Current Affairs 6 July 2021

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 6 July 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

Vice President Addresses 19th Meeting of the Governing Council & 20th Meeting of Governing Body of ICWAVice President (VP) Venkaiah Naidu virtually addressed the 19th Meeting of the Governing Council & chaired the 20th Meeting of the Governing Body of Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA). He is the Ex-Officio President of the ICWA.

• The 19th meeting of the Governing Council of ICWA took place from Hyderabad, Telangana.
• VP launched a book titled ‘Sapru House: A Story of Institutions Building in World Affairs’ authored by Dr TCA Raghavan, Director General of ICWA and Dr. Vivek Mishra, Research Fellow at ICWA.
• ICWA Committees have also set up an ‘ICWA Archives Unit’ to catalogue and conserve historical and archival records.

Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA)
Established in 1943, ICWA was India’s 1st Independent International Affairs think tank. While the Vice President of India is its Ex-Officio President, the Minister of External Affairs is its Vice President.
Vijay Thakur Singh appointed as next DG of ICWA
Former Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, Vijay Thakur Singh was appointed as the next Director General of ICWA. The term of Dr. TCA Raghavan is set to come to an end on 23 July 2021.

• The ICWA Act of 2001 read with the Amendment Act of 2003 prescribes a 3-year term for the DG and ex-officio Member Secretary of ICWA and the procedure for the appointment of the new DG.

About Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA)
Director General – TCA Raghavan
Ex Officio President of the Council – Vice President of India (Venkaiah Naidu)
Head Office – New Delhi
>>Read Full News

Atal Innovation Mission concluded 1^st fintech Cohort of ‘AIM-iLEAP’i.A first fintech cohort of AIM-iLEAP (Innovative leadership for entrepreneurial agility and profitability) was concluded recently which was organized by Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) of NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog in collaboration with Startup Réseau and Visa through a series of thematic virtual demo.
ii.It is an initiative for start-ups to provide them access to industry, markets and investors thereby enhancing the innovation ecosystem.
About Atal Innovation Mission (AIM):
It has been launched to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship using digital tools under the aegis of NITI Aayog. It has access to over 2000+ tech start-ups pan-India through its member base of 65+ business incubators, 24 ACICs, 15 ARISE-ANIC and over 7200+ATLs.
Mission Director– Dr Chintan Vaishnav
Headquarters– New Delhi
>>Read Full News

CBSE introduces Financial Literacy Textbook developed by NPCINational Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in collaboration with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has launched the “Financial Literacy Textbook for Class 6” students, to make childrens aware of basic financial concepts. The Book was developed by NPCI and edited by CBSE as per the needs of students. They are also working on similar books for Class 7 & 8.
i.The book includes basic concepts from basic concepts of currency to Banking, Security, and modes of Digital Payments such as UPI, Cards, Wallets.
ii.It also elaborates on the role of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) & importance of Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS)
iii.Financial Literacy was recently introduced by CBSE as an elective subject for Primary school students.
About Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE):
Established – 1962
Chairperson – Manoj Ahuja
Headquarters – New Delhi
About National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI): 
Incorporated in 2008 
MD & CEO – Dilip Asbe
Headquarter – Mumbai, Maharashtra

PM Modi Addresses CoWIN Global Conclave 2021Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually addressed the CoWIN Global Conclave 2021. Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the event.The Global Conclave was jointly organized by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and National Health Authority (NHA).
i.The conclave was attended by India’s Foreign Secretary H V Shringla, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, and CEO of National Health Authority (NHA), Dr RS Sharma.
ii.India is set to offer the CoWIN (COVID-19 Vaccine Intelligence Work) platform as a digital public good to the world to combat COVID-19. For this purpose, an open-source version of the vaccine registration platform will be shared by India for free.

• Around 50 countries, including Canada, Mexico, Nigeria, Panama and Uganda, have expressed interest in adopting the CoWIN platform, to run vaccination drives in their countries.
• CoWIN (COVID-19 Vaccine Intelligence Work) Platform was developed by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) for the purpose of registration, appointment and monitoring of the vaccination process against COVID-19.

