Gktoday June 2020

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GKTODAY
Current Affairs [PDF] - June 1-24, 2020
Last Updated: June 24, 2020
: ननन नन
न
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Contents
June 1, 2020
1. SpaceX: First Private Space Company to send NASA astronauts to space
2. Jal Jeevan Mission: Funds allocated to Assam and Bihar
3. Unlock 1.0; Lock Down 5.0 begins in India
4. New Asteroid discovered near Jupiter
5. PM Modi launches “My Life My Yoga”
6. Scorpaenospsis neglecta: Rare fish found in Gulf of Mannar
7. China objects the presence of US THAAD missile in South Korea
8. GoI discontinues 7.75% savings bonds
9. What is “George Floyd” protest in news currently?
10. Rohit Sharma nominated for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award
11. June 1: World Milk Day
12. Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Kendra: Sales up to Rs 100 crores
13. NITI Aayog organizes Convention to boost Natural Farming
14. One Nation One Card Scheme: Three more States included
June 2, 2020
15. “Ultra Swachh” Booth developed by DRDO to disinfect PPEs
16. GoI launches PM SVANidhi scheme
17. Technology Platform called CHAMPIONS launched by PM Modi
18. GoI increases Minimum Support Price of 14 Kharif crops
19. Real Time Electricity Market launched by Indian Energy Exchange
20. Union Cabinet approves change of definition of MSMEs
21. Telangana celebrates Statehood Day
22. Khel Ratna Award: India Women’s Team Captain Rani Rampal recommended
23. GoI launches three new schemes to boost Electronics sector
24. Khelo India Community Coach Development Programme
25. Loans worth Rs 3,200 crores sanctioned under Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan
26. WHO launches COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP)
27. GoI launches Kisan Credit Card scheme for Dairy Farmers
June 3, 2020
28. “Delhi Corona” App launched by Delhi Government
29. Arunachal Pradesh to provide Tap connection to all by March 2023
30. GoI to formulate new STIP (Science, Technology and Innovation) policy
31. June 3: World Bicycle Day
32. Bimal Julka Committee on Rationalization of Film Media units
33. June 2: International Sex Workers Day
34. G7 summit postponed; To be expanded as G10 or G11
35. Make in India: Ministry of Defence places indents to boost
36. Union Cabinet approves farmer friendly Essential Commodities Act
37. Cabinet Approval: Kolkata Port Trust renamed to Shyama Prasad Mukerjee Port Trust
38. DPIIT revises Public Procurement Order to encourage Make in India
39. Union Cabinet approved MoUs signed between India and Bhutan
40. India to hold first ever virtual bilateral summit with Australia
41. Central Employment Guarantee Council Meet chaired by Rural Development Minister
June 4, 2020
42. SWADES Initiative: Skill Mapping programme for Indians returning from Abroad
43. GoI: 10 Sectors identified to cut imports
44. Global Economic Prospects Report, 2020 by World Bank
45. June 4: International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression
46. Cabinet Approves to form Empowered Group of Secretaries
47. Union Cabinet approves re-establishment of Pharmacopoeia Commission
48. Kohala Hydro Power Project
49. WHO resumes Hydroxychloroquine Study
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50. India joins virtual Global Vaccine Summit
51. World Economic Forum to hold Twin Summit
52. TULIP internship programme
53. India-Australia sign landmark Defence Agreements
54. June 5: World Environment Day
June 5, 2020
55. Amery Ice Shelf: Increase by 24% by 2021
56. DRDO develops SUMERU PACS
57. Annual Report of Periodic Labour Force Supply
58. Magnetic Field of Solar Corona unveiled
59. Arsenicum Album: Homeopathic drug recommended by AYUSH Ministry
60. Oil Spill in the Arctic region of Russia
61. June 5: International Day for the Fight Against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing
62. GAVI Alliance: India pledges 15 million USD
63. Green Field Expressway Project
64. Nagar Van Scheme
65. RBI creates Payment Infrastructure Development Fund
66. India to host AFC Women’s Cup
67. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw: EY World Entrepreneur of the year
68. Campaign launched on Prevention of Human and Animal Mortality on Highways
69. India announces its priorities for UNSC
June 6, 2020
70. GoI: No New Schemes for a year
71. “#iCommit” Initiative launched by Power Ministry
72. Line of Actual Control: ITBP sanctions twin commands
73. Atal Innovation Mission: To promote Entrepreneurship
74. June 6: Russian Language Day
75. Ministry of Urban Affairs releases advisories on Waste Management
76. CeNS: Low cost Catalyst for Hydrogen Generation
77. To Change India’s Name to Bharat
78. India-China Dispute: Pangong Lake
79. Facts Box: Spandan Campaign of Chhattisgarh
80. June 7: World Food Safety Day
81. G20 countries pledge 21 billion USD to fight COVID-19
June 8, 2020
82. June 8: World Oceans Day
83. Jaya Jaitly Task Force Constituted
84. Environment Performance Index: India ranks 168
85. Scientists of ARCI develop rare earth based Magnetocaloric material
86. India first in world to make internet-controlled Robot
87. GoI: Public procurement Norms modified
88. Javed Akhtar: First Indian to receive Richard Dawkins Award
89. Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China
90. State of India’s Environment Report
91. Indian PMO secretaries to hold key positions in WTO, World Bank
92. Jharkhand approves Border Road Organization to recruit 11,800 workers
93. Mission Sagar: INS Kesari reaches Seychelles
94. Gairsain declared Summer Capital of Uttarakhand
95. ISRO signs Memorandum of Understanding
96. India’s first Online Waste Exchange launched
June 9, 2020
97. ARPIT: Airborne Rescue Pod for Isolated Transportation by Indian Air Force
98. India-Denmark sign MoUs
99. ARCI develop Ultra Violet based disinfection cabinet
100. Delhi: LG over rules CM’s order
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101. Different Colour bands for BS VI vehicles
102. India to set up Coal Exchange
103. Highest Allocation to MGNREGA
104. World Bank Report
105. GoI facilitates filling of NIL GST Return through SMS
106. COVID BEEP
107. 18th Bench of CAT in UTs of Ladakh and J&K
108. Periodic Labour Force Survey: Decline in Self-Employed households
109. ANANYA: Disinfectant Spray developed by Defence Institute
June 10, 2020

110. First virtual Trade Fair of India
111. Assam Baghjan Oil Well Fire
112. China’s New Record: Reaches Deepest point on the earth
113. Asia’s Nobel Prize-Ramon Magsaysay Awards cancelled
114. Saturn Moon Titan: Drifting faster than before
115. Mumbai: 60th most Expensive in the world
116. GoI to boost Saffron and Heeng Production
117. Annual Report of Environment Ministry
118. Uttarakhand opens Biodiversity Park
119. Ayushman Bharat: Migrant Workers to get insurance
120. Per Drop More Crop: Rs 4,000 crore allocated
121. FSSAI Food Safety Index
June 11, 2020

122. June 9: World Accreditation Day
123. Rationalization of Coal Linkage Scheme
124. Operation Desert Chase
125. June 9: Coral Triangle Day
126. Asiatic Lion population increased
127. Forex Reserves of India are rising
128. RBI releases Framework for sale of Loan Exposure and Securitization of Standard Assets
129. Haryana: 1,000 Water Recharge Bores to be constructed
130. NIRF Ranking
131. Bharatmala Pariyojana delayed
132. June 12: World Day against Child Labour
133. Guidelines for Import of Exotic Species
June 12, 2020

134. India-ASEAN Youth Dialogue
135. International Religious Freedom Report
136. Nature Index
137. Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle at Vizag
138. Enhanced Import Duty on Bamboo Sticks
139. Police Use of Facial Recognition banned by Amazon
140. SAUNI Scheme: Third Phase launched
141. Jagananna Chedodu Scheme launched
142. Panchvati Yojana launched
143. FIFA Ranking: India retains 108th rank
144. GST Council meet
145. NHAI: First Construction Sector to become digital completely
146. Dr Rattan Lal: Indian born American Scientist wins World Food Prize
147. Shahakar Mitra Scheme launched
June 13, 2020

148. What is iFLOWS?
149. Veteran Poet Gulzar Dehlvi passed away after recovering from COVID-19
150. Uttar Pradesh: TrueNat machines to test COVID-19 in 75 districts
151. Railway Stations to be classified on Waste Water Output
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152. Challenger Deep
153. RBI sets up P K Mohanty Panel to Review Ownership of Private Banks
154. Rs 14,690 Crore disbursed under Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme
155. Deforestation of Amazon Forest: Highest in 5 years
156. ‘GermiKlean’: Developed by DRDO to sanitise uniforms of police and security personnel
157. IIT Kharagpur: AI Based Social-Distancing Monitor
158. Panel formed by Delhi LG to advise Delhi Disaster Management Authority
159. “Ghar Ghar Nigrani”: Mobile Application launched by Punjab Government
160. COVID-19 and Child Labour Report by the United Nations
161. Jammu and Kashmir launch Poultry Policy 2020
162. June 13: International Albinism Awareness Day
June 14, 2020

163. June 14: World Blood Donor Day
June 15, 2020

164. Actor Sushant Singh Rajput dies
165. June 15: World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
166. “Arogya Path”: Portal to provide health care supply updates launched
167. Asian Championship Winner Gomathi Marimuthu stripped off Medal
168. M B Lal Committee
169. Indian Gaurs facing Mutation
170. Remdesivir now a part of COVID-19 therapy in new health protocol
171. NIPER institutes at the NIRF rankings
172. Captain Arjun: The Robot launched by Railway Protection Force
173. Advisory Panel on Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) reconstituted
174. 500-year old Temple submerged in Mahanadi found
175. India’s first infectious disease Diagnostic Lab
176. Russia-India-China Trilateral Conference
177. India’s first gas trading platform launched
June 16, 2020

178. Rapid Antigen Test Kits recommended
179. SIPRI Yearbook: Nuclear Weapons of India and China increases
180. India joins Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence
181. June 16: International Day of Family Remittances
182. ADIP scheme: First Distribution of Assistive aids to Divyangjan
183. Van Dhan Yojana: Expanded from 18,000 Van Dhan SHGs to 50,000
184. Fifth State of Matter observed by NASA scientists
185. COVID-19: Fifth Recession of India
186. World Investment Report released by UNCTAD
187. June 17: World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
188. India-Nepal sign MoU
189. First Time India sends tri-services contingent to Russia’s Victory Day Parade
190. Institute for Management Development releases World Competitive Index
June 17, 2020

191. Shramik Trains generated Rs 360 crores revenue
192. GoI Report: Average Temperature in India to raise by 4.4 degree Celsius
193. SC issues Notice over health insurance for Mental Illness
194. High Court seeks EIA on Lonar lake colour change
195. 750 million USD loan approved by AIIB to India
196. India to supply Pneumonia Vaccine to low-income nations
197. GoI establishes Khelo India State Centres of Excellence
198. India-China clash at Galwan Valley
199. Solar Eclipse in India
200. Largest COVID-19 facility in Delhi
201. Arunachal Pradesh: New Fish Species Discovered
202. KVIC taps Indian Palm Industry
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203. National Employment Policy
204. IM Vijayan recommended for Padmashri
June 19, 2020

205. 25 Schemes will be brought together under Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan
206. COVID Testing I-Lab created by the DBT- AMTZ COMManD Consortia flagged off by Union Minister for
Health & Family Welfare
207. Urgent Procurement of 21 MiG 29s, 12 Su 30s following Border Tensions
208. India will be UNSC President for August 2021
209. Armed Forces of India and China to take part at Moscow Military Parade on 24th June 2020
210. MoU for providing Special Micro-Credit Facility for Street Vendors signed
211. Supreme Court Calls for Uniformity in Fees for Covid-19 Testing
212. RIL becomes first Indian Company to be valued at USD 150 Billion
213. Low Cost Covid-19 Diagnostic Kits developed by IIT Guwahati
214. SATYABHAMA Portal for AtmaNirbhar Bharat in Mining and Mineral Sector launched
June 20, 2020

215. First Installment of Highest Ever Rs 60,750 Crore Grant to RLBs Released
216. 20th June: World Refugee Day
217. WHO warns about a New and Dangerous phase of COVID-19
218. Kharif Crops Sowing Area Increases Significantly as Compared to Last Year
219. ICMR approves User-Friendly PPEs ‘NavRakshak’
220. RBI extends restrictions on PMC Bank, eases Withdrawal Limit
221. 5 Day Constitutional Quarantine now Mandatory for COVID-19 Positive Patients in New Delhi
222. Stegodon Fossil discovered from Saharanpur estimated to be 5 to 8 Million Years Old
223. 68 Million Years Old Egg discovered from Antarctica
224. India Ideas Summit 2020 on 21st & 22nd July
225. CIL partners with AIM to boost Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiatives
226. USD 1.05 Billion Approved by World Bank for 3 Projects in Bangladesh
227. 42 Crore Citizens received Financial Aid of Rs 65,454 Crore under PMGKP
June 21, 2020

228. 21st June: International Yoga Day
229. 21st June: World Hydrography Day
230. India’s First Oral Vaccine for Moderate COVID-19 Cases gets Approval
June 22, 2020

231. FM radio stations in Nepal starts Weather Bulletins of Indian Territories
232. Large Scale Phishing Attack using COVID-19 as Bait alerts CERT-In
233. Hetero’s injectable ‘Covifor’ gets DCGI approval for COVID-19 Treatment
234. No Ambubachi Mela at Kamakhya Temple for the first time in Recorded History
235. Tripura Government to start ‘Play Little, Study Little’ Scheme from 25th June
236. Job Gaurantee Scheme for Urban Poor to be launched by Jharkhand Government
237. MCL prepares Rs 60,000 Crores Investment Plan in Odisha
238. Emergency Funds to Armed Forces of Rs. 500 Crore, Specialised Mountain Forces deployed at LAC
239. China plans to Establish National Security Bureau in Hong Kong
240. India becomes 12th Largest Holder of US Government Securities at April 2020 end
241. Project ‘Decarbonising Transport in India’ will be launched on 24th June
242. Cipla’s ‘Cipremi’ gets approval for Treatment of COVID-19 Patients in India
June 23, 2020

243. U.S. Temporarily Suspends ‘Green Cards & Non-Migrant Work Visas’ till 31st December 2020
244. 23rd June: United Nations Public Service Day
245. Healthcare & Hygiene EXPO 2020- India’s first-ever Largest Virtual Exhibition
246. 23rd June: International Olympic Day
247. Rs 2000 Crore from PM CARES Fund allocated for 50,000 Made-in-India Ventilators
248. Bill to Rename ‘Tonoshiro’ to ‘Tonoshiro Senkaku’ triggered tensions between Japan and China
249. Last Satellite of China’s BeiDou Satellite System 3 (BDS-3) Launched
250. U.S. Russia talks on new Nuclear Disarmament Treaty begins without China
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251. Rajasthan Government to launch ‘Indira Rasoi Yojna’
252. Financial Assistance of Rs 4957 Crore provided to 17.5 Million Building & Other Construction Workers
253. President Aleksandar Vucic’s SNS-led Coalition registers landslide win in 2020 Parliamentary Election
254. China has decided to join the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)
June 24, 2020

255. HRD Minister launches ‘YUKTI 2.0’ Platform
256. RIC: Russia Backs India for Permanent UN Security Council Seat, FM reminds China to Respect
International Laws
257. India calls for 50% Staff Reduction after Pakistan violates Vienna Convention
258. Indigenously Developed ULV Sprayer successfully completed Trials for Locust Control
259. President Halimah Yacob dissolves Parliament, 2020 Singapore General Election will be held on 10th July
260. Reliance JioTV & Haryana Government Signs Agreement to benefit 5.2 Million School Children
261. Foundation Stone Laid for the First Hindu Temple in Pakistan’s Capital
262. Cabinet Approves Ordinance to bring UCBs and MSCBs under RBI supervision
263. Union Cabinet Approves Private Sector Participation in Space Activities
264. Devika and Puneja Bridges Inaugurated in Jammu & Kashmir
265. Scheme with Guarantee Cover worth Rs 20,000 Crore launched for MSMEs
266. Decisions taken by the Union Cabinet on 24th June to Boost Infrastructure Projects
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June 1, 2020
_____________________________________________________________________________
1. SpaceX: First Private Space Company to send NASA astronauts to

space
The SpaceX has become the first private rocket company to send astronauts to space.
The company sent Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to space initiating a new business
model for NASA.
1. Highlights
According to the US Government, the mission will end the reliance of NASA on Russian
space rockets.
2. Why is a private Space Company hired?

NASA had plans to hand over the transport of crew to the space since 2000s. This
decision came up after the Columbia Space Shuttle broke up while returning to the earth
in 2003. In order to make space programmes such as transfer of crew and food to the
International Space Station affordable; the step has been taken.
3. SpaceX
SpaceX was the first private company in the world to return rockets back to the earth.
Usually the rockets burn away after putting the satellites on their orbit or simply get
thrown away to the space adding up space debris.
4. The US-Russia Factor

NASA has been paying millions of dollars to Russia to launch its astronauts. This is the
first launch of humans by the US in the decade.
5. Crew Dragon
The Spacecraft that is transporting the Astronauts to the International Space Station
(ISS) is called Crew Dragon. The Crew Dragon is capable of carrying seven passengers.
The Crew Dragon will return the astronauts after their tasks associated with the ISS is
complete. The Crew Dragon is to parachute down into the Atlantic Ocean.
6. Starman Suits
The Suits worn by the astronauts are called the Starman suits. They are designed only to
be worn inside Crew Dragon and are not meant for spacewalks.
2. Jal Jeevan Mission: Funds allocated to Assam and Bihar
The Central Government has allocated Rs 1,832 crores to Bihar and Rs 1,407 crores to
Assam under Jal Jeevan Mission.
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1. Assam
In Assam, the Jal Jeevan mission aims to provide tap connections to over 13 lakh rural
households by 2020-21. The state aims weaker and marginalized sections on priority
basis. Village Action Plans have been framed with active participation of the rural
community.
2. Bihar
With the help of funds allocated, the Bihar Government will offer tap connections to
more than 50 lakh households. The Government is focusing on aspirational districts and
SC ST villages.
3. Jal Jeevan Mission

The Mission aims to supply 55 litres of water to all rural household by 2024. The mission
will create necessary infrastructure such as ground water recharge, rainwater harvest
and management of household waste water for reuse.
3. Unlock 1.0; Lock Down 5.0 begins in India
India is now seventh worst hit country in the world with more than 1,82,143 cases of
COVID-19. In the battle against the virus, India enters into fifth lock down or first unlock
on June 1, 2020. This is to remain in order till June 30, 2020.
1. Highlights
The Ministry of Home Affairs has provided the guidelines for unlock 1.0. Under the
guidelines, the Centre has extended lock down to all the containment zones. In rest of
the zones, almost all the social facilities are to be open.
2. Containment Zones
In the zones declared to be contained, there will be strict perimeter control. No
movement of people in and out of the containment zones are to be allowed. The
containment zones will only have entry of essential goods and medical supply. Intensive
contact tracing, house-to-house surveillance and clinical interventions are to be
introduced.
3. Prohibitions of Lock Down 5

The metro rail services are to remain closed throughout the country during lock down
5.0. The night curfew, that is, prohibition of movement of people between 9 AM and 5 PM
throughout the nation is to be implemented. People above the age of 65 and below the
age of 10 have been advised to stay inside homes.
4. Unlock Phase II
After the period of unlock phase I, that ends on June 30, 2020, the GoI has planned to
implement Unlock phase II. During this phase, coaching centres, colleges, schools and
educational institutions are to be opened.
5. Unlock Phase III

During Unlock Phase III, swimming pools, metro rail, entertainment parks, cinema halls
and gyms are to be opened.
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4. New Asteroid discovered near Jupiter
Astronauts have recently discovered a rare space object. The object looks like both
asteroid and comet. The new space object is called Active Asteroid
1. Highlights
The asteroid has been named 2019 LD2. It has an orbit like an asteroid and a tail like a
comet. The 2019 LD2 shares the orbit of Jupiter and is a part of the asteroid swarm
called Jupiter Trojans.
2. The Findings
The discovery has also provided evidence that the Jupiter Trojans have large amounts of
ice beneath their surfaces. So far, there was no evidence for presence of ice beneath
their surface.
3. How did the tail form?

The unique tail that makes the asteroid look like comet, according to the researchers is
probably because of collision. The collision should have led to gas leak from the ice
cracking and forming the tail.
4. Active Asteroids
Active Asteroids are celestial bodies that look like comet and have asteroid like orbit.
The first active asteroid discovered was Elst Pizarro.
5. PM Modi launches “My Life My Yoga”
On May 31, 2020, PM Modi launched “My Life My Yoga”, a video blogging contest. The
contest is to be conducted as a joint effort of Ministry of AYUSH and ICMR (Indian Council
of Cultural Research).
1. Highlights
The contest is being launched to inspire people to participate in the sixth International
Day of Yoga (IDY) that is to be celebrated in 21st June, 2020. Any participant from the
world can take part in the contest.
2. Yoga
India has taken several measures to make people in India and all over the world to adopt
yogic practices. India also took Yoga to United Nations in 2014. A resolution was brought
in and International Day of Yoga is being celebrated on June 21, 2015 since then.
6. Scorpaenospsis neglecta: Rare fish found in Gulf of Mannar
The Researchers at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute have found a rare
fish from the Gulf of Mannar. The specimen was deposited at the National Marine
Biodiversity Museum of Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI).
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1. Highlights
The fish is locally called Scorpion Fish for its venomous tail. When the spines in the tail
pierces an individual, the venom gets injected and causes severe pain. This is the first
time, the species has been found alive in the Indian waters.
2. Gulf of Mannar
It is a shallow bay in the Indian Ocean between Sri Lanka and India. A Chain of low
islands and reefs called Ram Sethu separates Gulf of Mannar from Palk Bay. Ram Sethu
is also called Adam’s bridge. Gulf of Mannar is also called Adam’s bridge. Gulf of Mannar
is a biosphere reserve.
3. Biosphere Reserve
There are 18 Biosphere reserves in India. Biosphere reserves protect larger area than
that of animal sanctuary and national park. The list of Biosphere Reserves in India are as
follows
7. China objects the presence of US THAAD missile in South Korea
THAAD is Terminal High Altitude Area Defense. It is a transportable and ground-based

missile defense system.
1. What is the issue?

China believes that US is exerting its influence over South Korea and Japan. This may
interfere China’s long term diplomatic, military and economic interests in the region.
China has been reiterating its long-standing objections about the presence of US THAAD
missile defence system in South Korea.
2. South Korea-China
US announced that THAAD missile system operated in the South Korean soil is a counter
measure against attacks by North Korea. In 2017, the tensions in the region escalated
when North Korea test fired its missiles in the direction of US bases in Japan.
3. About THAAD
The THAAD is an anti-ballistic missile system. It was developed after the US experiences
in the Gulf War, 1991. THAAD has been deployed in Israel, UAE, Romania and South
Korea. THAAD is capable of destroying missiles by colliding with them. It uses Kinetic Kill
Technology to achieve this.
8. GoI discontinues 7.75% savings bonds
The Reserve Bank of India recently announced that the Government of India has
discontinued 7.75% savings bonds.
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1. Highlights
The 7.75% savings bonds that are also called government bonds or RBI bons were issued
in 2018. They were available for the resident citizens of India alone. The value of one
bond was Rs 1000 and there was no maximum limit of investment. The interests of the
bonds were taxed under Income Tax Act, 1961.
2. Other Measures
The rates of Small Savings scheme were cut. Also, the rates of PPF were cut from 7.9%
to 7.1%. On the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, the rates were cut from 8.4% to 7.6%. RBI
also reduced the repo rates twice after COVID-19.
3. Savings Bonds
The bonds are like guarantees provided by the GoI. On investing on these bonds, the GoI
will return the amount with maturity at 7.75% interest rate. However, due to global
recession, Government has now recently stopped issuing these bonds.
9. What is “George Floyd” protest in news currently?
The United States is facing nation wide protests over the death of an African American
George Floyd.
1. Highlights
George Floyd, an African American man of age 46 died after the police arrested him near
a shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This has created the current unrest in the country.
2. Black Lives Matter Movement

The Black Lives Movement is an African-American movement that campaigns against
violence and racism towards black people. The movement campaigns against killings of
black people, police brutality, racial profiling and racial inequality in the United States.
The movement began in 2013. The movement spread to Canada, Australia and Germany
as well.
10. Rohit Sharma nominated for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award
On May 31, 2020, the BCCI nominated Rohit Sharma for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
Awards. The Award is considered to be the highest sporting honour award in India.
1. Highlights
The period of consideration for a person to get nominated is from January 2016 to
December 2019. Rohit has become the first T20 cricketer to score four centuries. Also,
he holds record of 150 plus score in around 8 ODIs. He also holds the greatest number of
centuries in ODI matches since 2017, that numbered to 18.
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2. Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award
The award is the highest sporting honour of India. The award is presented by the
Ministry of Youth Affairs and sports. The award is presented for outstanding performance
for a period of 4 years. The award comprises of cash prize of Rs 7.5 lakhs.
11. June 1: World Milk Day
Every year World Milk Day is celebrated on June 1 by the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations. The day is celebrated to bring awareness and
attention to the activities associated with the diary sector.
1. Highlights
June 1 was chosen to be celebrated as World Milk Day by the FAO in 2001. The day was
chosen as several other countries were celebrating milk day on that particular day. This
year, the World Milk Day is celebrated under the theme
2. Controversy: World Plant Milk Day

In response to the celebrations of World Milk Day, observance of World Plant Milk Day
was begun. The day is marked on August 22. It is being marked since 2017 objecting
environmental impact, animal abuse and health effects associated with diary industry.
3. India
India is the largest producer of milk. According to 2011 survey, around 70% of milk
samples were conformed to standards set by the FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards
Authority of India).
4. National Milk Day

India celebrates National Milk Day on November 26. The day is observed on November
26 as it is the birth anniversary of Verghese Kurien. He is known as Father of Milk
Revolution in India. It was his idea to launch Operation Flood in India.
5. Operation Flood
Operation Flood was launched in 1970. The operation aimed at doubling milk availability
per person in the country. The operation also helped to generation employment in the
rural sector. Through the success of the operation, India became the largest milk
producer.
12. Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Kendra: Sales up to Rs 100

crores
On June 1, 2020, the Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Kendra achieved sales up to
Rs 100.40 crores in the first two months of the financial year 2020-21. The sales were
high as compared to the sales in the same two months period of 2019-20.
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1. Highlights
The Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Kendra have saved Rs 800 crores through the
sales of medicines in the two months of the financial year 2020-21. The Bureau of
Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) are responsible for the success. It is the BPPI that
implements Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana through the network of
Pradhan Mantri Janaushadhi Kendra.
2. Role of BPPI
Currently BPPI is actively working to fight against COVID-19. It is maintaining adequate
stock of medicines that are under great demand such as Hydroxychloroquine,
Azithromycin and Paracetamol. It also holds adequate stocks of hand sanitizers and face
masks. BPPI also places purchase order of procurement of medicines of high demand to
friendly countries.
13. NITI Aayog organizes Convention to boost Natural Farming
The think tank of India, NITI Aayog organized convention on agreological and natural
farming approaches in the country. The convention was attended by international
experts, policy makers.
1. Highlights
The think tank presented current plans of India at the convention. According to NITI
Aayog, Natural Farming that predominantly depends on cow dung, biomass, urine, soil
aeration and mulch is indigenous system of farming in the country. India intends to
reach 20 lakh hectares of organic farming in the next five years. Of this, 12 lakh
hectares are to be brought under Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati Programme.
2. Programmes highlighted at the Convention

The following programmes were highlighted at the convention
14. One Nation One Card Scheme: Three more States included
On June 1, 2020, the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs and Food and Public distribution
Shri Ram Vilas Paswan announced that three more states namely Sikkim, Odisha and
Mizoram are being included in the Integrated Management of Public Distribution System
(PDS).
1. Highlights
Through the Integrated Management of PDS, the Government of India is trying to reach
the benefits of National Food Security Act through One Nation One Ration Card scheme.
So far, the scheme has been enabled in 17 states and Union Territories. They include
Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Gujarat,
Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Kerala, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra,
Punjab, Tripura, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh.
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2. One Nation One Ration Card
The scheme aims to provide the quota of food grains to the citizens anywhere in the
country. With the migrant workers having returned to their homes, the scheme would be
of great help to them.
June 2, 2020
_____________________________________________________________________________
15. “Ultra Swachh” Booth developed by DRDO to disinfect PPEs
The Defence Research Development Organization (DRDO) developed a disinfection unit

called Ultra Swachh. The unit is used to disinfect articles such as electronic items,
Personal Protective Equipment, fabrics, etc.
1. About the unit

The Unit uses an advanced oxidative process called Ozonated Space Technology to
disinfect the items. The device also uses Ozone Sealant Technology that involves
trapping of Ozone.
2. Ozone as disinfectant
Ozone is an oxidizing compound that rapidly oxidizes organic materials, manganese,
iron, etc. Ozone is highly unstable and oxidises to form oxygen within 15 to 20 seconds.
This property of ozone is used in disinfection.
16. GoI launches PM SVANidhi scheme
On June 1, 2020, Government of India launched the Pradhan Mantri SVANidhi Scheme for
street vendors. The Union cabinet has cleared the credit amount for the scheme as well
1. Highlights
The PM SVANidhi or PM Street Vendors Atmanirbhar Nidhi is a credit facility scheme that
will help more than 50 lakh urban and rural street vendors. The scheme will help the
street vendors restart their livelihoods.
2. Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan

The scheme announced Rs 20 lakh crore package to revive Indian Economy. The amount
allocated is 10% of India’s GDP.
3. How was 10% of GDP fixed?

