Current Affairs 8 June 2021

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 8 June 2021, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2021 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

TN, Punjab, Kerala, A & N Islands, Chandigarh perform better in School Education: PGI 2019-20According to the Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2019-20 for States & UTs released by Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education, the states of Punjab, Chandigarh, Tamil Nadu, Andaman & Nicobar Islands (A&N Islands) and Kerala occupied the highest grade (Grade I ++) for 2019-20 (i.e Scores are between 901-950).
i.Performance Grading Index  measures the progress made by States/UTs with regard to school education such as learning outcomes, access and equity, infrastructure and facilities, and governance and management processes. For this, it uses around 70 Indicators.

• The PGI 2019-20 is the 3rd edition of the report, the 1st report was published in 2019.
• DoSEL has designed the PGI, the main objective of PGI is to speeden up transformational change in the field of school education.

Top 5 Ranking States & Scores

About Ministry of Education
Union Minister – Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ (Haridwar, Uttarakhand)
Minister of State – Dhotre Sanjay Shamrao (Akola, Maharashtra)
>>Read Full News

NTPC Ltd  joined  UN Global Compact’s CEO Water Mandate for Water Conservation and ManagementNTPC Limited, India’s leading power utility under the Ministry of Power signed with UN Global Compact’s CEO Water Mandate, an initiative to mobilize business leaders on water security and sanitation as part of the Sustainable Development Goals.

• This partnership brings NTPC chairman Gurdeep Singh to be working with a select group of business leaders who recognize the importance of water stewardship and have been working to save water resource throughout the world.

About CEO Water Mandate:
It is designed to assist the companies in the development, implementation and disclosure of comprehensive water strategies and policies.
About NTPC Ltd:
NTPC Limited, formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited
CMD– Gurdeep Singh
Headquarters– New Delhi
Established in 1975
>>Read Full News

CSE’s State of India’s Environment Report, 2021: India Ranked 117 on achieving SDGsAs per the State of India’s Environment Report, 2021, which was released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), India’s rank has dropped by 2 places from last year’s 115 to 117 on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are adopted as a part of the 2030 agenda by 193 United Nations(UN) member states in 2015.

• The overall SDG score of India is 61.9 out of 100 and it ranks below four South Asian countries viz, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.

Key Points:
i.State-wise preparedness: Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh were the best states with an overall score which are on the path to achieving the SDGs. Jharkhand and Bihar were the least prepared states to meet the SDGs by the target year, 2030. Jharkhand and Bihar lag in 5 and 7 out of the 17 SDGs.
ii.Internal Displacement: In 2020, 39 lakh people in India were displaced due to climate disasters and conflicts, making it the 4th worst-hit country in the world to have such a high number of internal displacements(ID).
About Centre for Science and Environment (CSE):
It is a public interest research and advocacy organisation, that researches into lobbies for and communicates the urgency of development that is both sustainable and equitable.
Headquarters – New Delhi
Founder – Director – Anil Kumar Agarwal
Director General – Sunita Narain
>>Read Full News

PM Modi addressed the World Environment Day event organized by MoPNG & MoEFCC Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the World Environment Day event virtually on June 5, 2021, jointly organized by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas(MoPNG), and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Event’s Theme: ‘promotion of biofuels for a better environment’.

• Released the report – ‘Report of the Expert Committee on Road Map for ethanol blending in India 2020-2025’ 
• Launched 3 E-100 pilot project in Pune, Maharashtra
• 1st EV city to be developed in Kevadia, Gujarat

Launched 3 E-100 pilot project 
Pilot project: PM launched a pilot project of E-100 dispensing stations at 3 locations in Pune, Maharashtra. for the production and distribution of ethanol across India.
India’s 1st e-vehicles-only city 
India’s 1st electric vehicle(EV) city plan to be set up at Kevadia, Gujarat. The city also has the 182-meter statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel popularly known as the Statue of Unity.
About Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoPNG)
Union Minister – Dharmendra Pradhan (Member of Parliament –  Rajya Sabha, Constituency – Madhya Pradesh)
>>Read Full News