About National Health Authority (NHA)
NHA is the successor of the National Health Agency, which has been functioning as a registered society since 23rd May, 2018. It was reconstituted on 2nd January 2019.
CEO – R S Sharma
Headquarters – New Delhi
>>Read Full News

India’s 2nd Largest Cricket Stadium to come up at Jaipur, Rajasthan

India’s 2nd Largest Cricket Stadium & World’s 3rd Largest Cricket Stadium is set to be constructed in Jaipur (also known as Pink City), Rajasthan. The construction of the stadium will cost an estimated INR 290 crore.

• The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has given a financial grant of INR 100 crore to the Rajasthan Cricket Association for the construction of the Stadium which will have a capacity of 75,000.
• The world’s largest Cricket Stadium is Narendra Modi Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad, Gujarat with a capacity of 1,32,000 and the 2nd largest is Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) situated in Melbourne, Australia.
• While the World’s 3rd largest & India’s 2nd largest cricket stadium is Eden Garden cricket ground situated in Kolkata, West Bengal.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

2nd India-Ghana Foreign Office Consultations 2021 held at Accra, GhanaThe 2nd India-Ghana Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) 2021 were held at Accra, Capital of Ghana. Rahul Chhabra, Secretary (Economic Relations) from Indian side and Kwaku Ampratwum Sarpong, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs from the Ghanaian side co-chaired the Meeting.

• During the meeting, the two sides undertook a review of bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest.
• They also took note of the exchange of bilateral visits, holding of Joint Commission Meeting, defence cooperation, pending MoUs and others.
• The 1st FOC between India & Ghana took place at New Delhi in 2019.

Key Points
i.India’s Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP) and Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate human resource development and capacity building for development and strengthening the technical capabilities of GAEC.
ii.The Bilateral trade between India & Ghana stood at USD 4.5 billion in 2018-19, however in 2019-20, the trade declined to USD 2.4 billion on account of low import of gold by India.

• India has extended Development assistance worth USD 500 million for Ghana through Lines of Credit.

About Ghana
President – Akufo-Addo
Capital – Accra
Currency – Ghanaian cedi (GHS)
>>Read Full News

BANKING & FINANCE

SIDBI Added Development Measures for MSMEsOn World Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Day (June 27, 2021), the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), has rolled out multiple measures to support COVID-19 hit MSMEs.
Initiatives undertaken by SIDBI:
i.To enhance the credit access SIDBI has reduced the interest rate of the ‘Timely Working Capital Assistance to Revitalise Industries in Times of Corona Crisis’ (TWARIT) scheme under ECLGS (Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme) from 8.25 percent to 6 percent for its existing customers.
ii.SIDBI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Government Engineering College Thrissur, Kerala to set up a Swavalamban Chair for MSME solutions to promote entrepreneurship among students.
iii.SIDBI has entered into an MoU with the ‘Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship’ (GAME) to help MSMEs.  Click here to know more
About Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI):
It is the financial institution engaged in the promotion, financing and development of MSMEs.
Establishment – 1990
Headquarters – Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Chairman & Managing Director – Shri Sivasubramanian Ramann
>>Read Full News

Paytm Launched Instant Small Loan Service – ‘Postpaid Mini’ On July 05, 2021, Paytm, digital payments platform, in partnership with Aditya Birla Finance Ltd., launched a small-ticket instant loans service named ‘Postpaid Mini’. It was as an extension of its ‘Buy Now-Pay Later’ service, to support new-to-credit customers.
About Aditya Birla Finance Ltd.
It is a part of Aditya Birla Capital Limited
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
MD & CEO– Rakesh Singh
>>Read Full News

SEBI Fined IL&FS, AFSPL for Fraudulent MF Transactions

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 26 crore on IL&FS Securities Services Ltd and Rs 3 crore on Allied Financial Services Pvt Ltd (AFSPL) over-involvement in fraudulent transfer of Mutual Fund (MF) units from the client’s accounts.