The member countries at the United Nations fixed that 10% of GDP is to be spent on
reviving economies. This was fixed by the Global Plan framed at the United Nations.
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17. Technology Platform called CHAMPIONS launched by PM Modi
On June 1, 2020, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched technology platform called
CHAMPIONS. CHAMPIONS Stand for Creation and Harmonious Application of Modern
Processes for Increasing the Output and National Strength.
1. Highlights
The portal aims to make smaller units big by supporting them, encouraging, solving their
grievances, helping and handholding. It will act as one-stop shop solution of all entities
of the MSME sector.
2. Objectives of the portal

The portal aims at providing the following
3. About the platform

The platform is a control room-cum management information system. The system is
enabled with ICT technology tools. Along with this, the platform also includes telephone,
internet, video conference. It is enabled by Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and
Data Analytics.
4. Progress So Far
So far, around 66 state level control rooms have been created. The control rooms are
connected through video conferences.
18. GoI increases Minimum Support Price of 14 Kharif crops
On June 1, 2020, the Union Cabinet approved hike of Minimum Support Price of 14 Kharif
crops.
1. Highlights
The Minimum Support Price of Paddy has been increased by Rs 53 per quintal. The MSP
of paddy has been fixed at Rs 1,868 per quintal for the year 2020-21. The rates of
pulses, oil seeds and cereals have also been increased.
2. PM-AASHA
The scheme consists of three sub-schemes namely Price Deficiency Payment Scheme,
Price Support Scheme, Private Procurement and Stocklist Scheme.
19. Real Time Electricity Market launched by Indian Energy Exchange
On June 1, 2020, Indian Energy Exchange launched Real Time Electricity Market (RTM).
The main aim of the launch is to help discoms plan their power requirements.
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1. Working of the market
The market will conduct 48 auction sessions during the day and the power will be
delivered within one hour of closure of the bid session. The market, thus, will help
distribution companies manage their power demand-supply variation. It will also help
meet power supply needs in a better way.
2. About Real Time Electricity Market

The market aims to allow power utilities manage their demand dynamically. It will help
to save huge deviation-related penalties. Also, it integrates renewables in an effective
way. The market will facilitate utilities reduce their dependency on deviation framework.
This will help save huge penalties.
3. Green Energy
The RTM will also help grid operators enhance renewables by facilitating the discoms
manage their challenges of intermittency that are associated with renewables. The RTM
will help the discoms forecast and schedule green energy. This will help India achieve its
target of 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022.
4. India Energy Exchange

India Energy Exchange is an electronic system that is regulated by the Central Electricity
Regulatory Commission (CERC). It was started in 2008. The exchange has participants
from various platforms that includes power producers, State Electricity Boards, power
traders and open access consumers.
5. Central Electricity Regulatory Commission

It is a statutory body that was set up under the Electricity Act 2003. It is Quasi-Judicial
Body. Quasi-Judicial body is a non-judicial body that can interpret law.
20. Union Cabinet approves change of definition of MSMEs
On June 1, 2020, the Union Cabinet approved the changes made to the definition of
MSMEs. The Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman had announced about the changes
being made to MSMEs while she announced the economic package allocated to Atma
Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.
1. Definition
According to the new definition, MSMEs with investment till Rs 1 crore and turn over of
Rs 5 crores have been classified as Micro units. The MSMEs with investment of Rs 10
crore and turn over of Rs 50 crores are classified as small units. The MSMEs with
investment Rs 50 crore and turn over upto Rs 250 crores have been classified as
medium units
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2. Significance
The change in definition will help attract investment, improve ease of doing business,
create jobs. There are more than 60 million MSMEs in the country. They contribute to
29% of India’s GDP and are offering 110 million jobs. The MSMEs also contribute 48% of
total exports of India. Therefore, it is highly important to keep the MSME sector alive.
The COVID-19 and the lock down imposed have affected the MSME badly. Thus, the
change in definition will help boost the MSME sector in a big way.
3. Other Measures
The Cabinet has also approved provision of loans up to Rs 10,000 to the street vendors.
Also, cabinet approved the decision of increasing MSPs of 14 Kharif crops.
21. Telangana celebrates Statehood Day
The State of Telangana was formed on June 2, 2014. To commemorate the formation of
the state, every year Telangana Statehood Day is celebrated on June 2.
1. Highlights
On March 4, 2014, the Union Government of India announced 2nd June, 2014 as the
Telangana Formation Day. Telangana was the 28th state to be formed in the Union of
India. During its formation, it was decided that both the states Andhra Pradesh and
Telangana will share Hyderabad as their capital for 10 years. Later, Seemandhra will
establish its own capital. However, the revenues of Hyderabad will be enjoyed only by
Telangana. Also, no special status was provided to Seemandhra.
2. Formation of Telangana
The Telangana movement led to the formation of the state of Telangana. In 1953, States
Reorganization Commission was appointed to create states based on their languages.
Based on the recommendation of the commission, the then Union Government decided
to merge Andhra State and Telangana to form Andhra Pradesh in 1956. The provisions of
safeguards were provided to Telangana in the form of Gentleman’s Agreement.
3. Gentleman’s Agreement
The Gentleman’s Agreement was signed between leaders of Andhra and Telangana.
Violations of this agreement is till date being stated as one of the main reasons for the
formation of separate state Telangana.
22. Khel Ratna Award: India Women’s Team Captain Rani Rampal
recommended
On June 2, 2020, the Hockey India recommended India Women Team Captain Rani
Rampal for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awards. Monika, Vandana Kataria and
Harmanpreet Singh were recommended for Arjuna Awards.
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1. Highlights
Besides the Captain, India Stalwarts Tushar Khandker and RP Singh have been
recommended for Major Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement. The coaches
Romesh Pathania and BJ Kariappa have been nominated for Dronacharya Award.
2. Rani Rampal
The period of consideration of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award is between January
2016 and December 2019. During this period, Rani Rampal led the team to win Women’s
Asia Cup in 2017. Under her leadership the team won silver cup in 2018 Asian Games
and also she played a significant role for the team to enter FIH Olympic qualifiers in
2019. Her deciding goal helped India qualify for Tokyo Olympics.
3. Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awards

A panel from the Sports Ministry will shortlist the nominations received from several
other federations. The awards are to be presented on National Sports Day, August 29.
23. GoI launches three new schemes to boost Electronics sector
On June 2, 2020, the Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad launched three new schemes to
bbost electronics sector. They are Production linked incentive scheme, cluster scheme
(EMC 2.0) and component manufacturing scheme (SPECS).
1. About the schemes

The schemes are expected to attract investments. They will increase the manufacturing
of mobile phones and their parts to around Rs 10 lakh crores by 2025. Also, the scheme
will help generate 5 lakhs direct and 15 lakhs of indirect jobs.
2. Production Linked Incentive Scheme

The scheme will provide an incentive of 4% to 6% to the goods manufactured in India.
3. SPECS
The Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and
Semiconductors (SPECS) will provide incentive of 25% on the capital expenditure. This is
extended to certain identified lists such as semiconductor devices, electronic goods,
display fabrication units, etc.
4. EMC 2.0
The Modified Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC 2.0) will support in creating world
class infrastructure. The scheme will help in attracting global electronics manufacturers
and their supply chains.
5. Current Scenario
India is now the second largest mobile manufacturing country in the world. Today there
are more than 200 mobile manufacturing units in the country. In 2014, the
manufacturing worth of the country was Rs 1,90,366 crores. Today, it has increased to
Rs 4,58,000 crore. The global share of electronics has increased from 1.3% in 2012 to
3% in 2018.
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24. Khelo India Community Coach Development Programme
On June 2, 2020, the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijju inaugurated the India
Community Coach Development Programme
1. Highlights
The India Community Coach Development Programme is a 25-day long programme for
community coaches and PE teachers all over the country. The programme has been
launched to give more importance to Physical Education in schools. Both the Ministry of
HRD and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports are to work together to take the
programme to every school. Besides regular sessions by eminent educationalists in the
sports field, international expert will also participate in the programme.
2. Significance
The Physical Education teachers and community coaches have major role to reach every
child, motivate them to participate in fitness and sports activities.
3. Fit India Movement

The Fit India Movement was launched by PM Modi. The movement highlighted the need
to stay healthy amidst the modern lifestyle disorders. It was announced to celebrate the
National Sports Day.
4. Why is the programme important?

 The WHO says that one in four adults is not active.
 The Indian Council of Medical Research says that the deaths due to Non-Communicable
Diseases are increases. This can be reduced only through physical activities
 The National Family Health Survey says that 11% of women and 15% of men are
hypertensive. Fitness exercises will help improve hypertensive conditions.
25. Loans worth Rs 3,200 crores sanctioned under Atma Nirbhar Bharat
Abhiyan
On June 2, 2020, the Public Sector Banks sanctioned collateral free loans that were worth
Rs 200 crores. The complete Rs 200 crore sanction was done in a single day.
1. Highlights
The PSBs are set to sanction Rs 3,200 crores under Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. This
will benefit MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) that are located in more than
3,000 TIER-2 towns. These loans will help MSMEs meet their expenses towards rent,
restocking of goods and payment of salaries.
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The Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman while announcing the economic package
of Rs 20 lakh crore under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan Scheme, said that collateral
free loans with one-year moratorium will be provisioned. These loans are those that are
now being provided by the Public Sector Banks. (Moratorium is the period during which
the borrower is not obligates to make any payment).
26. WHO launches COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP)
The Costa Rica and World Health Organization have launched C-TAP. C-TAP is COVID-19
Technology Access Pool.
1. Highlights
The C-TAP will act as an one-stop shop for information, scientific knowledge and
intellectual property for global community. Around 30 countries, institutions and
international partners have signed to support C-TAP. It is an initiative that aims to make
vaccines, tests, health technologies and treatments.
2. Background
The initiative was proposed by President of Costa Rica Mr Carlos Alvarado. The initiative
will help to hasten the discovery of medicines, vaccines and other technologies that will
help cure COVID-19.
3. Five Key Elements of the Pool

The five main elements of the pool include
27. GoI launches Kisan Credit Card scheme for Dairy Farmers
On June 2, 2020, the Government of India launched Kisan Credit Card campaign to help
dairy farmers. The Kisan Credit cards are to be provided to around 1.5 crore dairy
farmers.
1. Highlights
Under the Scheme, the Government of India is to provide Kisan Credit Cards to farmers
that are associated with milk producing companies. The Department of Animal
Husbandry has stepped in and circulated the relevant circulars. There are around 1.7
crore farmers that are associated with Milk union in India. They were registered under
Dairy Cooperative Movement.
2. About the Campaign

In the first phase of the campaign, the farmers that are members of the dairy
cooperative societies and those that are associated with milk unions are to be covered.
For those farmers that already own a Kisan Credit Card based on their land ownership,
the credit limit is to be enhanced.
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3. Significance
The Kisan Credit Card campaign that provides KCC cards to 1.5 crore dairy farmers is a
part of Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. The scheme will also provide additional liquidity of
worth Rs 5 lakh crore to farmers that are suffering from COVID-19 economic crisis.
June 3, 2020
_____________________________________________________________________________
28. “Delhi Corona” App launched by Delhi Government
On June 2, 2020, the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched Delhi Corona App. The
application is to provide all required information that are related to ventilators and
hospital beds in the city.
1. Highlights
The Delhi Corona Application was launched by the Delhi CM through video conference.
The application will provide information related to availability of hospital beds and
ventilators in the city. It is now available on Google Play.
2. About the app

The application will provide information related to ventilators and beds in the city. A
person that is in need of COVID-19 treatment can get information about availability of
ventilator and beds by calling 1031. He will receive an SMS on dialing the number about
the status of bed availability in Delhi.
3. Current Scenario in Delhi

There are in total of 302 ventilators in Delhi. OF these 210 are vacant. The information in
the application is to be updated twice a day.
29. Arunachal Pradesh to provide Tap connection to all by March 2023
On June 2, 2020, the National Jal Jeevan Mission approved the Annual Action Plan of
Arunachal Pradesh. Under the plan, the state is to provide tap connection to all the rural
households in the state by 2023.
1. Highlights
In order to achieve the plan, the GoI has approved Rs 255 as additional funds. The State
Governments are provided with additional funds based on their achievements.
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2. The Plan
The availability of water in Arunachal Pradesh is not an issue. However, the main
challenge is laying pipes in the tough mountain terrains. Village Action Plan has been
framed with active participation of the rural community. The unemployed youth are to
be trained in plumbing, fitting, masonry and electricity skills. This is to be done as a pool
of trained human resources are to be available at village level.
3. Funds
In order to execute the mission, strengthen existing drinking water sources for long term
sustainability of drinking water, several programmes such as Swachh Bharat Mission,
MGNREGA, CAMPA, Local Area Development Fund have been integrated. Also, the state
has been allocated Rs 231 crores on the recommendation of Finance Commission.
30. GoI to formulate new STIP (Science, Technology and Innovation)

policy
The Department of Science and Technology along with the office of Principal Scientific
Adviser to GoI are to jointly formulate National Science Technology and Innovation Policy
2020. The policy is to be formulated in bottom-up, decentralized process.
1. About the Policy

The fifth Science and Technology Policy is to be formulated by the Indian Government as
the country and the world are tackling COVID-19 pandemic problems. The policy is to be
formulated in four interlinked tracks. They are as follows
2. Highlights
Around 25 policy research fellows and scientists associated with Department of Science
and Technology are to be involved in the policy making. The policy will also include
lessons learnt from COVID-19.
31. June 3: World Bicycle Day
Every year, World Bicycle Day is celebrated on June 3. The day is celebrated by the
United Nations to lay emphasis about the benefits of cycling.
1. Highlights
The World Bicycle Day is being celebrated since 2018. The day was declared by the
United Nations. The main aim to observe the day is to celebrate uniqueness, versatility
and longevity of bicycle.
2. Significance
Bicycles help save 238 million gallons of fuel every year. Around 100 million bicycles are
manufactured every year. Also, bicycles are the most affordable transport in the world.
They are 20 times cheaper than that of a car
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3. World Health Organization
According to WHO, safe infrastructure and cycling is a step towards greater health
equity. The World Bicycle Day promotes the use of bicycles for its environmental and
health benefits.
32. Bimal Julka Committee on Rationalization of Film Media units
On June 2, 2020, the Bimal Julka Committee on Rationalization of Film Media operating
under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting submitted its report to the ministry.
1. Key Findings of the report

The Committee recommended roadmaps for the development of National Film
Development Corporation, Children’s Film Society of India, Films division, Satyajit Ray
Film and Television Institute, National Film Archives of India, etc. The Committee
recommended a Memorandum of Understanding to be signed between the Ministry and
these institutes streamlining the performances of the institutes.
2. Recommendation
The committee has also recommended creation of film promotion funds. The funds will
be used to fund independent film makers to make commercial films.
33. June 2: International Sex Workers Day
Every year, International Sex Workers Day is observed on June 2. The day is being
marked to spread awareness on rights of sex workers so that they can lead a life of
respect.
1. Why June 2?
On June 2, 1975, around 100 sex workers gathered near Saint-Nizier Church in France.
They gathered to express their anger about exploitative living conditions. The gathered
was brutally raided by the police forces on June 10. This became a national movement
eventually. This day is now celebrated as International Sex Workers Day worldwide.
2. Sex Workers in India

The National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) reported that there are 6,37,500 sex
workers in India. Around 5 lakh customers visit red light areas on daily basis.
34. G7 summit postponed; To be expanded as G10 or G11
The US President Donald Trump recently announced that the USA is postponing the G7
summit to September 2020. Also, President Trump intends to expand the G7 group to
G10 or G11.
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1. Highlights
The G-7 is a group of seven countries namely France, Canada, Germany, Japan, US and
UK. The grouping dies not have a fixed headquarters or a formal constitution. The
decision that are taken in the summit are non-binding.
2. About G7
G7 is an inter governmental organization that was formed in 1975. It was formed by the
top economies of the world as an informal forum to discuss world issues. Canada joined
G7 in 1976 and EU (European Union) began attending G7 meets in 1977.
3. G7 VS G20
G20 is a larger group and includes all the G7 members. India is a member of G20. G20
was formed in 1999 as a response to bring more countries to address global economic
concerns. G20 makes up 80% of the global economy.
35. Make in India: Ministry of Defence places indents to boost
On June 2, 2020, the Ministry of Defence placed indents on OFB (Ordnance Factory
Board). This has been done to boost Make in India initiative.
1. Highlights
The indents have been placed for the supply of 156 BMP Infantry Combat Vehicles to be
used for mechanized forces of Indian Army. The ICVs are to be manufactured by the
Ordnance Factory located in Medak in Telangana at a cost of Rs 1,094 crores.
2. Make in India
Make in India initiative was launched by PM Modi in 2014. The main aim of the scheme is
as follows
36. Union Cabinet approves farmer friendly Essential Commodities Act
On June 3, 2020, the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi has made historic amendments
to Essential Commodities Act. Under the amendment, the regulatory environment has
been liberalized for farmers.
1. The Farmers Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance,

2020:
The amendment has been made through this ordinance. The ordinance will allow
farmers to engage with aggregators, processors, exporters and large retailers as well.
Under the amendment to Essential Commodities Act, 1955, the agricultural commodities
such as pulses, cereals, onions oil seeds and potatoes have been deregulated.
25
2. Background
The Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman had earlier announced under Atma Nirbhar
Bharat Abhiyan that a central law would be formulated that will not bind farmers to sell
their crops. The minister also announced that the law will not bind the farmers to sell
their produce only to licensed traders in the Agricultural Produce Market Committee
mandis.
37. Cabinet Approval: Kolkata Port Trust renamed to Shyama Prasad

Mukerjee Port Trust
On June 3, 2020, the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi approved renaming of Kolkata
Port Trust to Shyama Prasad Mukerjee port trust. The announcement of renaming of the
port was given by PM Modi on January 11, 2020.
1. Highlights
The announcement was made by PM Modi while he attended the 150th anniversary
celebrations of Kolkata Port Trust. The GoI has lately introduced several measure in the
name of the legend
2. Other measures
In October 2019, the Chenani-NAshri Tunnel was renamed after Shyama Prasad
Mukerjee. The tunnel is the longest of Jammu and Kashmir and is located on NH-44. It is
bi-directional and reduces the distance between Srinagar and Jammu by 30 km. The
travel time is reduced by 2 hours.
3. Dr Shyama Prasad Mukerjee

Mr Mukerjee founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951. The party was the predecessor
of BJP (Bharatiya Janata PArty). He died in Jammu and Kashmir Police custody for
entering the state without permit. He battled for Kashmir immensely contributing to
National Integration.
4. Shyama Prasad Mukerjee Rurban Mission

The mission was launched on February 21, 2016 to commemorate fourth anniversary of
the legend. The mission aims to stimulate local economic development. It focuses to
develop 300 rurban clusters.
38. DPIIT revises Public Procurement Order to encourage Make in India
The Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) recently revised
Public Procurement Order in order to provide preference to Make in India initiative.
1. Highlights
According to the order, DPIIT has prescribed minimum of 60% procurement of local
content for the year 2020-21, 70% for the years 2021-23 and 80% for the years 2023-25.
This is applicable to chemicals and petrochemicals. DPIIT has identified 55 chemicals and
petrochemicals that are eligible to bid for more than Rs 5 lakhs of procurement.
26
2. Significance
The step will help to boost Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan that was launched by PM Modi
during lock down 4.0. Also, it will help to increase domestic production. Under Atma
Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, GoI allocated Rs 20,000 lakh crores. The fund allocated is being
used in MSME, Agriculture, MGNREGA, fisheries, street vendors, Dairy sector, etc. The
fund is 10% of country’s GDP. The 10% contribution was decided by the meet of several
international countries and members at the United Nations.
39. Union Cabinet approved MoUs signed between India and Bhutan
On June 3, 2020, the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi approved the Memorandum of
Understanding signed between India and Bhutan. The agreement between the countries
was signed to improve cooperation in the field of environment.
1. Highlights
The agreement will help to promote long term cooperation between India and Bhutan.
Also, it will help to protect and manage natural resources based on reciprocity, equity
and mutual benefits. The countries according to the agreement also agreed to extend
their cooperation in the field of air waste, climate change and chemical management.
2. About the Agreement

The agreement was signed between the National Environment Commission of Bhutan
and Central Pollution Control Board operating under Ministry of Environment, Forest and
Climate Change in 2013. The countries agreed to continue their cooperation in the field
of environment.
40. India to hold first ever virtual bilateral summit with Australia
On June 4, 2020, PM Modi will hold a virtual bilateral summit with the Australian PM Scott
Morrison. This is the first ever virtual bilateral summit to be held by India.
1. Highlights
The leaders are to discuss a broad framework on the relation of India and Australia. The
leaders will also sign several agreements. The major agreement is the one to be signed
on mutual sharing of military logistics facilities. The agreement will help increase the
bandwidth of operation of both the Australian and Indian forces in the Indo Pacific
region.
2. India-Australia
India and Australia held their first bilateral naval exercise in 2015. The exercise was
called AUSINDEX. Also, the countries hold bilateral army exercises called AUSTRAHIND.
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41. Central Employment Guarantee Council Meet chaired by Rural
Development Minister
On June 2, 2020, the Union Minister of Rural Development Shri Narendra Singh Tomar
chaired the 21st meeting of the Central Employment Guarantee Council.
1. Highlights
During the meet, it was highlighted that the GoI has created assets for irrigation and
water conservation. Also, individual assets have been created to help agriculture under
MGNREGA. All time high amount was allocated to MGNREGA during the COVID-19 times.
The GoI allocated around Rs 61,500. Also, under Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan,
additional amount of Rs 40,000 was allocated.
2. Central Employment Guarantee Council

The Council monitors and Evaluates MGNREGA. It also advises the GoI about the
implementation of the scheme. The council also prepares annual reports about the
implementation of the act. The act makes the council meet compulsory at least twice a
year.
3. Legislation
The meeting was held as under Section 10 of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). There are 261 permissible works under the act.
Out of these, 164 works relate to agriculture and allied activities.
June 4, 2020
_____________________________________________________________________________
42. SWADES Initiative: Skill Mapping programme for Indians returning

from Abroad
The Government of India is to conduct SWADES initiative to map the skills of Indians
returning from abroad. SWADES is Skilled Workers Arrival Database for Employment
Support.
1. Highlights
The SWADES initiative has been begun under Vande Bharat Mission. The initiative aims
to generate database of Indians returning from abroad based on their skill sets and
experience. The database will then be used to fulfil need of foreign companies and
Indian companies.
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2. SWADES initiative
The initiative is to be conducted by Ministries of Civil Aviation, External Affairs, Skill
Development and Entrepreneurship. The returning citizens will need to fill up forms
under the programme. The form consists of details of job title, work sector, years of
experience, etc. A toll free facility has also been set up to support citizens for their
queries in filling the forms.
3. Background
The COVID-19 pandemic led to the closing of companies all over the world. This made
1000s unemployed. Thus, they are returning to India.
4. Vande Bharat Mission

The Mission aims at bringing Indians from all over the world. Under the mission, the non-
scheduled commercial flights will carry people from Singapore, USA and London.
Currently, the mission is working in bringing around 80,000 Indians from Gulf countries.
43. GoI: 10 Sectors identified to cut imports
On June 3, 2020, the Department of Promotion for Industry and Internal Trade identified
10 sectors where in the imports are to be cut. This includes textiles, jewelry, mobile,
gems, pharmaceuticals, garments, electronics, machinery, etc.
1. Highlights
The GoI has recently changed the set targets in order to become self-reliant in footwear,
furniture and air conditioner. In parallel, the Government has also laid groundwork to
become self-reliant in 10 other sectors.
2. Objectives
The Government has selected these 10 sectors in particular as India has natural
advantage in these sectors. Hence, given a small push, these sectors have the potential
of becoming the strength of the country.
3. Imports in India
India imported 467.2 billion USD worth goods in the year 2019-20. Of this, leather and
leather products amounted to 1.01 billion USD, machinery of 37.7 billion USD and
machine tool imports of 4.2 billion USD.
4. The AC industry concern

The AC industry of India is largely dependent on imports, mainly imported compressors.
These imports account to 60%-65% of AC production value.
4.1. What is the issue?