NMPB And CSIR-NBRI Signs MoU To Boost Production Of Medicinal Plants, HerbsThe National Medicinal Plant Board (NMPB) and the National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR-NBRI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) for the promotion of cultivation and production of medicinal plants and herbs in India.
Objective:
i.To facilitate the development of Quality Planting Material (QPM) of medicinal plants and herbs identified by the NMPB
ii.To establish medicinal plants and herbs nurseries for QPM.
iii.To help in development, promotion, conservation and cultivation of the appropriate medicinal plants in different agro-climatic zones including,

• The threatened medicinal plant species and
• Plants for the high-altitude regions.

About National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI):
The CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) is a constituent research institute of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).Originally set up as the National Botanic Gardens (NBG) by the State Government of Uttar Pradesh, it was taken over by the CSIR in 1953.It was renamed as NBRI in 1978.
Director:S.K.Barik
Headquarters:Lucknow,Uttar Pradesh
About National Medicinal Plants Board(NMPB):
Established in – 2000
Chief Executive Officer(CEO): Dr JLN Sastry
Headquarters:New Delhi
>>Read Full News

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar Launched Seed Minikit Programme Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare(MoA&FW), launched the Seed Minikit Programme for distributing seed mini-kits (higher-yielding varieties of seeds) to farmers.

• The mini-kits are being provided by the central agencies National Seeds Corporation (NCS), National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd.(NAFED), and Gujarat State Seeds Corporation.
• The programme was wholly funded by the Centre through the National Food Security Mission.

Key points:
i.A total of 20,27,318 seed mini kits of pulses, more than 8 lakh soybean seed mini kits and 74,000 groundnut mini kits are to be provided free of cost directly to the farmers under the National Food Security Mission.
ii.The seed distribution will be continued till June 15, 2021.
iii.Oilseeds production has increased from 27.51 million tonnes in FY15 to 36.57 million tonnes in FY21. Pulses output has also increased from 17.15 million tonnes in 2014-15 to 25.56 million tonnes in 2020-21.
iv.305.43 million tonnes of production is estimated for FY21.
National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd.(NAFED):
Establishment –  2nd October 1958, under the Multi State Co-operative Societies Act
Headquarters – New Delhi
Chairman –  Bijender Singh
Managing Director – Sanjeev Kumar Chadha

About Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW):
Union Minister –  Narendra Singh Tomar (Morena, Madhya Pradesh)
Minister of State – Parshottam Rupala (Rajya Sabha, Gujarat), Kailash Choudhary (Barmer, Rajasthan)

 

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

12th Chief Energy Ministerial 2021 & 6th Mission Innovation Ministerial hosted by ChileChile hosts the most important Clean Energy and Innovation Summit of the year: 12th Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM 12) 2021 and 6th Mission Innovation Ministerial (MI-6) virtually from May 31-June 6, 2021.

• Theme – ‘Ambition into Action – Turning a Year of Ambition into a Decade of Delivery’.
• CEM is a high-level global forum that helps in promoting policies and programs which advance clean energy technology. It provides a platform for all to demonstrate clean energy leadership to a global audience.

India, UK launch new workstream to promote energy efficiency
i.During the 12th CEM, India & the United Kingdom (UK) jointly launched a new workstream for promoting industrial energy efficiency under CEM’s Industrial Deep Decarbonization Initiative (IDDI) coordinated by UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization).
India launches Global Initiative for Clean Energy Innovation
Mission Innovation 2.0 was launched at the Innovating to Net Zero Summit during the part of the 12th CEM 2021 hosted by Chile.
During the meet, India launched the Mission Innovation CleanTech Exchange 2.0, a global initiative that aims to create a network of incubators to accelerate clean energy innovation.
India to host 13th CEM in 2023
India is set to host the 13th Clean Energy Ministerial in 2023.
About Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM)
Head of CEM Secretariat – Dan Dorner
Headquarters – Paris, France
Members – 29 (including India and European commission)
>>Read Full News

Germany host the 8th Global Nitrogen Conference, Focuses on UN SDGs The 8th triennial conference of the International Nitrogen Initiative (INI) held virtually from May 31-June 3, 2021, with a main focus on the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• Germany’s Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt–UBA) hosted the conference for the 1st time since its inception. The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety is supported the UBA.
• UN Environment Programme, UN Food and Agriculture Organisation and UN Economic Commission on Europe, also addressed the conference.
• The conference was attended by over 800 scientists and other stakeholders from over 60 countries.
• Note – The conference was postponed from May 2020 due to COVID-19.

