Current Affairs June, 2021
National
1. FICCI has published its quarterly "Business
Confidence Survey". According to it, Business
confidence of Indian companies has come down to
its lowest in three quarters in May. In last survey,
confidence was at decadal high. Business
Confidence Index (BCI) declined due to decline in
optimism levels of participating companies with
respect to current conditions.
2. Recently a study was conducted to calculate
human cost of climate change. According to it,
more than one-third of world’s heat deaths are
related to global warming each year. According to
scientists, more people die from other extreme
weather which increases due to global warming
like storms, flooding and drought.
3. National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)
has issued advisories on bonded labourers &
migrant workers amid covid-19 cases. Advisories
were issued to ministries and states to look after
adverse impact of covid-19 on labourers and
migrant informal sector workers.
4. UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and
Food & Agriculture Organisation of UN (FAO)
launched ‘UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration’
report for 2021-2030 and called on nations to meet
commitments of restoring 1 billion hectares of
land. As per the report, world is facing triple
threat of climate change, loss of nature and
pollution.
5. Gujarat government is all set to grant Centre of
Excellence (CoE) status to seven private
universities in state. In-principal approval was
given by Chief Minister, Vijay Rupani, to make
their mark globally. University Grants
Commission (UGC) encourages higher education
institutions to attain excellence in specific areas of
academic as well as research work.
6. Union government has extended validity period
of Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) qualifying
certificate from 7 years to lifetime with
retrospective effect from 2011. According to
Education Minister, this is a positive step which
will increase employment opportunities for
candidates who seeks to make a career in teaching
field.
7. Kerala government has launched ‘Knowledge
Economy Mission’ to boost job prospects in the
state by supporting knowledge workers. Initiative
was announced in State Budget on June 4. It was
being spearheaded by Kerala Development and
Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC) and they
will submit a comprehensive project report before
July 15.
8. Labour and Employment Ministry set up expert
group that will provide technical inputs and
recommendations on fixation of minimum wages
and national floor for minimum wages. This is the
second expert committee on minimum wages
formed by government in last two years.
9. Supreme Courts’ e-committee released Draft
Model Rules for Live-Streaming and Recording of
Court Proceedings. Draft Model rules were
released with the aim of bringing greater
transparency, inclusivity and access to justice.
10. Education ministry has developed an online
module to compile data on out-of-school children.
Ministry has also asked states and union territories
to upload a quarterly progress report. Under this
online module, data on out-of-school children
should be mapped with special training centres
(STCs) of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan
11. According to TATA Power, Blue-finned
Mahseer has moved to "least concern" status
which was listed in red list of endangered species
of International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN) earlier. TATA group is involved in
conservation of blue-finned and golden mahseer
for 50 years in Lonavala.
12. Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, launched E-
100 pilot project on the occasion of World
Environment Day in Pune. This ambitious project
was launched with the aim of setting up a network
for production and distribution of ethanol in India.
Prime Minister also launched ‘Report of the
Expert Committee on Road Map for ethanol
blending in India 2020-2025’.
13. According to Chief Minister of Assam,
Himanta Biswa Sarma, Raimona reserve forest in
Kokrajhar district has been upgraded to sixth
national park of Assam. This forest comes under
Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) across the
border with Bhutan. This national park of Assam
is located in Gossaigaon subdivision of Kokrajhar
district under BTR.
14. Two species of monals were sighted together
by local wildlife enthusiasts in upper Siang district
of central Arunachal Pradesh. Monals is a colour
pheasant. One discovered species is While
Himalayan monal also called as Lophophorus
impejanus. It is widely distributed from
Afghanistan to northeast India.
15. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
Kharagpur have developed an early cyclone
detection technique which will help in early
detection of development or strengthening of
tropical cyclones in North Indian Ocean region.
IIT developed this technique using Eddy detection
technique. It will investigate formative stages and
advance detection time of tropical cyclogenesis.
16. According to State of India’s Environment
Report 2021, India’s rank has dropped by two
places to 117 as compared to 2020 ranking on 17
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDG
goals were adopted as a part of 2030 agenda by
193 United Nations member states in 2015.
17. Education Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal
Nishank, approved release of the Performance
Grading Index (PGI) 2019-20. PGI provides
grading to States and Union Territories on the
basis of 70 parameters to assess and catalyse
transformational change in education.
18. According to World Employment and Social
Outlook 2021, global unemployment is expected
to be increased to 205 million in 2022 as
compared to 187 million in 2019. As per the
report, jobs shortfall amid COVID-19 pandemic
was 75 million in 2021 and it will increase to 23
million in 2022.
19. India has been ranked at 10th position in the
cybersecurity index. India was ranked ahead of
China (No. 33) and Pakistan (No. 79) in global
cybersecurity ranking of countries. United States
has been ranked first and is followed by United
Kingdom.
20. Central government has extended tenure of
NITI Aayog Chief Executive Officer (CEO),
Amitabh Kant, by one year. His tenure will now
end in June 2022. Extension order was issued by
Department of Personnel and Training after it was
approved by Appointments Committee of Cabinet
headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
21. Odisha government and United Nations World
Food Programme (WFP) have partnered to
improve household food and nutritional security.
Household food & nutritional security would be
improved by strengthening livelihood initiatives &
reaching out to state-supported Women’s Self-
Help Groups (WSHGs).
22. International Labour Organisation (ILO) and
UNICEF jointly published report on child labour.
As per report, world has marked rise in child
labour in two decades. Report highlights,
coronavirus crisis might push millions more
youngsters toward child labour.
23. Goa has become the first Rabies-free state of
India. According to Chief Minister, Pramod
Sawant, state has not reported a single rabies case
in last three years. Chief Minister highlighted;
Goa has achieved 5,40,593 vaccinations against
rabies in dogs.
24. India wind energy market outlook was
released by Global Wind Energy Council. As per
the report, India has a pipeline of 10.3 GW in
Central and State markets. These pipelines will
drive installations until 2023. Report highlights
India will install 20 GW of wind energy capacity
by 2021-25.
25. Ministry of Education has released latest
edition of "All India Survey on Higher Education"
(AISHE) 2019-2020. As per the survey, number
of institutions of national importance have
increased to 135 which accounts for 80 percent in
last five years. According to survey, number of
institutions of national importance have increased
to 135 in 2020 from 75 in 2015.
26. According to Knight Frank’s Global House
Price Index for Q1 2021, India has moved down
by 12 spots in global home price index because
property price in India has declined amid covid-19
pandemic. This year, India has been ranked at
55th position while during Q1 2020, India was
ranked at 43rd position in terms of property
prices.
27. United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) India has released an independent report
and lauded Aspirational Districts Programme
(ADP) as ‘a successful model of local area
development’. As per the report, ADP should
serve as a best practice for other countries where
regional disparities are persisting with respect to
development.
28. Chief Minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal
Khattar, announced to create 80 acres of ‘Oxi-van’
(a forest) in Karnal district. It was announced on
the occasion of World Environment Day on June
5, 2021. Oxi-van will consist of 10 types of
forests.
29. According to World Giving Index 2021 report,
India is 14th most charitable country across the
world. As per the report, COVID-19 pandemic has
further increased the ‘giving’ trends worldwide.
This report is released by Charities Aid
Foundation (CAF). As per the report, India is
among Top 20 most generous countries across the
globe.
30. National AEFI (Adverse Events Following
Immunisation) panel has confirmed first death
linked to covid-19 vaccine. A 68-year-old person
got severe allergic reaction after he was
vaccinated in March who died later. The panel
was set up to study side effects of covid-19
vaccine.
31. Odisha has become the only state in India to
have all the three species of crocodiles. Original
Gharials which were introduced in Odisha are
dead now. After waiting for 40 years for their
numbers to grow naturally, Odisha introduced 13
more Gharials in past three years in the Mahanadi.
But only eight survived.
32. Kerala’s Fisheries Department has constituted
a seven-member committee to study and submit
report on methods to resolve issues related to
safety at sea. Committee is headed by P.
Sahadevan who was former additional director of
fisheries. Committee will study and submit report
on methods to resolve issues related to safety at
sea, coastal security and vessel monitoring
systems (VMS).
33. Central government, state government of
Mizoram and the World Bank signed a loan
agreement of worth $32 million. Loan agreement
was signed for Mizoram Health Systems
Strengthening Project. It will improve
management capacity and quality of health
services in Mizoram.
34. World Competitiveness Index was compiled
by Institute for Management Development (IMD)
which examine the impact of COVID-19 on
economies worldwide. India was ranked at 43rd
position among 64 countries. Switzerland has
topped the list and is followed by Sweden (2nd),
Denmark (3rd), Netherlands (4th) and Singapore
(5th).
35. Sports Minister of Mizoram, Robert Romawia
Royte, has announced a cash incentive of Rs 1
lakh for having more children. Rs 1 lakh would be
given to living parent with highest number of
children in minister’s constituency to encourage
population growth among the demographically
small Mizo communities.
36. As per UN report, India received USD 64
billion in foreign direct investments (FDI) in
2020. It has emerged the fifth largest recipient of
FDI inflows across the world. "World Investment
Report 2021" was released by UN Conference on
Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
37. Indian Coast Guard is on vigilance after oil
spill was reported from Haldia-bound Portuguese
flag container ship. Maritime Rescue Coordination
Centre, Colombo notified about mid-sea oil spill
about 450 kms South East of Chennai. Portuguese
flag Container ship MV Devon developed an
underwater crack in fuel tank on passage from
Colombo to Haldia, West Bengal.
38. Goa government has released a short film on
Chhatrapati Shivaji on the occasion of anniversary
of Maratha king’s coronation day highlighting
history of Goa and Shivaji’s role in fighting
Portuguese. Film titled "Chhatrapati Shivaji
Maharaj Shivrajyabhishek Divas" was released on
social media in Konkani and Hindi version.
39. Delhi government launched a vaccination
campaign ‘Jahan Vote, Wahan Vaccination’ to
vaccinate people of Delhi against Covid-19.
Under the campaign, people aged 45 and above
will be given vaccine at the polling booths. While
launching the campaign, Chief Minister Arvind
Kejriwal highlighted, jabs will be provided to
people above 45 years at places where they had
exercised vote during election. According to him,
door-to-door vaccination will also be done soon.
40. Union Health Ministry has capped the price
for administration of Covid-19 vaccines in private
hospitals. Centre government announced about
purchase of 25 crores doses of Covishield and 19
crore doses of Covaxin. These 44 crore doses of
Covid-19 vaccines will be delivered between
August and December 2021.
41. State-owned Convergence Energy Services
Ltd (CESL) has inked a pact with Ladakh
administration to make Union Territory of Ladakh
carbon-neutral. CESL which is a wholly owned
subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services Ltd
(EESL) signed memorandum of understanding
(MoU) with Administration of Ladakh to make it
clean and green.