The Japanese split AC companies that are market leaders are taking advantage of India-
ASEAN Free Trade Pact and importing from Vietnam and Thailand claiming to be
registered in India. This is so common especially in new inverter category ACs.
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5. Concerns of Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan
The steps of cutting imports and encouraging domestic manufacturing is being done
under Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. However, these steps may bring on certain issues.
They are as follows
5.1. Import Substitution Industrialization

The ISI is criticized for the following
44. Global Economic Prospects Report, 2020 by World Bank
The World Bank recently launched the Global Economic Prospects Report, 2020. The
report highlighted the impact of COVID-19 on countries.
1. Key findings of the report

The report says that the Emerging Market and the Developing Economies are highly
vulnerable. They face health crisis, external shocks, restrictions, tourism, falling trade,
capital outflows and commodity prices. These countries according to the report are
expected to have 3% to 8% output loss.
2. Recommendations
The report makes the following recommendations
45. June 4: International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression
Every year, International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression is celebrated on

June 4. The day was established in 1982 and is marked by the United Nations.
1. Highlights
The day is being marked to acknowledge the pain suffered by the children throughout
the world. The day speaks about the agony of the young innocent souls becoming
victims of mental, physical and emotional abuse. The day also affirms United Nations
commitment towards protecting rights of children.
2. Lebanon War
The Lebanon war was fought in 2006. The war was between Israel and Hezbollah. It was
a 34-day military conflict. The war came to an end after the United Nations brokered
ceasefire in August 2006.
46. Cabinet Approves to form Empowered Group of Secretaries
On June 3, 2020, the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi approved to set up “Empowered
Group of Secretaries”. The group will also have Project Development Cells to attract
investments in India.
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1. Highlights
The Empowered Group will provide investment support to global investors. It will also
ensure timely clearances from the Government side in different departments and
ministries. The group consists of members from NITI Aayog, revenue department
secretary, secretary of economic affairs, etc.
2. Project Development Cell

The Project Development Cell will take care of the investible projects. It will also
coordinate between State Government and Central Government. This will help in growth
of pipeline of investible projects in the country and also increase FDI inflows.
47. Union Cabinet approves re-establishment of Pharmacopoeia

Commission
On June 4, 2020, the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi approved the Pharmacopoeia
commission. The cabinet has approved to re-establish the commission for Indian
Medicine and Homeopathy under Ministry of AYUSH.
1. Highlights
The commission has been set up by merging Pharmacopoeia Laboratory for Indian
Medicine and Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia Laboratory. The two central laboratories
were established at Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh in 1975.
2. About the merger

The merger will optimize the use of resources and also enhance outcomes of Ayurveda,
Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy drugs towards effective quality control. After the
merger, the commission is to have adequate administrative structure under the ministry.
3. Significance
Pharmacopoeia means drug making. The Government of India has re-established the
Pharmacopoeia Commission of Indian Medicine and Homeopathy. The commission will
help to optimize technical manpower, infrastructural facilities, financial resources.
48. Kohala Hydro Power Project
An agreement has been signed between China and Pakistan to implement Kohala
Hydroelectric Power project in the region of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. The project is
being implemented under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor.
1. Highlights
Under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, China sets up Kohala Hydropower project
in Pakistan occupied Kashmir. A tripartite agreement was signed between the Tripartite
Gorges Corporation, Private Power and Infrastructure Board and the authorities in PoK in
order to implement the project.
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2. About the Project
The project is to be built on Jhelum river. It aims at providing 5 billion units of clean
hydro electric power to Pakistan. The project will earn carbon credit from the United
Nations Framework convention on Climate Change for clean energy.
3. India’s stand
India had earlier protested plans of Pakistan to build dam in Gilgit-Baltistan. Also, India
says that projects in territories of illegal occupation of Pakistan is not appropriate.
4. Jhelum river
Jhelum is the western most of the river of the five rivers in Punjab. It is a tributary of
Indus.
49. WHO resumes Hydroxychloroquine Study
On June 4, 2020, the World Health Organization resumed its clinical trials on exploring
whether the Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) drug is effective in treating COVID-19.
1. Highlights
The clinical trial on Malaria Drug HCQ was earlier put on hold by the World Health
Organization raising concerns of its efficacy.
2. Why were the trials put off?

The clinical trials were put off by the world organization considering the safety of the
patients. WHO raised concerns about people in different parts of the world taking the
drugs without proper medical guidance.
3. Why are the trials resumed now?

The trials were paused to analyze the results of using the drugs so far. The board set up
by the WHO has reviewed the available mortality data of COVID-19 and now found that
there are no reasons to stop the trials. There are more than 400 hospitals that are
participating in the trials from 35 countries. It includes hospitals from Gujarat as well.
4. Why did the issue begin?

The Food and Drug Administration of US and other chief editorials like the Lancet have
warned about the use of drugs without the advice of a medical professional. Thus, the
WHO stepped in to make sure if the trials can be proceeded based on the success rate of
the drug so far.
50. India joins virtual Global Vaccine Summit
India is to join the UK-led virtual Global Vaccine Summit. India will be one among the 50
countries participating at the summit.
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1. Highlights
The summit is being held to raise at least 7.4 billion USD of funds for GAVI, the Vaccine
Alliance. The UK is currently playing a larger role. The country had set a Vaccine Task
Force to support the COVID-19 Vaccine discovery.
2. GAVI: Vaccine Alliance

The GAVI alliance was set up in 2000 under the partnership of UNICEF, WHO, Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation, World Bank, research agencies, vaccine manufacturers and
several other private sector partners.
3. India and GAVI

In 2014, India became a donor country from a recipient. Till date India ahs contributed
12 million USD to the Alliance.
51. World Economic Forum to hold Twin Summit
On June 3, 2020, the World Economic Forum announced that it is to host its next summit
in Davos under the theme “The Great Reset”. The forum has named the summit as “A
Unique Twin Summit”.
1. Highlights
The 51st annual summit of the World Economic Forum is to bring together global
leaders, civil society and multi stake holders from 400 cities. The plan of the summit is to
draw thousands of young people all around the world and keep them interconnected
through a powerful virtual hub to interact with the leaders.
2. World Economic Forum

The World Economic Forum was established in 1971. The motto of the forum is
“committed to improving the state of the world”. It was formerly called the European
Management Forum.
52. TULIP internship programme
On June 4, 2020, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and the Ministry of
HRD (Human Resource Development) launched an internship learning programme called
“TULIP”.
1. Key Features
The programme has been launched for fresh engineering graduates. Under the
programme, they will get opportunities to work with 4,400 urban local bodies and 100
smart cities in India. The internship will be held for one year. The areas of interests
included in the programme are financing, urban planning, environmental planning,
sanitation and infrastructure, environmental engineering.
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2. Portal
Along with the portal, an online portal of TULIP was also launched. The interested
graduates shall apply for internship through this portal.
3. Significance
Both the urban local bodies and the smart cities shall make use of the youths to improve
their services to the citizens of the country. The programme has set a target of 25,000
fresh engineering graduates.
53. India-Australia sign landmark Defence Agreements
On June 4, 2020, Indian PM Modi and the Australian PM Scott Morrison held India’s first
virtual bilateral summit. The leaders signed several agreements during their meet and
also discussed about the COVID-19 measures being implemented in their respective
countries.
1. Highlights
India and Australia signed the following agreements namely
2. Background
The countries signed a framework of security cooperation in November 2014. This had
laid the foundation for intensified defence, security and foreign policy exchanges
between the countries. The countries also share a free open and prosperous Indo Pacific
region. Australia supported for India’s non-permanent membership in the United Nations
Security Council. Also, Australia backs India at the global initiatives such as Indo-Pacific
and International Solar Alliance. Australia had also supported India for the membership
of the later at the Wassenaar Arrangement and Australia Group. Also, Australia supports
India for its membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
54. June 5: World Environment Day
Every year the World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5. This year the day is
being celebrated under the theme
1. Highlights
This year, in 2020, the day is to be hosted in Colombia in partnership with Germany. The
day was hosted by India in 2018. It was then India emphasized on prevention of Plastic
pollution. In 2019, the day was hosted by China under the theme “Air Pollution”.
2. Background
The day was first designed by the United Nations in 1972 during the United Nations
Conference on Human Environment. However, it was first celebrated in 1974.
3. Significance of the theme

Biodiversity is important for the survival of all the living organisms. The theme is
significant as human beings are part of the ecosystem and cannot live in isolation.
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June 5, 2020
_____________________________________________________________________________
55. Amery Ice Shelf: Increase by 24% by 2021
The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research has predicted that the Amery Ice
Shelf is to expand 24% by 2021. The Ice Shelf would expand another 24% by 2026.
1. Highlights
The NCPOR observations is based on 16 year-long satellite observations. This covered
60,000 sq km of the Amery Ice Shelf.
2. Amery Ice Shelf

Amery Ice Shelf is located in the east coast of Antarctica. It is one of the largest ice shelf
in the world. The mass balance and dynamics of the ice shelf help in understanding the
changes in global climate scenario.
3. About the study

The Amery Ice Shelf extended by about 550 metres in 2017, 1470 metres in 2018 and
2200 metres in 2019. If the extension of the ice shelf continues, the positions will
coincide with actual boundary conditions.
4. National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research

The NCPOR is the Indian Institution that performs country’s research activities in Polar
and southern oceans. The institute is located in Goa. It performs geoscientific surveys in
the extended continental shelf, deep-sea drilling in Arabian Sea basin and also explore
the ocean for resources such as multi-metal sulphides, gas hydrates, etc.
56. DRDO develops SUMERU PACS
The Defence Research Development Organization has developed the SUMERU PACS, that
helps to reduce sweating of Personal Protective Equipment wearers.
1. Highlights
The DRDO scientists found that the PPE wearers felt very uncomfortable after wearing
them for more than 30 minutes. They start sweating and this worsens the situation.
2. About the system

The system draws outside air and the moist air goes out through a front face opening.
This cools the neck and head area. The system is highly helpful for doctors and medical
staffs who are forced to wear PPEs more than six hours in hospitals.
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57. Annual Report of Periodic Labour Force Supply
On June 3, the National Statistical Office launched the Annual Report of Periodic Labour
Force Survey.
1. Key Findings
According to the survey, the worker population ratio increased to 35.3% as compared to
34.7% in 2017-18. The unemployment rate fell to 5.8% in the period July 2018 to June
2019 as compared to 6.1% in the same period 2017-18. The Labour Force participation
rate increased to 37.5% as compared to 36.9% in 2017-18.
2. About Periodic Labour Force Supply

The Survey is the first computer-based survey of India. It provides estimates of
unemployment indicators such as worker population ratio, labour force participation
rate, unemployment rate in rural households, proportion unemployed.
58. Magnetic Field of Solar Corona unveiled
The researchers in the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy have studied the
interplanetary space of the sun called solar corona.
1. Highlights
The charged particles that are radiating from the surface of the sun is called solar wind.
These particles expand and fill in entire solar system. The properties of solar corona are
completely dependent on the magnetic field of the sun. The magnetic field is produced
in the interior and extends outward.
2. Key Findings of the study

The Solar Corona can be easily seen during a solar eclipse. The magnetic field lines of
solar corona were recorded for over 14 eclipses that occurred in 2 decades.
3. Why is the study big?

The study has become highly important as so far it was assumed that the coronal
magnetic field is radial beyond 2.5 solar radii. The study has found that the coronal
magnetic field is non-radial to at least 4 solar radii.
59. Arsenicum Album: Homeopathic drug recommended by AYUSH

Ministry
Ministry of AYUSH has recommended the Arsenicum album, a homeopathic drug. The
drug has been recommended for preventive use of COVID-19.
1. Highlights
The drug is made by heating arsenic in distilled water. This process of heating is
repeated for three days till the water has less than 1% of arsenic. This is considered as
the correct inflammation for the body. It helps of prevent cough, cold and diarrhoea.
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2. Background
Till date, the are no scientific evidences that the drug works against COVID-19. There are
no large scale studies that have been undertaken to validate the use of Arsenicum
album 30 as a preventive medication.

Experts are questioning the efficacy and impacts of taking unproven drugs. However, the
WHO during the outbreak of Ebola recommended that it is ethical to prescribe unproven
drugs till potential anti-virals and vaccines are discovered.
4. Other measures
The GoI has been taking several other measures to find an alternate to
Hydroxychloroquine. The Government of India has been taking studies on
Ashwagandham and other Ayurvedic drugs to treat COVID-19.
60. Oil Spill in the Arctic region of Russia
Russia declared state of emergency after oil spilled into Ambarnaya river. The surface of
the river turned crimson red.
1. Highlights
The Ambarnaya river slows into environmentally sensitive Arctic Ocean.
2. Environmental damages
The Environmentalists say that the river will become difficult to clean. The river will take
decades to return to its previous state. It however does not include atmospheric
damages and soil pollution The World wide Fund recorded the oil spill as the second
largest oil leak in the world. The incident is being compared to Alaska’s 1989 Exxon
Valdez disaster.
3. Exxon Valdez Disaster

The Exxon Valdez Disaster occurred in 1989 when an oil tanker struck Prince William
Sound Reef in Alaska. Around 10.8 million gallons of crude oil spilled over. This is till date
considered one of the worst oil spills in history.
4. Ambarnaya river
The Ambarnaya river flows in Siberial in northerly direction in Lake Pyasino. Fishing is no
longer possible in the river as it is heavily polluted due to mining in Norilsk.
61. June 5: International Day for the Fight Against Illegal, Unreported
and Unregulated Fishing
Every year, on June 5, the International Day for the fight against Illegal, Unreported and
Unregulated fishing is observed by the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization.
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1. Highlights
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization celebrated the day for the first
time in 2018.
2. Why June 5?
June 5 was selected because, it was on June 5, 2016, the International treaty to end
illegal fishing called the FAO Port State Measures Agreement was entered into force.
3. Significance
The Food and Agriculture Organization says that illegal, unregulated and unreported
fishing activities are responsible for the loss of 11 million to 26 million tonnes of fish
every year. This loss accounts to economic value of 10 to 23 billion USD.
4. Sustainable Development Goal

The International Day for the fight against Illegal, Unreported and unregulated fishing
day also signifies Target 4 of the Sustainable Development Goal. SDG 4 is effectively
regulating harvests and illegal unregulated fishing by 2020.
62. GAVI Alliance: India pledges 15 million USD
On June 4, 2020, PM Modi participated at the Global Vaccine Summit that was led by the
United Kingdom. At the summit, the prime minster announced that India will pledge 15
million USD to GAVI Alliance.
1. Highlights
The world leaders have come together to find a vaccine to the COVID-19 with GAVI as an
integrating platform. The Global Vaccine Summit organized by UK discussed on
collecting funds for GAVI. Over 50 countries participated in the programme.
2. India at GAVI
India has now become a big supporter of the alliance. This saved GAVI 400 million USD
in the past five years. Earlier India was only a beneficiary. Since 2014, India had become
a donor. Till date India has donated 12 million USD to the Alliance.
3. PM Modi at the Summit

PM Modi highlighted the following at the summit
63. Green Field Expressway Project
The Government of India recently agreed to convert the Delhi-Amristar-Katra

Expressway into a green field project. The highway will connect five historic towns in the
states. They include Goindwal Sahib, Sultanpur Lodhi, Khadoor Sahib and Tarn Taran.

On the complaints of the locals over the project failing to connect religious towns, the
Chief Minister of Punjab raised issue with the centre. The original proposal was to widen
the existing roads as brown field projects.
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2. Brown Field Projects
Brown field projects are those projects that are modified or upgraded.
3. Green Field Projects

The Green Field projects are those projects where a new production or service is being
facilitated.
4. Current Scenario
India is currently working towards becoming a 5 trillion USD economy. In order to
achieve this, the GoI has launched a series of infrastructure projects under the National
Infrastructure Pipeline. The NIP is to include both brown field and green field projects at
an estimated cost of Rs 1 billion each.
64. Nagar Van Scheme
On June 5, 2020, the Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar launched the “Nagar Van”
scheme. The scheme was launched to mark the Environment Day.
1. Key Features
The scheme emphasises on urban forestry. Under the scheme, around 200 urban forests
are to be developed all over the country in next five years.
2. India
India has 8% of world biodiversity with only 2.5% of world land mass. It should also carry
16% of humans and cattle as well. Also, the fresh water availability in the second most
populous country in the world is just 4%.
65. RBI creates Payment Infrastructure Development Fund
On June 5, 2020, the Reserve Bank of India created Payment Infrastructure Development
Fund of Rs 500 crores.
1. Highlights
The apex bank has made an initial contribution of Rs 250 crores towards the funds. The
rest of the fund is to come through the card issuing banks. The fund has been created to
increase point of sale infrastructure and other digital payment infrastructure in the
country. The funds are being allocated in line with the measures proposed in the vision
document on payment and settlement systems in India 2019-21.
2. About the funds

The funds are to be governed through an advisory council. However, the funds will be
administered and managed by RBI.
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3. Vision Document
The Vision Document on Payment and Settlement Systems in India 2019-21 had
envisaged the use of debit cards at Point of Sale transactions which is around 44% of
total debit card transactions by 2021. The vision document estimated that by 2021,
there will be around 5 million active Point of Sale.
4. Other Measures
The RBI also has plans and had suggested about Acceptance Development Fund. These
funds are to be used to develop card acceptance infrastructure in cities and towns.
66. India to host AFC Women’s Cup
On June 5, 2020, the Asian Football Confederation confirmed that India will host 2022
Women’s Asian Cup. This is the first time India is hosting the cup since 1979.
1. Highlights
The Asian Football Confederation handed over the hosting rights to the All India Football
Federation. The tournament is to be held in 2022 and around 12 teams are to participate
in the tournament.
2. Asian Football Confederation

The AFC (Asian Football Confederation) is one of the 6 continental confederations. There
are 47 member countries that are part of the AFC. It was officially formed in 1954. The
headquarters of the confederation is located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
3. All India Football Federation

The AIFF was formed in 1923. The AIFF was one of the founding members of AFC. The
AIFF conducts several tournaments namely I-League, Indian Super League and Super
Cup.
67. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw: EY World Entrepreneur of the year
On June 5, 2020, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw was named the EY World Entrepreneur of the
year 2020.
1. Highlights
She was selected among 46 other entrepreneurs from 41 countries.
2. About Kiran
Kiran founded Biocon in 1978. It is a bio-enzymes company. The company began its
journey with just two employees and an investment of 500 USD. Today, the company
has grown with more than 11,000 people and also has become one of the strongest
innovation driven biotech companies in Asia.
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3. Why is she being honoured with the award?
She is being presented with the award for her contribution in improving universal access
to affordable life saving medicines.
4. Biosimilar medicines
The Biosimilar medicine is an identical copy of an original product that was
manufactured by another company. They are allowed to be manufactured when the
patent of the original product expires. Biosimilars help to bring down the prices of
medicines greatly.
68. Campaign launched on Prevention of Human and Animal Mortality on

Highways
On June 5, 2020, the Union minister of Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari
launched the United Nations Development Programme campaign called “Prevention of
Human and Animal Mortality on highways”.
1. Need
India is witnessing 5 lakhs road accidents every year. Out of these 1.5 lakhs lose their
lives. The campaign is launched to bring down the accident rates.
2. Measures
The GoI has taken several road safety measures to reduce accidents. This includes
Rectification of Black spots, Crash barriers, Traffic barriers, road safety audit,
rehabilitation and reconstruction of narrow bridges and highway patrolling.
3. Nagpur-Jabalpur Highway
Around 5,450 wild animals have been captured using the underpasses constructed in the
highway. They were caught using the underpasses through a camera. The report was
generated by the Wildlife Institute of India.
69. India announces its priorities for UNSC
India is expected to be elected as member of United Nations Security Council for an

eighth term. In order to secure the elected seat, India has launched a brochure that lists
the priorities of India at the UNSC.
1. Highlights
The brochure was released by the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. The brochure
has set out five key priorities. They are new opportunities for progress, reforming the
multilateral system, effective response to international terrorism, comprehensive
approach to international peace and promoting technologies with human touch.
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2. Approach of India
India’s approach at the United Nations Security Council is to guided by the 5s that were
set out by PM Modi. They include Samvad (Dialogue), Samman (Respect), Shanti (Peace),
Sanriddhi (prosperity) and Sahyog (cooperation).
June 6, 2020
_____________________________________________________________________________
70. GoI: No New Schemes for a year
On June 5, 2020, the Government of India announced that no new schemes will be
approved till March 31, 2021. Till then, the schemes under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan
Yojana and Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan are to be implemented.
1. Highlights
The Government of India will implement the schemes that were announced under Atma
Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan and Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana alone. All the other
ministries have been asked to stop sending requests for new scheme.

The scheme was launched to improve the growth of the country. The scheme announced
several measures and covered almost all sections of the society. It allocated Rs 20,000
lakh crores. The scheme covered agriculture, fisheries, MSME, street vendors, mining,
migrant workers, Jal Jeevan Mission, MGNREGA, Public Distribution System, etc. The
scheme also intends to provide houses and food for the migrant workers that have
returned to their native places.
3. Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana

The scheme was launched to ease lives of the people of India during the COVID-19 crisis.
It aimed to provide rice, wheat and pulses at affordable rates and also free for a short
period.
71. “#iCommit” Initiative launched by Power Ministry
On June 5, 2020, the Ministry of Power launched the ‘#iCommit’ initiative on the
occasion of World Environment Day.
1. Highlights
The initiative was launched to encourage stakeholders to continue providing efficient
renewable power and resilient energy system in the future. The initiative is driven by the
Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EFFSL).
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2. Role of EFFSL in the initiative
Under the initiative, EESFSL is to unite diverse set of players such as corporates, think
tanks, multilateral and bilateral organizations, governments, etc.
3. Core of the Campaign

The campaign mainly aims to bring innovative changes in the current power system of
the country. This includes decentralised solar power and electric vehicles and several
other innovative measures as well.
72. Line of Actual Control: ITBP sanctions twin commands
On June 5, 2020, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police launced twin commands in Guwahati
and Chandigarh ti supervise its deployment of troops along the Line of Actual Control
(LAC).
1. Highlights
The recent standoff between India and China in the regions of Ladakh and also in other
parts of LAC is the main reason for the initiation commands. The western regions of the
LAC are to be administered from the Chandigarh headquarters and the eastern from
Guwahati.
2. What is the plan?

Around 90,000 personnel have been deployed in the border region. The commands that
are being deployed were already sanctioned in October 2019. Around 35 to 28 batallions
are to be deployed across the LAC border.
3. Functions
The commands deployed will administer movement of ITBP personnel. The commands
will also streamline deployment, operations, intelligence and administrative movements
of ITBP personnel in the region.
73. Atal Innovation Mission: To promote Entrepreneurship
On June 5, 2020, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Atal
Innovation Mission came together to promote culture of innovation and entrepreneurship
in areas of mutual interest.
1. Highlights
The CSIR incubators will work under Atal Innovative Mission to support world class start
ups in this new project. They will work together to bring up new models of innovation
and set up CSIR innovation parks.
2. Benefits
The CSIR will contribute its strong knowledge base and provide world class researchers
to make the project success. The Atal Innovative Mission in the other hand will foster
innovation in different sectors to strengthen innovative ecosystem in the country.
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The CSIR will stimulate research and innovation in collaboration with ARISE. The ARISE
initiative of Atal Innovative Mission is currently working to stimulate research and
innovation in the MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises).
74. June 6: Russian Language Day
Every year, on June 6, the United Nations celebrated Russian Language Day. This was
established by the UNESCO in 2010.
1. Why June 6?
The Russian Language Day is celebrated on the birth day of Aleksandr Pushkin. He was a
Russian Poet and is considered as the father of modern Russian literature.
2. Aleksandr Pushkin
The poet published his first poem when he was 15 years old. He was born to Russian
nobility in Moscow. The most famous poem of Pushkin was Ode to Liberty that led to his
exile.
3. UN Language Days
The United Nations Language Days were launched in February 2010 to celebrate cultural
diversity and multilingualism. The UN Language days promote six of the official
languages of the organization. The official languages of the United Nations are English,
Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, Russian and French. They are celebrated on
75. Ministry of Urban Affairs releases advisories on Waste Management
On June 5, 2020, the Ministry of Urban Affairs released series of advisories on Effective
waste management. The advisories were issued as a part of World Environment Day
celebration.
1. Highlights
The three advisories released are as follows
2. Swachh Bharat Mission

The mission launched in 2014 aimed to make India Open Defecation Free and also make
urban India manage their waste through scientific methods. Today, the mission has
achieved its Open Defecation Free target 100%. In terms of solid waste management,
only around 18% of the cities implemented it in 2014. However, today there are more
than 65% implementing solid waste management.
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76. CeNS: Low cost Catalyst for Hydrogen Generation
The scientists and researchers at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences operating
under Department of Science and Technology have invented a low cost effective way to
generate hydrogen from water using Molybdenum dioxide.
1. Key Findings of the Study

The study says that Molybdenum dioxide can act as efficient catalyst to reduce energy
used in splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen. The process is called electrolysis.
2. About Molybdenum Dioxide

Molybdenum Dioxide has the potential to replace the catalyst that is being used
currently, that is, Platinum. Platinum is highly expensive and also is available as limited
resource on the earth.
3. About the Study

The researchers grew Molybdenum Dioxide on tin oxide substrates.
4. Significance
The splitting of water is important to obtain hydrogen. Hydrogen is lately becoming a
popular clean fuel. Hydrogen is predominantly used to make fuel cells. In a fuel cell, the
chemical energy, that is hydrogen is converted into electricity.
5. Hydrogen Energy in India

The Ministry of Renewable Energy is supporting Research and Development on
Hydrogen Energy and Fuel greatly. The projects of hydrogen transportation is being
conducted by Mahindra and Mahindra, Banaras Hindu University and IIT Delhi currently.
77. To Change India’s Name to Bharat
The Supreme Court of India recently ordered to change a plea that requested to change
India’s name into Bharat into a representation. The apex court also ordered to forward it
to the Union Government, especially the Ministry of Home Affairs.
1. Highlights
The petition that was submitted to the court seeks to amend Article 1 of the
Constitution. The petition demands to struck off ‘India’ from the Article.
2. Article 1
Article 1 says “India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States”. India is already called
Bharat according to the Constitution.
3. Why was the petition filed?

According to the petitioner, the name India is of foreign origin. It can be traced back to
Greece language “Indica”. On the other hand, the name Bharat is closely associated with
freedom struggle and the cry “Bharat Mata ki Jai”.
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4. Supreme Court
The Supreme Court had earlier dismissed similar petition in 2016. According to the Apex
Court judgement, the name India is derived from the Indus river. Also, the court
pronounced that every citizen had his right to choose between calling his country India
or Bharat.
78. India-China Dispute: Pangong Lake
The current eye-to-eye confrontation between China and India is at the Pangong Tso
site. The countries have ramped up their troops in the region since May.
1. Highlights
India recently set up twin commands headquartered at Chandigarh and Guwahati and
has deployed 90,000 troops. The troop personnel are all well trained mountaineers. The
issue began in the patrolling of Indian troops in the border. This is an on and off issue
where one country crosses the border while patrolling. This happens as the border
dispute is unsolved and certain border areas are not yet demarcated.

The disputed area between India and China mostly passes in the land. However, the
Pangong Tso lake is unique where the disputed border passes through the water.
3. What are the Fingers of the Lake?

