assignments, assessments and analysis of the learners’ progress.
ii.e-Mulyankan: It is a platform designed as a digital bank of practice tests and model questions for the students to apply for examinations. The teacher could conduct exams, mock examinations and final examinations under the same.
Initiatives of OSEPA:
i.OSEPA has begun figuring out dropouts and migrant kids by door-to-door surveys and it set to begin live YouTube streaming for school kids from Class I to VIII from June 21.
ii.It plans to activate the Odisha Shiksha Sanjog, a WhatsApp-based programme to permit them to share e-content and supplies with students. It also set to publish the e-content for Class I to XII through the programmes viz, radio pathsala and Shiksha Darpan on Doordarshan.
Note -Radio pathsala and Shiksha Darpan were already available for the students of Classes X, XI, and XII.
About Odisha:
Lakes –  Chilika Lake (2nd largest brackish water lagoon in the world), Ansupa Lake, Pata Lake, Kanjia Lake.
Dams – Hirakud dam, Rengali dam, Indravati dam, Jalaput dam (between Andhra Pradesh and Odisha), Mandira dam, Patora dam.

*******

Click Here View – AC Excluded News 2021

Current Affairs Today (AffairsCloud Today)