Key points:
i.Draft of the ‘Berlin Declaration’ was placed on the conference website for comments.
ii.Nitrous oxide has up to 300 times higher global warming potential than carbon dioxide.
iii.The 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference COP26 will be held in Glasgow, Scotland in November 2021.
iv.Nandula Raghuram, the chair of the INI, and Professor of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi attended the conference.

• He stated the impact of reactive nitrogen compounds like NOx, ammonia, and the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide among others and also mentioned the importance of Assessing and managing nitrogen compounds for achieving the 17 UN SDGs targeted for 2030.
• Note – He was the 1st Indian and Asian to be elected as Chair of INI (1st January 2019).

v.Tapan Adhya, director of the INI South Asia Nitrogen Centre also attended the conference.

Pakistan Retained On ‘Enhanced Follow-Up’ Status By FATF Regional BodyPakistan was retained on “enhanced follow-up” status for sufficient outstanding requirements by the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) , a regional affiliate of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
The country’s rating was improved on 21 of the 40 technical recommendations of the global watchdog against money laundering and terror financing.
About FATF MER:
i.FATF’s Mutual Evaluation Report (MER) of jurisdictions is assessed in two domains,

• technical compliance or legal instruments (40 FATF recommendations) and
• demonstration of effectiveness (11 immediate outcomes).

ii.Out of a total 40 recommendations ,Pakistan is now

• ‘compliant’ with 7 recommendations
• ‘largely compliant’ with 24 recommendations
• ‘partially compliant’ with 7 recommendations and
• ‘non-compliant’ with 2 recommendations.

Note:
Pakistan was put on the grey list by the Paris-based FATF in June 2018.
Countries on the ‘grey list’ will not get any respite in trying to access finances in the form of investments and aid from international bodies including International Monetary Fund (IMF).
About Financial Action Task Force (FATF):
Initiated in 1989, FATF is the inter-governmental watchdog for global money laundering and terrorist financing. It periodically identifies jurisdictions with weak measures to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.
President– Dr. Marcus Pleyer (Germany)
Member Countries– 39
Observer– Indonesia
Headquarters– Paris,France

BANKING & FINANCE

BSE StAR MF Signed MoU with GUMCCSL to Deepen its Network

Bombay Stock Exchange’s (BSE) Mutual Funds(MF) Platform, BSE StAR MF, India’s largest MF distributor platform, has signed a memorandum of understanding(MoU) with Godavari Urban Multi State Credit Co-Op Society Ltd (GUMCCSL) to deepen its network of over 70,000 registered distributors.

• Objective: To promote the cooperation between BSE StAR MF and rural markets in areas like financial inclusion, investment goals and wealth creation.
• BSE StAR MF intends to promote investment behaviour by spreading awareness and onboarding new investors among prospective customers, especially in rural areas that are served by GUMCCSL.
• BSE launched its BSE StAR MF platform on December 4, 2009.

About Bombay Stock Exchange(BSE):
It is Asia’s first & the Fastest Stock Exchange in the world with a speed of 6 microseconds.
Establishment – 1875
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chairman – Justice Vikramajit Sen
MD & CEO – Ashishkumar Chauhan
>>Read Full News

PSU Banks Sanction 95% Of Total Loans Under PM Svanidhi Scheme 

Public sector(PSU) banks have sanctioned 95 percent of the total loans under PM SVANidhi scheme to Street Vendors.PSU Banks have sanctioned 23,16,207 loans under this scheme as on 31^st May 2021.