The barren mountain called Chang Chenmo has palm like formations called ‘fingers’.
India claims that LAC (Line of Actual Control) starts from Finger 8. On the hand, China
claims that it starts from Line 2. India physically controls up to Finger 4.
4. About the lake

The Pangong Tso lake is a long deep narrow lake that is situated at a height of 4,350
metres in the Ladakh region. The lake is 134 km long and 5 km broad. It is a brackish
water lake. It freezes in winter and is ideal for polo and ice skating. It is not a part of the
Indus river basin. Also, it is not a Ramsar site yet. However, the process to identify it
under Ramsar Convention is on.
79. Facts Box: Spandan Campaign of Chhattisgarh
The Chhattisgarh Government recently launched Spandan Campaign. The campaign

aimed to contain fratricide and suicide involving police personnel.
1. Highlights
Under the campaign, the superintendents of police associated with the Chhattisgarh
Government will start a parade in their districts every Friday. After the event, the
grievances of the personnel are to be addressed. Also, the campaign has made medical
treatment and counselling of depressed officers mandatory.
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2. Significance
Around 50 police personnel in the state including paramilitary forces committed suicide
in the state of Chhattisgarh in the last two years. Of these 18 were reported from seven
districts that are affected by Maoists.
80. June 7: World Food Safety Day
Every year, on June 7, the World Food Safety Day is celebrated. This World Food Safety
Day being celebrated on June 7, 2020 is the second World Food Safety Day.
1. Highlights
The World Food Safety Day was launched by the United Nations in 2019. The day is
celebrated to reinforce the call made by the Geneva Conference and Addis Ababa
Conference in 2019 on “The Future of Food Safety”. This year the day is celebrated
under the theme
2. Addis Ababa Conference

The Addis Ababa Conference was the first International Conference on Food Safety. The
Conference discussed priorities to reach Sustainable Development Goals and also
support UN Decade of Action on Nutrition.
3. UN Decade of Action on Nutrition

The UN Decade of Action on Nutrition is a commitment of United Nations for the years
2016-25. The decade will receive increased nutrition actions from the world organization.
81. G20 countries pledge 21 billion USD to fight COVID-19
On June 6, 2020, the G20 countries pledged over 21 billion USD to fight against COVID-
19. The countries have so far injected 5 trillion USD in March 2020 to help fight global
economic crisis.
1. Highlights
The G20 countries had already injected 5 trillion USD into the global economy in order to
help their members take steps in targeted fiscal policies, guarantee schemes, economic
measures and counteract economic, social and financial impacts of the pandemic.
2. Funds
The 21 billion USD funds allocated is to be used in research and development, vaccines,
therapeutics and diagnostics. In April, 2020, the G20 called on the NGOs, philanthropies
and private sectors and estimated that 8 billion USD is required to close the financial gap
in the combat of COVID-19.
3. G20
It is to be noted that when the G20 leaders met in March 2020, they framed a global
response to fight COVID-19 and adopt measures to safeguard global economy. They also
planned to minimise trade disruption by enhancing global cooperation.
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June 8, 2020
_____________________________________________________________________________
82. June 8: World Oceans Day
Every year, World Oceans Day is celebrated by the United Nations on June 8. The Day is
celebrated to remind people all over the world about the importance of oceans in
everyday life. This year, the World Oceans Day is celebrated under the theme
1. Background
The World Oceans Day has been celebrated by many countries since 1992. The countries
were celebrating the Day after the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development that was held in Rio de Janeiro.
2. Significance
The World Oceans Day is celebrated to make sure mankind is well aware of the
importance of Ocean Literacy and Ocean Science and Policy
3. Ocean Science and Policy

According to the United Nations, in order to conserve and use the oceans sustainably,
the following should be imbibed in the policies being framed
4. Sustainable Development Goals

The Goal 14 of the Sustainable Development Goals says, “Conserve and Sustainable use
the oceans, marine resources and the seas”. Therefore, it is highly important to observe
World Oceans Day to succeed the goal and create awareness about the importance of
oceans.
83. Jaya Jaitly Task Force Constituted
The Government of India has constituted Jaya Jaitly Task Force that will work on the
issues of women and child development.
1. About the task force

The task force was constituted by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. The
team will work on the following
2. Union Budget
The Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman had announced about setting up of the
task force during her budget presentation for the year 2020-21.
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3. Maternal Mortality Rate
The Maternal Mortality Rate is the number of registered maternal deaths due to
pregnancy related issues or birth per 100,000 registered live births. Maternal death of a
woman is included under MMR if she died while pregnant or within 42 days of
termination of pregnancy as well.
84. Environment Performance Index: India ranks 168
The Yale University recently released the biennial Environment Performance Index. India
scored 168th rank out of 180 countries. In 2018, India scored 27.6 out of 100 and
secured 177th rank.
1. About the report

Around 32 indicators were considered to create the ranking. Also, the index provided 10-
year observation on environmental performance at national and international level.

According to the report, India needs to double its sustainability efforts. Also, India needs
to focus widely on sustainability issues with utmost priority towards air and water
quality, climate change and biodiversity.
3. Climate Change
India ranked 106 in terms of climate change and second in South Asian region. The
performance of a country in climate change was assessed on green house gas emission
per capita, Green house gas intensity growth rate, growth rate in carbon dioxide,
adjusted emission growth rates, growth rate of 4 greenhouse gases and one pollutant.
85. Scientists of ARCI develop rare earth based Magnetocaloric material
The scientists from the Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New
Materials (ARCI), have recently developed earth based magneto caloric material to treat
cancer.
1. About the research

The scientists at ARCI, an autonomous Research and Development Centre operating
under Department of Science and Technology recently developed a new material that
reduces the side effects in treatment of cancer.
2. Background
Magnetic Hyperthermia is a type of cancer treatment where the body is exposed to
higher temperature. In this method, magnetic nano particles are subjected to alternating
magnetic field that produces heat and the heat kills the cancerous cells. However, in this
treatment, the healthy cells are damaged as well.
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3. About Magnetic Caloric materials
The Magnetic Caloric materials provide controlled heating. The main advantage of the
using the material is that the cells cool down as soon as the magnetic field is removed.
This is unlike magnetic nano particles where overheating persists.
4. Magnetic Caloric materials

The Magnetic Caloric materials are those materials that gets warmer and cooler on the
application and removal of magnetic field respectively. Gadolinium is a magnetic caloric
material. Some alloys made of Gadolinium, Germanium, Silicon, Manganese, Iron,
Phosphorous and Arsenic are also magnetic caloric materials.
86. India first in world to make internet-controlled Robot
An engineer from Thane has developed an internet-controlled robot. The bot is first of its
kind. The robot addresses the needs of the hospitals treating COVID-19 patients.
1. About Coro-bot
The robot has been named Coro-bot. It can independently dispense food, beverages,
water, medicines. The robot also gives good advises to patients without the aid of
nurses, staffs or other care givers.
2. Internet of Things
The robot has a special option of controlling it through an application from any part of
the world. This makes the bot unique. The robot becomes the first in world to use
Internet of Things technology in medical field.
3. Features of Coro-bot
The Coro-bot has three nozzles. The first nozzle is used to provide disinfectant bath for
the robot himself. The second nozzle is used to spray sanitizers on both sides of the path
and the third nozzle is used to disinfect the ground with UV light as the robot moves.
87. GoI: Public procurement Norms modified
The Government of India recently modified public procurement norms. Under the new
norms maximum preference is to be given to those goods and services that have 50% or
more local content. This has been done to promote “Make in India”.
1. Highlights
The GoI recently issued the Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India), Order
2017. The new order has introduced Class-I, Class-II and non-local suppliers. The goods
and services are to get preferences based on their classes.
2. Class I
The goods and service company that have domestic value addition of 50% and more
have been classified under Class I. These goods and services will get the most
preference in all government purchases.
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3. Class II
The goods and service company whose value addition range is between 20% and 50%
come under Class II supplier.
4. Non-local suppliers
The goods and service company that has less than 20% of domestic content in the
products are classified as non-local suppliers. These companies cannot participate in
most of the government tenders.
5. Background
In the earlier orders, local suppliers were those whose goods and services had a
minimum of 50% of local content. Earlier, there was no categorization among the local
suppliers. Local content is amount of value added to a product in India.
88. Javed Akhtar: First Indian to receive Richard Dawkins Award
Javed Akhtar has become the first Indian to receive the Richard Dawkins award.
1. About Javed Akhtar

Javed Akhtar is a renowned lyricist in the Indian film industry. He was awarded Padma
Shri in 1999. He has also won the Sahitya Akademi award and Padma Bhushan.
2. Richard Dawkins Award

The award is presented by the Atheist Alliance of America (an NGO). The awards are
presented to those distinguished individuals that come from the world of scholarship,
science, education or environment and proclaim values of rationalism, secularism
upholding scientific truth.
A group of eight democracies have launched Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China. It is

an international cross-party group of legislators that are working towards reforms on
democratic countries approach towards China.
1. Highlights
The Alliance was formed by Japan, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Lithuania,
Norway, Netherlands and USA. The European Union was also present when the
representatives from these countries discussed about issues related to China.

The Alliance follows two principles namely
3. Background
The Alliance has met during a time when China is trying to dilute autonomy of Hong
Kong. Also, during the time when several countries are raising concerns about origin of
COVID-19.
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4. About the alliance
The alliance is an international group of legislators that are working towards reforms on
how countries approach China. The mission monitors developments and assists
legislators to craft strategic approach on the issues related to China. The activities of the
alliance fall into the following areas
90. State of India’s Environment Report
The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has released the State of India’s
Environment, 2020 report. The CSE also publishes the environment magazine called
Down to Earth.
1. Key Findings
According to the report, around 19 major events have claimed 1,357 lives in 2019. More
than 50 lakh internal displacements have occurred in India in 2019. This is the highest in
the world according to the report. One on five internal displacements caused by
disasters in the world were in India.
2. Observations of the report

The report observed that India’s ranking in terms of Sustainable Development Goals has
slipped to 114 in 2019 as compared to 115 in 2018. This was achievable as India took
certain measures to end poverty (SDG 1), clean water and sanitation (SDG 6).
91. Indian PMO secretaries to hold key positions in WTO, World Bank
The Private secretary of Prime Minister Modi Rajeev Topno was recently appointed as the
Senior Advisor to the Executive Director of World Bank. Also, a joint secretary at the
Prime Minister Office (PMO) was appointed to the World Trade Organization as an
ambassador
1. Highlights
Besides these officers, five other officers have been appointed abroad where they will
have major role in economic and trade related decisions. H Atheli has been appointed as
advisor to Executive Director of Asian Development Bank.
2. Significance
These appointments are important to India. This is because India is currently grappling
with economic crisis and the organizations play an important in deciding trade related
activities.
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3. Board of Directors
The World Bank group consists of four separate boards of directors. This includes
International Bank of Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Finance
Corporation (IFC), International Development Association (IDA) and Multilateral
Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA). There are 25 Executive directors in all. They elect
their president. The president has no voting powers except for the deciding vote of
equally divided board.
4. Voting Powers
The voting powers of the member countries are based on the number of shares held by
them. The top eight countries with highest voting powers in the world bank are USA,
Japan, China, UK, Germany, France, Canada and India.
92. Jharkhand approves Border Road Organization to recruit 11,800

workers
The roads near the border areas are of great importance in the current situation when
Indian and Chinese armies are confronting each other in the eastern Ladakh region.
1. Highlights
In a highly tensile situation, the Jharkhand Chief Minister has approved the Border Road
Organization to recruit 11,800 workers from the state to implement critical projects
including those in the China border.
2. Memorandum of Understanding
Jharkhand state will also sign Memorandum of Understanding with the BRO to ensure
welfare of the workers being recruited. The MoU was prepared by the Prime Minister
Office and the Jharkhand state labour department.
3. Recruitment
The workers recruited are to be employed in Operation Vijayak in Ladakh, Project
Beacon in Jammu and Kashmir, Project Deepak in Himachal Pradesh and Project Shivalik
in Uttarakhand
4. Legislation
The BRO currently brings workers to Ladakh, Leh and Himachal Pradesh under “Mates-
Local Network contact point”. This is being done twice every year. Once in April-May and
in October-November.
93. Mission Sagar: INS Kesari reaches Seychelles
The Indian Naval Ship Kesari reached Port Victoria in Seychelles to provide COVID-19
related medicines under Mission Sagar.
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1. Highlights
The Mission Sagar was launched by the Indian Navy to provide COVID-19 related
essential medicines. The Government of India under the mission is providing assistance
to foreign countries in dealing with COVID-19.
2. Mission Sagar
India had launched Mission Sagar in May 2020 to provide food items to countries in the
Southern Indian Ocean. As a part of the initiative, essentials were to be supplied to
Maldives, Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros and Seychelles.
3. SAGAR
SAGAR is Security and Growth for All in the Region.
94. Gairsain declared Summer Capital of Uttarakhand
On June 8, 2020, the Uttarakhand Governor Baby Rani Maurya assented to declare
Gairsain as new summer capital. The Gairsain is also called Bhararisen.
1. Highlights
Gairsain is to have an e-vidhan Sabha. This was announced on World Environment Day.
The Legislative Assembly of the state is located at Dehradun, the winter capital city. The
activists in Uttarakhand wanted Gairsain to be the capital of Uttarakhand state after it
was carved out of Uttar Pradesh in 1998.
2. Uttarakhand
The State of Uttarakhand was formed as the 27th state of India. The state was formed
through the Uttar Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2000. The famous tourist attraction in the
state includes Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Park. It is a UNESCO World
Heritage Site.
95. ISRO signs Memorandum of Understanding
The Indian Space Research Organization recently signed a Memorandum of

Understanding with the Aryabhata Research Institute of Observational Science (ARIES),
Nainital.
1. Highlights
The ISRO and ARIES signed the MoU on the cooperation in the filed of Space Situational
Awareness and Astrophysics. The space situation awareness includes Space object
tracking, space orbit analysis and space weather studies. The main objective of the MoU
is to protect the Indian space assets from space debris threats. The MoU also aims at
solar sciences, R&D of Astrophysics and space environment.
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2. India’s perspective on Space Situation Awareness
According to India, space assets play major role in a country’s power and prestige. The
number of objects in space is increasing day by day. Today there are more than 19,432
objects in orbit. Out of these only 2,216 are active satellites.
96. India’s first Online Waste Exchange launched
The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the first online waste
exchange programme. The programme was launched for safe disposal of toxic wastes
and promote recycling and reuse of toxic wastes.
1. Highlights
The online waste exchange programme was launched on the occasion of World
Environment day. The platform is to track, audit, scrutinize the waste and encourage
proper utilization of the waste.
2. APEMC
The Andhra Pradesh Environment Management Corporation or APEMC was set up to
handle industrial wastes. The Corporation will take over the responsibility of the online
platform.
June 9, 2020
_____________________________________________________________________________
97. ARPIT: Airborne Rescue Pod for Isolated Transportation by Indian Air
Force
The Indian Air Force recently developed Airborne Rescue Pod for Isolated Transportation
(ARPIT). The pod is to be used to evacuate critical patients that are suffering from
COVID-19.
1. Highlights
The Indian Air Force identified the need for an air evacuation system that will prevent
the spread of infectious aerosols from the COVID-19 patients during air travel. This has
now been fulfilled by ARPIT.
2. About ARPIT
The ARPIT uses HEPA, High frequency Particulate Air H 13 filters to support invasive
ventilation. The machine also holds monitoring instruments such as pulse oximeter,
defibrillator and infusion pumps. It also has space for long arm gloves and power packs.
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98. India-Denmark sign MoUs
The Ministry of Power, India and Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Climate, Denmark
signed Memorandum of Understanding on Energy Cooperation.
1. Highlights
Under the MoU, the countries have agreed to collaborate in areas such as long- term
energy planning, offshore wind, consolidation of grid codes, incentivize power plants,
increase flexibility in power purchase agreements. Through this, the Indian electricity
markets are to benefit to a larger extent.
2. Recent news about Denmark

In April 2020, the United States offered financial aid to Greenland that angered
Denmark. Greenland is an autonomous island that is under the territory of Denmark
Kingdom. The financial help being offered are seen by Denmark as extension of colonial
policy of US towards Greenland.
99. ARCI develop Ultra Violet based disinfection cabinet
The Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy along with the Mekins Industries
have developed UVC based Cabinet to disinfect COVID-19 patients.
1. About the Cabinet

The Cabinet can be used to disinfect items used in commercial establishments and also
in day to day life.
2. Need
During the early times of COVID-19, India was able to control the spread of the virus
successfully. However, with the lock down being relaxed in phases, there are possibilities
of slow spread of the disease. This might happen through surface contamination. In
order to contain the spread, it is essential to widen the use of disinfection cabinets as
the one created by ARCI.
3. Working
The Cabinet used Ultra Violet C radiation to disinfect the virus. The wavelength of UVC is
254 nm. When the UVC is absorbed by RNA of COVID-19, it leads to molecular structural
damage to the virus. This is achieved through photodimerization process.
100. Delhi: LG over rules CM’s order
On June 8, 2020, the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Anil Bajlal has over ruled the Delhi
Government order of reserving government and private hospitals in the Nation Capital
only for Delhiites and allow COVID-19 test only for symptomatic patients.
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The Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal announced that the hospitals in the national capital will
treat only patients residing in Delhi (Delhiites). Also, these hospitals will test
symptomatic patients.
2. What are the nine categories?

The ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) has included the following nine categories
101. Different Colour bands for BS VI vehicles
On June 8, 2020, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued distinct colour
band for the number plate sticker of BS VI vehicles.
1. Highlights
The order makes it mandatory for the BS VI vehicles to carry a green strip of 1 cm width
on the top of the existing sticker. The sticker should carry details of registration of BS-VI
vehicle and its fuel type. The petrol fuel vehicles should hold orange colour and diesel
fuel vehicles should carry a blue colour.
2. BS VI Emission Norms
The volume of PM 2.5 in BS VI fuel ranges between 20 and 40 micro grams per cubic
metres. On the other hand, it is 120 micrograms per cubic metres in BS IV fuel. The BS VI
fuel is to bring down the Sulphur content by 5 times. The BS VI fuel vehicles will emit
80% less particulate matter for every kilo metre.
3. Benefits
The lower Sulphur of BS VI will help reduce toxic emissions such as CO, nitrogen Dioxide
and Sulphur Dioxide. The change in density of oil will help reduce air pollution to great
extent.
102. India to set up Coal Exchange
India is to set up Coal Exchange trading platform soon. According to the proposal to set
up the India Coal Exchange platform, the entire coal mined in the country is to be traded
on a common platform called “Coal Exchange”.
1. Why is Coal Exchange important?

It is important to set up the trading platform as it will pave way for multiple buyers and
sellers in coal sector. It is to be noted that the coal ministry will start auctions for
commercial coal mining on June 11, 2020.
2. Background
The Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman had announced that the monopoly of the
Government in the coal sector will be removed completely. This is being done to
increase production of coal in India and reduce its dependence of imported coal. India
holding third largest coal reserves in the world is still importing coal.
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3. About Coal Exchange
Though India opens the coal sector to market access through the platform, Coal India
will remain the dominant player in the coal sector. This is mainly because of its fixed
target and allocated coal production of 1 billion tonnes by 2024.
103. Highest Allocation to MGNREGA
The Government of India has allocated Rs 1,01,500 crores under the MGNREGA
programme in the year 2020-21 so far. This is the highest provision of funds allocated for
the scheme since its launch.
1. Highlights
The Government of India has already released Rs 31,493 crores. So far 6.69 crore
persons have been offered work under the scheme. In May 2020, Rs 2.51 crores was
spent for the scheme per day.
2. Migrant Workers
The MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) was
strengthened to make sure the migrant workers that returned to their villages could
support their living.
3. Jal Jeevan Mission

The labour intensive Jal Jeevan Mission is being actively implemented all over the
country to make sure the MGNREGA workers get more working hours. The Jal Jeevan
Mission aims to provide clean tap water to all households in the country.
104. World Bank Report
The World Bank in its latest Global Economic Prospect downgraded its projection of
growth of India by -9%. However, the World Bank believes that Indian growth is to
bounce back in 2021.
1. Highlights
The World Bank says that the growth of India has slowed by 4.2% in 2019-20. The other
international rating agencies such as Fitch ratings, Moody’s Investor Service, S&P Global
Ratings have all predicted India’s growth rate as 4% to 5% in the year 2020-21.
According to Crisil, this is India’s fourth economic recession since independence.

The Key findings of the report about India are as follows
3. South Asia
The report says that in the South Asian region, Pakistan and Afghanistan are to
experience contractions in the year 2020. Bangladesh is expected to grow at 1.6% and
Nepal is expected to grow at 1.8%
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105. GoI facilitates filling of NIL GST Return through SMS
The Government of India has allowed taxpayers to fill their NIL GST monthly reurn form
through SMS. This will improve ease of GST compliance to more than 22 lakh taxpayers.
1. Highlights
The facility of filing the NIL form through SMS has been made available in GSTN portal.
The portal also allows the users to track their returns.
2. What is NIL GST return?

The GST return has to be filed by every registered person irrespective of business
profits. If there are no invoices issued in a month then NIL GST return is filed.
3. When is NIL GST filed?

The NIL GST is filed when a registered GST payer has not turned out taxable supplies for
which the return is to be prepared.
4. About GST
The GST is the single tax imposed on goods and services. The GST bill was first
introduced in 2014 as the Constitution (122nd) Amendment bill. The major provisions
include
106. COVID BEEP
The Union Minister of India Shri Jitendra Singh recently launched COVID BEEP, the first
physiological parameter monitoring system for COVID-19 patients.
1. About COVID BEEP

COVID BEEP is Continuous Oxygenation and Vital Information Detection Biomed ECIL
ESIC Pod. It is the first indigenous wireless cost-effective parameter monitoring system.
The COVID BEEP was developed by IIT Hyderabad and ESIC Medical College Hyderabad.
It will greatly reduce transmission risk as it will help save resources such as Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE).
2. Features
The COVID BEEP incorporated non-invasive blood pressure monitoring, ECG monitoring
and also respiratory monitoring.
3. What is the Vital Information in Medicine field?

The vital information includes temperature, pulse, respiratory rate and blood pressure.
Apart from these four vital signs, the fifth vital signs include pain, menstrual cycle, blood
glucose level and oxygen saturation.
107. 18th Bench of CAT in UTs of Ladakh and J&K
The Government of India recently inaugurated the 18th Bench of Central Administrative
Tribunal (CAT) for the Union territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.
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1. Highlights
The setting up of CAT bench for Jammu will reduce the burden of several courts. The
bench will deal exclusively with the service matters of government employees.
2. Central Administrative Tribunal

The CAT was established under Article 323 of the Constitution. The tribunal will
adjudicate complaints regarding conditions of service of public servants and also
recruitment of posts associated with the affairs of the UTs.
108. Periodic Labour Force Survey: Decline in Self-Employed households
The National Statistical Office recently released the Periodic Labour force Survey.
According to the survey, the percentage of self-employed households in rural India
declined from 52.2% to 51.7% in the year 2019.
1. Highlights
The Survey says that in Urban India the self-employed households declined from 32.4%
to 31.8%.
2. Key Findings
The Survey says that in urban India, people running small shops have folded up and
become labourers. In rural India, the non-agricultural labourers grew from 12.9% to
13.4%.
3. Implications
The findings of the report say that Indian Economy is becoming more formalised. The
Indian Government has been trying push formalisation and digitisation so hard in the last
5 to 6 years.
4. Formalisation and Digitisation

Formalisation is bringing unorganised sector into formal means through GST, ensuring
strict registrations under law. The Digitisation has been pushed through Pradhan Mantri
Jan Dhan Yojana, Direct Benefit Transfers, etc.
109. ANANYA: Disinfectant Spray developed by Defence Institute
The Pune based Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT) has developed Nano-
Technology based disinfectant spray to fight against COVID-19. The spray has been
named ANANYA.
1. Highlights
The spray can be used by common man, health care workers. Also, the spray can be
used on a large-scale use as well. It can be used on masks, Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE), elevator buttons, contaminated surfaces such as medical instruments,
door knobs, rooms and corridors.
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2. About the spray
ANANYA is a water-based spray. It stays effective for 24 hours and is highly effective for
more than 24 hours. The spray adheres to fabric, metallic objects and plastics. The
toxicity of the spray is negligible to humans. The shelf life of ANANYA spray is more than
6 months.
3. DIAT
The Defence Institute of Advance Technology operated under Ministry of Defence. The
institute trains officers of Indian Ordnance Factories, Coast Guards, Indian Armed Forces
(Air Force, army and Navy). It was established in 1952.
June 10, 2020
_____________________________________________________________________________
110. First virtual Trade Fair of India
The Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts hosted a four day virtual fair for around
200 Indian Exporters. The exporters were mainly from the industries of fashion jewelry
and accessories
1. Highlights
The four-day fair that was conducted online focused on markets such as Europe and
United States. The fair generated business opportunities of Rs 153 crores. Every seller
was provided with a virtual stall.
2. Working
As an overseas buyer clicks on a stall, he will be directed to the photographs and videos
of the product of the seller. If the buyer is interested, he will be provided with the links of
immediate interaction through Zoom or Skype. If he places the order, he will be
delivered through courier services.
3. Benefits
Usually the sellers had to spend around Rs 1.5 lakhs to Rs 2 lakhs to install a physical
stall. This time, their expenses was just Rs 10,000 to showcase their products in a virtual
stall. This helped several small exporters to participate in the virtual fair.
4. Future Plans
The Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts will now adopt the method for other goods
and services. Also, it is to scale the virtual export fair to cover products in fashion,
lifestyle, textiles, home, furniture. Around 3,000 to 50,000 buyers are expected to
participate in such future fairs.
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111. Assam Baghjan Oil Well Fire
On June 9, 2020, a massive fire engulfed the Baghjan oil well of Assam. The well of the
Oil India Limited had blown out on May 27, 2020 and has been leaking gas for the past
14 days.
1. Highlights
The accident is causing huge damages and is leaking gas. The smoke from the site could
be seen from 10 km of radius. The Indian Air Force has been helping in firefighting
operations. The Indian Army has also reached the place and is in operation.
2. Environmental Impacts
The incident is depositing gas condensate in the Maguri Beel Wet Land. This is affecting
the flora and fauna of the region. Carcasses of endangered Gangetic dolphins and
aquatic life are seen floating in the Dibru-Saikhowa National park. The paddy fields,
wetlands and ponds have also been contaminated and the threats are increasing.
112. China’s New Record: Reaches Deepest point on the earth
An Unmanned submersible of China dived deep down to 10,907 metres to the world’s
deepest point Mariana Trench.
1. Highlights
A team of scientists left for an expedition on April 23, 2020. The researchers tested
acoustic detection, video transmission, high precision depth detection during the deep-
sea diving operation.
2. International Seabed Authority

The International Seabed Authority was formed in 1994 under United Nations Convention
on the Law of Sea (UNCLOS). The authority organizes, regulates and controls mineral
related activities in the international seabed area. The Authority became an observer at
the United Nations in 1996.
3. India and ISA

India is also a member of ISA. In1987, India was the first country to receive the status of
“Pioneer Investor” at ISA. India was allocated 1.5 lakh square kilo metres of Central
Indian Ocean Basin for the exploration.
113. Asia’s Nobel Prize-Ramon Magsaysay Awards cancelled
A Manila, Philippines based foundation that gives out Ramon Magsaysay Award
announced that the awards are being cancelled due to COVID-19.
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1. Highlights
The Ramon Magsaysay Award has been cancelled thrice in 6 decades. The awards were
cancelled for the first time in 1970 due to financial crisis. It was cancelled again in 1990
due to disastrous earthquake. The award has been named after a popular Philippine
president that died in a plane crash in 1957.
2. About the Award

The award is considered as the Nobel Prize of Asia. It was established in 1957. The
Award recognizes and honours individuals that have achieved distinction in their field
and help others generously.
3. Ramon Magsaysay
Magsaysay became the president of Philippines in 1953. The administration years of
Magsaysay are cited as Golden Years of Philippines. He was well known for his
generosity and agrarian reforms.
114. Saturn Moon Titan: Drifting faster than before
The moon of Saturn, Titan is drifting away faster than before. This has been identified by
the researchers in NASA and also scientists in Italian Space Agency.
1. Highlights
According to the data received from the Cassini Spacecraft of NASA, scientists believed
that the Titan has been moving away from its host planet Saturn. However, the recent
studies say that the moon is drifting 100 times faster. This is about 4 inches every year.
2. Science of drifting moons

The moons begin drifting away from their host planets because as the moons orbit, their
gravitational pull on the planet creates temporary bulge in the planet. This bulge in turn
increases the energy exerted by the planet on its moon. It also transfers the subsiding
and bulging energy to its moon.
3. Cassini
The Cassini Space Craft Mission, or the Cassini-Huygens Mission is a joint space mission
of NASA. Italian Space Agency and the European Space Agency. The mission was
launched to study saturn, its moons, and rings.
115. Mumbai: 60th most Expensive in the world
According to the Mercer’s 2020 Cost of Living Survey, Mumbai is the 60th most
expensive city in the world. Also, it is the 19th most expensive in Asia.
1. Highlights
The Mercer’s 2020 Cost of Living Survey says that Mumbai is the most expensive city in
India. Amongst the other Indian cities, Mumbai was followed by New Delhi at 101st
position and then by Chennai at 143rd position globally.
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2. Key findings of the Survey
The Survey says that the Indian cities showed an overall jump in rankings. New Delhi
climbed 17 positions escaping the title of one of the 100 most expensive cities in the
world.
3. Global Findings
The global list created by the survey was topped by Hong Kong, followed by Ashgabat in
Turkmenistan. The third position was retained by Tokyo of Japan and Zurich of
Switzerland as that of the previous year. New York was at 6th position, Shanghai of
China was at seventh. Bern and Geneva of Switzerland were at eighth and ninth
positions respectively. Beijing was at tenth position.
116. GoI to boost Saffron and Heeng Production
Saffron and Heeng are the most precious and valuable spices in the world. The Institute
of Himalyan Bioresource Technology has partnered with the Department of Agriculture,
Himachal Pradesh will join hands to boost the production of Heeng and Saffron in India
1. Need
The annual demand of Saffron spice in India is 100 tonnes per year. However, its
average production is only 6-7 tonnes a year. Hence, a large amount of Saffron is being
imported. Similarly, there is no production of heeng in the country. Around 1200 tonnes
of Heeng is imported from Iran, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.