42. Assam Government has notified Dihing Patkai
as a National Park which was the last remaining
stretches of the Assam Valley tropical wet
evergreen forests. This notification comes four
days after creating 422-sq. km Raimona National
Park in Kokrajhar district of Assam. Assam now
has the third most National Parks (7) in India.
43. Maharashtra Cabinet chaired by Chief
Minister Uddhav Thackeray cleared an action plan
to protect ancient and old trees aged 50 years and
above in urban areas. Cabinet approved the action
plan to implement ‘Heritage Tree’ concept in
Maharashtra. This action plan was proposed by
Environment Department headed by Aaditya
Thackeray.
44. Recently, Coast Guard have enforced laws and
started operation Olivia to protect Olive Ridley
turtles in Odisha. Operation Olivia was started by
the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), first in early 1980s.
This operation helps in protecting live Ridley
turtles every year when they start nesting along
Odisha coast for breeding in months of November
to December. Under it, round-the-clock
surveillance is conducted from November till May
through Coast Guard assets like Fast patrol
vessels, Interceptor craft, Air cushion vessels and
Dornier aircraft.
45. Raja Parba festival has started being
celebrated in Odisha on June 14, 2021. It is a 3-
day festival that celebrates womanhood. It is
believed that, during this period Mother Earth
menstruates and prepares herself for future
agricultural activities as the monsoon arrives.
46. India Meteorological Department (IMD) and
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) have
partnered with "Malaria No More" which is a non-
governmental organisation. IMD & ICMR
launched an expert committee to explore and
advance climate-based solutions to eliminate
malaria in India, in collaboration with "Malaria
NO More".
47. Citizens and Environmentalists are fighting
against the proposal to clear over 6,000 trees in
Singanayakanahalli to construct a lake under
Hebbal-Nagawara Valley Project by Minor
Irrigation Department in Karnataka. Forest
Department, in a recent notification, proposed to
felled 6,316 trees to develop Singanayakanahalli
lake, Yelahanka hobli, because they are coming in
way of this project.
48. According to Minister for Road Transport &
Highways Nitin Gadkari, central government has
set target to reduce road accident deaths by 50%
by year 2024. This target was highlighted while
addressing virtual session on ‘Role of Corporates
in Arresting Road Fatalities’ which was organised
by FICCI.
49. Union ministry of Environment, forest &
Climate Change has notified about constituting a
Karnataka Coastal Zone Management Authority.
Notification was issued under Environment
Protection Act, 1986. Karnataka Coastal Zone
Management Authority is a 15-member body
which will be constituted to protect & improve the
quality of coastal environment.
50. Drug regulator of India, DCGI, has allowed
Mumbai-based pharmaceutical company Cipla to
import Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for
restricted emergency use in India. Moderna’s
vaccine is going to be fourth COVID-19 vaccine
available in India after Covaxin, Covishield and
Sputnik.
51. As per Indian Meteorological Department
(IMD), May 2021 received second highest rainfall
in 121 years. Highest rainfall attributes to two
back-to-back cyclones and western disturbances.
IMD also highlights, average maximum
temperature of 34.18° Celsius over India this May
was fourth lowest since 1901. In 1917, India had
recorded lowest ever temperature May as 32.68°
Celsius.
52. The Great Indian Bustards are making it slow
to manoeuvre while flying. They have poor frontal
vision and a habit of scanning earth while flying
over flat grasslands across western borders of
India. As a result, they often collide with power
lines.
53. Union Cabinet has approved ‘Deep Ocean
Mission’ proposed by Ministry of Earth Sciences
to conduct study on biodiversity, impact of
climate change and to establish an offshore marine
station in order to explore source of thermal
energy. Mission will explore Deep Ocean for
resources and help in development of deep-sea
technologies for sustainable use of ocean
resources.
54. A new species named "Stygarctus Keralensis"
has been identified in Kerala. This tiny & tough
species of Tardigrades has been named after
Kerala. Tardigrades are small specie which are
commonly called as ‘water bears’ and ‘moss
piglets’. They are so tiny that require high-end
microscopes to study them. They are also the
hardiest animals on Earth despite their size.
55. World Day to Combat Desertification and
Drought was observed on June 17, 2021 to raise
awareness on land degradation, desertification and
drought. Theme of the day for year 2021 was
"Restoration, Land, Recovery". This day is a
unique moment to remind everyone about land
degradation neutrality which can be achieved
through problem-solving, strong community
involvement and co-operation across all the levels.
56. West Bengal Cabinet approved the "Student
Credit Card scheme" on June 24, 2021. Trinamool
Congress had promised to launch this scheme in
its election manifesto. This scheme will be
implemented and launched on June 30, 2021.
Under the scheme, student can get a soft loan of
up to Rs. 10 lakh with the help of credit card to
enroll into higher studies. Loans will be given at
4% interest rates. State government would act as
guarantor.
57. NITI Aayog released a comprehensive study
on not-for-profit hospital model in India on June
29, 2020. According to NITI Aayog, it is a step of
closing information gap on such institutions. NITI
Aayog highlights the growing disparity between
hospitalisation cases in for-profit and not-for-
profit hospitals.
58. Department of Justice has launched an
"Enforcing Contracts Portal" on June 29, 2021.
Justice department launched this portal with the
aim of promoting ease of doing business and
improving ‘Contract Enforcement Regime’ across
India. Portal will also provide easy access to latest
information regarding the commercial cases in
Dedicated Commercial Courts of Delhi, Kolkata,
Mumbai and Bengaluru.
59. Education Testing Service (ETS) has allowed
use of Aadhar card for GRE and TOFEL Exams.
Indian students who are writing GRE or TOEFL
examinations will be allowed to use their Aadhaar
cards as identification proof from July 1, 2021.
This decision was taken by Educational Testing
Service as many students have faced difficulties in
getting passports amid the COVID-19 induced
lockdowns
 International
1. World Health Organisation (WHO) has
recommended several names, to label emerging
coronavirus variants of global concern, after four
letters of Greek alphabet. It named B.1.617.2
variant, identified first in India, as Delta. ‘UK
variant’ was named as ‘Alpha’.
2. First Human case of H10N3 bird flu was
reported in eastern province of Jiangsu in China.
H10N3 is a low pathogenic or less severe strain of
virus in poultry. The risk of it transmitting on a
large scale is also very low. In about 40 years,
only 160 isolates of this virus were reported, in
wild birds or waterfowl across Asia and North
America. It has not been detected in chickens.
3. New Zealand has become the latest country to
sign "space agreement with NASA" with the
objective of boosting nascent space industry of
New Zealand. New Zealand is the eleventh
signatory to Artemis Accords.
4. Microsoft has launched first ever "Asia Pacific
Public Sector Cyber Security Executive Council".
It was launched with the aim of building strong
communications channel to address cyber threats
and to share best practices among participating
countries.
5. In the move of strengthening its position along
the Line of Actual Control (LAC), People
Liberation Army (PLA) of China has created an
integrated or combined air defence system
comprising air force and army for its western
theatre command. This wing is involved in
operations along LAC.
6. World Health Organisation (WHO) has given
approval for global use of covid-19 Vaccine by
Sinovac Biotech Ltd. of China. WHO
recommended its use for people above 18 years.
Two-dose will be scheduled for it, with a gap of
two to four weeks between shots.
7. United States has ended Migrant Protection
Protocols which is also dubbed as "Remain in
Mexico" policy. This policy forced several Central
American asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for
US court cases. Now, Joe Biden administration
has paused this programme called known as the
Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) in January
2021.
8. Canada has recommended "mixing and
matching" of AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna
Covid-19 vaccines. National Advisory Committee
on Immunization (NACI) had issued guidelines
for provinces and territories on mixing and
matching second doses of Covid-19 vaccines. It
has advised Canadians to combine either
"AstraZeneca-Oxford, Pfizer-BioNTech or
Moderna shots" interchangeably for specific
situations.
9. BRICS foreign ministers meeting was hold
virtually on June 1, 2021. During the minister’s
meet, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar
highlighted significant principles which were
guiding BRICS. He also referred to international
law and UN Charter which recognises sovereign
equality of all states and respects territorial
integrity.
10. Union Cabinet approved Memorandum of
Cooperation (MoC) on Sustainable Urban
Development between India and Japan by
suspending the existing MoU of 2007 on Urban
Development. To implement and strategize
programmes on cooperation under MoC, a Joint
Working Group (JWG) will be constituted. JWG
will meet once in a year in Japan as well as in
India, alternately.
11. Largest warship of Iranian navy caught fire
and sank in the Gulf of Oman, circumstances are
still unclear. Kharg used to resupply other shops
in fleet and conduct training exercises. It sank
near Iranian port of Jask.
12. On the occasion of 100th anniversary of
Chinese Communist Party in 2021, China is
promoting ‘red tourism’, which means it is
encouraging people to visit places that have
historical and cultural importance for communist
party.
13. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
has signed an agreement with vaccine
manufacturer Moderna to supply their
international vaccination efforts boosting fight
against SARS-CoV-2 virus. Under the supply
agreement, UNICEF and its procurement partners
like Pan American Health Organization (PAHO),
will get access to up to 34 million doses of covid-
19 vaccine which can be used to cover around 92
countries and territories in 2021.
14. American space agency, NASA, has
announced its two new robotic missions namely
Davinci+ and Veritas, to Venus to examine
atmosphere and geological features on the planet.
Each of the missions have been awarded $500
million funding. They will be launched in between
2028 and 2030. Missions would provide a chance
to investigate the planet Venus that haven’t been
provided in about 30 years.
15. Prime Minister of Japan, Yoshihide Suga,
pledged an additional 800 million US Dollars to
COVAX facility. Additional grant of 800 million
dollar to COVAX facility aims for "fair
distribution of Coronavirus vaccines across the
world". Announcement was made during an
"online vaccine summit" which was co-hosted by
Japan with GAVI vaccine alliance.
16. India and United Kingdom have launched a
new workstream to promote industrial energy
efficiency. The workstream was launched under
Industrial Deep Decarbonization Initiative (IDDI)
of Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM). 12th CEM is
being organised by Chile in virtual mode. It was
started on May 31 and will conclude on June 6.
17. China successfully launched its first satellite
of a new generation meteorological satellite into
planned orbit. This satellite, named as Fengyun-
4B (FY-48), will be used for fields of weather
analysis, environmental and disaster monitoring.
18. US House of Representatives has reintroduced
bipartisan legislation to eliminate per country cap
on employment-based green card. This legislation
is called as EAGLE Act and was introduced to
benefit Indian IT professionals who are waiting
over decades for green card.