• The Government of India launched the PM Street Vendors’ Atma Nirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme on June 1,2020.
• Under the scheme, collateral-free working capital loan of up to Rs 10,000 of one-year tenure is being provided. The scheme aims at financing approximately 50 lakh street vendors.
• A collateral free loan is a loan provided to the borrower without any security.

SBI Sanctions Rs.3725 Crore For Noida International Airport

Country’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) has sanctioned a loan of Rs.3725 crore with a tenure of 20 years for the development of Noida International Airport (NIA) which is being developed by Yamuna International Airport (YIAPL).

• Zurich Airport International AG (ZAIA) which is the main shareholder of YIAPL, is providing Rs.2005 crore into development of NIA.
• NIA will be the second airport in the National Capital Region (NCR).

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

May 2021: India’s Exports Jump to $32.21 billion; Trade Deficit at $6.32 billion; Import at $38.53 billion

As per the data of the Ministry of Commerce, India’s merchandise exports in May 2021 increased by 67.39 percent to USD 32.21 billion, against USD 19.24 billion in May 2020, due to healthy growth in sectors such as engineering, pharmaceuticals, petroleum products, and chemicals. (May 2019 export – USD 22.86 billion).

• Imports: It was rose by 68.54 percent to USD 38.53 billion in May 2021, from USD 22.86 billion in May 2020. In May 2019, imports stood at USD 46.68 billion.
• Oil imports: It was USD 9.45 billion in May 2021, as compared to USD 3.57 billion in May 2020. In May 2019, it stood at USD 12.59 billion.
• The trade deficit: It was about USD 6.32 billion in May 2021, an increase of 74.69 percent over trade deficit USD 3.62 billion in May 2020 and reduction by 62.49 per cent over trade deficit USD 16.84 billion in May 2019

      APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Virendra Nanavati , First Indian elected as a member of FINA Bureau.On 5th June 2021, Vice-President of Indian Olympic Association, Virendra Nanavati was elected as a member of International Swimming Federation (FINA) Bureau at the FINA General Congress held at Doha,Qatar.

• He is the first Indian to be elected as a Bureau member of the FINA.
• He is elected for the term of 2021-2025.

About Virendra Nanavati:
i.Virendra Nanavati  is currently the Vice-President of Indian Olympic Association and executive director of Swimming Federation of India (SFI).
ii.He is the Vice Chairman of FINA Technical Swimming Committee.
iii.He is also serving as the senior vice president of Asia Swimming Federation.
iv.He is also a former general secretary of SFI.
About International Swimming Federation (FINA):
Headquarters : Lausanne, Switzerland
President : Husain Al Musallam
Establishment : 19 July 1908

Kuwait’s Husain Al-Musallam Elected As President Of FINA

Kuwait’s Husain Al-Musallam has been elected as the President of the International Swimming Federation (FINA) at the FINA General Congress held in Doha,Qatar.He was previously serving as the first Vice President(VP) of FINA.(FINA has 2 VPs namely First VP and Second VP)

• South Africa’s Sam Ramsamy has been appointed as the first vice-president of FINA.
• Also America’s Brent Nowicki has been appointed as Executive Director of FINA.
• With this 16 members of the new FINA Bureau are athletes who have competed in the Olympic Games, World or Continental Championships.

US President Joe Biden nominates Arun Venkataraman 

U.S. President Joe Biden has announced Indian American Arun Venkataraman as a nominee for Director General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service and the Assistant Secretary for Global Markets in the Department of Commerce.

• Recently, the US Senate has confirmed that Christine Wormuth will be the first female secretary of the Army. She is the second woman named to a top Pentagon role after Kathleen Hicks(Deputy Secretary of Defense).

 SPORTS

Sergio Perez wins F1’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix; Miguel Oliveira wins Catalunya MotoGPRed Bull Racing’s Sergio Perez (Mexico) won the Formula One Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2021 held at Baku City Circuit, Baku, capital of Azerbaijan.

• Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel (Germany) finished 2nd in the race, followed by AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly (French).
• The F1 Championships are organised by Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).

i.In MotoGP, KTM’s Miguel Oliveira (Portugal) won the 2021 Catalunya MotoGP held at Barcelona, Spain.