Currently 2,825 hectares of land in Jammu and Kashmir is under Saffron cultivation. Now,
Saffron cultivation is to be introduced in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh as well.
3. Plan for Heeng

Heeng is a perennial plant. It produces oleo-gum resin from its roots after 5 years of
plantation. Around 750 hectares of land are to be covered for heeng plantation. Through
the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Palampur located institute has
introduced 6 accessions of Heeng from Iran. The institute also standardized the protocol
of production as per Indian conditions.
4. Significance
The partnership is to provide immense benefits to the state of Himachal Pradesh. The
partnership is to increase farm income, rural development and livelihood promotion. This
is to be achieved through transfer of innovations, skill development, capacity building.
117. Annual Report of Environment Ministry
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has released the Annual Report
2019-20.
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1. Highlights
The report says that around 11,467 hectares of forest lands have been diverted in 22
states in 2019. The diversion has been made under Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. The
diversion was made for 932 non-forestry projects.
2. Findings
The report also provided category wise details. The largest forest area land was diverted
for mining projects and irrigation. The report observed that the ministry provided
guidelines to help in relocation of villages. Whenever this was done, the legal-status of
the land shall be changed to non-forest land under Forest Conservation Act.
3. Forest Villages
The report says that there was no conservation of forest villages in the year 2019. The
forest villages were those that were set up by the Britishers to procure resources such as
timber. Even today there are 2,500 forest villages in the country.
118. Uttarakhand opens Biodiversity Park
The State of Uttarakhand has recently opened a biodiversity park in Haldwani as the rich
botanical heritage of the state is facing threats from climate change and degrading
habitat loss, degrading landscapes and development activities.
1. Highlights
The Park was established on World Environment Day. The hill state that is rich in
biodiversity has been losing flora and fauna due to the following reasons
2. Background
The main reason for the degradation of biodiversity in the state, especially in the hilly
regions of the country is popularity that is gained by food products from hilly regions of
the country. The foods have been labelled “Super Foods”. While, the hills are converted
into plantation, very little efforts are put in to conserve the forests.
3. Impact on local food

The new plantations coming up in the hilly regions of India are giving importance only to
commercially profitable food items. This has led to threats of local food varieties.
4. About the park

There park consists of 40 thematic sections. It includes fruits, plant edible species and
also plants of medicinal and commercial importance. The park also includes plants that
have religious, cultural and historical significance.
119. Ayushman Bharat: Migrant Workers to get insurance
The Government of India has extended its flagship programme, Pradhan Mantri Jan
Arogya Yojana (Ayushman Bharat) to the migrant workers. Earlier, GoI had announced
that the Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries will receive free COVID-19 testing.
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1. Highlights
The decision has been taken to help the migrant workers that have lost their jobs and
livelihood due to lock down. The National Health Authority that is implementing the
scheme will issue E-Cards to the eligible migrants identified under the scheme.
2. Why Ayushman Bharat for Migrants?

The GoI has selected Ayushman Bharat primarily to help the migrant workers for several
reasons. The main reason is that the workers returning belong to rural India. And at least
80% of the beneficiaries of Ayushman Bharat are from rural India.
3. Ayushman Bharat
The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana is a paperless and cashless scheme that aims to
provide health cover up to Rs 5 lakhs per family per year. Around 53 crore beneficiaries
have been identified under the scheme.
120. Per Drop More Crop: Rs 4,000 crore allocated
The Government of India has allocated Rs 4,000 crores under Per Drop More Crop
component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana for the year 2020-21.
1. Highlights
The Government of India has allocated the funds to implement the Per Drop More Crop
component and the state governments are to identify the beneficiaries. Along with this,
the GoI has also informed about the creation of Micro Irrigation Fund Corpus of Rs 5,000
crores along with NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) to
implement the special innovative projects.
2. Micro Irrigation Fund Corpus

The Micro Irrigation Funds are to be used for resource mobilization and expand micro
irrigation. So far, the micro irrigation funds have been released to the states of Tamil
Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Rs 478.79 crores have been released for Tamil Nadu and Rs
616.14 crores have been released for Andhra Pradesh.
3. Per Drop More Crop

The Per Drop More Crop of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana focuses on water use
efficiency through sprinkler and drip irrigation. It also aims at reducing fertilizer use,
labour expenses and input costs.
121. FSSAI Food Safety Index
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India recently launched food safety index of
the year 2019-20. The states of Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra have topped the
ranking.
1. Highlights
The index was prepared based on five parameters as follows
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2. Key Findings
Among the smaller states, Goa topped the ranking followed by Manipur and Meghalaya.
Among Union Territories Chandigarh, Delhi and Andaman islands topped the ranking.
3. Theme
The Food Safety Index was released on World Food Safety Day under the theme
June 11, 2020
_____________________________________________________________________________
122. June 9: World Accreditation Day
Every year, the World Accreditation Day is celebrated on June 9. The initiative of
celebrating the day was launched by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the
International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC).
1. India
In India, the day was celebrated by the Quality Council of India. Also, the National
Accreditation Board for Testing and calibration Laboratories and the National
Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies conducted webinars.
2. Quality Council of India

The Quality Council of India was established in 1997. The main objective of QCI is to
establish quality standards all over social and economic sectors in the country. It was set
up as a public private partnership based on the Netherlands model. It was set up by the
Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal trade (DPIIT).
123. Rationalization of Coal Linkage Scheme
The Government of India is to rationalize the coal linkages in the country. This is to be
done in order to reduce the load on transportation infrastructure and also to ease
evacuation constraints.
1. Highlights
The Government of India has rationalized the coal linkages in order to reduce the
distances of coal transportation. Unlike the previous rationalizations, the current
exercise involves power and non-regulated sector as well. The move is aimed to reduce
the load on transportation infrastructure and ease evacuation constraints.
2. What is Rationalization of Coal Linkages?

The Rationalization of coal linkages is the transfer of coal supply source of a plant from a
far mine to a nearer one.
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3. Background
The rigidity in coal supply in India resulted in ferrying coal from long distances. This
increased costs and burden on Indian Railways. The Coal Linkage Rationalization scheme
was launched to untangle the situation.
The Rajasthan Police recently arrested two civil defence employees in Jaipur based on
Military Intelligence inputs. They were arrested upon the input that they were passing
sensitive information to Pakistan spy agency ISI (Inter Service Intelligence). The
information was passed under Operation Desert Chase.

The Operation is an anti-espionage operation that was started by the Military Intelligence
in 2019. The men were arrested under Official Secrets Act, 1923.
2. Official Secrets Act

The act condemns actions that involve helping an enemy state against India. The Home
Ministry in 2017 has submitted a report on amending the act. The report intends to
make the act more transparent and in line with RTI act (Right to Information Act, 2005).
3. ISI
According to the Indian Government, the Inter-Service Intelligence of Pakistan involves
planning and carrying out terrorist attacks against people of India. It was created after
the Indo-Pakistani war of 1947. The ISI was given the duty to make Jammu and Kashmir
a part of Pakistan. Also, Operation Tupac was started
4. Operation Tupac
The Operation Tupac is a military intelligence run by ISI of Pakistan. The operation has
three parts namely
125. June 9: Coral Triangle Day
Every year the Coral Triangle Day is observed on June 9. The Day is observed by the
Coral Triangle Initiative
1. Coral Triangle Initiative

The Initiative is a multilateral partnership of six countries namely Malaysia, Indonesia,
Philippines, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste. The Coral Triangle
Initiative is also called the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food
Security (CTI-CFF). It is a multilateral partnership of six countries that are working to
sustain marine and coastal resources and address issued such as food security.
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2. Highlights
The Coral Triangle Day is not only celebrated in these six countries. It is also celebrated
in several other countries that are influenced by this region. It is an open source event
that brings together organizations, individuals and establishments.
3. Coral Triangle
The Coral Triangle is the world epicentre of marine diversity that is spread across the
above six countries. The region is important as it consists of 76% of coral species, 37%
of coral reef fish and 53% of world coral reef. It is one of the three mega complexes on
the Earth.
4. Mega Complexes of the Earth

Along with the Coral Triangle, the other two Mega Complexes of the earth includes
Amazon rain forest and Congo Basin.
126. Asiatic Lion population increased
On June 10, 2020, PM Modi on Twitter announced about the increase in population of
Asiatic Lions.
1. Highlights
The Asiatic Lion population has increased by 29%. It was 523 in 2015 and has increased
to 674 in 2020. India has recorded 36% increase in distribution area of lions. It was
22,000 square kilo metres in 2015. In 2020, the spread increased to 30,000 square kilo
metres. The Asiatic Lions are currently in the protected areas of agro-pastoral landscape
of Saurashtra, Gujarat.
2. How did the population increase?

The Asiatic Lion population increased steadily due to the following reasons
3. Asiatic Lions
The Asiatic Lion is listed under Endangered in IUCN red list. This is mainly because of
their small population size and area of occupancy.
127. Forex Reserves of India are rising
The Forex Reserves of India are increasing and are to hit 500 billion USD soon. In May
2020, the Indian Forex Reserves touched an all time high of 493 billion USD.
1. What is Foreign Exchange Reserve?

The Foreign Exchange Reserves are the reserve assets that are held by the central bank
in foreign currencies. It is used to back the liabilities faced by a currency due to the
influence of monetary policy.
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2. Why are the Forex Reserves rising?
The Forex Reserves of India are increasing mainly due to fall in crude oil prices. Also, the
rise is because of the increase in investment in Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) and
Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPI).
3. Significance
The Forex Reserves are held by the GoI to maintain liquidity in the country. It also helps
to absorb shocks where access to borrowing is curtailed. The Forex Reserves are an
important component of Balance of Payment and also an essential element to analyze
the external position of the economy.
4. Components of Foreign Reserves of India

The Foreign Exchange Reserve of India comprises of the following
128. RBI releases Framework for sale of Loan Exposure and

Securitization of Standard Assets
The Reserve Bank of India recently released draft framework for “Sale of Loan
Exposures” and “Securitization of Standard Assets”.
1. Highlights
The guidelines issued are applicable to Scheduled Commercial Banks. This includes All
India Financial Institutions such as EXIM Bank, NABARD, Non-Banking Financial
Companies. The guidelines have also included recommendations of Committee on
Development of Housing Finance Securitization Market in India that was chaired by Dr
Harsh Vardhan. Also, the guidelines included the recommendations made by the Task
Force set up on the Development of Secondary Market for Corporate Loans. Both the
Committee and the Task Force were set up by the Reserve Bank of India.
2. Key Features of the Guidelines

 The Guidelines has proposed Two Capital Measurement approach. This includes Securitisation
External Ratings based approach and Securitisation Standardised Approach.
 Simple Transparent Comparable Securitisation has been prescribed to define preferential
capital treatment.
 The new guidelines allowed Securitisation of exposures that are purchased from other lenders
 The Stressed Assets under the new guidelines shall be sold only through novation and
assignment.
129. Haryana: 1,000 Water Recharge Bores to be constructed
On June 11, 2020, the Haryana Government announced that, it will construct 1,000
water recharge bores in the state. The water bores are to be constructed in the water
deficient areas of the state.
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1. Highlights
The bores are being constructed in the state of Haryana to recharge the underground
water with rainfall. The State Government is to bear 90% of the cost in installing the
bores. The remaining 10% of the cost are to be borne by the farmers.
2. Background
The underground water level in the paddy cultivation belt has gone down to 80 metres.
The bores will thus help to keep agricultural production to the fullest even during dry
seasons.
3. Significance
The State Government of Haryana had launched Mera Pani, Meri Virasat Yojana. Under
the scheme around 53,000 farmers of the state are registered. They are now sowing
paddy under the scheme. These farmers are to be provided with incentive of Rs 1000.
The State Government will also provide the benefits of Bhavanter Bharpai Yojana and
also Atal Bhujal Yojana
4. Atal Bhujal Yojana

The Atal Bhujal Yojana is an initiative that ensures long term sustainability of ground
water resources. The two main components of the scheme include
130. NIRF Ranking
On June 11, 2020, the Ministry of Human Resource Development released National
Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) for the educational institutions in the country.
1. Key Highlights
The IIT Madras topped the list followed by IISc Bangalore. The third place was secured by
IIT Delhi. The other institutes that were in the top 100 were IIT Bombay at fourth place,
followed by IIT Kharagpur, IIT Kanpur, IIT Guwahati, etc.
2. About NIRF
The NIRF ranking system was launched in 2015. The first NIRF ranking was released in
2016. The NIRF ranks institutions in 10 categories namely engineering, university,
management, college, medical, pharmacy, law, dental and architecture.
3. Significance
The NIRF ranking promotes competition among the educational institutions all over the
country. The rankings have great importance as the performance of the institutions have
been linked to “Institution of Eminence” scheme
4. Institution of Eminence
The scheme is operated by the Ministry of HRD. IT aims to project Indian institutes to
global recognition.
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131. Bharatmala Pariyojana delayed
The Bharatmala Pariyojana that was scheduled to be completed in 2021-22 is to be

completed by 2025-26. The announcement of delay was announced by the rating
agency ICRA (Investment Information and credit Rating Agency).
1. Highlights
The prevailing COVID-19 crisis could delay the asset monetization plan of National
Highway Authority of India (NHAI). Until February 2020, Rs 2.38 lakh crores were
awarded to Bharatmala Pariyojana scheme. The average cost awarded to the scheme
was Rs 23.8 crores per km. This was 54% higher than the estimated cost of Rs 15.52
crore per crore.
2. Bharatmala Pariyojana
The scheme was launched for road construction in India. It gives special importance to
projects connecting far-flung areas and rural areas. The scheme will build 4-lane
highways, move 80% freight traffic, interconnect logistics parks. It will also connect 7
north east Multi-Nodal Waterway ports.
3. Waterway Ports
There are 111 Inland waterways in India. They were identified under the National
Waterways Act, 2016. Out of the 111, 106 were created in 2016.
132. June 12: World Day against Child Labour
Every year, the World Day against Child Labour is celebrated on June 12. It was launched
by the International Labour Organization, a United Nations body. The World Day against
Child Labour was launched in 2002.
1. Highlights
The Children in the age group of 5 to 17 years engaged in work deprives them of normal
childhood, proper health care, adequate education, leisure time and basic freedom. The
very purpose of marking World Day against Child Labour is this.
2. 2020
This year the ILO is conducting the World Day against Child Labour as virtual campaign
and is organized by Global March against Child Labour and International Partnership for
Cooperation on Child Labour in Agriculture.
3. Background
Nine out of ten children involved in labour works are in Asia, Africa and Pacific. The
percentage of Child labour is the highest in low-income countries. According to the
International Labour Organization, Africa has the largest child labours in the world. It
accounts to one-fifth of child labour in the world.
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4. COVID-19 crisis
The child labour issue is to increase during the COVID-19 crisis. This is mainly because,
children are out of school and are more likely to engage in harmful works. The Child
helpline International says that one-third of the global population have been affected
due to COVID-19 crisis and 1.5 billion children have been impacted.
133. Guidelines for Import of Exotic Species
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change recently issued advisory to
import of Exotic Live Species.
1. What are Exotic Live Species?

The Exotic Live Species are plant or animal species that move from the original range to
a new one.
2. Background
The new guidelines have been issued as the global concerns on wildlife trade and
zoonotic diseases have increased due to the outbreak of COVID-19.
3. Guidelines
Under the new guidelines, the importer should obtain No-Objection certificate from Chief
Wildlife Warden of the state. The persons possessing Exotic live species should make
voluntary disclosure within a period of 6 months.
June 12, 2020
_____________________________________________________________________________
134. India-ASEAN Youth Dialogue
The third India-ASEAN Youth Dialogue as held between June 8, 2020 and June 10, 2020.
The dialogue was held in virtual mode.
1. Highlights
During the dialogue, India and ASEAN enhanced cooperation constructively in skill
development, youthful energy and education. These areas were identified as strategic
partnership between the two countries at the dialogue. The leaders also acknowledged
re-establishment of Nalanda University. The Nalanda University has been offering
several scholarship programmes for the ASEAN students.
2. Why Youth?
India has the largest youth population in the world. Around 65% of its population are
below the age of 35 years. There are more than 450 million people that are in the age
group of 15 to 35 years. ASEAN has also been witnessing largest population with around
213 million youth.
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3. Significance
The Dialogue also complemented the ongoing youth-centric initiatives. Around 2,500
ASEAN youths are engaged in student exchange programmes in India. This includes
special courses for young ASEAN Diplomats, exchange programmes for young farmers,
programmes for young parliamentarians and media exchange programmes.
4. Background
ASEAN has been India’s utmost priority under its Act East Policy. There are 10 countries
in ASEAN grouping. The organization focuses on military, education, socio-cultural
integration, security. It was created in 1967 by 5 countries namely Malaysia, Singapore,
Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand.
135. International Religious Freedom Report
The US Government recently released the International Religious Freedom Report, 2019.
India has raised its concerns over the report. This was because the report alleged India
with discrimination and attacks against religious minorities in the country.
1. What were the concerns raised in the report?

 The religious freedom conditions in India is experiencing downturn. The national Government
of the country has used its majority in the parliament and has instituted national level policies
that is violating religious freedom.
 The report had also raised concerns over scrapping of special status of Jammu and Kashmir
 It also criticized the Citizenship Amendment Act saying the act is a fast track to provide
citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
 The report also condemned cow slaughter laws, anti-conversion laws and mob-lynching.
2. FCRA
According to the report, India has prohibited several internationally funded NGOs. They
were prohibited from operating in India since 2010. This was implemented through the
amendment of the FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act), 1976. Through the
amendment, the GoI can shut any of the internationally funded NGO based on national
interest.
136. Nature Index
The Nature Research, a division of the popular Springer Nature recently released Nature
Index. India secured 12th rank in the index.
1. Highlights
The countries that secured top 5 places in the index includes USA, China, Germany, UK
and Japan. The top Indian Institutes that were rated high by the index include CSIR
(Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) and IISc Bangalore. Also, three institutions
found their places among top 30 Indian Institutions according to Nature Index 2020
ratings. They are
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2. About Nature Index
The Nature Index is created based on the author affiliation database collected from
research articles that are published in around 82 high-quality science journals. These
indices are of high importance for the current scenario of COVID-19. This is because,
they help to track the researches.
137. Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle at Vizag
The Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) was inaugurated at the Vishakhapatnam
Complex.
1. Highlights
The DSRV has been designed in such a way that the system can be quickly be mobilized
in road or air. This is being done to facilitate submarine rescue operations even in far
away locations.
2. India’s position
There are only 40 countries in the world that operate submarines. Out of these, a few
have submarine rescue capabilities. India is one among the few. Some of the other
countries that possess the vehicle system includes China, Italy, Sweden, UK, Japan,
Korea, Russia, Singapore and USA. France, UK and Norway share the NATO Submarine
System Programme.
138. Enhanced Import Duty on Bamboo Sticks
The Government of India had recently announced that the import duty on bamboo sticks
is to be increased from 10% to 25%. This is to have great impact on Agarbatti industry
creating at least 1 lakh new jobs according to KVIC (Khadi and Village Industries
Commission).
1. Background
The decision of enhancing the import duty was taken by the Ministry of Finance to
discourage heavy import and help local industries grow. This has great importance as
the import of bamboo sticks from Vietnam and China caused huge employment losses in
India.
2. Steps taken
In 2019, the Ministry of Commerce placed import of raw Agarbatti under “Restricted”
category. This restriction revived 100s of Agarbatti units in the states of Madhya
Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. The restriction also resulted in the
increase of import of bamboo sticks from Rs 210 crores in 2018-19 to Rs 370 crores in
2019-20.
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3. Bamboo
India produces 14.6 million tonnes of bamboo every year. Around 70,000 farmers are
engaged in bamboo plantation. Thus, enhancing import duty will help to boost bamboo
production and also help industries that are dependent on bamboo. The KVIC will also
launch bamboo plantation drive to make India self-sufficient and meet growing demands
of bamboo in 3 to 4 years.
139. Police Use of Facial Recognition banned by Amazon
On June 11, 2020, the E-Commerce giant Amazon banned the use of its software
“Rekognition” by the police. The software used to quickly compare a picture with the
police data bases that holds hundreds of 1000s of photos.
1. Why the ban?

The facial recognition technology has been criticized over some time. This is mainly
because, most of the algorithms of the Rekognition software are more likely to wrongly
identify the faces of black people than those of white people.
2. Recognition
The Amazon Rekognition software was launched in 2016. It was sold and used by a
number of US government agencies.
3. What is the controversy?

The Gender Identification technology of Rekognition software identifies faces as only
male and female. There is no category for nonbinary gender. According to MIT
researchers, the errors in the face recognition system is more. Though it is reducing year
after year, the performance of the software on female faces were less accurate than that
of male faces.
140. SAUNI Scheme: Third Phase launched
The third phase of Saurashtra Narmada Avtaran Irrigation (SAUNI) scheme was launched
by the Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. The scheme is to fill 115 dams with Narmada
water by August 15, 2020 and March, 2021.
1. Key Features
The first phase of SAUNI scheme was launched in 2016 by PM Modi at Aji-3 dam. The
second phase of the scheme includes 541 km of pipeline works to fill 57 reservoirs by
August 2020. The third phase includes 42 dam reservoirs that are to be filled through
457 km of pipelines and is estimated to be completed by March 2021.
2. Sauni Yojana
The Sauni Yojana was launched to divert the excess over flowing flood waters of
Narmada that were allocated to Saurashtra region. It is basically a linking project under
which the waters are to be filled in irrigation dams that already has a good canal
network.
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3. Narmada River
The river is also called Rewa. It is also known as the “Life Line of Gujarat and Madhya
Pradesh”. It begins its journey from the Amarkantak Plateau located near Anuppur
district of Madhya Pradesh. Narmada flows between Vindhya and Satpura ranges.
141. Jagananna Chedodu Scheme launched
The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy recently launched “Jagananna
Chedodu” scheme. The scheme is to provide financial assistance to barbers, tailors and
washer men.
1. Highlights
The Jagananna Chedodu scheme is to provide Rs 10,000 per person. It is to benefit 2.47
lakhs of barbers, washer men and tailors. The State Government has transferred Rs 247
crores to the bank accounts so far under the scheme.
2. Other Schemes of AP
The Andhra Pradesh Government had recently launched several schemes that benefitted
people of Andhra in a greater way. This includes Rythu Bharosa, Pension Kanuka, Amma
Vodi, Vidya Devena, Vahana Mitra, Vasathi Deevena, Nethanna Nestham, Matsyakara
Bharosa.
142. Panchvati Yojana launched
The Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur recently launched the Panchvati
Yojana for senior citizens in the rural areas of the state. Around 100 parks are to be
developed in the state under the scheme. The scheme aims to help the senior citizens
spend their leisure time in these gardens and parks.
1. Key Features
The following are to be achieved by the State Government of Himachal Pradesh under
the scheme
2. Measures under the scheme

The scheme is to be implemented with the help of local labourers that will receive wages
under MGNREGA. The GoI has been boosting MGNREGA scheme by allocating huge
funds. This is done to help migrant workers with employment.
143. FIFA Ranking: India retains 108th rank
On June 12, 2020, the FIFA ranking was released. Indian team retained its 108th position
as the international football for the year 2020 has been suspended since March.
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1. Highlights
Belgium remained at the top spot and was ahead of France and Brazil. England and
Uruguay continued to remain at fourth and fifth position. Croatia and Portugal were at
sixth and seventh position respectively. They were followed by Spain, Argentina and
Colombia.
2. FIFA
FIFA is Federation Internationale de Football Association. It is an international governing
body of association football. It was founded in 1904 and is headquartered in Zurich.
Around 211 member countries are associated with FIFA.
3. Rankings
The current version of FIFA ranking was used in 2018. The rankings are formed based on
points awarded to the teams. The points are awarded based on the results of
international matches that were played by a country.
144. GST Council meet
On June 12, 2020, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman chaired the 40th GST Council
Meet.
1. Highlights
The minister at the meet announced that no late fee will be charged from the taxpayers
(small taxpayers) that had filed GST returns between July 2017 and January 2020. This is
being done as there is lot of GST return filing that is pending in the period.
2. Reduction in interest
For the small taxpayers, whose aggregate turn over is Rs 5 crore, the rate of interest for
filing GST return for February, March and April, 2020 and beyond July 6, 2020 is to be
reduced from 18% to 9% per annum. Also, for the small taxpayers whose turnover is up
to Rs 5 crore, waiver of late fees is to be provided if they file the GSTR-3B form for the
supplies that were affected in May, June and July by September 2020.
3. Integrated Goods and Services Tax

The Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman announced that a new sharing formula has been
implemented. Under the new formula, the centre can release funds to the states without
making adjustments. Before introducing formula based IGST sharing, there was huge
accumulation of IGST that led to sharing of accumulated IGST in two halves.
145. NHAI: First Construction Sector to become digital completely
The National Highway Authority of India became the first construction sector to become
digital completely.
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1. Highlights
The project management workflow of NHAI has been transformed from manual to online
portal. The platform Artificial Intelligence and cloud-based big data analytics have been
used to bring in the transform. With social distancing being one of the key methods to
prevent COVID-19 infection, the online platform will help NHAI employees to continue
their works without physical contact.
2. NHAI becoming Digital