19. SpaceX has again launched its 22nd resupply
services mission called SpaceX CRS 22, using
cargo Dragon 2 capsule, to International Space
station (ISS). This is the second mission under
new CRS contract of SpaceX with NASA and
fifth capsule in last 12 months which SpaceX sent
to ISS.
20. As per Geological Disaster Technology
Research and Development Centre, Indonesia’s
Merapi volcano erupted four times with lava
spreading to 1,500 metres from crater. Merapi is
considered as Indonesia’s most active volcano.
21. Parliament of Denmark has approved plans for
an artificial island which will house 35,000 people
and help in protecting port of Copenhagen from
rising sea levels. This giant island would have an
area of 1 sq mile and would be connected to
mainland through ring road, tunnels and metro
line. This dam will help in protecting the harbour
from rising sea levels and storms.
22. SpaceX rocket lift-off rocket to International
Space Station carrying supplies for scientific
experiments along with surprising passengers like
squids and microorganisms called tardigrades.
Dragon capsule was launched with Falcon 9
rocket.
23. Extending greetings on 24th BIMSTEC Day
on June 6, PM Narendra Modi said, BIMSTEC
has emerged as a promising regional grouping and
made progress on several factors including
finalisation of master plan for connectivity.
BIMSTEC is acronym for "Bay of Bengal
Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and
Economic Cooperation".
24. Recently, Group of seven (G7) advanced
economies signed a landmark deal on taxing
multinational companies. As per the deal,
minimum global tax rate would be at least 15
percent. Agreement was signed by finance
ministers of United Kingdom, United States,
Germany, Canada, France, Italy and Japan.
25. As per owner of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, his
payments venture Square will partner with
blockchain technology firm Block-stream Mining
in a bid to build an open-source, solar-powered
bitcoin mining facility in United Nations.
26. World Bank has approved a USD 500 million
program to boost MSME sector in India. World
Bank programme called "USD 500 million
Raising and Accelerating Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprise (MSME) Performance
(RAMP) Program" aims to improve performance
of five lakh 50 thousand MSMEs.
27. India was elected to the United Nations
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for
2022-2024 term. India has been selected in Asia-
Pacific States category. Other elected countries
include Oman, Afghanistan and Kazakhstan.
28. World Health Organization (WHO) has
warned the countries against overpriced covid-19
vaccines substandard covid products. WHO
warned after concern over danger of buying
overpriced vaccines from intermediaries. WHO
reminded countries that, countries should buy
vaccines certified by WHO and make sure to
identify origin of vaccines and covid product.
29. Foreign Minister of Maldives, Abdulla Shahid,
was elected as new President of UN General
Assembly (UNGA). Abdulla Shahid won against
Afghanistan’s former foreign minister Zalmai
Rassoul with three-fourth majority. He fetched
143 votes while Rassoul got 48 votes out of 191
votes polled. Maldives will occupy office of
President of UNGA for the first time.
30. Russia is building its first naval ship which
will be fully equipped with stealth technology.
Stealth technology will to make it hard to detect.
Hull of the Mercury naval corvette dubbed project
20386 is ready and vessel is expected to be
delivered to navy in 2022.
31. El Salvador has become the first country to
formally adopt bitcoin as legal tender. Proposal to
legalise cryptocurrency was put forward by
President Nayib Bukele which was later approved
by Congress. Even though there were concern
regarding potential impact of legalising
cryptocurrency on El Salvador’s program of $1
billion with International Monetary Fund,
proposal was passed with majority of 62 out of 84
possible votes.
32. India and Thailand started 31st edition of
Coordinated Patrols or CORPAT, with the aim of
reinforcing maritime links between two countries
and to keep Indian Ocean safe and secure for
international trade.
33. The U.S. Senate voted 68-32 to approve a
"sweeping package of legislation" in a bid to boost
USA’s ability to compete with Chinese
technology. China, while responding to vote,
objected to being cast as an imaginary U.S.
enemy. This measure approved about $190 billion
for provisions of strengthening technology and
research in United States.
34. World Trade Organization (WTO) is set to
start formal Covid-19 Vaccine Supply
negotiations in a bid to boost COVID-19 vaccine
supply in developing countries. However, the
proposal face rival as one is with waiver of
intellectual property rights while the other is
without a waiver of intellectual property rights.
35. China has passed a new legislation against
foreign sanctions. With this law China seeks to
build its defences against rising US and EU
pressure on trade and human rights. China passed
this law after accusing US of suppressing Chinese
firms and issued veiled threats of retaliation.
36. United States President Joe Biden has
announced to donate 500 million doses of Pfizer
COVID-19 vaccine to poorest countries across
world to end the pandemic as soon as possible.
This donation is a bold move which showed, US
recognises its responsibility towards world as well
as its citizens.
37. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate
in outreach sessions of UK led G7 virtual summit
in Cornwall in June 2021. PM Modi is expected to
join G7 summit on 12 and 13 June. This is the
second time that Indian Prime Minister will
participate in G7 meet.
38. Group of Seven (G-7) leaders are set to vow to
deliver 1 billion extra doses of vaccines by 2022
to cover 80 percent of world’s adult population.
Ahead of G-7 summit in UK, officials put together
document outlining a plan to end pandemic by
December 2022.
39. Countries including Albania, Brazil, Gabon,
Ghana and United Arab Emirates (UAE) have
been elected unopposed to powerful UN Security
Council (UNSC) as non-permanent members for
2022-23 term. Five countries won elections
unopposed because they were the only candidates
from their respective regional groups.
40. US President Joe Biden and British Prime
Minister Boris Johnson held meeting recently in
Cornwall and inspected documents related to
Atlantic Charter and signed a document titled
"New Atlantic Charter".
41. India and Kuwait signed an MoU on
cooperation on domestic worker recruitment on
June 10, 2021. This MoU will bring Indian
domestic workers in Gulf nation within the legal
framework which will provide them protection
under law. Agreement will also streamline
recruitment of domestic workers.
42. UN General Assembly (UNGA) has approved
nomination of Rebecca Grynspan to head United
Nations Conference on Trade and development
(UNCTAD). She is an economist from Costa
Rica. She will be the first woman and Central
American to lead Geneva-based organisation,
UNCTAD.
43. 49-year-old, Naftali Bennett has become new
Prime Minister of Israel. He is a religious-
nationalist and a multi-millionaire former tech
entrepreneur who has also served as defence
minister. With this win, he has ended 12 unbroken
years of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at
the helm.
44. UN Children’s agency, UNICEF has warned
about 33,000 severely malnourished children in
Tigray region of Ethiopia who are at high risk of
death. Tigray region has been devastated because
of fighting between government forces and rebels
in which about 1.7 million people displaced since
conflict started in last year.
45. Chinese spacecraft, Shenzhou-19, will blast
off from Gobi Desert on a Long March rocket
soon. Spacecraft will ferry three men to an
orbiting space module where they will stay for
three-month. This will be the first time China will
send humans into space since 2016.
46. European Space Agency (ESA) will launch
world’s first wooden satellite called WISA
Woodsat in Earth’s orbit by the end of 2021. It
will be launched to test the applicability of
wooden materials such as plywood in spacecraft
structures. It will be launched from Mahia
Peninsula launch complex in New Zealand.
Satellite has been designed and built in Finland.
47. United Kingdom and Australia has signed a
free trade deal on June 15, 2021. This trade deal
eliminates tariffs on wide range of goods. This
deal was signed following UK’s exit from
European Union. With this deal, U.K. seeks to
expand links across the world.
48. NATO leaders have declared China a constant
security challenge stating that, Chinese are
working to undermine global order. As per NATO
leaders, China’s goals and assertive behaviour put
challenges to rules-based international order and
across the areas relevant to alliance security.
49. Twitter has appointed interim Chief
Compliance Officer in India to comply with the
Indian government’s new IT rules. Twitter
appointed Chief Compliance Officer after a
prolonged battle with Indian government over its
new IT rules.
50. US President Joe Biden reached Geneva
before his first summit with Vladimir Putin amid
the escalation of tension between Russia and USA
in recent years. Joe Biden flew to Geneva after
mending relations with Washington’s closest
allies during NATO and G7 summits in Brussels
and Britain.
51. US President Joe Biden is to sign a law to
make June 19 or "Juneteenth" a national holiday.
This holiday will be recognized by federal
government to commemorating end of slavery
after American Civil War.
52. Japan is going to make a vaccine passport
available from next month for Japanese travellers
in a bid to relaunch tourism and business trips
abroad. This certificate will be paper-based rather
than digital. It will be issued by local governments
from next month.
53. India has extended a USD 100 million Line of
Credit to Sri Lanka to finance projects in solar
energy sector. Agreement was signed between Sri
Lankan government and Export-Import Bank of
India. This LOC will also ensure that Sri Lanka’s
70 percent power requirements are fulfilled by
renewable energy sources by 2030.
54. India and Bhutan have signed an MoU to
develop cooperation between two countries in the
area of environment. MoU was signed virtually by
Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate
Change Prakash Javadekar. It will open new vistas
of bilateral cooperation in the area of climate
change, waste management etc.
55. Debswana Diamond Company have unearthed
world’s third-largest diamond in Jwaneng mine of
Botswana in South Africa. Botswana is called as
largest producer of diamonds in Africa. Diamond
weighing 1,098 carats was presented to President
Mokgweetsi Masisi after it was unearthed.
56. Indian Navy and European Union Naval Force
(EUNAVFOR) are conducting their first ever
exercise in Gulf of Aden. This two-day exercise
will end on June 19, 2021. Indian Naval Ship
Trikand participated in the exercise, which is
currently deployed for anti-piracy operations.
57. According to Chilean President Sebastian
Pinera, Chilean assembly is set to draft a new
constitution for the country which will replace the
one inherited from dictatorship of Augusto
Pinochet. Its first session will be held on July 4.
58. According to US India Strategic Partnership
Forum (USISPF), India and United States has
launched a hydrogen task force under "Strategic
Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP)" which will
boost India’s energy security efforts. This task
force was launched by United States Department
of Energy, Union Ministry of New and Renewable
Energy (MNRE) and USISPF.
59. Swedish Prime Minister, Stefan Lofven, has
become country’s first prime minister to lose a no-
confidence vote. Losing a no-confidence vote
means, he can now either resign or trigger a snap
election. Lofven is the first head of government to
lose a no-confidence vote and it means collapse of
Social Democrat and Green Party coalition
minority government.
60. Olympics organisers has capped the number of
spectators at 10,000 for each venue in the 2020
Tokyo Games following the warnings of experts
that event without fans will be a least risky option
during the Covid-19 pandemic. Limit for Games
will be set at 50% of venue capacity.
61. UN committee recommended to add Great
Barrier Reef to the list of "in danger" World
Heritage Sites. However, this recommendation is
opposed by Australia which is blaming political
interference. Recommendation was made by
United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) committee.