• In the 2021 Catalunya MotoGP, Ducati’s Johann Zarco (France) finished 2nd followed by Ducati’s Jack Miller at 3rd Position.
• The MotoGP championships are organized by Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM).

About Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM)
President – Jorge Viegas
Headquarters – Mies, Switzerland
About Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA):
President – Jean Todt
Headquarters – Paris, France
>>Read Full News

ICC Expands Men’s T20 & 50 over ODI World Cup for Upcoming Events; India’s Shafali Verma tops in ICC T20 Rankings
The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the Global Cricketing Calendar for 2024-2031, which includes key changes to world cricket tournaments.ICC also announced an eight-team Champions Trophy will be hosted in 2025 and 2029.
ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup(50 Over):-

• ICC expanded the participating teams from 10 to 14 teams with 54-match events for the 2027 and 2031 Men’s ODI Cricket World cup.
• ICC reduced the number of qualifying teams to 10 from the usual 14 during the 2011 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup:- ICC also increased the number of teams to 20, playing 55-matches in total from 2024 – 2030 Men’s T20 World Cup and it will take place only every two years.
Note : India hosts ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2021 & ODI World Cup in 2023.
Indian women cricketer Shafali Verma became top in T20 rankings
India’s Shafali Verma,17 years old becomes the World No.1 Batter in ICC Women’s T20 format.
About The International Cricket Council (ICC): 
Establishment – 1909
Headquarters – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Chairman – Greg Barclay
CEO – Manu Sawhney

OBITUARY

Assamese Litterateur Padma Shri Dr Lakshmi Nandan Bora Passed Away Eminent Assamese Litterateur, Padma Shri Dr Lakshmi Nandan Bora passed away at the age of 91 in Guwahati, Assam. He was born on 15th June 1932, in Nagaon, Assam.
About Dr Lakshmi Nandan Bora:
i.Dr Lakshmi Nandan Bora was the first person to receive a doctoral degree in meteorology from Andhra University.
ii.He has served as the Chairman of the Assam Pollution Control Board from 1997 to 2003.
Books:
i.His first short story Bhano was published in Ramdhenu, Assamese magazine in 1954.
ii.His first book “Dristirupa” was published in 1958.
iii.He published his first novel “Gonga Silonir Pakhi” in 1963.
iv.He has authored more than 60 books.
Awards & Honours:
i.The government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri in 2015 for Literature and Education.
ii.He won the 1988 Sahitya Akademi Award for his novel Patal Bhairavi.
iii.In 2008 he received the Saraswati Samman from KK Birla Foundation for his novel Kayakalpa.

Padma Shri M Anandakrishnan Former Vice Chancellor of Anna University Passed AwayEminent Educationist Munirathna Anandakrishnan, former Vice Chancellor of Anna University passed away at the age of 93 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He was born on 12th July 1928 in Vaniyambadi, Tamil Nadu. 
About M Anandakrishnan:
i.Professor M Anandakrishnan has served as the Vice Chancellor of Anna University for 2 terms between 1990 and 1996. 
ii.He has served as the Chief Science Officer in the United Nations, New York, UnitedStates. 
iii.He has also served as the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Technology(IIT), Kanpur.
iv.He has contributed to introducing Tamil in computer applications which led to the revolution in evolving the common coding system.
v.Based on the committee headed by M. Ananthakrishnan, the Tamil Nadu government cancelled the entrance exams for professional courses in 2006
Awards: 
i.He was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2002 for Literature and Education. 
ii.He received the National Order of Scientific Merit(Brazil) from the President of Brazil in 1996. 