The NHAI has completely become digital. This includes contractual decision,
documentation and approvals that are now to be done through online portal alone. The
NHAI e-office module has also been integrated into the system. The stakeholders of
NHAI, contractors, consultants and independent engineers are already using the
platform.
3. Data Lake
Data Lake is a repository of data. It allows to store all structured and unstructured data
at any scale.
146. Dr Rattan Lal: Indian born American Scientist wins World Food Prize
On June 11, the Indian American soil scientist Dr Rattan Lal has won the World Food Prize
for mainstreaming and developing soil centric approach in order to increase food
production.
1. Highlights
Dr Lal’s strategy of restoring soil health has been adopted by three United Nations
Climate Change Conferences.
2. Techniques of Dr Lal
Dr Lal has transformed and explored techniques such as no-tillage, over cropping,
mulching and agro forestry. These techniques improved long term sustainability of agro
ecosystems and minimized risks of floods, drought and effects of climate change.
Through his research works, Dr Lal had proved that atmospheric carbon can be
sequestered in soils.
3. World Food Prize

Dr Lal will receive 250,000 USD of prize money. He is being honoured for his
contributions throughout his career that spans for more than 5 decades. Around 4
continents are promoting his innovative soil saving techniques.
147. Shahakar Mitra Scheme launched
On June 12, 2020, the Union Agriculture Minister shri Narendra Singh Tomar launched
Shahakar Mitra scheme. The scheme has been launched to assist the cooperative
institutions to access innovative ideas of young professionals. In return the young
interns will gain confidence to become self-reliant in the field.
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1. Highlights
The Scheme is an internship programme for the youths in the country. It is an initiative
of the National Cooperative Development Cooperation (NCDC).
2. Eligible Applicants
The professional graduates in Agriculture, IT and allied areas are eligible for the
internship. Also, persons that have completed MBA degrees in finance, agriculture,
forestry, business, project management, international trade, rural development are also
eligible to apply.
June 13, 2020
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148. What is iFLOWS?
iFLOWS is a flood warning system that alerts flood prone areas. The warning is provided
6 to 72 hours in advance. It was launched in Mumbai.
1. Highlights
iFLOWS was launched by the Chief Minister of Maharashtra Uddav Thackeray and Dr
Harsh Vardhan, the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare. iFLOWS is Integrated
Flood Warning System. The system provides all information related to flood prone areas.
The details include height the flood water could attain, vulnerability and risk elements
exposed to floods and location-wise problematic areas across the wards.
2. Working
The amount of rainfall is the primary source of the system. However, Mumbai being a
coastal city, the system also includes details of tidal waves, storm tides for its flood
assessments. The iFLOWS system also has provisions to capture urban drainage of the
Mumbai city.
3. Modules of iFLOWS
The iFLOWS comprises of seven modules namely Flood, Inundation, Data Assimilation,
Vulnerability, risks module, decision support system and Dissemination module.
4. Why in Mumbai?
Mumbai being the financial capital of India is experiencing floods frequently these days.
The 2017 floods had almost made the city standstill. The 2005 floods paralyzed Mumbai.
In 2005, the city received rainfall of 94 cm, that was a 100 year high in a time span of
just 24 hours.
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5. Benefits
The system based on location, the rain recorded, topography and forecast generates
flood warnings for a specific geographical area of the city. The details are then sent to
the authorities. The alert includes tide levels, rainfall information, storm surges and low-
lying areas that are expected to be affected. This will help in minimizing the damages
greatly evacuating people to safe areas.
149. Veteran Poet Gulzar Dehlvi passed away after recovering from
COVID-19
The Veteran Urdu poet Anand Mohan Zutshi ‘Gulzar’ Dehlvi passed away after
recovering from COVID-19 in less than a week. He was 93.
1. Highlights
Mr Gulzar tested positive for COVID-19 early June, 2020. He returned home after
recovering from the infection. However, due to his age, the infection left him weak and
he died of cardiac arrest.
2. About Gulzar
Gulzar was the editor of “Science ki Duniya”, the only science magazine published in
Urdu by the Government of India. It was launched in 1975. He has also set up Urudu
schools in India. Gulzar was associated with freedom movements since 1930s. He is a
Padmashree awardee.
150. Uttar Pradesh: TrueNat machines to test COVID-19 in 75 districts
The Uttar Pradesh Government is to make the TrueNat Machines available in all 75
districts to test COVID-19. The ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) had approved
the machines to conduct COVID-19 tests earlier.
1. Highlights
The UP Government is to make the machines available in all of its districts for speedy
testing of COVID-19 cases. The state has set a target of 15,000 tests per day. The target
is to be achieved by the middle of June, 2020. The aim is to increase the target to 20,000
by June end.
2. Other measures
Along with increasing COVID-19 testing, the Uttar Pradesh Government will also ensure
10 lakh jobs in six months. During this phase of employment generation, the migrant
workers are to be provided greater importance.
3. TrueNat Machines
The TrueNat machines can run up to 32 to 48 samples. Also, they are capable of running
samples for multiple diseases such as HIV, TB, COVID-19, etc.
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151. Railway Stations to be classified on Waste Water Output
The CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) is to classify railway stations based on the
quantity of waste water generated by them and also based on the disposal of untreated
water that are drained into the municipal drain systems.
1. Highlights
The Railway Stations that are generating waste water equal to or more than 100 kilo
litres per day are to be classified as red stations. The stations that are generating waste
water greater than 10 kilo litres per day are to be classified under the category of
orange. The stations that are generating less than 10 kilo litres of waste water per day
are to be put in the category of Green.
2. Legislation
The categorization has been done under the provisions of Water (Prevention and Control
of Pollution) Act, 1974. The main objectives of the act are to control, prevent and abate
water pollution. It assesses pollution level and punishes polluters.
152. Challenger Deep
The Astronaut and Oceanographer Kathy Sullivan recently reached the deepest point in
the ocean, Challenger Deep. With this she has become the first woman to reach the
deepest point in the earth.
1. Highlights
In 1984, Kathy made her space walk debut and became the first woman to walk in
space. Now by reaching Challenger Deep she has created a new record of first person in
the world to walk in space and also reach the deepest point on the earth. She is also the
first woman to reach the deepest point in the ocean.
2. Challenger Deep
Challenger Deep is the deepest point in the Earth’s sea bed. It is at a depth of 10,902
metres. It is named after the British Royal Navy survey Ship HMS Challenger that
recorded its depth for the first time.
3. Micronesia
Micronesia is a sub region of Oceania. It is made of 1000s of small islands. It has a
tropical marine climate. There are 4 main archipelagos in the sub region. They are
Caroline Islands, Mariana Islands, Gilbert Islands and Marshall Islands. The Mariana
Trench is located in the Mariana Islands.
153. RBI sets up P K Mohanty Panel to Review Ownership of Private

Banks
On June 12, 2020, the Reserve Bank of India has constituted an internal working group.
The working group is to review guidelines of ownership of private sector banks.
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1. Highlights
The panel constituted by the apex bank is to examine regulations to hold financial
subsidiaries through non-operative financial holding company. The group is to be headed
by the Executive Director of RBI, P K Mohanty.
2. Functions
The Group is to examine the existing regulation and guidelines on ownership of private
sector banks. Also, the panel will suggest appropriate norms to address the issue of
concentration of control and ownership of banks. The group will also review the eligibility
criteria of the individuals to apply for banking license.
3. NOFHC
The NOHFC was formed in 2015 to separate financial activities carried out by the same
company. This will help the company carry out other commercial and industrial
activities.
154. Rs 14,690 Crore disbursed under Emergency Credit Line Guarantee

Scheme
On June 12, 2020, the Ministry of Finance announced that the public sector banks have
so far disbursed Rs 14,690 crores for the MSMEs under the Emergency Credit Line
Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS).
1. Highlights
The credit line of ECLGS is the biggest component of the economic package announced
by the Finance Minister under Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. The Finance Minister
announced that Rs 29,490 crores of loans has been sanctioned to MSMEs. Out of this, Rs
14,690 crores has been disbursed.
2. Benefits
The Cabinet in May 2020, had approved additional funding of Rs 3 lakh crores through
ECLGS at a concessional rate of 9.25% for the MSME sector. This will help to cover
MUDRA borrowers broadly.
3. Impacts of the Scheme

The scheme is expected to mitigate stress caused by COVID-19 that has severely
impacted manufacturing sector and other activities of MSME. It is expected to provide
credit facilities at low cost and thereby help the MSMEs restart their business and meet
their operational liabilities. The scheme is expected to have positive impact on the
economy and also support its revival.
155. Deforestation of Amazon Forest: Highest in 5 years
On June 12, 2020, the National Institute of Space Research (INPE) announced that the
increase in deforestation of Amazon forests has been the highest in 2019 as compared
to last 5 years.
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1. Highlights
The research institute has found that the deforestation has increased by 91 square kilo
metre in 2019 as compared to 2018. In 2019, around 829 square kilo metres of forest
has been deforested.
2. Key Findings
The research institute also noted the witness of Brazilian Government on deforestation.
According to Brazilian Government, amazon rainforest faced deforestation record of 829
square kilometre in May, 2020. This is the highest monthly level deforestation since
2015.
3. Why the increase?

Deforestation in the region has increased after President Jair Bolsonaro took office in
2019 according to conservation groups and environmental activists. According to
Bolsonaro, mining and farming in the protected areas of Amazon forest were the only
ways to lift the region out of poverty. His environmental policies have been widely
condemned all over the world.
156. ‘GermiKlean’: Developed by DRDO to sanitise uniforms of police

and security personnel
The Defence Research and Development Organization has developed ‘GermiKlean’.

GermiKlean is a sanitising chamber that can be used to sanitise uniforms of security and
police personnel.
1. Highlights
The DRDO developed the sanitizing chamber after the Delhi Police raised their
requirement of sanitizing their helmets, uniforms, cane shields, etc.
2. About GermiKlean
GermiKlean is capable of sanitizing 25 pairs of uniforms within 15 minutes using dry heat
treatment. Dry heating of an article is accomplished by conduction. Heat is absorbed by
the exterior surface of the article and passed inward. Dry heat kills micro organisms by
causing denaturation of proteins. Denaturation is a process in which the nucleic acids
lose the quaternary structure. This kills the micro organisms.
3. Other measures
The DRDO has also designed sanitisation tunnel. It has come up with an idea of a mat
that can be used to sanitise foot.
157. IIT Kharagpur: AI Based Social-Distancing Monitor
The Researchers of IIT Kharagpur have developed an Artificial Intelligence based cyber-
physical system to monitor social distancing in public places.
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1. Highlights
The device developed by the researchers will play a proximity alert whenever there is a
violation of social distancing norms. The device captures field view and computes
distances according to the criteria set by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
2. Social Distancing
The social distancing is non-pharmaceutical prevention of an infection. This is done by
decreasing contact between the persons that are infected by the disease-causing
pathogen. According to WHO, when someone has COVID-19, the minimum physical
distance to stay away from him is 1 metre. The same norms are followed in India as well.
158. Panel formed by Delhi LG to advise Delhi Disaster Management

Authority
The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal has formed an Expert Advisory Committee
to advise the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA).
1. Highlights
The committee has been formed to address the challenges faced in Delhi and also ramp
up medical infrastructure. The committee will also advice the DDMA to integrate
measures of various agencies to effectively mitigate COVID-19. The Director General of
ICMR, director of AIIMS are all part of the committee.
2. Disaster Management Authority

The National Disaster Management Authority lays down guidelines to be followed by the
State Authorities. The Disaster Management Act, 2005 provides detailed legal
frameworks of the disaster management authority at national, state and district levels.
3. In Delhi
Under Section 14 of Disaster Management Act, 2005, the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi is
the Chairperson of Delhi Disaster Management Authority and the CM of Delhi is the Vice-
Chairperson of the authority.
159. “Ghar Ghar Nigrani”: Mobile Application launched by Punjab

Government
On June 12, 2020, the Punjab Government has launched “Ghar Ghar Nigrani” mobile
application to undertake house to house surveillance to eliminate COVID-19 pandemic.
1. Highlights
The mobile application was launched by the Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. The
application is to be used as a tool for early detection and testing of COVID-19 and
prevent community spread.
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With the help of the application, the Punjab Government is to cover all the persons that
are below the age of 30 years. The survey will cover persons that have influenza like
illness. Currently the survey is conducted in 518 villages. The survey has found that
4.88% have been found to be hypertensive, 0.14% are having kidney disease, 0.64% are
suffering from heart disease and 0.13% are suffering from cancer and another 0.13% are
suffering from TB.
160. COVID-19 and Child Labour Report by the United Nations
The International Labour Organization and the UNICEF have released a report on Child
Labour. The report has been released under the title
1. Key Findings
The report says that millions of children are to be pushed to child labour due to COVID-
19 crisis. The report also says that the children already in laborious activities might end
up working longer hours.
2. Poverty
According to the report, COVID-19 will increase poverty that will eventually drive the
increase in child labour. The report predicts that 1% increase in poverty will lead to 0.7%
increase in child labour.
3. Migrant Workers
Among all, the most vulnerable persons during COVID-19 are the migrant workers. They
will face economic downturn
161. Jammu and Kashmir launch Poultry Policy 2020
The Government of Jammu and Kashmir recently launched the Poultry policy, 2020. The
Government has provided operational guidelines under the policy to promote
establishment of poultry units.
1. Highlights
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has announced Rs 50 crores of subsidy per annum
to establish broiler farms and its allied activities. The policy aims to generate
employment in the territory.
2. About the Policy

The policy is expected to reduce an annual bill of Rs 900 crores that is spent on
importing poultry and its products outside the territory. The entrepreneurs, farmers,
NGOs, cooperatives, Self Help Groups, Joint Liability Groups are eligible to avail the
benefits under the scheme.
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3. Commercial Farms
For Commercial Broiler farms that holds rearing capacity of rearing more than 10,000
birds per unit are to be provided with incentive 30% of capital investment. The upper
limit fixed to such incentives is Rs 50 lakhs.
162. June 13: International Albinism Awareness Day
Every year, the International Albinism Awareness Day is celebrated on June 13. The day
is marked to celebrate the human rights of the persons affected by Albinism world wide.
This year the International Albinism Awareness Day is marked under the theme
1. Highlights
The day is celebrated worldwide to create awareness and acknowledge multiple forms of
discrimination faced by people with albinism. This year, the theme has been chosen to
celebrate the success of people with Albinism worldwide. The theme aims to convey the
message that though people suffering from Albinism are facing discrimination, the world
stands together with them to free them from discrimination and violence. The day is
marked by United Nations.
2. Albinism
Albinism is genetically inherited, non-contagious and results in lack of pigmentation in
skin, eyes and hair. For the disease to be present at birth, both the parents must carry
the gene of Albinism.
June 14, 2020
_____________________________________________________________________________
163. June 14: World Blood Donor Day
Every year, World Blood Donor Day is celebrated on June 14. The day is celebrated to
thank voluntary blood donors and also raise awareness about the need for regular blood
donations. This year the World Blood Donor Day is celebrated under the theme
1. Highlights
The World Blood Donor Day event was established in 2004. It is one of the eight official
campaigns that are marked by the World Health Organization. The campaigns are as
follows
2. Significance
Transfusion of blood is important to help save million of lives every year. It supports
surgical procedures and also plays an essential life-saving role in perinatal and maternal
care.
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3. Why on June 14?
World Blood Donor Day is celebrated on June 14 to commemorate the birth anniversary
of Karl Landsteiner. Karl won Nobel prize for discovering ABO blood group.
June 15, 2020
_____________________________________________________________________________
164. Actor Sushant Singh Rajput dies
On June 14, 2020, actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead in his Mumbai apartment.
According to Mumbai police, he had committed suicide
1. Highlights
The actor has played lead roles in TV series. He won the best actor award at the Indian
Film Festival of Melbourne in 2017 for his movie M S Dhoni: The Untold Story.
2. Screen Awards
The Screen awards are held to honour the professionals of Bollywood. The awards were
introduced by the Screen film magazine of the Indian Express Group.
3. ITA Awards
The Indian Television Academy Awards, also called the ITA awards organized by the
Indian Television Academy.
4. About Sushant Singh Rajput

The actor was born in Patna. He was a mechanical engineer from Delhi College of
Engineering. He dropped out of college pursuing acting as his career. He was a winner of
National Olympiad in Physics.
5. NITI Aayog
Indian think tank NITI Aayog had signed him to promote Women Entrepreneurship
Platform. The platform is a unified access portal that brings together women from
different regions of India to realize their entrepreneurship aspirations. The idea of the
platform was framed at the 8th Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES).
165. June 15: World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
Every year, the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is celebrated on June 15 by the United
Nations. The day is celebrated to raise awareness about the neglect and abuse of older
persons. It also raises awareness of social, cultural, economic and demographic
processes that has impacts on elder neglect and abuse.
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1. Highlights
The World Elder Abuse Awareness is being marked every year after the request made by
the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse along with the World Health
Organization at the United Nations. This year the world organization has launched a
campaign
2. Background
According to the United Nations, the number of persons that are aged above 60 years
have grown by 38% between 2019 and 2030. During this time, they have globally
outnumbered the youths reaching 1.4 billion in population.
3. COVID-19
In the current situation, though people of all age groups face the risk of COVID-19, the
risks of older persons are higher. According to the United Nations, around 66% of old age
people are placed under the risk of COVID-19.
166. “Arogya Path”: Portal to provide health care supply updates

launched
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research National Health Supply Chain portal
called “Arogya Path” was launched to provide real-time availability of health care
supplies.
1. Highlights
The Arogya path will serve suppliers, manufacturers and customers. It will act as an
integrated platform to provide information about key health care goods that help
customers to tackle following issues
2. Background
The National Health Emergency that is currently arising due to COVID-19 is disrupting
ability to produce, supply chain disruptions and compromises in delivery of critical items.
These issues can be addressed with the help of the portal.
3. Benefits
The portal helps suppliers and manufacturers to reach wide network of customers filling
in gaps of connectivity between them. Also, it will help to create opportunities of
business expansion and identify requirements of new products.
167. Asian Championship Winner Gomathi Marimuthu stripped off Medal
The Asian Championship Gold medal winner Gomathi Marimuthu has been stripped off
the medal and also banned from sport activities for 4 years. The 31-year old athlete had
tested positive for anabolic steroid Nandrolene at the 2019 Asian Championship.
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1. Highlights
Gomathi Marimuthu is an Indian field runner hailing from Tamil Nadu. She won her first
gold medal in women’s 800 metre race at the 2019 Asian Athletics Championship that
was held in Doha, Qatar. The athlete has been stripped off her gold medal for doping.
2. Nadrolone
Nadrolone is a steroid. It is used in the treatment of anemias, osteoporosis, cachexia,
breast cancer, etc.
3. Court of Arbitration for Sport

It is an international quasi-judicial body that was established to settle disputes related to
arbitration. The headquarters of the court is located in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Temporary courts are established in Olympic host cities.
The recent massive fire at the Baghjan Oil field, Assam had caused serious
environmental damages and led to migration of 1000s of people in the region. More than
1,610 families are now lodged in 4 relief camps.
The Committee had made 118 recommendations in regards to the safety guidelines to
be followed by the oil companies while installing oil wells. According to the Ministry of
Petroleum, 94% of recommendations made by the committee have been implemented.
2. Emergency Response Centres

The Emergency Response Centres were the major recommendation of the committee.
The Centres were to handle major oil fires in the fastest ways as possible. It would take 3
to 4 years to construct an ERC. The ERCs were to be set up by 2014. However, the
recommendation is still pending in several regions.
3. Fire Incidents
According to the information from the Oil Industry Safety Directorate, around eight
accidents took place in oil and gas installations between April and June, 2020.
169. Indian Gaurs facing Mutation
India with the help of World wide Fund had recently held an estimation exercise of Indian
Gaur in the Nilgris forest division of Tamil Nadu. This is the first estimation exercise
being held in region. According to the exercise, there are around 2,000 Gaurs across the
division.
1. Highlights
The report generated by the exercise says that the animals in the region are prone to
human-animal conflicts due to habitat loss, fragmentation. The Indian Gaurs in the
region, specifically are inhabiting tea estates and human settlements.
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2. Indian Gaurs
The IUCN Red List has put the Indian Gaurs under Vulnerable category. The Wild Life
Protection Act, 1972 has put the Indian Gaurs under Schedule I.
3. Mutation
The scientists have found that a rare genetic condition of leucism is observed in Indian
Gaurs. Leucism causes partial loss of pigmentation in the skin pattern of the animal. This
is not good for the animals as leucism might compromise the immune system of the
animals and reduce their survival rates.
170. Remdesivir now a part of COVID-19 therapy in new health protocol
The Union Health Ministry has recently included Remdesivir as a part of investigational
therapy and updated Clinical Management Protocol of COVID-19 patients. The ministry
has also added loss of taste and loss of smell as two key symptoms of COVID-19
infection.
1. Highlights
Under the updated protocol, the Ministry has removed its earlier recommendation of the
use of Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in severe cases. Also, the usage of HCQ along with
Azithromycin was also removed.
2. Guidelines
The Ministry has issued a protocol and listed medicines that can be taken by the COVID-
19 patients. The medicines include Tocilizumab, Hydroxychloroquine and convalescent
plasma therapy.
3. Convalescent Plasma Therapy

It is an experimental treatment that are being used by some doctors on COVID-19
patients. Under the therapy, the antibodies isolated from the COVID-19 recovered
patients are injected into people affected with the virus. The blood sample of people
recovered from COVID-19 is called Convalescent Plasma.
171. NIPER institutes at the NIRF rankings
The Ministry of Human Resources and Development recently released the National
Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). IIT Madras had topped the list.
1. Highlights
The annual ranking is released in categories namely colleges, universities, law, dental,
architecture, management, engineering, pharmacy and medicine.
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2. Significance
While the country fighting with COVID-19 and struggling to find a cure, the NIPER
institutes have greater roles. Their improvement in rankings clearly sends signals about
the improving performances to the cause of research and innovation in the field of
medical devices and pharmaceuticals. This is promptly the current need of the moment.
172. Captain Arjun: The Robot launched by Railway Protection Force
The Railway Protection Force recently launched a Robot called “Captain Arjun”. ARJUN is
Always be Responsible and Just Use to be Nice.
1. Highlights
The robot Captain Arjun was launched to intensify screening and surveillance at the
railway stations. It was launched by the Railway Protection Force operating under
Central Railways
2. About the robot

The robot will screen the passengers while they board the trains. It will also keep a
watch on anti-social elements. The robot can be deployed for multiple uses and is an
effective element that will operate under the station access controls. Captain Arjun will
also increase the security plans of the railway stations.
173. Advisory Panel on Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI)

reconstituted
The Government of India recently reconstituted the advisory panel on corporate

insolvency resolution and liquidation process.
1. Highlights
The IBBI recently reconstituted advisory panel by inducting four members. The
committee was constituted in 2017 and is chaired by a noted banker Uday Kotak. The
new members include Crisil MD Ashu Suyash, former chief economist at NSE Nirmal
Mohanty, Edelweiss Group chairman Rashesh Shah and L&T Director R Shankar Raman.
2. The Committee
The Committee will advise on matter relating to corporate insolvency resolution and
liquidation.
3. IBBI
The IBBI is a regulator that oversees insolvency proceedings in the country. It was
established in 2016 under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy code. The code aimed to
speed up resolution process of stressed assets. The Insolvency code attempts to simplify
the process of insolvency and bankruptcy proceedings.
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4. IBBI Board
The IBBI board includes 10 representatives. It includes representatives from Reserve
Bank of India, Ministry of Finance, law and corporate affairs.
5. Structure of the Board

The IBBI board is constituted as follows
174. 500-year old Temple submerged in Mahanadi found
The Archaeological Survey team has recently claimed that a 500 year old temple that
submerged in the waters of Mahanadi resurfaced.
1. Highlights
The Mahanadi river that changed its course 150 years due to flooding had submerged
the Padmabati village where the temple is located.
2. Mastaka
The Mastaka was visible 11 years back when the water levels were very low. The
Mastaka was found while the Archaeological team of Indian National Trust for Art and
Cultural Heritage (INTACH) was documenting the monuments along the course of river
Mahanadi.
3. Mahanadi river
The river flows through the states of Odisha and Chhattisgarh. The famous Hirakud dam
is located across the river. The Hirakud dam is the largest earthen dam in the world.
175. India’s first infectious disease Diagnostic Lab
The first disease diagnostic laboratory is ready to be launched. The mobile laboratory
was constructed under the scheme Atma Nirmar Bharat Abhiyan launched by PM Modi.
1. Highlights
The laboratory aims to promote and support the idea of becoming self sufficient in
difficult times. It was constructed in a record time of 8 days. The laboratory was built
with the assistance of Department of Biotechnoogy.
2. About the Lab

The Lab is the first inifectious disease diagnostics lab. It is constructed with a safety
level of BSL-2 (Bio Safety Level 2). It has RT-PCR (Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction)
machines, bio-chemistry analyzers and on-site Elisa.
176. Russia-India-China Trilateral Conference
The External Affairs Minister of India Shri S Jai Shankar is to hold a joint virtual
conference with his Russian and Chinese Counterparts on June 22, 2020.
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1. Highlights
The Minister is expected to discuss the recent standoff between Indian and Chinese
militaries at the border. The meeting is being convened with the initiative of Russia. The
countries will also discuss regional issues and synchronize their views on regional
stability.
2. Background
India and China have been engaged in a bitter stand off along the Line of Actual Control
at the eastern Ladakh for more than 5 weeks. The countries are holding diplomatic and
military level talks to resolve the dispute.
177. India’s first gas trading platform launched
On June 15, 2020, the Indian Energy Exchange launched the first gas trading platform.
The platform was inaugurated by the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra
Pradhan.
1. Highlights
The Indian Gas Exchange, the online gas trading platform will act as a subsidiary of
Indian Energy Exchange and is to be launched in July 2020. It will be the first online gas
trading platform for physical delivery of natural gas. The trading of natural gas in the
platform is to be done in rupees. The minimum lot size allotted is 100 million British
Thermal Unit (MBTU).
2. India Energy Exchange

The India Energy Exchange is an electronic system regulated by the Central Electricity
Regulatory Commission. It began its operations in 2008. The headquarters of IEX is
located in New Delhi. The development of power trading in India was pioneered by
Indian Energy Exchange. It comprises of power traders, state electricity board, power
producers and open access consumers.
June 16, 2020
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178. Rapid Antigen Test Kits recommended
On June 15, 2020, the Indian Council of Medical Research recommended the use of Rapid
Antigen test kits along with RT-PCR in containment zones.
1. Highlights
The Antigen test kits will allow faster diagnosis. They will reduce laboratory examination.
The maximum time taken by the Rapid antigen test to interpret positive or negative is
30 minutes.
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2. Recommendations of ICMR
According to ICMR, individuals that test negative to COVID-19 in rapid antigen test
should be tested with RT-PCR. On the other hand, individuals testing positive under the
rapid antigen test are considered to be positive.
3. Antigen Test Kits

The Antigen Test kits were developed by a South Korea based company SD Biosensor.
4. Why SD Biosensor kit was chosen?