• SEBI imposed a penalty of Rs 3 crore on AFSPL’s Managing Director(MD), Awanish Kumar Mishra and a fine of Rs 14 lakh and Rs 7 lakh on its directors Himanshu Arora and Jitendra Kumar Tiwari.
• SEBI has restrained IL&FS Securities from acquiring any new clients for 2 years.
• These penalties were issued under Section 15HA of the SEBI Act.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

NTPC, ONGC to Boost Development of Offshore Wind EnergyNTPC and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), have planned to boost the development of offshore wind energy in India.
Background:
i.In May 2020, NTPC and ONGC had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to increase their footprint in the renewable energy space.  As per the MoU, ONGC aims to add 10GW of renewable power by 2040 and NTPC intends to reach 32 GW by 2032.
ii.They have also planned to set up renewable power assets including offshore wind, in India and overseas to explore the opportunities in the sustainability, storage, e-mobility and Environmental, Social and Governance(ESG) compliant projects.
Click here to know more
Current Development:
i.Comparison of Offshore and Onshore wind energy:

• Efficiency: Currently, NTPC and ONGC are into improving the offshore wind energy capacity in India as they are more efficient than the onshore wind turbines.
• Offshore windmills are 50 to 60 percent more efficient than the onshore wind turbine, which is about only 25 percent efficient.
• Offshore wind energy will also overcome the issues of limited land resources and safety.
• Size: As per the data of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), the offshore wind turbines are larger in size (around 5-10 MW per turbine) when compared with the onshore wind turbine (2-3 MW).

ii.The MNRE targets to set around 5 GW of offshore wind installations by 2022 and 30 GW by 2030.
iii.As per the wind resources assessment of the National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE), the total wind energy potential at a 100-meter hub height is about 302 GW.
iv.More than 95 percent of commercially exploitable wind resources are concentrated in 7 states viz, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu.
v.In June 2021, NTPC doubled its target and intended to reach a renewable energy capacity of 60GW by 2032. To raise funds(around Rs 2.5 lakh crore) for achieving the target, NTPC has announced its plan of bringing an initial public offer (IPO) of its arm NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd. Click here to know more
About NTPC:
Establishment – 1975
Headquarters – New Delhi
Chairman & Managing Director – Gurdeep Singh
About Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC):
It is the largest crude oil and natural gas Company in India
Headquarters – New Delhi
Chairman & Managing Director – Subhash Kumar

Flipkart Partners with PhonePe to Digitise its Cash-on-delivery Payments Using QR CodesPhonePe, the digital payments platform has partnered with Flipkart, the e-commerce major, and launched a contactless ‘Scan and Pay’ feature to digitise Flipkart’s pay-on-delivery (cash-on-delivery) orders payment.

• The partnership will enable the Flipkart customers who have earlier opted for cash on delivery to pay ‘digitally’ at the time of delivery by scanning the PhonePe’s dynamic QR code using any Unified Payments Interface (UPI) app.

• Objective: It was an initiative to encourage contactless payments and reduce personal contact.
• It will encourage cashless payment of customers who are traditionally more comfortable with cash on delivery and it will also reduce the cash handling costs for e-commerce and logistics companies.

About UPI:
i.UPI is an instant payment system developed by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), UPI is built over the Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) infrastructure and allows the users to instantly transfer money between any two parties’ bank accounts.
ii.NPCI set the maximum funds that an individual can transfer through UPI per transaction to Rs 1 lakh.
About Flipkart:
Establishment – 2007
Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka
CEO – Kalyan Krishnamurthy
About PhonePe:
It was acquired by Flipkart acquires in 2016
Establishment –  2015
Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka
CEO – Sameer Nigam

PayU Partners with WooCommerce to Accelerate Digitalization of SMBsPayU, an online payment solutions provider, partnered with WooCommerce, an open-source, customizable e-commerce platform, to enable the WooCommerce merchants with the digital payments infrastructure, and end-to-end digitized business process.
Objective: To accelerate the digitization of Small and Medium-sized Business (SMBs) business processes.
Benefits under the Partnership:
i.Through the partnership the merchants could be benefitted from PayU’s digital infrastructure with 100 percent online onboarding, zero set up charge, easier check-in & checkout, real-time tracking and business monitoring.
ii.The merchants could monitor transactions, settlements, and cash flow across all payment methods on the PayU platform.
iii.The merchants could accept payments across 100+ payment options, such as UPI (Unified Payment Interface), wallets, credit and debit cards, etc.
iv.Other small features such as receiving same-day settlements, refunds, bulk payouts, international card payments & EMI (Equated monthly instalment) options will also help to improve their small business.
v.A recent survey has shown 82 percent of small businesses have experienced a negative impact due to the pandemic and adoption of technology can aid in the revival of up to 35 percent SMBs, post-pandemic.
Note – WooCommerce is a flexible, open-source commerce solution built on WordPress.
About PayU:
Establishment (India) -2011
Headquarters (India) – Gurgaon, Haryana
CEO, India– Anirban Mukherjee