This committee sits under UNESCO. According
to the committee, world’s biggest coral reef
system should be added to ‘in danger’ list because
of impact of climate change.
62. Israeli military has successfully tested an
airborne high-power laser which have the
capability to shoot down drones. Laser is a
prototype developed with Elbit Systems. It was
mounted on a civilian plane and successfully shot
down drones in recent test conducted over
Mediterranean Sea.
63. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) for
cooperation in agriculture & allied sectors was
signed between Union Minister of Agriculture &
Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar and
Fiji’s Minister of Agriculture, Waterways &
Environment, Dr. Mahendra Reddy.
64. As per recent study, Colombia is home to
world’s largest variety of butterflies. It accounts
for 20% of all known species. Colombia is a
country having great diversity of natural habitats.
It is having a complex and heterogeneous
geography.
65. G20 Labour & Employment Ministers’
Meeting was hosted in blended mode by Italy.
During the virtual meeting, G-20 Ministers
exchanged their views on transitions from school
to work. Ministry of labour & employment, India
was represented by MoS (I/C) Shri Santosh
Gangwar along with minister of state for
education, Sanjay Dhotre.
66. Recently, UN body has endorsed a
multinational project called "Committee on Earth
Observation Satellites Coastal Observations,
Applications, Services, and Tools (CEOS
COAST)". CEOS COAST programme is called by
ISRO and NOAA from US.
67. India and Bhutan have jointly launched the
"Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB)" on
June 23, 2021. TIWB programme aims to
strengthen tax administrations among developing
countries by transferring technical know-how and
skills to their tax auditors and by sharing general
audit practices & dissemination of knowledge
products with them.
68. Social media platform, Twitter, has partnered
with first payments operator, Razorpay for its Tip
Jar feature. Tip Jar Feature allows Twitter users to
pay creators for content. Twitter announced the
tie-up with Razorpay on June 24, 2021. This Tip
Jar feature is currently available to "select users".
69. China will operationalise first electric train in
remote Himalayan region of Tibet. The electric
train will connect provincial capital Lhasa with
Nyingchi. The 435.5-km Lhasa-Nyingchi section
of Sichuan-Tibet Railway will be inaugurated
ahead of centenary celebrations of ruling
Communist Party of China (CPC).
70. China has planned to send its first crewed
mission to MARS in the year 2033. China has
planned manned launches to Mars for 2033, 2035,
2037, 2041 and so on. Before the manned
missions, China will send robots to Mars that will
study possible sites to set up base and to build
systems to extract resources there.
71. Denmark has signed the International Solar
Alliance Framework Agreement (ISA FA) and
Instrument of Ratification with India. ISA is an
alliance of 121 countries. It was initiated by India.
Most of member countries are sunshine countries
located completely or partly between Tropic of
Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn. It is a treaty-
based intergovernmental organization. ISA is the
largest grouping of states, after United Nations.
72. Japan is all set to provide India a $10 million
assistance for building cold chain facilities to
safely store covid-19 vaccines. Japan will provide
this assistance to India to build cold chain
equipment including medical equipment like cold-
storage facilities.
73. Serbia market has opened its market for Indian
potatoes, onions, pomegranate, and pomegranate
arils. As per Agriculture and Processed Food
Export Development Authority (APEDA),
phytosanitary certificate is not required to export
pomegranate fruits arils and onion bulbs growing
in India.
74. Britain’s financial regulator, Financial
Conduct Authority (FCA), has banned world’s
largest cryptocurrency exchanges, Binance.
Binance cannot conduct any regulated activity as
it will come under growing scrutiny globally.
75. As per U.N. Food & Agriculture Organisation
(FAO)’s report, traditional food gathering
techniques of indigenous communities are under
threat because of accelerated climate change and
economic pressures right from Arctic to the
Amazon. As per FAO, food systems used by
different indigenous peoples were among world’s
most sustainable in terms of efficiency. It was
avoiding waste and adapting to the seasons.
76. China operationalised the two units of giant
Baihetan hydropower plant, which is the largest
hydro project under construction worldwide on
June 28, 2021. Yangtze river in southwest China
generated electricity for the first time. First two 1-
gigawatt (GW) turbines of the hydro project will
go into formal operation after a three-day trial that
started on June 28.
77. Ukraine and United States is conducting a
military exercise, joined by 30 countries, in Black
Sea and southern Ukraine. Exercise was started
despite Russia called to cancel it. According to US
Navy Capt. Kyle Gantt, large number of
participants in exercise reflects shared
commitment to ensure free access to international
waters.
78. NASA Scientists and scientists form other
universities from Boston to California are aiming
to create computer models which can be used with
satellite data to learn which parts of their
dwindling deltas can be shored up and which
deltas are past hope.
79. According to annual survey of World’s most
liveable cities 2021, Covid-19 pandemic has
shaken up rankings of liveable cities. Auckland is
the most liveable city in 2021 because of its
successful approach in containing pandemic.
Which is followed by Osaka & Tokyo in Japan,
Adelaide in Australia and Wellington in New
Zealand. All these countries had swift response to
pandemic.
80. According to the Global Economic Prospects
Update released by World Bank, global economy
is expected to expand 5.6 per cent in 2021. This
would be the fastest post-recession pace in 80
years because of strong rebounds from a few
major economies. As per latest edition, many
emerging markets & developing economies are
struggling with COVID-19 pandemic and its
aftermath.
81. In QS World University Rankings 2020,
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati was
ranked at 41st in ‘Research Citations per Faculty’
category. IIT Guwahati has also obtained global
395th rank in World University Ranking. Its
ranking has improved from 470 in QS World
University Ranking 2021 to 395th to this edition
as a result of strong improvement in ‘Citations per
Faculty’ category.
82. World Health Organization (WHO) released a
handbook to assess the burden of foodborne
diseases and locate data gaps which will help in
strengthening health infrastructure. As per the
WHO’s estimate of 2015, about 600 million
people are affected by foodborne diseases every
year. It accounts for infection among 1 in 10
people worldwide.
83. UN Children’s agency, UNICEF has warned
about 33,000 severely malnourished children in
Tigray region of Ethiopia who are at high risk of
death. Tigray region has been devastated because
of fighting between government forces and rebels
in which about 1.7 million people displaced since
conflict started in November 2020.
84. Sustainable Development Report was prepared
and released by experts from UN Sustainable
Development Solution Network (SDSN). The
index compares how countries implement 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development. As per
Government, Finland has topped the index based
on its achievements with respect to the goals
related to poverty reduction, health, education,
energy, water, peace, reduction of inequality and
rule of law.
85. Latest edition of UNESCO Science Report
(USR) was published on June 11, 2021 which is
entitled as "race against time for smarter
development". USR is a flagship publication of
UNESCO which is published once every five
years. It is a report on science, technology and
innovation (STI).
86. The report titled "Global Assessment Report
on Disaster Risk Reduction: Special Report on
Drought 2021" was published on June 18, 2021 by
UNDRR (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk
Reduction). It will be a part of discussions at vital
UN climate talks called Cop26, scheduled to take
place in Glasgow in November 2021.
87. Russia started construction of fifth nuclear
power unit at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu on June
29, 2021. This development is a significant step in
bilateral relation between both the countries.
Rosatom (a Russian company) is providing
technology to construct the Kudankulam plant.
88. European Medicines Agency (EMA) has
excluded Serum Institute of India (SII)
manufactured Covishield from the list of approved
vaccines for ‘Green Pass’. As per EMA, vaccine
was excluded from list because it does not have
marketing authorisation in European Union (EU).
89. Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin
Salman announced plans of launching second
national airline as part of broader strategy to turn
kingdom into global logistics hub in a bid to
diversify from oil. Creation of another flag carrier
will put Saudi Arabia into 5th rank worldwide in
terms of air transit traffic.
 Defence
1. Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has
cleared a mega project to build six conventional
submarines for Indian Navy. Decision was taken
at DAC meeting chaired by Defence Minister,
Rajnath Singh. This project will cost around Rs
43,000 crore. It was cleared under strategic
partnership mode.
2. Russia is building its first naval ship which will
be fully equipped with stealth technology. Stealth
technology will to make it hard to detect. Hull of
the Mercury naval corvette dubbed project 20386
is ready and vessel is expected to be delivered to
navy in 2022.
3. Indian Navy is set to receive three of 24 MH-60
Romeo multirole helicopters from United States
(US). First batch of Indian pilots has reached US
for training on helicopters. Pilots would undergo
training first in Pensacola in Florida and then in
San Diego in California.
4. Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh inaugurated
two Centres of Excellence (CoE) established by
Border Roads Organisation (BRO) at Seema
Sadak Bhawan in New Delhi. CoEs have been
established to achieve excellence in road safety
and to foster growth in construction of roads, air
fields, tunnels and bridges.
5. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved a
policy on declassification of War histories. Under
this policy, Ministry of Defence (MoD) will
archive, declassify, compile and publish war and
operations histories. However, declassification of
older wars like of 1962 war is not automatic.
6. Government of India has approved its decision
to dissolve Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and
replaced it by seven new Defence Public Sector
Undertakings (PSUs). which will oversee 41
ordnance factories in India. These seven entities
will be 100 per cent owned by government.
7. Indian Navy and European Union Naval Force
(EUNAVFOR) are conducting their first ever
exercise in Gulf of Aden. This two-day exercise
will end on June 19, 2021. Indian Naval Ship
Trikand participated in the exercise, which is
currently deployed for anti-piracy operations.
8. Israeli military has successfully tested an
airborne high-power laser which have the
capability to shoot down drones. Israel already
have large and sophisticated air defense system.
This system had 90 per cent interception rate
against thousands of rockets which were fired
from Gaza during 11-day war of May 2021.
9. India and USA are all set to conduct Passage
Naval Exercise in last week of June 2021. Indian
naval ships will carry maritime patrol & other
aircraft to participate the exercise with US Navy’s
Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group during its
transit through Indian Ocean Region.
10. According to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh,
India’s first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC)
named ‘INS Vikrant’ (meaning courageous) will
be commissioned in 2022. Defence Minister
described this achievement as India’s pride and a
shining example of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Commissioning of IAC will be befitting tribute to
India’s 75th year of India’s independence.
11. Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) has successfully test fired
an extended range version of "Pinaka" rocket. Test
fire was carried at Integrated Test Range (ITR) in
Chandipur, Odisha on June 25. DRDO test-fired
25 Enhanced Pinaka Rockets in quick succession
against targets at different ranges.
 Business, Economy & Banking
1. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD) has cut India’s growth
projection to 9.9% for Financial Year 2022. In
March, it estimated growth to 12.6%. Rate was cut
witnessing covid cases lockdowns which have
threatened to stall nascent economic recovery of
India.
2. FICCI has published its quarterly "Business
Confidence Survey". According to it, Business
confidence of Indian companies has come down to
its lowest in three quarters in May. In last survey,
confidence was at decadal high.