IMPORTANT DAYS

UN Russian Language Day 2021 – June 6The United Nations(UN)’s Russian Language Day is annually observed across the globe on 6th June to create awareness about the history, culture and development of the Russian language. The UN Language Days promote multilingualism and the development of all the 6 official languages of the UN – Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
Background:
i.The decision to designate the Language days was made by the United Nations Department of Public Information(DPI)(now known as the Department of Global Communications) on International Mother Language Day, annually celebrated on February 21.
ii.The UN Russian Language Day was established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2010.
Why June 6?
June 6th marks the birth anniversary of the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin, the father of modern Russian literature, who was born on 6th June 1799. 
About UN Department of Global Communications:
Department of Global Communications was formerly known as the Department of Public Information (DPI)
Under-Secretary-General– Melissa Fleming
Headquarters– New York, United States
Established in 1946
>>Read Full News

World Pest Day 2021 – June 6World Pest Day is annually observed across the globe on 6th June to recognise the role of professional pest control towards protecting health, home and businesses.
World Pest Day is also known as World Pest Awareness Day. 
The World Pest Day was observed to spread awareness about pest management and the benefits of preserving the quality of the life of people and plants across the globe.
Background:
i.The World Pest Day was initiated by the Chinese Pest Control Association and co-sponsored by the Federation of Asian and Oceania Pest Managers’ Association (FAOPMA), the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), and the Confederation of European Pest Management Associations (CEPA).
ii.The first World Pest day ceremony was held on 6th June 2017 at Beijing Hotel.
About Indian Pest Control Association (IPCA):
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Founded in 1967
>>Read Full News

World Food Safety Day 2021 – June 7The United Nations(UN)’s World Food Safety Day is annually observed across the globe on 7th June to create awareness about the methods to prevent and detect foodborne risks, and to ensure food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development.  

• The theme of the World Food Safety Day 2021 is “Safe food today for a healthy tomorrow”. 
• The slogan of the World Food Safety Day 2021 is “Food safety is everyone’s business”. 

Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/73/250 on 20th December 2018 and proclaimed the 7th June of every year as World Food Safety Day. 
About Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO):
Director-General– QU Dongyu
Headquarters– Rome, Italy
>>Read Full News

24th BIMSTEC Day – 6th June 20216th June 2021 marked the observance of the 24th BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Day by the BIMSTEC member countries which consist of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand.
BIMSTEC has contributed to peace, stability and prosperity co-operation in the past 24 years.

• SriLanka is holding the current BIMSTEC chair.

Background:
i.The Economic bloc was initially formed with four Member States with the acronym ‘BIST-EC’ (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation)
ii.On 22nd December 1997, Myanmar was included during a special Ministerial Meeting in Bangkok and the group was renamed as BIMST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation).
iii.At the 6th Ministerial meeting held in Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan were included and the group was renamed as Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).
BIMSTEC and India:
i.Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that BIMSTEC has become a promising regional grouping and had progressed on various fronts including the finalisation of a master plan for connectivity.
ii.India also mentioned the enormous potential of Bay of Bengal cooperation. Also, it helps to bridge South and South East Asia and also contributes to Act East and Indo-Pacific policies.
About BIMSTEC:
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional multilateral organisation consisting of seven South and South-East Asian countries.
Secretariat – Dhaka, Bangladesh
Secretary-General– Tenzin Lekphell(Bhutan)
Established on 6 June 1997 through the Bangkok Declaration.
Member States: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand.

STATE NEWS

Kerala Revised Budget 2021-22: FM announces INR 20, 000 Crore COVID-19 PackageKerala Finance Minister K N Balagopal presented the Revised Budget for the FY 2021-22. The budget includes INR 20, 000 Crore – 2nd COVID-19 revival package & an allocation of INR 1,000 Crore for free distribution of vaccines for all above 18 years.

• This is K N Balagopal’s 1st Budget.
• No New Tax proposals were announced.