IOC buys Crude Oil from Guyana; signs pact to buy 3 million tonnes of US crude

In July 2021, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) became India’s 1st Public sector refinery to procure crude oil from Guyana, which will be refined in IOC’s Paradip refinery at Odisha. IOC also entered into a contract to procure 3 million tonnes of US crude.
i.India’ is World’s 3rd largest consumer & importer of Crude oil with almost 85% from imports. Historically, India procures oil from Middle eastern countries, and this procurement from Liza oil field in Guyana is a part of India’s diversification strategy.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS       

CIET-NCERT Announced the National ICT Awards for School Teachers 2018 & 2019The Central Institute of Educational Technology(CIET), a constituent unit of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has announced the recipients of the National ICT Awards for School Teachers 2018 & 2019.

• The award is annually instituted by the Ministry of Education(MoE), Government of India.

About National ICT Awards for School Teachers:
i.The National ICT Awards for School Teachers annually presented to encourage the teachers to incorporate Information and Communication Technology(ICT) in school education.
ii.The award recognises the teachers who have enhanced student learnings through integrated technology-supported learning in school education.
Awardees of 2018 & 2019:
i.For the year 2018, the MoE has approved 25 awardees across India and for the year 2019 the ministry has approved 24 awardees across India.
ii.6 teachers from Maharashtra were selected for the National ICT Awards for 2018 and 2019.

• Anand Balaji Anemwad (Palghar), Nagnath Shankar Vibhute (Pune) and Umesh Raghunath Khose(Osmanabad) received the National ICT Awards for 2018.
• Prakash Lotan Chavan(Nashik), Shafi Aziz Shaikh(Yevatmal), and Mrinal Nandkishor Ganjale(Pune) received the National ICT Awards for 2019.

iii.Umesh Raghunath Khose, a primary teacher, from Osmanabad, Maharashtra is to receive the National ICT Awards for School Teachers 2018 for using ICT through gadgets like television, tab, mobile and projectors
iv.6 teachers from Tamil Nadu were selected for the National ICT Awards for 2018 and 2019.

• S.Ganesh(Thiruvarur), Manohar Subramanian(Karur) and KB Dhayananth(Tiruppur) received the National ICT Awards for 2018
• Senthil Selvan(Sivaganga), Thangaraja Mahadevan(Salem) and R Elavarasan(Salem) received the National ICT Awards for 2019.

Complete list of National ICT Award 2018 & 2019 awardees 
About Central Institute of Educational Technology(CIET):
CIET came into existence with the merger of the Center for Educational Technology(CET) and the Department of Teaching Aids(DTA).
Deputy Secretary– Naval Kishore
Established in – 1984
Headquarters-  New Delhi, Delhi 

Odia poet Rajendra Kishore Panda named for Kuvempu Rashtriya Puraskar 2020A poet and novelist from Odisha, Dr. Rajendra Kishore Panda (77), has been named for the Kuvempu Rashtriya Puraskar for 2020.

• His name was finalised by a three-member committee comprising Kannada poet Dr. H.S. Shivaprakash, Agrahara Krishnamurthy, former secretary of Central Sahitya Academy, and Bengali author Shyamal Bhattacharya. The committee met under the chairmanship of Prof. Hampa Nagarajaiah.

About Dr. Rajendra Kishore Panda:
Born in 1944, he has published 16 poetry collections and a novel. He was presented the Gangadhar National Award in 2010, Sahitya Akademi Award in 1985, and was awarded a D.Lit. (Doctor of Literature) by Sambalpur University, Odisha.
About Kuvempu Rashtriya Puraskar:
Instituted in 2013 by Rashtrakavi Kuvempu Trust, the award is given annually to a writer who has contributed in any of the languages recognised by the Constitution of India. The award carries a cash award of Rs 5 lakh, a silver medal and a citation.