The USFDA had earlier authorized US based antigen kit called sofia 2 SARS Antigen kit.
Also, Japan had authorized the Fujirebio’s Antigen test kit. However, with tests and
analysis conducted by AIIMS and ICMR, India was satisfied with the performance of SD
Biosensor antigen kit. The selection was done based on the specificity and sensitivity of
the kits.
5. What is Antigen test?

Just like the RT-PCR test of COVID-19, the antigen testing also looks for virus rather than
the antibodies. Antigens are foreign substances that induce immune system in the body.

The Antigen Test is to be used in three categories as follows
7. Limitations of Antigen test

According USFDA, the antigen testing is not as sensitive as that of RT-PCR testing. The
sample collected for COVID-19 testing stays stable only for an hour. Therefore, its is
essential to conduct the antigen testing at the site of sample collection.
179. SIPRI Yearbook: Nuclear Weapons of India and China increases
On June 15, 2020, the Swedish think-tank launched the SIPRI Yearbook, 2020.According
to the yearbook, India and China have increased their nuclear arsenal as compared to
2019.
1. Key findings
The think tank also reports that China is modernizing its nuclear arsenal. China and
Pakistan as compared to India have more nuclear warheads.
2. India
The report says that India is expanding its nuclear weapon stock pile and nuclear
infrastructure. Aircrafts are the most mature component of nuclear strike capability of
India. India has assigned 48 nuclear bombs to its aircrafts. India is also developing naval
component of its nuclear triad.
3. China
The think tank says that China is developing the nuclear triad for the first time. It has
made new sea-based missiles and nuclear capable aircrafts. The country has assigned
over 240 war heads to operate its land and sea based ballistic missiles. Also, China has
adopted a nuclear strategy for its self defence.
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4. Findings of SIPRI
According to SIPRI, the nine major nuclear armed states of the world include US, UK,
Russia, France, India, Pakistan, China, North Korea and Israel. These countries together
possessed 13,400 nuclear weapons in the beginning of 2020. However, this has
decreased to 13,865 nuclear weapons as compared to 2019. Of these 3,720 nuclear
weapons are currently deployed and 1,800 are kept in high operational alert.
180. India joins Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence
On June 15, 2020, India joined the Global Partnership of Artificial Intelligence as a
founding member.
1. Highlights
The other leading member countries that joined along with India are UK, USA, European
Union, Australia, France, Canada, Germany, Mexico, Italy, Republic of Korea, Singapore,
New Zealand, etc. The Gee-Pay or GPAI-Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence is a
multi-stake holder initiative that will guide development of Artificial Intelligence.
2. About GPAI
The GPAI is the first initiative of its kind that will help to understand the opportunities
and challenges of Artificial Intelligence better. The GPAI will into opportunities to bridge
the gaps between theories of AI and AI supported researches to increase AI-related
priorities.
3. India
India had recently launched the National AI Strategy and National AI portal. It has
leveraged AI across various sectors such as education, health care, agriculture, E-
Commerce, telecommunications, finance, etc. Therefore, by joining GPAI, India with its
experience shall help in global development of AI.
181. June 16: International Day of Family Remittances
Every year, the International Day of Family Remittances is observed on June 16 by the
United Nations. The day is observed all over the world. This year the day is celebrated
under the theme
1. Highlights
The day is celebrated to recognize the efforts of migrants living abroad and help improve
the lives of their family members in their home countries.
2. What is Remittance?
The transfer of money by a foreign worker to his or her family in their home country is
called remittance. It is highly important as it is one of the largest financial inflows for the
developing countries
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3. Remittances of India
According to the World Bank, the remittances of India are expected to fall by 23% in
2020 due to COVID-19 crisis. The remittances of India were 83 billion USD in 2019.
Around 17.5 million Indians are living abroad. Majority of them are in the gulf region, US,
Western Europe and Canada.
4. World Remittances
The World Bank has projected that the global remittances for the year 2020 is to reduce
to around 20% due to COVID-19 crisis. According to World Bank, the remittances are to
fall to 445 billion USD this year as compared to 554 billion USD in 2019.
182. ADIP scheme: First Distribution of Assistive aids to Divyangjan
On June 15, 2020, Government of India organized the first ever ADIP camp. The camp
was conducted to distribute free assistive aids to Divyangjans under the ADIP scheme.
1. Highlights
The first camp to distribute free assistive aids was organized at Firozpur district of
Punjab. The camp was organized by ALIMCO (Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation
of India) operating under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
2. About the Camp

The camp was held in the decentralized pattern of distribution. Around 95 beneficiaries
were provided with assistive appliances in more than 166 categories. This included
motorized tricycles, walking sticks, crutches, wheel chairs, smart phones. Rollators,
hearing aids, artificial limbs, callipers, etc.
3. ALIMCO
The ALIMCO manufactures aids and appliances to meet the requirements of persons with
disabilities. Currently, there are 6 ALIMCO centres located in the country. They are
located in Bhubaneshwar, Bengaluru, Jabalpur, Chanalon (Punjab), Faridabad and in
Ujjain. It started manufacturing in 1976.
4. ADIP scheme
The ADIP scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
ADIP aims to provide Assistance to Disabled Persons for purchasing and fitting of aids. In
order to become a beneficiary under the scheme, a person should be an Indian citizen.
He or she should hold 40% disablement certificate. His monthly source of income should
not exceed Rs 20,000 per month.
183. Van Dhan Yojana: Expanded from 18,000 Van Dhan SHGs to 50,000
On June 15, 2020, a webinar was organized by the TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing
Development Federation of India). The webinar was titled “Van Dhan: Tribal Startups
Bloom in India”
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The plan is to expand the Van Dhan SHGs and cover 10 lakh tribal gatherers. The aim is
to transform tribal ecosystem as next Amul Revolution in terms of Minor Forest Produce.
2. Van Dhan Vikas Karyakram

The Government of India has allocated Rs 15 lakhs to every Van Dhan Vikas Karyakram
centre. So far 25% to 30% of the grant has been spent on these centres.
3. Van Dhan
Under the Van Dhan Scheme, so far 1205 Tribal enterprises have been established. The
start up scheme launched has covered 10 lakh tribal gatherers. The start ups that were
started based on tribal produce are now spread across 22 states. These Startups are
called Van Dhan Startups.
184. Fifth State of Matter observed by NASA scientists
The NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) scientists in the International
Space Station unveiled the first results of Bose-Einstein condensate experiments under
which the particles can be manipulated free from Earthly constraints.
1. Bose-Einstein Condensates
Bose-Einstein Condensates were predicted by Indian Mathematician Satyendra Nath
Bose and Albert Einstein almost a century ago. The BEC is a state of matter that is
typically formed when a gas of bosons is cooled to temperatures close to absolute zero.
2. Four States of Matter

There are four state of matter namely solid, liquid, gas and plasma. The fourth state of
matter called the plasma was described by the chemist Irving Langmuir. It consists of
gas of ions in which orbital electrons are removed and positively charged nuclei roam
freely.
3. Fifth State of Matter

The BEC is the fifth state of matter and was created by the scientists 25 years ago.
When a group of atoms are cooled to absolute zero, the atoms clump together behaving
as a one big super atom. This state is called the fifth state of matter and is referred to
BEC.
185. COVID-19: Fifth Recession of India
Since Independence in 1947, India has faced four recessions. According to Reserve Bank
of India (RBI), the recessions occurred in 1958, 1966, 1973 and 1980.
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1. Highlights
Recession is defined as the fall in economic activities of the country along with decline in
sales, income and employment. India has so far seen four such negative GDP growth. In
1958, the GDP growth was -1.2%, in 1966 it was -3.6%, in 1973 it was -0.32% and in
1980 the GDP growth was -5.2%.
2. 1958: Balance of Payment Crisis

The Recession that India faced in 1957 was due to Balance of Payment problem. It was
mainly due to weak monsoon that affected the agricultural production badly. India then
imported 60 lakh tonnes of food grains. This widened trade deficit of the country that in
turn reduced foreign reserved to half.
3. 1966: Drought
India fought wars with China in 1962 and with Pakistan in 1965. The wars affected the
economy badly and eventually led to drought. The food grain production fell by 20% in
1966 due to droughts. India relied on its foreign imports to rescue its starving
population.
4. 1973: Energy Crisis

In 1973, the world faced its first energy crisis. The OAPEC (Organisation of Arab
Petroleum Exporting Countries) proclaimed an oil embargo. Embargo is an official ban on
trade with a particular country. The organization aimed at countries that supported
Israel. This led to increase in oil prices by about 400%. India’s oil imports increased from
414 million USD in 1972 to 900 million USD in 1973.
5. 1980: Oil Shock

The world witnessed an oil shock for the second time in 1980. This was due to decrease
in oil production due to Iranian revolution. It further increased due to the Iran-Iraq war
that followed the revolution. This created Balance of Payment crisis for India.
6. COVID-19 crisis
The current Economic crisis faced by India is the worst of all the previous recessions. The
international organizations expect India’s growth to contract by 5% to 6.8%
186. World Investment Report released by UNCTAD
On June 16, 2020, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development released its
World Investment Report, 2020. According to the report, India is the 9th largest recipient
of FDI in 2019.
1. Key Findings: India

According to the report, the FDI of India has increased from 42 billion USD in 2018 to 51
million USD in 2019. In the region of Asia, India was among the top 5 countries.
2. Key Findings: World

The report said that the global FDI inflows are to decrease by 40% in 2020 as compared
to 2019. This is the first time since 2005 the global FDI falls below 1 trillion USD mark.
The FDI of developing economies in Asia are to hit hard and decline up to 45% in 2020.
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187. June 17: World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
Every year, the United Nations observes World Day to Combat Desertification and
Drought on June 17. This year, the day is observed under the theme
1. Highlights
The World Day to combat Desertification and Drought is observed focusing on changing
public attitudes towards land degradation and desertification.
2. Significance
As the global population is growing and the world becoming wealthier, there is more
need for land for food, clothing and animal feed. According to the United Nations, the
world population is to reach 10 billion by 2050. In order to fulfil the needs of such huge
population an additional 593 million hectares of agricultural land is needed by 2050 as
compared to 2010 levels. This is twice the area of India.
3. Background
The day was proclaimed by the United Nations in 1995 after the United Nations
Convention to Combat Desertification was drafted.
4. Sustainable Development Goals

The 2030 Agenda for SDG includes to protect the Earth from degradation. The SDG 15
aims to halt and reverse land degradation.
188. India-Nepal sign MoU
On June 15, 2020 India and Nepal signed a Memorandum of Understanding to improve
infrastructure of the Pashupatinath temple complex.
1. Highlights
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Federal Affairs ministry of
Nepal and Indian Embassy. Under the agreement, India has pledged to extend financial
assistance of Rs 2.33 crores. The project is to be implemented by Kathmandu
Metropolitan city.
2. Pashupatinath Temple
The Pashupatinath temple is the largest temple complex in Nepal. It is located on the
Bagmati river of Nepal. The temple is one of the UNESCO World Heritage site.
3. Bagmati river
The river is considered holy by both Hindus and Buddhists. The river flows in India and
Nepal. It is a tributary of Kosi river.
4. India-Nepal Issue
The Nepal Parliament recently passed an amendment bill to redraw its political map. The
new map is to include Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura. These regions are disputed
and are claimed by both India and Nepal.
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189. First Time India sends tri-services contingent to Russia’s Victory

Day Parade
India is to send its tri-services contingent of all three services namely army, navy and air
force to Russia. The contingents are to take part in Victory Day parade to be held in
Moscow.
1. Highlights
Around 75 to 80 personnel are to reach Moscow to take part in the Victory Day parade.
This is the first time all the three services of India are participating. Earlier, in 2015 the
Indian Army alone took part in the parade.
2. Victory Day Parade

Every year, the Victory Day is celebrated on May 9. However, due to the COVID-19 crisis
the parade was postponed. The parade is held every year to mark the surrender of Nazi
Germany in 1945.
3. India-China
China will also send its soldiers to the parade. With the face off in Ladakh, both Indian
and Chinese soldiers are to participate at the parade together. India is to send 75 of its
soldiers. 25 from Army, 25 from Navy and 25 from Air Force.
190. Institute for Management Development releases World Competitive

Index
The Institute of Management Development recently released the World Competitive

Index. India ranked 43rd in the ranking.
1. Highlights
In 2019, India was at the 43rd ranking. Since 1989, India had ranked 41st in the World
Competitiveness Ranking. However, it slipped to 45th rank in 2017 and secured 44th in
2018. The continuous low ranking of India is mainly due to poor infrastructure and
insufficient education investment.
2. Other Countries
Singapore secured the top position in the ranking system. Denmark was at the second
position, followed by Switzerland, Netherlands, Hong Kong.
June 17, 2020
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191. Shramik Trains generated Rs 360 crores revenue
The Railway Board recently informed that the Indian Railways has carried 4,450 Shramik
trains so far carrying 6 million migrant workers generating revenue of Rs 360 crores.
1. Highlights
The average fare of Shramik special train was around Rs 600 per ticket. Though the
revenue seems bigger, the Railways collected only 15% of cost of operations. The
operating cost of a special migrant train was around Rs 75-80 lakhs.
2. Demand
The demand for the Shramik special trains is reducing. This proves that majority of the
workers have been sent back home. In May 22, 2020, the demand for Shramik trains
from the states was around 200. The number had come down to 38 in June 1, 2020.
3. Indian Railways
The Indian Railways is playing a major role during COVID-19 crisis in the country. The
National transporter carried food grains that were distributed under Atma Nirbhar Bharat
Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana. Also, the Indian Railway coaches were
converted into isolation wards.
192. GoI Report: Average Temperature in India to raise by 4.4 degree

Celsius
The Ministry of Earth Science recently released its report “Assessment of Climate
Change over Indian Region”. According to the report, the average surface temperature
of India could increase up to 4.4 degree Celsius by the end of 2100 as compared to the
temperature between 1976 and 2005.
1. Climate Forcing
The report says that with the RCP (Representative Concentration Pathway) increasing to
4.5, the temperature of India could rise to 2.4 degree Celsius.

According to the report, the frequency of warm days and warm nights are to increase by
55% and 70% respectively as compared to 1976-2005. The heat waves in the country
are expected to increase by 3 to 4 times.
193. SC issues Notice over health insurance for Mental Illness
On June 16, 2020, the Supreme Court of India issued notice to the Insurance Regulatory
Development Authority (IRDA) and the Union Government on providing Health Insurance
for mental illness.
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1. Highlights
In 2018, the IRDA had issued a circular asking all insurance companies to comply with
the Mental Healthcare Act. According to the act, the mental illness is included under
Health insurance. Also, it is mandatory for the insurance companies to include mental
illness under their health insurance policies.
2. Background
The issue of mental illness is being brought up after the death of actor Sushant Singh
Rajput. The actor committed suicide in his apartment.
194. High Court seeks EIA on Lonar lake colour change
The Bombay High court recently sought report on Environmental Impact Assessment
(EIA) of Lonar lake from the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute
(NEERI) and GSI (Geographical Survey of India).
1. Highlights
The expert team from Geographical Survey of India and NEERI are to examine the
findings of glass formation on the surface of the lake.
2. Lonar Lake
The Lonar Lake in Maharashtra is an oval shaped lake that was formed by a meteorite hit
on the earth around 50,000 years ago. The colour of the lake had recently turned pink.
The area around the lake is an eco-sensitive zone as it consists of the Ejecta Blanket that
is made up of the same material as that found on the moon.
3. National Geo-Heritage Monument

The National Geo-Heritage Monument are areas of national importance and are notified
under Geological Survey of India for protection, maintenance, promotion and
enhancement of geotourism. There are 34 National Geo-Heritage Monuments in India.
The respective state governments are responsible to protect these sites.
4. Why did the lake turn pink?

Experts believe that the Lonar lake turned pink due to increased salinity in the water and
also due to the presence of algae. The amount of water in the lake has reduced thereby
increasing its salinity and turning the lake pink.
195. 750 million USD loan approved by AIIB to India
On June 17, 2020, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) approved 750 million
USD loan to India. The fund granted is to be used by the GoI to strengthen battle against
the impact of COVID-19 on the poor and vulnerable.
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1. Highlights
The aid was cofinanced by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The funds are to be used
for improving informal sector, safety nets for the needy and strengthen heath care
system of the country.
2. India and AIIB

The total sovereign loans to India that were already approved by AIIB amounts to 3.6
billion USD. This includes the recent emergency response of the bank that amounted to
500 million USD.
3. Crisis Recovery Facility

The AIIB does not have an exclusive policy-based financing. The bank is currently
extending its support to its members through projects under CRF that are cofinanced
either with the World Bank or ADB.
196. India to supply Pneumonia Vaccine to low-income nations
The Pune based Serum Institute of India is to supply Pneumonia vaccine to low-income
countries. The Institute is one of the leading manufacturers of vaccines and
immunobiological drugs.
1. Highlights
The Serum Institute of India and UNICEF have signed an agreement to supply pneumonia
vaccine to low income countries. Under the agreement, the institutes are to provide 10
million Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine that will help prevent pneumonia to low income
countries every year
2. Highlights
The Serum Institute of India and UNICEF have signed an agreement to supply pneumonia
vaccine to low income countries. Under the agreement, the institutes are to provide 10
million Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine that will help prevent pneumonia to low income
countries every year.
3. GAVI Alliance
The Serum Institute of India along with UNICEF and GAVI alliance are to supply the
vaccine at 2 USD per does. This is 43% less than GAVI price of 3.50 USD under the
Advance Market Commitment
4. Advance Market Commitment

Under Advance Market Commitment, the GAVI alliance provided incentives to the
pharmaceutical companies to develop and produce suitable vaccines. This was done to
provide sustainable prices to the vaccines.
5. Background
Pneumonia is the biggest killer of children in the world that takes the life of a child every
39 seconds.
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6. GAVI Alliance
The Serum Institute of India along with UNICEF and GAVI alliance are to supply the
vaccine at 2 USD per does. This is 43% less than GAVI price of 3.50 USD under the
7. Advance Market Commitment

Under Advance Market Commitment, the GAVI alliance provided incentives to the
pharmaceutical companies to develop and produce suitable vaccines. This was done to
provide sustainable prices to the vaccines.
8. Background
Pneumonia is the biggest killer of children in the world that takes the life of a child every
39 seconds.
197. GoI establishes Khelo India State Centres of Excellence
The Ministry of Sports has launched Khelo India State Centres of Excellence. The centre
aims to create robust sporting ecosystem in the country.
1. Highlights
The Sports Ministry has identified state owned sports facilities in 8 states of India. The
facilities are to be upgraded into Khelo India State Centres of Excellence. The funds for
the sports centres are to be used for equipment, expert coaches, support staff and
infrastructure through Khelo India Scheme.
2. About the centres

The centres are to be developed into world class sporting facilities. The required
infrastructure are to be identified by the states and Union Territories. Around 8 centres
have been identified out of 15 proposals.
3. Significance
The Khelo India State Centre of Excellence is to be established to strengthen excellence
of India in Olympics. The centre will help the athletes to train in their respective
discipline.
4. The Centres
The 8 centres established under the scheme are located in Arunachal Pradesh, Kerala,
Karnataka, Manipur, Nagaland, Odisha, Telangana, Mizoram.
198. India-China clash at Galwan Valley
A violent clash broke out between the Indian and Chinese soldiers recently in the Galwan
Valley of Ladakh region. Around 20 Indian soldiers were killed in the face-off.
1. Highlights
The loss of 20 Army personnel on the Line of Actual Control is considered as the most
violent face off between Indian Army and the Chinese troops in more than 5 decades.
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The Armies of India and China are currently engaged in standoff in Galwan valley,
Pangong Tso, Demchok and Daulat Beg Oldie in Ladakh.
3. External Affairs Minister

The External Affairs Minister of India Shri S Jai Shankar held a telephonic conversation
with his counterpart Wang Yi. The minister has conveyed the protest of the Indian
Government over the stand-off in strongest terms.
4. Background
The stand-off in the Galwan area was one of the biggest flashpoints in the 1962 war.
China till date opposes to Indian constitutional provisions in the area. India, in 2019,
abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution ending the special status to Jammu and
Kashmir. China was one of the handful of countries that condemned the move. China
even tried to raise the issue in the international forum including United Nations Security
Council.
199. Solar Eclipse in India
The Earth is to witness an annular solar eclipse on June 21, 2020. The eclipse is to be the
deepest as the moon is to cover 98.8% of the sun.
1. Highlights
There are four types of solar eclipses. They are partial solar eclipse, total solar eclipse,
hybrid solar eclipse and annual solar eclipse.
2. India
The eclipse to occur on June 21, 2020 will be visible in many parts of India. The eclipse is
to continue for 6 hours. The eclipse is to be visible to states such as Rajasthan, Haryana
and Uttarakhand. To the rest of the country, the eclipse is to be partial.
200. Largest COVID-19 facility in Delhi
The Delhi Government is to convert the Radha Soami Spiritua Centre into a COVID-19
care facility. The centre is as large as 22 football fields.
1. Highlights
The centre will the largest COVID-19 facility in the world. It will hold more than 200 halls
with 10,000 beds. This is being done to ramp up the capacity of beds in the capital
region.

The Government of Delhi is planning to accommodate 50 patients in a hall. The halls are
to get adequate lighting and fans. The halls will also be provided with coolers. Separate
tents are to be constructed. It is to be ready for treatment of patients by June 30, 2020.
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3. Background
The number of COVID-19 cases suddenly increased suddenly with 44,688 cases. The
Delhi Government will also start the Rapid Antigen Test to increase COVID-19 testing in
the region. It is to be noted that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recently
approved the test to increase the testing potential of the country.
201. Arunachal Pradesh: New Fish Species Discovered
A new fish species called Schizothorax sikusirumensis has been discovered in Arunachal
Pradesh.
1. Highlights
The name of the species has been derived from the names of the rivers where the fish
was found. They are River Sirum and River Siku.
2. Schizothorax
The Schizothorax fish is found in western and southern China, Centra and Southern Asia.
They are mainly found in lakes, streams, rivers and highland. There are more than 65
species that are recognized under this genus.
3. Fresh water fish

The Fresh water fish are those that spend their life in water that has salinity less than
1.05%. Around 41.24% of the fishes known are fresh water fishes. The freshwater fishes
are further classified as cold water, warm water and cool water fishes.
4. Salt water fish

They are also called marine fish. The fishes that live in estuaries are also categorized as
salt water fish. Estuaries are areas where the rivers and oceans meet.
202. KVIC taps Indian Palm Industry
The Khadi and Village Industries Commission is to roll out a project to produce Palamgur
and Neera. The initiative is to generate huge employment.
1. Highlights
Neera is to be introduced as a substitute for soft drinks. This will create self employment
opportunities to tribal. It was first launched in Maharashtra where there are more than
50 lakh palm trees.
2. About the initiative

The KVIC distributed tools for making Palmgur and to extract Neera. The tools included
axes, ropes and knives. The KVIC also provided a 7-day training programme to the local
artisans. The initiative has been rolled out by the Ministry of MSME (Micro, small and
Medium Enterprises).
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3. Background
Neera is extracted from the palm trees before sun rise. There are more than 10 crore
palm trees in the country. However, due to lack of commercial market techniques, large
scale Neera production has not commenced in the country.
203. National Employment Policy
The Ministry of Labour is to fast track the National Employment Policy. The main idea of
framing the National Employment Policy is to lay out a roadmap that will provide
incentives for employment generation.
1. Highlights
The policy will aim at absorbing additional 5 million workforce every year. Also, the
policy will focus on formalizing 500 million workforce in the country. It will also ensure
social security and job security for them.
2. Objectives
The National Employment Policy is to be framed focusing on twin objectives as follows
204. IM Vijayan recommended for Padmashri
The All India Football Federation recently recommended the former Indian Captain IM
Vijayan for the fourth highest civilian award in India, the Padmashri.
1. Highlights
IM Vijayan has scored 40 goals in over 79 matches. He won the Arjuna award in 2003.
Also, in 1993, 1997 and in 1999 he was awarded the best Indian “Player of the year”.
2. Padmashri
PAdmashri is the fourth highest civilian award in India. The other three highest civilian
awards include Bharat Ratna, PAdma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan. The awards are
presented by the President of India during Republic Day celebrations of the country.
3. Padma Awards
The Padma Awards are being awarded to the citizens since 1954. The awards are being
presented under the categories such as medicine, education, sports, literature, industry,
public affairs, social service.
June 19, 2020
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205. 25 Schemes will be brought together under Garib Kalyan Rojgar
Abhiyan
Via video conference on Saturday 20th, June 2020 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will
launch the massive rural public works scheme- Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan.
1. Aim
Under the scheme, the aim will be to reduce the economic impact faced by the rural
parts of the country due to nationwide lockdown by providing livelihood support to the
rural citizens, especially for the migrant workers. The Central Government has set up a
target of 125 days for achieving the targets under the scheme in 116 districts across the
country by bringing together about 25 schemes under the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan.
2. How the Scheme will Work?