3. Central Statistics Office (CSO) released India’s
gross domestic product (GDP) data for January-
March quarter of financial year 2020-21.
According to it, Indian economy is likely to
expand in positive territory from December
quarter. Before second wave of Covid-19, India’s
GDP grew 1.6 per cent in fourth quarter (January-
March) of 2020-21.
4. Goa government established "Goa Institution
for Future Transformation (GIFT)" on the line of
NITI Ayog. GIFT will function on the lines of
NITI Aayog. It will assist, advise and guide
government on policy making, its formulation and
implementation. It will also help in monitoring
sustainable development goals and evaluation of
several development plans, programmes and
schemes.
5. Economic research department of State Bank of
India has published "Ecowrap 2021" report and
revised real GDP projection for Financial Year
2022 to 7.9 percent from 10.4 percent earlier.
Report highlights disproportionately larger impact
of second wave of Covid-19 pandemic on
economy.
6. Dr. K.P. Krishnan committee on "Variable
Capital Company" has submitted its report to
International Financial Services centres Authority
(IFSCA) regarding feasibility of Variable Capital
Companies in International Financial Services
Centres in India.
7. Research Design & Standards Organization
(RDSO) wing of Indian railways has become
India’s first institution to be declared as Standard
Developing Organization (SDO). Standard
Development Organisation tag was given under
"One Nation One Standard" mission of Bureau of
Indian Standards.
8. Union Agriculture Minister, Narendra Singh
Tomar, launched a seed Minikit programme by
distributing high-yielding varieties seeds of
oilseeds and pulses to farmers. This programme
was launched as a major tool to introduce new
varieties of seeds in fields. It will also help in
increasing the seed replacement rate.
9. NITI Aayog released third edition of
Sustainable Development Index for 2020-2021,
evaluating progress of states and Union Territories
with respect to social, economic and
environmental parameters. In the index, Kerala
has retained the top rank with score of 75.
10. NITI Aayog has submitted names of Public
Sector Undertaking (PSU) that will be privatised
to Core Group of Secretaries on Disinvestment.
All these PSBs will be privatised by Financial
Year 2022. Privatisation is being done as part of
government’s Disinvestment process to raising
funds.
11. Labour and Employment Ministry set up
expert group that will provide technical inputs and
recommendations on fixation of minimum wages
and national floor for minimum wages. This is the
second expert committee on minimum wages
formed by government in last two years.
12. HDFC Bank has planned to become carbon
neutral by 2031-32. Bank is now looking for
reducing its emissions, energy, and water
consumption. HDFC will continue to incorporate
and scale up use of renewable energy in its
operations. Under its environmental, social, and
corporate governance (ESG) strategy, bank will
also offer loans for green products such as electric
vehicles at lower interest rates. It will incorporate
ESG scores in its credit decisions. Apart from that,
bank is also working on framework of issuing
green bonds.
13. India launched a global Initiative ‘Mission
Innovation CleanTech Exchange’ with the aim of
creating a network of incubators in member
countries to boost clean energy innovation.
Mission was launched virtually at "Innovating to
Net Zero Summit, 2021″ organised by Chile.
14. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Unveiled its bi-
monthly monetary policy and has kept the interest
rates unchanged. Monetary policy opened a Rs
15,000-crore liquidity window for contact-
intensive sectors such as hotels and tourism. On
the liquidity front, it announced securities
purchases of Rs 40,000 crore in June quarter while
Rs 1.2 lakh crore in September under G-SAP 1.0
to revive the growth.
15. Securities and Exchange Board of India
(SEBI) has increased overseas investment limit for
local mutual funds. With this, mutual funds can
make overseas investments to a maximum of US $
1 billion per Mutual Fund out of overall industry
limit of US $ 7 billion.
16. India’s largest power utility, NTPC Ltd, has
become a signatory of UN Global Compact’s
CEO Water Mandate. CEO Water Mandate is a
coveted league of companies focusing on efficient
water management. Chairman and Managing
Director of NTPC, Shri Gurdeep Singh, has joined
a select group of business leaders who recognize
importance of water stewardship and is working to
conserve water.
17. Maharashtra launched ‘state annual priority
sector credit plan’ worth Rs 4,60,881 crore along
with an ‘overall annual credit plan’ worth
18,10,779 crore. It was launched during quarterly
State Level Bankers Committee (SBLC) meeting
of Maharashtra.
18. Income Tax Department is set to launch its
new ITR e-filing portal, which can be accessed
through website called "www.incometax.gov.in".
ITR e-filing portal will be launched with aim of
providing a modern, seamless and more
convenient experience to taxpayers. Portal has
been integrated with immediate processing of
Income Tax Returns and quick refunds to
taxpayers.
19. Union Cabinet approved an increase in
Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Kharif crops
for 2021-22, to increase farmers’ income. Centre
has increased MSP for paddy by Rs It now stands
at to Rs 1,940 per quintal for 2021-22 crop.
Highest absolute increase in MSP over previous
year has been recommended for sesamum,
followed by tur and urad.
20. Union Cabinet allocated 5 MHz spectrum in
700 MHz band for Indian Railways. It will help in
boosting hi-speed radio communication. ₹25,000
crore will be spent in next 5 years to modernize
signals and implement 5G spectrum in Railways.
21. Airbnb, EaseMyTrip, OYO and Yatra have
established a new industry association called
"Confederation of Hospitality, Technology &
Tourism Industry (CHATT)". CHATT will help
small companies and travel & hospitality
technology players. It will promote domestic
tourism and help in digital transformation of
domestic tourism.
22. According to Union Minister Dr. Jitendra
Singh, Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO) will assist development projects in
Northeast through Space Technology. ISRO will
offering optimum utilization of Satellite Imaging
and other Space Technology applications.
23. India wind energy market outlook was
released by Global Wind Energy Council. As per
the report, India has a pipeline of 10.3 GW in
Central and State markets. These pipelines will
drive installations until 2023. Report highlights
India will install 20 GW of wind energy capacity
by 2021-25.
24. Draft Master Plan of Delhi 2041 was made
open for public scrutiny for next 45 days. It will
serve as blueprint for development of Delhi for
next two decades. Master Plan document focuses
on environment and tackling pollution. The plan
also allows private developers to offer in land-
pooling scheme for the first time.
25. India’s export of agricultural and allied
products in 2020-21 have increased by 17.34
percent. It now equals to USD 41.25 billion. As
per commerce secretary Anup Wadhawan, this
growth momentum in Agri export is expected to
be sustained during current fiscal as well.
26. According to commerce secretary, Anup
Wadhawan, exports of India’s organic farm
products has increased to 51 percent in 2020-21
challenging the hiccups in supply chain amid
covid-19. Outbound shipments of organic
products have hit 1,040 million dollars in last
fiscal as compared to 689 million dollars in 2020.
27. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has changed
some rules regarding cash withdrawal from
automated teller machine (ATM). New rules
include high charges on transactions beyond free
permissible limit, new free ATM transaction limit
and increase in interchange fee.
28. E-commerce giant, Flipkart, has partnered
with Telangana government to lead "Medicines
from the Sky" project. Consortium has been
tasked with development and execution of drone
deliveries of medical supplies to remote areas
under the project. Under the consortium, Walmart-
owned Flipkart will deploy drones and will enable
deliveries of vaccines & medical supplies.
29. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
(TRAI) has released new framework for
broadcasting and cable services by amending
interconnection regulations of 2017. Regulation of
2017 provides a framework for technical
compliance of conditional access system (CAS)
and subscriber management system (SMS) in
broadcasting and cable sector.
30. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended
Risk-Based Internal Audit (RBIA) rules to all
deposit-taking and non-deposit taking HFCs
(Housing Finance Companies) who are having
assets above Rs 5,000 crore. These rules will be
effective from June 30, 2022.
31. India’s forex reserves crossed $600 mark for
the first time and as on June 4, it stood at $605
billion. With this, India equals Russia as the
fourth largest reserve holder worldwide. India’s
forex reserve was $605.008 billion while for
Russia it was $605.2 billion.
32. Ministry of Heavy Industry has announced
major amendments in ongoing FAME-II scheme.
Ministry has fixed incentives for India-made
electric two-wheelers. With the recent
amendments on price side and subsidies
government aims to promote electric two-wheeler
usage across India.
33. 44th meeting of Goods and Services Tax
(GST) Council was chaired by Finance Minister
Nirmala Sitharaman on June 12, 2021. Several
changes in GST rate have been made which would
be applicable till September 30, 2021. As per the
Finance Minister, GST Council has accepted
recommendations of Group of Ministers (GoM)
which was set up to look on tax relief on Covid-19
medical supplies.
34. Government will implement mandatory
hallmarking of gold jewellery and artefacts from
June 15, 2021. Earlier this deadline was June 1,
which was extended by a fortnight because of
Covid-19 pandemic. To ensure proper
coordination and resolve issues while
implementation, a committee headed by Bureau of
Indian Standards (BIS) Director-General Pramod
Tewari has been established.
35. Bihar exported the first commercial
consignment of GI certified Jardalu mangoes from
Bhagalpur to the United Kingdom. Jardalu
mangoes from Bhagalpur district were given GI
certification Agricultural and Processed Food
Products Export Development Authority,
(APEDA) in collaboration with Bihar government,
Indian High Commission & Invest India, exported
Jardalu mangoes. Mangoes were packed and
treated at APEDA packhouse in Lucknow..
36. Minister for Road Transport & Highways and
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Nitin
Gadkari has simplified the of process for
registration of Micro, Small & Medium
Enterprises. MSMEs are considered as engine of
economic growth which are involved in promoting
equitable development.
37. Consignment of fibre & mineral rich "Jalgaon
Banana" was exported to Dubai on June 16, 2021,
marking a major boost to exports. Jalgaon Banana
is Geographical Indications (GI) certified
agricultural produce from Jalgaon district of
Maharashtra. Twenty-two metric tonnes of
Jalgaon banana were sourced from progressive
farmers of Tandalwadi village.
38. Google has extended card tokenization by
bringing in more banks for card on the Google
Pay app. Card tokenization is a feature which lets
users make debit or credit card payments through
a secure digital token which is attached to their
phone. It does not require to physically share
credit or debit card details.
39. According to Power and Renewable Energy
Minister R K Singh, a committee will be set up
comprising of members from all relevant
Ministries to implement Roadmap on Energy
Efficiency and low carbon technologies. This was
highlighted during a high-level meeting of
reviewing progress of several energy efficiency
programmes and preparedness for Climate Change
Actions in India.
40. India has extended a USD 100 million Line of
Credit to Sri Lanka to finance projects in solar
energy sector. Agreement was signed between Sri
Lankan government and Export-Import Bank of
India. This LOC will also ensure that Sri Lanka’s
70 percent power requirements are fulfilled by
renewable energy sources by 2030.