Korean Air selected as ‘2021 Airline of the Year’ by ATW

Korean Air (of South Korea) has been selected as the ‘2021 Airline of the Year’ by Air Transport World (ATW), it is also called the ‘Oscar in the Aviation Industry’. It was awarded the Oscar for managing the situation under COVID-19 effectively.

• The awards ceremony is set to be held on October 5, 2021 at Boston, USA. Started in 1974, the year 2021 is the 47th edition of ATW’s ‘Airline of the Year’ awards.
• Each year, ATW’s global judges team select the best airline by taking into account various factors like financial stability, business operation, customer service, sustainability and safety.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS          

Pushkar Singh Dhami Sworn in as Uttarakhand CMOn July 04, 2021, Pushkar Singh Dhami, 45, sworn in as the 11th Chief Minister (CM) of Uttarakhand along with 11-member cabinet ministers, by replacing Tirath Singh Rawat.

• He is the youngest CM of the state, and before getting elevated to the post,he served as MLA for 2 terms from Khatima, Uttarakhand (never held any ministerial position).
• His oath of office was administered by the state’s governor Baby Rani Maurya in Dehradun.

Key Points:
i.Pushkar Singh Dhami replaced Tirath Singh Rawat, Members of Parliament (Lok Sabha), who was sworn in as the CM on March 10, 2021.
Tirath Singh Rawat has resigned after his 4-month tenure on July 04, 2021, as he is unable to get elected as an MLA (which is a mandatory one to hold the post as CM) due to the Election Commission holding by-polls in the state.
iii.Other 11 Ministers: The other 11 ministers viz, Satpal Maharaj, Harak Singh Rawat, Bansidhar Bhagat, Yashpal Arya, Bishan Singh Chufal, Subodh Uniyal, Arvind Pandey, Ganesh Joshi, Dhan Singh Rawat, Rekha Arya, and Yatishwaranand also sworn in as ministers in the new state cabinet.
About Uttarakhand:
Uttarakhand became the 27th state of India on November 9, 2000, after its separation from Uttar Pradesh(UP) through the UP Reorganisation Act, 2000.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites – Nanda Devi National Park, Valley of Flowers
National Parks –  Jim Corbett National Park (India’s 1st and oldest national park), Nanda Devi National Park, Gangotri National Park, Valley of Flowers

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

China launches ‘FY-3E’ Meteorological Satellite into SpaceChina National Space Administration (CNSA) launched a new meteorological satellite ‘Fengyun-3E (FY-3E)’ aboard a Long March-4C carrier rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China. Called the ‘dawn satellite’, FY-3E is the world’s 1st meteorological satellite for civil service in a dawn-dusk orbit.

• The satellite is equipped with 11 advanced remote sensing payloads and has a lifespan of 8 years. It can obtain data about temperature, humidity, other parameters and will help in improving China’s weather forecast capabilities.
• FY-3E will constellate with FY-3C and FY-3D satellites in orbit, making China the only country in the world which has succeeded in networking meteorological satellites positioned at 3 different trajectories. The networked satellites will help in better prediction of weather in the dawn, morning and afternoon.
• FY-3E is the 377th flight mission of the Long March Carrier rocket series.

Functions of the Satellite
i.It will monitor the global snow and ice coverage, sea surface temperature, natural disasters, and environment to better respond to climate change and prevent and mitigate extreme weather events.
ii.FY-3E will monitor solar and space environments and their effects on Earth. Additionally, it will also help in collecting ionospheric data to meet the needs of space weather forecasts and supporting services.
About China National Space Administration (CNSA)
Administrator – Zhang Kejian
Headquarters – Beijing, China
>>Read Full News

6 Technology Innovation Platforms launched by Ministry of Heavy IndustriesIn June 2021, the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises launched 6-Technology Innovation platforms for exchange of knowledge for research & development of technologies that are manufactured in India with globally competitive standards and other technical researches.
i.The platforms were developed by IIT-Madras, Central Manufacturing Technology Institute (CMTI), International Centre for Automotive Technology (iCAT), Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and HMT (Hindustan Machine Tools) in collaboration with IISc, Bangalore.
About Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises:
Union Minister – Prakash Javadekar (Rajya Sabha MP – Maharashtra)
Minister of State – Arjun Ram Meghwal (Constituency – Bikaner, Rajasthan)
>>Read Full News