Fiscal Indicators

• Revenue Inflow – INR 1, 30, 981.06 Crore
• Revenue Expenditure – INR 1, 47, 891.18 Crore
• Revenue Deficit – INR 16, 910.12 Crore

About Kerala
Chief Minister – Pinarayi Vijayan
Governor – Arif Mohammad Khan
Capital – Thiruvananthapuram
>>Read Full News

Ladakh Launches “Yountab Scheme” For Govt. School Students 

Lieutenant Governor(LG) of Ladakh, RK Mathur, launched the YounTab scheme for students. Under the scheme, about 12,300 tablets were distributed to government school students virtually in Leh.
About YounTab scheme:
i.It is an initiative of the Department of School Education. It was launched with the technical support of the Information Technology Department.
ii.Under the scheme, 12,300 tablets with preloaded online and offline content like textbooks, video lectures and online class applications would be distributed among students from Class 6th to 12^th in government schools.
iii.Scheme was launched as an attempt for long term technology infusion in the education system.
NOTE

• Under the Rewa Scheme, Students of classes 10th and 12th who avail coaching for exams such as NEET, JEE, NDA and UG CLAT. would be reimbursed a coaching fee of up to Rs 1 lakh.
• Providing financial assistance of upto Rs.1.54 lakh for students who are clearing preliminary exams of Civil Services, IES and IFS
•  Also Rs.25 lakh will be provided  to Gram Panchayats for conducting community classes for primary school students in the villages.

About of Ladakh:
Ladakh was established as a separate Union Territory on October 31, 2019 after the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act was passed. It is the 2^nd least populated UT in India.
Lieutenant Governor(LG):RK Mathur
Capitals: Leh, Kargil

Raimona – Assam’s 6th National ParkOn 5th June 2021, the World Environment Day, Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma has declared Raimona region in Kokrajhar district as Assam’s 6th National Park (NP). The Raimona NP is a 422 sq. km contiguous forest patch within the Bodoland Territorial Region.
i.Raimona NP is an integral part of Manas Biosphere Reserve and Chirang-Ripu Elephant Reserve.
ii.The new national park shares border with Bhutan in the East and North, Ripu Reserve Forest in the South and Sonkosh river flows along the Assam-West Bengal inter-state border in the West.
iii.The Assam government is also planning to convert Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary as the state’s 7th National Park.
About Assam:
Assam shares international boundary with Bangladesh & Bhutan
State Animal – One-horned Rhinoceros
Brahmaputra river is often called as the “Sorrow of Assam”
>>Read Full News

Climate Change Tag added to Assam’s Department of Science & Technology On June 5th, 2021, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the renaming of the state Department of Science and Technology as the Department of Science, Technology and Climate Change.
Objective – To bring climate change to the focus of all government plannings and create awareness among the citizens on the importance of Climate Change.
i.In a move to increase the forest cover in the state, 28 biodiversity parks named ‘Sahitya Manishi Upaban’ are being set up in 28 districts of Assam.
Assam creates Welfare of Bodoland Department
Assam government creates the “Welfare of Bodoland Department” for speedy implementation of various schemes in the state’s autonomous Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR)
Assam announces Sishu Seva Scheme to provide assistance for Children orphaned by Covid
i.Assam govt. announced the “Sishu Seva Scheme” to provide financial assistance of Rs 3,500/month for children who lost their parents in Covid-19.
ii.The Scheme also provides Rs. 50,000 and one tola of Gold for the marriage of young women who lost their parents to Covid-19.
Info to Recall:-
i.Arunachal Pradesh launched the “Chief Minister Bal Seva Scheme” to provide Rs. 2000/month assistance to children who lost parents due to Covid.
ii.Central govt. announced the “PM-CARES for Children” scheme to provide various assistance to children who lost parents due to Covid.
About Assam:
Tribes – Boro, Dimasa, Chutia, Sonowal, Tiwa, Garo
Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport is located in Guwahati, Assam

Alok Kumar Becomes New Chief Secretary of Tripura

Senior IAS officer Alok Kumar took over the charge as new Chief Secretary of Tripura. He replaced Manoj Kumar who has been now appointed as Special Chief Resident Commissioner of Tripura Bhavan, New Delhi.

• Alok Kumar of 1990 batch IAS was earlier posted as additional secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat at New Delhi.

About Tripura:-
Capital -Agartala
Chief Minister – Biplab Kumar Deb
Deputy Chief Minister – Jishnu Dev Varma
Governor – Rames Bais
Languages – Bengali, English, Kokborok (also known as Tripuri or Tiprakok) ,the main native language of the state of Tripura.

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