41. Union government has reduced tariff value for
import of edible oil including palm oil by USD
112 per tonne. This move will lead to reduction in
domestic prices. Central Board of Indirect Taxes
and Customs (CBIC) reduced the tariff import
value of crude palm oil by USD 86 per tonne.
42. Union Cabinet has approved the Inland
Vessels Bill, 2021, which will replace Inland
Vessels Act, 1917. As of now, total 4,000 km
inland waterways have been operationalized. Bill
will regulate safety, security and registration of
inland vessels. Bill provides for a unified law for
entire India instead of separate rules framed by
each States.
43. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cleared proposal
to takeover of Punjab and Maharashtra
Cooperatives Bank (PMC Bank) by a consortium
of non-bank lender Centrum Financial Services &
fintech startup BharatPe. It is a step-down
subsidiary of listed entity Centrum Capital which
provides credit to small and mid-sized companies
having asset of ₹2 lakh to ₹2 crore. Resilient
Innovations Pvt. Ltd, operating BharatPe, will also
be an equal partner in small finance bank.
44. Ministry of tourism has released three draft
strategies in order to boost tourism sector in
aftermath of covid-19 pandemic. Draft strategies
were put forward with roadmaps to promote India
as a rural and medical tourism destination. It seeks
to position India as a place for conferences,
meetings and exhibitions.
45. According to Minister for Road Transport &
Highways Nitin Gadkari, central government has
set target to reduce road accident deaths by 50%
by year 2024. This target was highlighted while
addressing virtual session on ‘Role of Corporates
in Arresting Road Fatalities’ which was organised
by FICCI.
46. Government is working towards linking
innovative agricultural technologies with farms to
benefit small and marginal farmers in northeast
India. It will primarily focus on women under
Biotech-KISAN programme. Department of
Biotechnology issued special call for Northeast
region under the programme which will help in
understanding local issues of farmers provide
scientific solutions to them.
47. Newly-elected Tamil Nadu government has
decided to constitute an "Economic advisory
council to the chief minister". Advisory council
will comprise of leading economic experts from
across the world as its members. On the basis of
recommendations of this council, government will
revitalise economy in the state and ensure that
benefits of economic growth reach all segments of
society.
48. Security and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
has reconstituted its Takeover Panel. The takeover
panel looks into application that seeks exemption
from mandatory open offer which as acquirer
needs to make to minority shareholders. N
Venkatram MD and CEO of Deloitte India has
been appointed as the new member of Takeover
Panel.
49. Central government is planning to make
production of vehicle with flex-fuel engines
mandatory for carmakers in India. This decision
was taken days after advancing cut-off date for
mixing 20 per cent ethanol in petrol from 2030 to
2025.
50. ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute
(CTCRI) have found CASSAVA as a raw material
for bioethanol production to meet Ethanol
Blending Petrol (EBP) programme target of 2025
by India. As a biofuel crop, cassava has several
advantages over sugarcane.
51. German agrochemicals major Bayer has
commercially launched first-ever yellow
watermelon variety called "Yellow Gold 48" in
India under Seminis brand. Yellow watermelon
has been developed from superior germplasm
under Bayer’s global research and development
efforts.
52. India has planned to tighten rules for e-
commerce marketplaces like Amazon and Flipkart
and has proposed several amendments to
Consumer Protection (E-commerce) Rules, 2020.
Amended rules propose to limit ‘flash sales’ of
goods and services by e-commerce companies.
53. As per recent study in Punjab, adoption of BT
cotton in Punjab has resulted in net economic and
environmental benefits. BT cotton is a genetically
modified organism (GMO) or genetically
modified pest resistant plant cotton variety. It
produces an insecticide to combat bollworm. BT
toxins are insecticidal to larvae of moths,
butterflies, cotton bollworms, beetles and flies.
54. Rubber Board has started field trial of world’s
first GM (genetically modified) rubber in the state
of Assam. GM Rubber was developed in
biotechnology laboratory at Rubber Research
Institute of India (RRII) in Puthuppally,
Kottayam. It was planted at Rubber board’s
Sarutari research farm in Guwahati.
55. Union Government is working on a ‘Green
Tariff Policy’ with the objective of reinforcing
India’s green energy credentials. Green Tariff
Policy will help electricity distribution companies
(DISCOMs) supply electricity generated from
clean energy projects at a cheaper rate as
compared to power from conventional fuel
sources such as coal.
56. Moody’s Investors Service has reduced India’s
growth forecast to 9.6 per cent for 2021 from the
earlier forecast of 13.9 per cent. According to it,
growth will restrict to 7 % in 2022. Growth
forecast was published in its report called
‘Macroeconomics India: Economic shocks from
second COVID wave will not be as severe as last
year’s’.
57. Cochin International Airport (CIAL) won
Airport Council International (ACI) Director
General’s Roll of Excellence honour in Airport
Service Quality. Airport Council International
(ACI) is a global body of airport operators which
established Roll of Excellence recognition to
airports.
58. Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) in
association with the National High-Speed Rail
Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL) has launched world’s
first exclusive Green rating system for High-
Speed Rail. NHSRCL is a tool to enable new
High-Speed Rail (HSR) stations which will apply
energy-efficient concepts during design and
construction.
59. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras
has launched a ‘Centre for Research on Start-Ups
and Risk Financing’ (CREST) which will provide
academic & thought leadership in innovation,
entrepreneurship and risk capital. CREST will
help in creating a data repository on Indian start-
ups and ventures.
60. Global rating agency, S&P, has cut India’s
growth forecast for fiscal year 2021-2022 to 9.5
per cent. Earlier, it was kept at 11 per cent. Rating
agency has warned of risk to the growth rate from
upcoming waves of COVID-19 pandemic.
61. Reliance Industry has announced to launch a
new clean energy factory to make solar
photovoltaic cells for next three years. Mukesh
Ambani will launch a Rs 75,000 crore investment
project. It will be launched to set up four ‘Giga’
factories in order to make solar photovoltaic cells,
green hydrogen, batteries and fuel cells for next
three years.
62. Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, interacted
with participants of Toycathon-2021 through
video conferencing. Union Ministers Piyush
Goyal and Sanjay Dhotre were also present in
conference. Participants also discussed their
games with PM Modi where, PM suggested more
ideas to developers to include it in their games.
63. National Skill Development Corporation
(NSDC) and WhatsApp has launched its Digital
Skill Champions Programme on June 24, 2021.
This programme was launched with the aim of
training Indian youth on digital skills in order to
make them employment ready.
64. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to
prescribe guidelines on distribution of dividend by
NBFCs in order to induce a greater transparency
and uniformity in practice. Guidelines will be
effective for the declaration of dividend from
profit for financial year 2021-2022 and onwards.
65. As per the latest data from Bank for
International Settlements (BIS), incremental credit
growth has decreased to 59-year low at 5.56% in
Financial Year 2021. As per data, bank credit-to-
GDP ratio has increased to a five-year high at
about 56% in 2020. However, this increase is way
behind its peers and is half of the G20 average.
66. Serbia market has opened its market for Indian
potatoes, onions, pomegranate, and pomegranate
arils. As per Agriculture and Processed Food
Export Development Authority (APEDA),
phytosanitary certificate is not required to export
pomegranate fruits arils and onion bulbs growing
in India.
67. Ministry of corporate affairs (MCA) has
expanded the definition of small and medium
sized companies (SMCs). As per expanded
definition, Small & Medium Companies is an
unlisted company, a bank, an insurance or a
financial institution with sales up to Rs 250 crore
and borrowings up to Rs 50 crore.
68. Government has decided to extend adoption of
electric vehicles ‘Faster Adoption and
Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India Phase
II (FAME Phase II)’ by 2 years. Date was
extended after the Department of Heavy Industries
increased demand incentive for electric two-
wheelers (e2W) from Rs 10,000/KWh to Rs
15,000/KWh.
69. As per Karnataka government, work on
‘Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project’ will start in
month of September 2021. Project is expected to
be completed by 2026. Project will be completed
at an estimated cost of Rs 15,767 crore. It is being
considered as India’s most integrated rail project.
70. A consignment of Dragon Fruit, was exported
to after sourcing it from farmers of Tadasar village
in Sangli District, Maharashtra. Dragon fruit is
also referred to as "Kamalam". They are grown
mostly in states including, Odisha, Karnataka,
Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, West Bengal,
Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Andaman &
Nicobar Islands.
71. Franklin Templeton (FT) has been given
interim relief from Securities Appellate Tribunal
(SAT) on June 28, 2021. SAT put stay on
Securities Exchange Board of India’s (SEBI)
order on FT that prevented it from launching new
debt scheme.
72. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
announce Rs 6.28 lakh crore stimulus package on
June 28, 2021 with the aim of boosting Covid-
affected sectors following the eight measures
proposed by Ministry of Finance.
73. Mastercard announced a strategic equity
investment in Instamojo on June 28, 2021.
Investments in India’s largest full-stack digital
solutions provider, Instamojo, is aimed at
empowering MSMEs and gig workers.
Empowerment will be done by providing easy to
use solutions which will help them to rapidly
digitize.
74. To harness the export potential of agricultural
& processed food products from north-eastern
states, fresh Burmese grapes shipment was
exported to Dubai from Guwahati. Burmese
grapes are referred as ‘Leteku’ in Assamese
language. Leteku is rich in vitamin C and Iron.
75. 15th edition of Global Peace Index (GPI) was
announced by Institute for Economics and Peace
(IEP) Sydney. GPI is world’s leading measure of
global peacefulness. Index ranks 163 independent
states and territories as per level of their
peacefulness. Report provides a comprehensive
Science & Technology
1. According to Dr. N K Arora, chairman of
Covid-19 working group under National
Technical Advisory Group on Immunization
(NTAGI), India may soon start testing feasibility
of mixing two different doses of Covid vaccines to
check whether it helps in boosting immune
response against virus or not.
2. Mumbai-based start-up, Indra water has
developed "Vajra Kavach Disinfection System"
which removes scourge of viral particles from
equipment used by Corona warriors front line
workers. Disinfection System removes any
possible traces of SARS-Cov-2 virus from
Personal Protective Equipment, coats, gloves, N95
masks and gowns.
3. Global cybersecurity firm, Sophos, published it
"the State of Ransomware 2021 report’. It finds,
68% of Indian organisations were by ransomware
in last 12 months. India is one among most
affected countries with respect to ransomware
attacks. India tops list of top 30 countries for
ransomware attacks.
4. New Zealand has become the latest country to
sign "space agreement with NASA" with the
objective of boosting nascent space industry of
New Zealand. New Zealand is the eleventh
signatory to Artemis Accords. Artemis Accords is
a blueprint for space cooperation and supporting
NASA’s plan to return humans to moon by 2024.
data-driven analysis on trends in peace, its
economic value and recommends on how to
develop peaceful societies.