SPORTS

Max Verstappen wins Austrian Grand Prix 2021On 4th July 2021, Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (Belgium) won the Austrian Grand Prix 2021, making his 3rd consecutive win and 5th win in 2021. He was quickly followed by Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas and McLaren’s Lando Norris in 2nd & 3rd positions respectively. Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) organized Austrian Grand Prix 2021.
i.Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, who is fighting for his 99th victory, was positioned in 4th place due to a damaged tire.
ii.Max Verstappen’s victory in Austrian Grand Prix also marks the 5th consecutive win for Red Bull Racing with 4 of them won by Verstappen and 1 by Sergio Pérez (Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2021)
Max Verstappen wins in 2021:

• Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
• Monaco Grand Prix
• French Grand Prix
• Styrian Grand Prix
• Austrian Grand Prix

About Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA): 
FIA was established in 1904, it is the governing body of Formula 1 racing
President – Jean Todt
Headquarters – Paris, France
1st edition of Indian Grand Prix was conducted in 2011 at Buddh International Circuit, Noida, Uttar Pradesh

India bags 4 Medals at ISSF Shooting World Cup 2021 held in Osijek, CroatiaIndia bagged 4 Medals (1 Gold, 1 Silver & 2 Bronze) and finished 10th at the ISSF World Cup 2021 Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun held at Osijek, Croatia from June 22 – July 3, 2021. The Medals table was topped by Russia with 18 Medals followed by Italy & Germany with 10 Medals each.

• This is the final ISSF (International Shooting Sport Federation) world cup held before the Tokyo Olympics 2020, which is set to be held from 23rd July – 8th August, 2021.
• The 2021 ISSF World Cup is the annual edition of the ISSF World Cup in the Olympic shooting events, governed by ISSF.

Medals Tally

Indian Medal winners

About International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF)
President – Vladimir Lisin
Headquarters – Munich, Germany
>>Read Full News

BOOKS & AUTHORS

EekS: New Book Series of WWF & PRHI to Introduce Children to the World of Insects World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Penguin Random House India (PRHI) have launched ‘EekS’, a new series of books to introduce children to the world of insects which includes a range of insects like bees, mosquitoes, ants and cockroaches.
The series comprises 4 books authored by Arthy Muthanna Singh and Mamta Nainy.
Aim:
To increase the curiosity of the children about the world of insects and their importance towards the ecology and environment.
About the book:
The book features various interesting facts about insects along with impressive illustrations.
The series consists of 4 books titled:

• Eeks! I Saw a Cockroach!
• Eeks! I Saw a Bee!
• Eeks! I Saw a Mosquito!
• Eeks! I Saw an Ant!

About authors:
Arthy Muthanna Singh
i.Arthy Muthanna Singh is a Gurugram children’s writer, journalist, editor and cartoonist.
ii.She has authored more than 30 children’s books including, My Mother is in the Indian Air Force, My Sister Is in the Indian Navy.
Mamta Nainy
i.Mamta Nainy is a Delhi based children’s writer, editor and translator.
ii.She has authored various children’s books like ‘A Brush with Indian Art;’, which won the Hindu Young World-Goodbooks Awards 2019 in the Best Book Non-Fiction category and ‘Bioscope’, a picture book that featured in the IBBY Honour List 2012.
Highlights of launch event:
i.The launch event also announced the partnership between World Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF India) and India’s first Green Literature Festival (GLF) to promote the best environmental literature published in India for Children, adults and sustainable businesses.
ii.A panel discussion on ‘Going Green with Children’s Literature and a series of author sessions, illustrator workshops and expert talks were conducted during the event.
About World Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF India):
WWF India was established as a Charitable Public Trust on 27 November 1969.
President– Arvind Wable
Secretary-General & CEO– Ravi Singh
Headquarters– New Delhi

“Operation Khukri” a New Book Authored by Major General Rajpal Punia & Damini PuniaMajor General Rajpal Punia and his daughter Damini Punia have co-authored their first book titled “Operation Khukri: The true story behind the Indian Army’s most successful mission as a part of the United Nations” which is set to release on 15th July 2021.
The book is published by the Penguin Random House India (PRHI).
The book is dedicated to Havildar Krishan Kumar, Sena Medal (posthumous), the only Indian soldier who died in Operation Khukri.
About the Book:
i.The book is the first-hand account of Major General Rajpal Punia, the Commanding Officer (CO) of the 58th Gorkha Rifles, who orchestrated “Operation Khukri”.
ii.The book features the story of the Indian Army’s rescue mission of more than 200 Indian peacekeepers who were sent to Sierra Leone, West Africa in 2000 by the United Nations(UN). The peacekeepers were sent to help the government tackle the Revolutionary United Front(RUF).
iii.The 13th July 2021 marks the 21st Anniversary of “Operation Khukri”.
About the Authors:
Major General Rajpal Punia:
i.Major General Rajpal Punia has served in the Indian Army for more than 35 years.
ii.He was honoured with the Yudh Seva Medal by the President of India in 2002.
Damini Punia 
Damini Punia is the official commentator at Rajpath for India’s Republic Day Parade.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Fruit Day 2021 – July 1The International Fruit Day is annually observed across the globe on 1st July to share fruits in sympathy and joy with family, friends or needy people. The day also addresses the people who create and preserve positive living conditions.
The motto of the International Fruit Day was “Create Change Together” and the Fruit Of The Year 2021 is Watermelon. Watermelon won the Fruit of the Year vote with around 27%.
Background:
i.The former students of social work from the University of Applied Science Alice Salomon, Berlin came together in April 2007 to discuss the field of profession and the sphere of action.
ii.They decided to unite the people and organisation with a basic social subject: “Sharing a meal.”
iii.This idea was developed under the aspects of sustainability and became the annual observance of International Fruit Day on 1st July.

• The first International Fruit Day was observed on 1st July 2007 in Berlin, Germany.
• The motto of the year 2007 was “Come Together” and the fruit of the Year 2007 was Strawberry. 

International Year of Fruits and Vegetables 2021:
i.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/74/244 on 19th December 2019 and proclaimed the year 2021 as the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables to create awareness about the nutritional and health benefits of the Fruits and Vegetables.
ii.The year also highlights the importance of fruits and vegetables in the food system approach from sustainable production and trade to loss and waste management.

STATE NEWS

KVIC’s Project BOLD Launched in Udaipur, RajasthanOn July 4, 2021, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) initiated a project “Bamboo Oasis on Lands in Drought (BOLD)”, first of its kind exercise in India from the tribal village Nichla Mandwa in Udaipur, Rajasthan. It was launched as a part of KVIC’s “Khadi Bamboo Festival” to celebrate 75 years of independence “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”.

• It is a unique scientific exercise of reducing desertification and providing livelihood and multi-disciplinary rural industry.

Key Points:
i.5000 saplings of special bamboo species viz. BambusaTulda and BambusaPolymorpha specially brought from Assam have been planted over 25 bigha (16 acres approx) of vacant arid Gram Panchayat land.
ii.The same project will also be launched at Village Dholera in Ahmedabad district in Gujarat and Leh-Ladakh region by August 2021.
iii.Total 15,000 bamboo saplings will be planted before August 21, 2021.
How will the BOLD project be useful?
i.It will boost self-employment and also connect women and unemployed youths to skill development programs thereby boosting incomes.
ii.Through this, bamboo-based green patches in arid and semi-arid land zones will be created that will reduce land degradation and prevent desertification in the country.
Point to be noted:
i.India is a signatory to the United Nation Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
ii.During UN High-Level Dialogue on Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought on June 14, in New York, United States (US), Prime Minister Modi gave a clarion call of restoring 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.

J&K’s SDRF launched 24*7 Mental Health Helpline ‘Sukoon’

In order to curb the suicide cases, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) inaugurated the J&K’s 1^st 24×7 counselling helpline number ‘Sukoon’ & is accessible at toll-free number 1800-1807159. The name of the program, ‘Sukoon’ literally translates to ‘relief’.

• It has been started to improve the mental well being of the people of J&K amid COVID-19.
• The program has been initiated in coordination with doctors and mental health experts and will be helpful for people who are depressed, anxious or addicted to drugs,

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