76. India has cut import tax on crude palm oil
from 15 % to 10% for three months. This new
duty would be effective from June 30, 2021. India
is world’s biggest importer of vegetable oils. But
it has been struggling to bring down edible oils
prices. Thus, decision to reduce the import tax was
taken. After the tax reduction, palm oil imports
will account for 30.25% tax in total.
It also supports NASA’s plan of launching historic
human mission to Mars.
5. Microsoft has launched first ever "Asia Pacific
Public Sector Cyber Security Executive Council".
It was launched with the aim of building strong
communications channel to address cyber threats
and to share best practices among participating
countries.
6. CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-
NCL), Pune has launched a new technique called
SWASTIIK to disinfect water by using natural
oils. It was launched because, water-borne
diseases have increased India’s disease burden.
7. Two Russian cosmonauts, Oleg Novitsky and
Pyotr Dubrov, did spacewalk for more than 7
hours at International Space Station. They walked
outside to prepare for arrival of new Russian
Nauka Lab module, which has been delayed
several times due to technical issues.
8. First of its kind, real-time online map was
launched, by a team of 15 Doctors and 12
Professionals from the diaspora in US and India,
which shows available hospital beds in India with
real-time updates. This online map was launched
with the aim of providing critical and time-
sensitive information to anxious Covid-19
patients, as battle against second wave of
pandemic continues.
9. Trial of COVAXIN, a COVID-19 vaccine by
Bharat Biotech, on children below 18 years was
started at All India Institute of Medical Sciences
(AIIMS), Patna. Trail was started following a nod
given on May 11 by Drugs Controller General of
India (DCGI) to conduct clinical trials of Covaxin.
COVAXIN was approved by DCGI, for Phase
II/III clinical trials in age group of 2 to 18 years.
10. Forensic scientists at Central Forensic Science
Laboratory (CFSL) have developed an indigenous
chip-off technique which will help the
investigative agencies in producing credible
evidences against criminals in trial courts. This
technique will also help in retrieving encrypted
data from locked and severely damaged smart cell
phones.
11. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
Hyderabad has developed nano-fibre based oral
tablets of Amphotericin B, called as AmB. IIT
Hyderabad researchers decided to keep this
technology free of intellectual property rights and
is ready for technology transfer so that tablet can
be produced on mass level.
12. Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) of
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has
developed three types of cost-effective ventilators
and an oxygen concentrator. 3 ventilators have
been named as Prana, VaU and Svasta while
oxygen cylinder has been named as Shwaas.
13. MIT engineers have discovered a new way of
generating electricity using carbon nanotubes. A
new material made up of carbon nanotubes have
potential to generate electricity by collecting
energy from its environment. These micro carbon
particles can create current by interacting with
liquid around them.
14. Clinical trials of Chimeric Antigen Receptor
T-cell (CAR-T) therapy was conducted globally.
Therapy has emerged as a breakthrough in cancer
treatment. It has shown promising results on end
stage patients, especially in patients of Acute
Lymphocytic Leukemia.
15. Recently, in Yogyakarta city of Indonesia,
dengue fever cases have been cut by 77% through
a trial that manipulates the mosquitoes spreading
dengue. Scientists used mosquitoes infected with
"miraculous bacteria" and released across the
cities. These bacteria reduce insect’s ability to
spread dengue.
16. Alphabet’s Google is all set to build world’s
longest undersea cable connecting United States,
Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. This undersea
cable will boost internet connection capacity in
these regions. Undersea cable, called Firmina, will
run from East Coast of United States to Las
Toninas, Argentina along with additional landings
in Praia Grande, Brazil, and Punta del Este,
Uruguay.
17. Researchers from University of Ottawa
proposed a new optical element that could turn a
telescope into thin sheet of paper, or a much
smaller & lighter high-performance camera. This
idea can turn into reality by dramatically
miniaturizing optical devices.
18. E-commerce giant, Flipkart, has partnered
with Telangana government to lead "Medicines
from the Sky" project. Consortium has been
tasked with development and execution of drone
deliveries of medical supplies to remote areas
under the project. Under the consortium, Walmart-
owned Flipkart will deploy drones and will enable
deliveries of vaccines & medical supplies.
19. According to member of NITI Aayog, Dr VK
Paul, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
will start 4th national Covid-19 serosurvey. He
also urged states to roll out their own sero
surveillances in order to assess spread of covid-19
pandemic. This will be the fourth serosurvey
conducted by ICMR.
20. European Space Agency (ESA) has announced
about its probe called ‘EnVision’ to study Venus,
after American Space agency NASA decided to
send two missions to the planet. EnVision will be
the next orbiter to circle over Venus. It will
provide a holistic view of planet from its inner
core to upper atmosphere.
21. During the curtain raiser event for 7th
International Day of Yoga (IDY) on June 11,
2021, a mobile application called "Namaste Yoga"
was launched. This app in devoted to Yoga. Event
was organised by Ministry of Ayush in association
with Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga
(MDNIY).
22. A Pune-based start-up firm, Thincr
Technologies India Private Limited, has
developed an 3D-printed Masks coated with anti-
viral agents called virucides. Firm has integrated
3D printing and pharmaceuticals to produce a
novel type of mask which attacks virus when viral
particles come in contact with it.
23. Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar has
developed a device ‘Jivan Vayu’ as a substitute
for CPAP (Continuous positive airway pressure)
machine. This device functions even without
electricity. It is adapted to both kinds of oxygen
generation units namely, O2 cylinders and oxygen
pipelines in hospitals.
24. Scientists have created first-ever 3D map of
boundary between our solar system and
interstellar space called Heliosphere. 3D map was
created using data from NASA’s IBEX satellite.
Boundary of heliosphere has been mapped for the
first time. It will provide for scientists to
understand how solar and interstellar winds
interact.
25. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launch mYoga
app on the occasion of international day of Yoga
and gave the mantra of "Yog se Sahyog Tak".
This app is a great example of fusion of modern
technology & ancient science. mYoga App was
launched to provide yoga training videos which
will be available across the world in different
languages.
26. Recently, scientists conducted experiments on
monoclonal antibody cocktail named REGEN-
COV2. Antibody has been found to be life-saving
treatment for severely affected Covid-19 patients.
Monoclonal antibodies are artificial antibodies
that perform the activity of our immune systems.
They are produced by extracting specific
antibodies from human blood and then cloning
them.
27. As per the recommendations of a 13-member
expert committee headed by cardiologist Devi
Prasad Shetty, detection of COVID-19 can be
done through throat gargle for children.
Committee, set up by state government to assist in
controlling the potential third wave, submitted its
interim report which highlights that, throat gargle
samples can be used to detect COVID-19
infection among children aged 6-14.
28. NASA’s experimental Mars helicopter called
Ingenuity undertook its 8th flight on Red Planet.
Most recent flight was made by Ingenuity to Mars
was on June 21, 2021. During the flight, Ingenuity
remained aloft for 77.4 seconds.
29. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras
has launched a ‘Centre for Research on Start-Ups
and Risk Financing’ (CREST) which will provide
academic & thought leadership in innovation,
entrepreneurship and risk capital. CREST will
help in creating a data repository on Indian start-
ups and ventures.
30. Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) has
launched a centralized web-based workflow-based
IT platform called "e-PGS". LIC launched this
platform for its group business operations. Project
e-PGS was inaugurated by M R Kumar, Chairman
of LIC, at Central Office, Mumbai.
31. India has decided to make CoWIN platform an
open source for other countries in order to enable
them to use this technology to run their own
vaccination drives. Countries including Vietnam,
Iraq, Peru, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Panama,
Nigeria, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates and
Uganda have expressed their interest in learning
about CoWIN technology to run their vaccination
programmes.
32. A recent study finds that, Nano-decoys can
bind to and neutralize SARS-CoV-2 viruses.
Nano-decoys are made from human lung spheroid
cells (LSCs). It promotes viral clearance and
reduce lung injury in macaque model of COVID-
19. Nano-decoy therapy could be effective against
emerging variants of coronavirus by mimicking
the receptor that coronavirus binds to rather than
targeting it.
33. Minister of State for Education, Shri Sanjay
Dhotre, launched a Rapid Antigen Test kit for
COVID-19. It was developed by IIT Delhi. RAT
kit has been developed by IIT Delhi researchers
led by Dr. Harpal Singh. He is a professor at
Centre for Biomedical Engineering of IIT Delhi.
34. Union Minister for Law & Justice,
Communications and Electronics & IT, Shri Ravi
Shankar Prasad, launched a e-filing portal of
Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) called ‘itat
e-dwar’ on June 25, 2021. While launching the
portal, Minister highlighted the power of Digital
India.
35. European Space Agency is set to hire and
launch world’s first physically disabled astronaut.
It is going to be 22-member space programme for
Government Schemes
1. According to Union Government, about 7.63
million salaried workers have used their
retirement savings to deal with covid-19 crisis
since 2020. Back then, centre had allowed EPF
subscribers to withdraw more money from their
Employees’ Provident Fund corpus so that they
can deal with hardships and income loss.
2. Union Cabinet has approved "Model Tenancy
Act" for circulation to all States and Union
Territories for adaptation by enacting fresh
legislation or amending existing rental laws as
required. Approved act will help in rebuilding
legal framework on rental housing in India which
in turn boost overall growth.
3. Union Health Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan,
launched revamped health schemes and has
digitized the versions of Flagship Health Schemes.
Schemes were launched on IT platform of
National Health Authority (NHA).
4. India launched a global Initiative ‘Mission
Innovation CleanTech Exchange’ with the aim of
creating a network of incubators in member
countries to boost clean energy innovation.
Mission was launched virtually at "Innovating to
Net Zero Summit, 2021″ organised by Chile.
5. Social Justice and Empowerment Minister,
Thaawar chand Gehlot, will launch Senior care
which decennial recruitment call for astronauts. It
received 22,000 applicants. Space mission will
ESA’s 7-billion-euro budget mission and is a third
of NASA’s. Seven or eight launches in a year are
dwarfed by 40 launches by United States.
36. Government has allowed private companies to
establish & operate rocket launch sites within and
outside the country. However, it is subject to prior
authorisation from government. Draft National
Space Transportation Policy-2020 which was put
forward by the Department of Space and IN-
SPACe is the nodal agency responsible for overall
approval.
Ageing Growth Engine or SAGE project on June
4, 2021. SAGE project will be launched to select,
support and create "one-stop access" of elderly
care products and services provided by credible
start-ups.
6. Kerala government has launched ‘Knowledge
Economy Mission’ to boost job prospects in the
state by supporting knowledge workers. Initiative
was announced in State Budget on June 4. It was
being spearheaded by Kerala Development and
Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC) and they
will submit a comprehensive project report before
July 15.
7. Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, RK Mathur,
launched the YounTab scheme for students. Under
the scheme, about 12,300 tablets were distributed
among them in Leh. It is an initiative of
Department of School Education. It was launched
with the technical support of Information
Technology Department.
8. Chief Minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal
Khattar, announced to create 80 acres of ‘Oxi-van’
(a forest) in Karnal district. It was announced on
the occasion of World Environment Day on June
5, 2021. Oxi-van will consist of 10 types of
forests.
9. Union education minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal
‘Nishank’, approved guidelines to develop e-
content for children with disabilities with the
objectives of promoting inclusive education. PM
e-Vidya programme was launched by finance
minister Nirmala Sitharaman on May 17, 2020 as
a COVID-19 relief measures. Under the
programme, expert committee has made detailed
recommendations on creating accessible special e-
content for Divyang, or children with disabilities.
10. NITI Aayog and Piramal Foundation launched
‘Surakshit Hum Surakshit Tum Abhiyaan’ to
provide home-care support to asymptomatic
covid-19 patients or patients with mild symptoms.
This campaign was launched in 112 Aspirational
Districts to assist district administrations in
providing home-care support to COVID-19
patients.
11. During 54th meeting of Central Sanctioning
and Monitoring Committee (CSMS), central
government has approval 708 proposals for
construction of 3.61 lakh houses under Pradhan
Mantri Awas Yojana- Urban (PMAY-U). Meeting
was attended by 13 States and UTs. So far, 96067
crores of funds have been released.
12. Central government has asked states and union
territories to include UDID (Unique Disability
Identification) card as identity proof while
registering on Co-WIN 2.0 platform. It will ensure
a smooth and effective Covid-19 vaccination
drive. UDID was allowed with the aim of helping
disabled persons to access Covid-19 vaccination.
13. Education ministry has developed an online
module to compile data on out-of-school children.
Ministry has also asked states and union territories
to upload a quarterly progress report. Under this
online module, data on out-of-school children
should be mapped with special training centres
(STCs) of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan.
14. Office of Principal Scientific Adviser to
Government has initiated "Project O2 for India"
with the aim of ensuring supply of critical raw
materials like zeolites, Manufacturing of
compressors and setting up of small oxygen
plants. This project was initiated in aftermath of
second wave of COVID-19 which witnessed an
increase in demand for medical oxygen across the
country.
15. India has started "Extension of Hospitals"
project in several states to bridge the gap in major
health infrastructure to fight against Covid-19 in
India. Project will run especially in rural areas and
smaller towns. Modular hospitals are an extension
of hospital infrastructure.
16. Union Cabinet has approved ‘Deep Ocean
Mission’ proposed by Ministry of Earth Sciences
to conduct study on biodiversity, impact of
climate change and to establish an offshore marine
station in order to explore source of thermal
energy. Mission will explore Deep Ocean for
resources and help in development of deep-sea
technologies for sustainable use of ocean
resources.
17. Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment
Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot inaugurated 14 Cross-
Disability Early Intervention Centers at 7 National
Institutes and 7 Composite Regional Centers
(CRCs).
18. Quality Council of India (QCI) and
Association of Indian Manufacturers of Medical
Devices (AiMeD) have launched "Indian
Certification of Medical Devices Plus (ICMED)
Scheme". ICMED scheme added further features
to the ICMED Scheme that was launched in 2016
for Certification of Medical Devices.
19. Government is working towards linking
innovative agricultural technologies with farms to
benefit small and marginal farmers in northeast
India. It will primarily focus on women under
Biotech-KISAN programme. Department of
Biotechnology issued special call for Northeast
region under the programme which will help in
understanding local issues of farmers & provide
scientific solutions to them.
20. Union minister for Social Justice &
Empowerment, Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot,
announced to set up "Divyangta Khel Kendras"
across the country to work towards interest of
Divyangjans in sports and their good performance
in Paralympics. First such kendra would be open
in Ahmedabad City. This announcement was
made while virtually addressing ‘Samajik
Adhikarita Shivir’ in Gujarat.
21. Tribal Affairs Ministry and NCERT (National
Council of Educational Research and Training)
have joined hands with the objective of fulfilling
vision of ministry to achieve academic excellence
in Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs).
Partnership also aims to achieve excellence among
120 EMRS teachers and principals of 3 states
which completed 40 days NISHTHA programme.
22. Assam government has signed a Memorandum
of Understanding (MoU) with Survey of India to
implement Svamitva scheme in the state.
Svamitva scheme aims to provide an integrated
property validation solution in rural areas. Scheme
will be implemented by Union Ministry of
Panchayati Raj, and Assam Government’s
Department of Revenue and Disaster Management
with the support of Panchayat and Rural
Development.
23. Delhi government has launched
"Mukhyamantri COVID-19 Pariwar Aarthik
Sahayata Yojana" to provide financial assistance
to the families who lost a member due to Covid-
19 pandemic. According to notification by Social
Welfare Department, Rs 50,000 ex-gratia will be
provided to every family that has lost a member
amid pandemic.
24. Chief Minister of Gujarat, Vijay Rupani, e-
launched Agricultural Diversification Scheme-
2021 which will benefit vanbandhu- farmers in
tribal areas. It seeks to make agriculture
sustainable and profitable in tribal areas. Scheme
will benefit some 1.26 lakh farmers from 14 tribal
districts of the state.
25. Department of Women & Child Development
in Kerala has decided to expand Kaval Plus
programme to five districts, after the success of
this pilot project in two districts of Kerala. It is an
ambitious programme to lend holistic support to
children in need of care & protection and to the
survivors of sexual abuse.
26. According to Education Minister of Andhra
Pradesh, Adimulapu Suresh, International Bank
for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) has
sanctioned funds of Rs 1,860 crore to
implementation of SALT programme. SALT
programme stands for "Supporting Andhra’s
Learning Transformation" programme.
27. Central government, state government of
Mizoram and the World Bank signed a loan
agreement of worth $32 million. Loan agreement
was signed for Mizoram Health Systems
Strengthening Project. It will improve
management capacity and quality of health
services in Mizoram.
28. West Bengal Cabinet approved the "Student
Credit Card scheme" on June 24, 2021. Trinamool
Congress had promised to launch this scheme in
its election manifesto. This scheme will be
implemented and launched on June 30, 2021.
Under the scheme, student can get a soft loan of
up to ₹10 lakh with the help of credit card to
enroll into higher studies.
29. Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
(MoHUA) organised an online event on June 25,
2021 to commemorate 6 years of launch of three
Urban Missions namely Smart Cities Mission,
AMRUT and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-
Urban. These schemes were launched by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on June 25 in 2015.
 Awards & Honours
1. On the line of Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards,
Assam cabinet has decided to institute Asom
Ratna Award. Asom Ratna Award award will be
presented every year to one person for his
significant contribution to society. Cabinet also
decided to constitute Asom Bibhushan, Assam
Bhushan Award and Asom Shree award which
will be conferred every year to three people, five
people and ten people, respectively.
2. Union government has appointed Anup
Chandra Pandey, as Election Commissioner. He is
a retired IAS officer if 1984 batch from Uttar
Pradesh cadre. He will serve the office for around
three years and will retire in February 2024. He
has been appointed to position after retirement of
former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil
Arora.
3. Pulitzer Prize 2021 was recently conferred
recently. Megha Rajagopalan, an Indian-origin
journalist, has won this top journalism award of
USA on June 11, 2021. Megha won the prize
along with two contributors. She has won Prize
for innovative investigative reports exposing
infrastructure of prisons and mass internment
camps which were built secretly by China and
detained Muslims in Xinjiang region.
4. On June 12, 2021 Google Doodle celebrated
Italian astrophysicist and scientific disseminator
Margherita Hack using an animated graphic on
her 99th birth anniversary. The doodle shows
Sport
1. Naomi Osaka, announced her withdrawal from
Roland Garros 2021, after she was fined by
French Open. French open fined her $15,000 and
warned that she could face expulsion from
tournament because she decided not to speak with
press during tournament.
2. 36 years old Indian football, Sunil Chhetri, has
surpassed Argentina’s Lionel Messi and has
"Hack sitting on her chair and looking into her
telescope".
5. Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata who was the founder
of Tata Group, has emerged as the topper of the
list of EdelGive Hurun Philanthropists of Century.
An estimated donation of $102.4 billion was in
health and education sector. Total philanthropic
value of Tata is made up of 66 percent of Tata
Sons which is estimated at $100 billion.
6. Cochin International Airport (CIAL) won
Airport Council International (ACI) Director
General’s Roll of Excellence honour in Airport
Service Quality. Airport Council International
(ACI) is a global body of airport operators which
established Roll of Excellence recognition to
airports.
7. Smart City Awards 2020 was announced under
the ‘Smart Cities Mission’ on June 25. Uttar
Pradesh was ranked as top performing state under
India Smart Cities Award Contest 2020. Madhya
Pradesh came second while Tamil Nadu at third
position. Surat and Indore won best award for
their overall performance in 2020.
8. Noted journalist, P. Sainath, was selected as one
of the three recipients of Fukuoka Prize 2021.
Sainath will receive ‘Grand Prize’ of Fukuoka
Prize. Academic Prize will go to Prof. Kishimoto
Mio of Japan. Prize for Arts & Culture will be
given to filmmaker Prabda Yoon of Thailand.
become second-highest active international goal-
scorer with 74 strikes. Chhetri now leads
Barcelona star Messi by two goals and is placed
above Ali Mabkhout of UAE, who is at third place
with 73 strikes. He achieved this feat against
Bangladesh in joint preliminary qualifying round
match for 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC
Asian Cup.
3. Novak Djokovic has won his 19th Grand Slam
title in French open 2021 in Men’s single category
at Roland Garros in Paris. He won this title after
coming back from 2 sets down against 5th seed
Stefanos Tsitsipas. Djokovic won the title winning
Grand Slam final debutant by 6-7 (6), 2-6, 6-3, 6-
2, 6-4.
4. Indian Athlete Milkha Singh passed away at the
age of 91 due to Covid-19 related complications
on June 18, 2021. Captain Milkha Singh, known
as The Flying Sikh, was an Indian track and field
sprinter. He was introduced to sport while serving
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the Indian Army. He is the only athlete who won
gold in 400 metres race at Asian Games &
Commonwealth Games.He was conferred India’s
fourth-highest civilian honour, Padma Shri for his
sporting achievements.
5. New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) has
selected weightlifter Laurel Hubbard to contest
women’s +87 kg category. Weightlifter will be the
first transgender athlete to compete at Olympics.
43-year-old weightlifter had competed in men’s
weightlifting competitions before gender
transition in 2013.