From 116 districts across 6 states ( Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand,
Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh), a total of 6.7 million migrant workers (that is about two-
thirds of the total returning migrant workers in the country) have been mapped out
according to their skill sets by the Central Government with the help of the particular
state governments. All the selected districts have a minimum of 25,000 returning
migrant workers.
3. Budget for the Scheme

Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan is a part of the relief package of 20 trillion announced by
the Central Government in the month of May 2020.
206. COVID Testing I-Lab created by the DBT- AMTZ COMManD Consortia
flagged off by Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare
On 18th June 2020, the Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan
has launched the I-Lab (Infectious disease diagnostic laboratory) in New Delhi. This is the
first-ever I-Lab in India that was launched. The I-Lab will help in scaling up the testing for
Covid-19 across the country. It will be deployed by the Department of Biotechnology in
one of its COVID testing hubs. At present there are more than 20 such hubs in the
country operating on a daily basis, these hubs have 100 testing laboratories that have
conducted above 2 lakh 60 thousand tests to date.
1. Objective of the I-Lab

The I-Lab is a mobile testing facility that will be used for collecting samples and testing
for Covid-19 across inaccessible areas in the rural regions of the country.
2. DBT- AMTZ COMMand

Along with Asia’s first medical equipment ecosystem- Andhra Pradesh Med-tech Zone
(AMTZ)- located at Vishakapatnam, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has set up
DBT- AMTZ COMManD ( COVID Medtech Manufacturing Development) Consortia for
addressing the shortage of technology in the field of health care. The country’s first-ever
I-Lab was built in a record time of 8 days at the AMTZ.
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3. I-Lab
The mobile testing facility apart from COVID-19 is also capable of diagnosing other
infectious diseases. Some of its features are: Each of these I-Lab can conduct 25 RD-
PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) Tests every day, 300 ELISA
(Enzyme-linked Immunoassay) tests and also has the specifications to conduct tests for
diseases like HIV, TB, etc.
207. Urgent Procurement of 21 MiG 29s, 12 Su 30s following Border

Tensions
Earlier during the Indian Air Force Day on the 8th of October 2019, Rakesh Kumar Singh
Bhaduria (Chief- India Air Force) stated about the plans for procuring additional aircraft.
Now, following the clashes and intense faceoff along the Line of Actual Control over the
last couple of months the proposal for procurement is likely to get its final approval next
week. As per media reports, a fast track purchase of 21 additional MiG 29 and 12 Sukhoi
Su-30 MKI fighter jets with an estimated cost of around Rs 6,000 crore is likely to be
made, though the delivery of the fighter jets may take a couple of years from the date of
purchase. Since the 2017 Rafael deal, this combined 33 fighter jets will be first to be
ordered for the Indian Air Force. India has purchased a total of 36 Rafael fighter jets from
French company Dassault Aviation at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore.
1. MiG 29 Fighter Jets

Indian Air Force has already three Squadrons of MiG 29 fighter aircraft in service.
Russian company Mikoyan is the manufacturer of MiG 29 aircraft. All equipment and
radar of the newly procured fighter jets will be as per the latest standards.
2. Su-30 MKI
Russian Company Sukhoi designed Sukhoi Su-30 MKI is under license manufactured for
the Indian Air Force in India by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). At Present the
Indian Air Force has a total of 260 Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft in service. The 12 Su-30MKI
fighters will be manufactured at the Nasik, Maharashtra facility of the HAL.
3. Boost to ‘Make in India’

Apart from the Su-30 MKI fighter jets to be manufactured by HAL, the Bengaluru based
Indian state-owned company is likely to get the biggest ever Make in India project for an
order of 83 Tejas Light Combat Aircraft Mk 1A this year. The order is estimated to be
valued at around Rs 38,000 crore.
208. India will be UNSC President for August 2021
After securing 184 out of the total 192 votes on 17th June 2020, India became a non-
permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for a period of 2
years. India’s term will begin on 1st January 2021. Apart from India, Norway, Kenya,
Ireland, and Mexico were also elected for a period of 2 years as non-permanent
members.
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The post of the presidency of the UN Security Council is rotated among the 15
member states (5 permanent, 10 non-permanent) every month. Based on that,
India will have the presidency of the UN Security Council in the month of
August 2021 and again for a month in the year 2022.
India was last elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the
years 2011-2012.
209. Armed Forces of India and China to take part at Moscow Military
Parade on 24th June 2020
Within 10 days of the Galwan Valley Clash, the Armed Forces of India and China are set
to take part in the 75th Victory Anniversary of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany at
the Red Square in Moscow, Russia on 24th June 2020. A contingent of 75 all rank
personnel from the Tri-service of the Indian Armed Forces will participate in the Parade.
The contingent will be lead by a Colonel rank officer of the Sikh Light Infantry Regiment.
A total of 20 foreign countries are invited by the Russian armed forces to mark
the diamond jubilee celebrations, this also includes armed forces from the
United States, United Kingdom, and France.
Moscow Victory Day Parade
210. MoU for providing Special Micro-Credit Facility for Street Vendors
signed
The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with Lucknow based financial institution SIDBI- Small Industries
Development Bank of India on 19th June 2020. The MoU will provide a boost in building
Atmanirbhar Bharat by providing credit or loans to the street vendors across the country
for resuming their livelihood activities.
1. About the MoU

The MoU authorizes SIDBI as the implementing agency for the Pradhan Mantri
AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme. The scheme will be under the guidelines set
up by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
2. PMSVANidhi
The scheme was launched on 1st June 2020 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
with a target to provide financial support to more than 50 lakh street vendors across the
country. A street vendor can avail a loan of up to Rs 10,000 under the scheme which has
to be repaid within a period of 1 year, there will be no penalty for early repayment of the
loan amount. For repayment of loan or credit, monthly installments can be availed by
the vendor.
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211. Supreme Court Calls for Uniformity in Fees for Covid-19 Testing
Since the outbreak of Covid-19 in India, the testing fees charged has been a point of
discussion. On 19th June 19, 2020, during a hearing at the Supreme Court, it was
observed by the bench comprising of Justice S.K Paul, M.R Shah, and Ashok Bhushan that
the fee for Covid-19 testing must be uniform or same across the country and has asked
the Central Government to fix an upper price cap. As per reports, in some states, people
have charged as high up to Rs 4500 while in some other states the charges are as low as
Rs 2200.
1. States that currently have Upper Price Cap

 On 17th June 2020, the Union Home Minister taking note of the rising Covid-19 cases in the
National Capital New Delhi has set a price cap of Rs 2400 in New Delhi.
 Uttar Pradesh has set a price cap of Rs 2500 for RT PCR tests.
 Maharashtra has a price cap of Rs 2,200 for private laboratories.
 In Telangana as well the price cap for RT PCR test has been set at Rs 2,200
2. Covid-19 in India
Until 18th June 2020, India has conducted tests of 62,49,668 samples with 3,80,532
samples being reported positive. The recovery rate stands at 53.79 percent. With 13,586
cases on 18th June- The highest number of single-day positive cases were reported.
212. RIL becomes first Indian Company to be valued at USD 150 Billion
In rupee term, Mumbai based Indian Multinational conglomerate company, Reliance

Industries Limited (RIL) on 19th June 2020 was valued at USD 150 billion following a rise
in the share market, this also made RIL the first-ever Indian company to achieve a
market value of above Rs 11 lakh crore. The positive growth in the shares of the
company was registered after it announced that the company has become net debt-free
well ahead of its target of March 2021.
As of 31st March 2020, Reliance has a total debt of Rs 161,035 crore. Despite a
pandemic, airlines & other international travel being suspended and a
lockdown in most International business hubs across the world, in a period of
58 days, Reliance Industries was able to raise more than Rs 168,818 crore.
Breakdown of which as follows:
213. Low Cost Covid-19 Diagnostic Kits developed by IIT Guwahati
In association with the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) and RR Animal
Healthcare Limited, at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, kits for
diagnosing Covid-19 has been developed by using material that is available in the local
market. 3 different types of diagnosis low-cost kits have been developed, they are
Ribonucleic acid (RNA) isolation kits, Viral Transport Media (VTM) kits, Real-Time
Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test kits. The materials used for manufacturing the
kits are as per the recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
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1. VTM Kits
These Kits are used to collect the sample safely to the laboratory for testing. The VTM Kit
must keep the sample specimen intact if any virus is present in the sample until the
testing procedure for it can be completed in a laboratory, hence the quality of the VTM
Kit is important for accurate results.
2. RT-PCR Kits
A complementary Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) is generated in this type of Kit, an
enzyme Reverse Transcriptase (RT) is used to generate the DNA from an isolated and
purified RNA. This converted and newly formed DNA is then used to check the presence
of the Covid-19 virus in the sample specimen.
214. SATYABHAMA Portal for AtmaNirbhar Bharat in Mining and Mineral

Sector launched
A portal named ‘Science and Technology Yojana for AtmaNirbhar Bharat in Mining
Advancement (SATYABHAMA)’ was launched by Union Ministry of Mines and Coal,
Pralhad Joshi.
1. About the Portal

The portal has been designed and developed by emphasizing the need for promoting the
role of digital technology in the mineral and mining sector of the country. The Mines
Informatics Division of the National Informatics Centre (NIC) is the implementing agency
of the portal. SATYABHAMA is also being integrated with the NITI Aayog portal- NGO
Darpan. The portal can be accessed at – research.mines.gov.in
2. Aim of the Portal

Through the Portal, the Central Government aims to encourage researchers and
scientists to undertake qualitative and innovative research and development work in the
mining and mineral sector. The Portal will help in increasing the effectiveness and
efficiency of various schemes of the Government in this sector, optimum utilization of
funds allocated to institutions in this sector for various research and development based
projects, and in ensuring proper usage and conservation of mineral resources of the
country.
3. Advantages of the Portal

SATYABHAMA Portal will allow researchers to submit their reports (Progress and Final) to
be submitted in electronic format, to date this progress or final technical reports can
only be submitted physically by the researchers. Project proposals can also be submitted
through the portal.
June 20, 2020
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215. First Installment of Highest Ever Rs 60,750 Crore Grant to RLBs
Released
For the Financial Year (FY) 2020-21, the Fifteenth Finance Commission had earlier
submitted its report for the Rural Local Bodies (RLB), the recommendations in the report
were accepted by the Government. Based on it, the highest ever grants in a single year
was allocated to the RLBs for the FY 2020-21 of Rs 60,750 Crore.
1. Use of Grants by RLBs

In every FY the Central Government approves a specific amount of financial aid for the
RLBs for ensuring proper infrastructural development work in the rural areas of the
country. The grants provided are used for projects such as rainwater harvesting, safe
drinking water connection, maintaining proper sanitation facilities to ensure rural areas
can attain and maintain the status of 100% Open Defecation Free (ODF).
2. How these Grants are Distributed?

The States Governments are responsible for the distribution of these grants to the RLBs.
RLBs include all the tiers of panchayats (village, block, and district). The Grant is
distributed by the State Government based on the recommended made by the State
Finance Commission of the particular state and the maximum and minimum bands of
pay that are recommended by the 15th Finance Commission. The bands are 70-85% for
Village Panchayats, 10-25% for Block Panchayats, and 5-15% for District Panchayats.
216. 20th June: World Refugee Day
To honor refugees across the globe, the United Nations designated 20th June to be
observed as World Refugee Day in its Resolution 55/76 on 4th December 2000. The first
World Refugee Day was observed on 20th June 2001.
1. Significance
As per United Nations data, 20 people in every 1 minute are forced to flee from their
home in order to escape terror, war and conflicts. By the end of 2019, there is a total
estimate of 79.5 million people who were displaced forcibly in the world.
2. Stats related to Refugees:

As per 2019 United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), 68% of the refugees in the
world are from countries Syria (6.6 million refugees), Venezuela (3.7 million refugees),
Afghanistan (2.7 million), South Sudan (2.2 million) and Myanmar (1.1 million).
217. WHO warns about a New and Dangerous phase of COVID-19
Following reports of relaxation in lockdown by various major economies around the

world, on 19th June 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that this
could lead to a new and dangerous phase of the Covid-19 pandemic. As people and
governments across the world are tired of lockdowns, the WHO reminded that the Covid-
19 virus spread has accelerated.
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1. Background
This warning came after reports from Italy came through that from two cities of Italy
(Milan and Turin), samples of sewage water collected from 18th December 2019 have
traces of the Covid-19 virus. The first case in Italy was reported in mid-February, which
means the virus was already present 2 months before the first case was detected. This
study was conducted at the National Health Institute Body (ISS).
2. Covid-19 Vaccine Update

Indian scientist Soumya Swaminathan (currently- Chief Scientist at WHO) has recently
said that she expects 2 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccine to be available by the end of
2020 but for reaching the distribution stage of the vaccine, the exact time frame still
depends on the success of the trails.
218. Kharif Crops Sowing Area Increases Significantly as Compared to

Last Year
Kharif Crops are grown in hot and humid rain fed areas. During the first 18 days of the
month of June, the country has received surplus rainfall of about 26mm. As compared to
last year, rainfall was 82.4 mm in between 1st to 18th June, while this year, the country
has registered 108.3mm of rainfall during the period.
1. Sowing Area of Kharif Crops as on 20th June 2020

Rice, Jute, and Mesta are the only important crops whose area has reduced as compared
to the previous year. Rice had coverage of 10.28 lakh hectares during last year while it
has reduced to 10.05 lakh hectares this year. Jute and Mesta had combined 6.08 lakh
hectare last year, this has reduced to 5.78 lakh hectare this year.
2. Kharif Crops
Kharif crops are cultivated and harvested in India generally between June to November
depending on the monsoon rains of that particular region. These crops are sown after
the first rain of the southwest monsoon season in June or sometimes even during the
last week of May in Southern parts of the country. Kharif Crops are directly dependent on
the quantity and timing of rainfall.
219. ICMR approves User-Friendly PPEs ‘NavRakshak’
Within a month, user-friendly Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Kit known by the
name ‘NavRakshak’ are expected to be available in the Indian market as the Indian
Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has approved it earlier this week for mass production
and use in the country. One of the nine authorized NABL accredited laboratories for PPE
prototype sample testing, the Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences (a DRDO
laboratory) has also certified the PPE Kit after testing.
1. NavRakshak
The PPE Kit was developed by a naval doctor at the Innovation Cell of the Institute of
Naval Medicine located at INHS Asvini in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
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2. Production of NavRakshak PPEs
5 Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) have got the license for the production
of the PPE Kit. The National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) has issued the
licenses. More than 10 million NavRakshak PPEs are expected to be produced by 5
MSMEs together in a year.
220. RBI extends restrictions on PMC Bank, eases Withdrawal Limit
The Reserve Bank of India on 19th June 2020 has extended the regulatory restrictions
imposed on the multi-state urban Cooperative Bank, Punjab and Maharashtra
Cooperative Bank Limited (PMC Bank) by another 6 months. As per the earlier notice
dated March 21st, 2020, the regulatory restrictions were up to 22nd June 2020, which
now has been extended up to 22nd December 2020.
However, the customers were provided relief in terms of withdrawal limit set
by the RBI earlier in November last year as now the limit was enhanced from
the earlier Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,00,000 per depositor. The RBI went on to inform
that with the relaxation in withdrawal limits, more than 84 percent of the
customers of the bank will now be able to withdraw the entire available
balance from their accounts.
PMC Bank Crisis
221. 5 Day Constitutional Quarantine now Mandatory for COVID-19

Positive Patients in New Delhi
Until yesterday, COVID-19 patients who were pre-symptomatic or had mild symptoms
were advised to self-quarantine themselves at their homes by staying in a separate
room and using a separate toilet. This was as per a notice issued last month.
Over the last couple of weeks, the COVID-19 cases are notable on the rise in
the National Capital, following this development the Lieutenant Governor of
New Delhi, Anil Baijal on 19th June 2020 had made 5 days institutional
quarantine mandatory for all positive patients of Covid-19.
Earlier on 19th June, in a high committee meeting comprising of officials from the Delhi
Government along with Dr. V.K Paul (NITI Aayog member) and the Director of AIIMS, the
charges were fixed for ICU facilities and isolation beds in the National Capital.
222. Stegodon Fossil discovered from Saharanpur estimated to be 5 to 8

Million Years Old
Over decades, a number of richest fossil records in South Asia have been found at the
Dhok Pathan Formation of the Sivalik range. This time, the researchers found a fossil of
an extinct ancestor of Elephant, that is estimated to be around between 5 to 8 million
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old. The fossil was discovered in the state of Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur District’s
Badshahi Bagh area.
The fossil found during this remarkable discovery is said to be of a Stegodon

(now extinct, a type of Elephant found until the late Pleistocene). Specimens
of Stegodon were available at the Dehradun’s Wadia Institute of Himalayan
Geology, the fossil discovered was compared with the specimen after a proper
examination.
Earlier as well fossils of Stegodon were discovered at other hills or locations of the Sivalik
mountain range, but the one that was discovered this time was the oldest fossil that has
been found from the Sivalik mountain range to date. With this discovery, it can be
concluded that there was the existence of a dense forest in the Siwalik range millions of
years back, it can also be stated that a lot of river and other water sources were also
present in the area.
223. 68 Million Years Old Egg discovered from Antarctica
In 2011, on the Seymour Island of Antarctica, a group of scientists from South American
Nation Chile discovered a fossil 200 meters away from the spot where the fossil of a 10-
meter long Mosasaur (an ancient reptile) was unearthed.
The fossil, since then was kept at a museum in Chile and was named ‘The
Thing’ as for over the next 7 years scientists kept on trying to resolve the
football-sized mysterious fossil.
Finally, on 17th June 2020, a study was published in the Journal Nature, according to
which the fossil named “The Thing’ was the second-largest egg in terms of size (29 by
20 centimeters) that has been discovered to date. It is the second largest to the
Madagascan Elephant Bird (extinct) egg and also the largest soft-shelled egg on record.
224. India Ideas Summit 2020 on 21st & 22nd July
The 45th annual meeting of the United States India Business Council (USIBC) will be
marked with the 2020 India Ideas Summit. This year’s summit will be held virtually on
21st and 22nd July. During the Summit, different sessions are organized, with each
session focusing on a particular issue related to India. In every session leaders,
diplomats, scholars, senior executives of business companies, think tanks are invited to
share their thoughts and opinions.
Every year the Summit is being organized by the USIBC. The summit is
conducted to showcase the importance of the positive outcome of the India-
United States economic partnership and the overall bilateral relationship
between the two nations. The summit is an outcome of the joint efforts of the
United States Chambers of Commerce and USIBC.
2019 India Ideas Summit was organized at the US Chamber of Commerce at Washington
D.C on 12th June. Mike Pompeo (US Secretary of State) addressed the 2019 summit.
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225. CIL partners with AIM to boost Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Initiatives
On 19th June 2020, a Statement of Intent (SOI) was signed and exchanged during a
virtual e-summit according to which Coal India Limited (CIL) has partnered with Atal
Innovation Mission (AIM). The strategic partnership is to provide support to various
entrepreneurship initiatives and innovation programs of AIM.
1. AIM Entrepreneurship & Innovation Building Initiatives

 The AIM conducts various programs at the school level (ATL-Atal Tinkering Labs), institutional
levels (AIC-Atal Incubation Centres) for building an entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country.
 For Industry level: ANIC – Atal New India Challenges, and ARISE- Applied Research and
Innovation for MSMEs.
 Along with rural India, in Tier-2 and 3 cities: ACIC- Atal Community Innovation Centres work
towards stimulating innovations.
2. Importance of the CIL-AIM Partnership

The partnership will focus on motivating the talented youths of the country in order to
create an AtmaNirbhar Bharat. For this, CIL will adopt a certain number of ATL based
schools in the country where training sessions for teachers will be conducted so that the
teachers could be able to provide mentoring support to the students.
226. USD 1.05 Billion Approved by World Bank for 3 Projects in

Bangladesh
The World Bank has announced on 19th June 2020 that it had approved a USD 1.05
billion for helping the economy of Bangladesh to bounce back by creating more and
better jobs. Bangladesh to date has received financial aid of more than USD 13 billion of
loans from the International Development Association (IDA, a part of the World Bank
Group). With this grant, the total loan provided by the World Bank Group to Bangladesh
since its independence in 1971 has crossed USD 31 billion. The financial aid for the 3
projects is provided by the IDA on behalf of the World Bank Group.
3 Projects
 Private Investment and Digital Entrepreneurship (PRIDE) is the name of the first project. For
this project, USD 500 million has been sanctioned. The project is estimated to create more
than 1.5 lakh jobs and further expected to attract Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) worth Rs
USD 2 billion. At the Janata Software Park, Dhaka’s first digital entrepreneurship hub will be
established under this project.
 The second project is named Enhancing Digital Government and Economy (EDGE). This
project will create 100 thousand jobs and will also assist the MSME sector in preparing for the
fourth industrial revolution. Further, an integrated cloud computing digital platform will be set
up for all government agencies of the country. The financial grant provided by the World
Bank for this project is USD 295 million.
 USD 250 million was sanctioned for the 2nd Programmatic Jobs Development Policy Credit
(Financial Grant of USD 250 million were provided by the World Bank Group in December
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2019 for the 1st Programmatic Jobs Development Policy Credit). The World Bank Group will
provide financial aid for a total of 3 planned Programmatic Jobs Development Policy Credit.
This 3 part project focuses on creating an institutional framework that will have stronger
policies to create jobs for all the members of the population.
227. 42 Crore Citizens received Financial Aid of Rs 65,454 Crore under

PMGKP
As per the data provided by the Union Finance Ministry on 20th June 2020, through
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP), a total of 42 crore citizens across the
country have received financial aid of Rs 65,454 crore to date. The amount was
distributed in the 3 forms, :(i) Through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to beneficiaries such
as women Jhan Dhan account holders, senior citizens/differently-abled/widows registered
under Below Poverty Line (BPL), farmers (PM-KISAN), etc (ii) Providing free foodgrains to
all families registered as BPL cardholders, and (iii) by providing free LPG cylinder to
women registered under Ujjwala Yojana.
1. Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP)

This package was announced by Finance Minister on 26th March 2020. The package was
announced for providing economic support at the time of nationwide lockdown due to
the Covid-19 pandemic for the financially weaker section of the society. A total of Rs
1.70 lakh crore was announced under the package.
2. Major Highlights from Rs 65,454 Crore Distribution

 8.52 Crore LPG cylinders distributed under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in April and May
 In April, 113 lakh metric tonnes of food grains were lifted by all states and union territories in
a combine
 5.8 lakh metric tonnes of pulses allocated for all states and union territories for distribution
for 3 months from April to June
 Rs 2814.5 crore provided to 2.81 crore beneficiaries (senior citizens, widows and differently-
abled persons)
 Rs 17,891 crore under first payment for the FY 2020-21 to PM-KISAN beneficiaries
 In three separate installments, 20.62 crore women Jan Dhan account holders were credited
with Rs 500 in each installment. A total of Rs 10,315 crore was transferred in each
installment.
June 21, 2020
_____________________________________________________________________________
228. 21st June: International Yoga Day
On 11th December 2014, International Yoga Day was adopted under its Resolution by
the United Nations General Assembly following the proposal given by Prime Minister
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Narendra Modi during his speech at the General Assembly of the United Nations on 27th
September 2014.
The day was first observed in the year 2015. The aim of observing the day is to
raise global awareness about the benefits of practicing yoga.
The theme of 2020 International Yoga Day: Yoga for Health- Yoga at Home
229. 21st June: World Hydrography Day
Hydrography plays one of the most important roles in today’s world by describing the
physical feature of the navigable portion of the water covered area on the Earth’s
surface through maps and nautical charts. Without a hydrographic survey, navigation for
ships or fishing boats would have been much difficult.
The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) was founded on 21 June

1921. To highlight the importance of hydrography, on 29th November 2005,
the resolution ‘A/60/30 Oceans and the Law of the Sea’. was adopted at the
United Nations General Assembly under which 21st June was recognized as
World Hydrography Day from 2006 onwards.
As of October 2019, IHO has a total of 93 member states. The day marks an opportunity
for the governments of the member states to reaffirm their commitment towards
promoting safe navigation across the water bodies on the earth by increasing the
coverage of hydrographic information on a global basis.
230. India’s First Oral Vaccine for Moderate COVID-19 Cases gets
Approval
For the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 positive patients across the country, on
19th June 2020, for manufacturing and marketing of oral antiviral drug ‘Favipiravir
(Fabiflu)’ was approved by the National Regulatory Authority for Indian pharmaceuticals
-Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) to Mumbai based Glenmark
Pharmaceuticals.
1. Background
The drug has shown notable efficacy as per results from Russia and Japan. Japan and
Russia have already approved the drug for COVID-19 treatment on 15th March and 1st
June 2020 respectively.
2. Favipiravir
It is an antiviral drug that was approved first in the year 2014 in Japan. Tokyo based
Toyama Chemicals was the first to develop and manufacture the drug. The drug has
been used to treat a number of viral infections over the years, especially for influenza. In
2019 it became a generic drug.
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3. Medication
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals has assured the availability of the drugs in the next 7 to 10
days across the country. The price of each tablet will be Rs 103/-. The tablets will be
available in a combined strip of 34. The cost of the strip will be Rs 3,500. Each tablet will
be of 200 mg.
June 22, 2020
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231. FM radio stations in Nepal starts Weather Bulletins of Indian

Territories
The House of Representatives in Nepal on 18th June 2020 had made a constitutional
amendment under which the map of Nepal was revised. The revised map surprisingly
included three Indian territories as part of Nepal. The 3 areas are- Kalapani, Lipulekh,
and Limpiyadhura.
On 21st June 2020, it was reported from Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand

that some Nepalese FM radio stations located in Nepal’s bordering district
with India- Darchula, have started broadcasting weather report of Lipulekh,
Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura.
The local authorities however are yet to confirm any such developments from the
Nepalese FM site yet. The information was provided by the residents of Pithoragarh.
232. Large Scale Phishing Attack using COVID-19 as Bait alerts CERT-In
To steal personal data (such as bank account details- debit/ credit card information) of
Individuals and Businesses across the country, from 21st June 2020, a large scale
phishing attack has been planned by malicious actors. This information asking the
citizens to be cautious was issued by the nodal agency responsible to deal with cyber-
attack threats in the country- The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-
In).
How you could be targeted?

Indian Citizens will be targeted through malicious ‘Emails’. These emails are likely to use
COVID-19 as bait by using details of local government authorities (details such as logo,
name, etc of government officers or departments those who are in-charge for various
COVID-19 initiatives of the government) for making it look authentic.
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233. Hetero’s injectable ‘Covifor’ gets DCGI approval for COVID-19
Treatment
For the treatment of COVID-19 positive cases, on 21st June 2020, Hyderabad based
pharmaceutical company -Hetero Drugs has received approval from the Drug Controller
General of India (a department under- CDSCO: Central Drugs Standard Control
Organization) for manufacturing and marketing of antiviral drug Remdesivir.
1. Brandname for Marketing

Under the brand name ‘Covifor’, Hetero Pharmaceuticals’ generic version of Remdesivir
will be marketed in India.
2. Remdesivir
The antiviral drug ‘Remdesivir’ is administered via injection into a vein. This antiviral
medication was developed by the United States biopharmaceutical company Gilead
Sciences for treatment of Hepatitis C.
3. Price and Availability

As it is an injectable drug, it has to be administered under the supervision of a
healthcare practitioner and will not be available through any retail channel. The drug will
be made available for hospitals and government healthcare agencies. It will be available
in a 100mg injectable dose. The price will be in the range of Rs 5,000 to 6,000 per dose.
234. No Ambubachi Mela at Kamakhya Temple for the first time in

Recorded History
At the centuries-old historic Kamakhya Temple at Guwahati, for the first time in six
centuries of record available from 1565, the 5 days Ambubachi Mela will not be
organized due by keeping in mind the possibility of spreading the COVID-19 virus.
Every year the fair draws lakhs of pilgrims, tourists, sadhus, and others from
all over the country. As per the Assam State Tourism, a minimum of 5 lakh
devotees attend the fair that also includes many foreigners.
The rituals of Ambubachi Mahayog will be performed by the priests of the temple by
maintaining the social distancing norms. The Mahayog will be performed at the Devalaya
from 07:53:15 am- 22nd June to 8:16:55 pm- 25th June.
235. Tripura Government to start ‘Play Little, Study Little’ Scheme from
25th June
The state government of Tripura has decided to start a scheme for school students from
25th June 2020. The scheme is named ‘Ektu Khelo, Ektu Padho’ –meaning ‘Play Little,
Study Little’.
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The scheme will be implemented via SMS or WhatsApp. For students, those
who have access to smartphones of their parents will be able to access the
scheme through WhatsApp. For students having feature phones, they will be
able to access through SMS.
The objective of the scheme is to make sure that students invest their time in studies
during these times of uncertainty as it could still take a couple of months for schools to
reopen due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
236. Job Gaurantee Scheme for Urban Poor to be launched by Jharkhand

Government
The state government of Jharkhand is likely to become the second state after Kerala in
the country to launch a job guarantee scheme that will be on the lines of Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA). The scheme unlike
MNREGA (which focuses on providing a 100-day job for the Rural poor), will focus on
providing 100-day work for the unskilled workers living in the urban areas of the state.
The scheme aimed to enhance the livelihood security for the urban poor will
be named Mukhyamantri SHRAMIK (Shahri Rozgar Manjuri For Kamgar). The
scheme is awaiting approval of the state cabinet.
Ayyankali Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme (AUEGS) is the 100-day employment
guarantee scheme of the Kerala Government for urban poor.
237. MCL prepares Rs 60,000 Crores Investment Plan in Odisha
One of the eight subsidiaries of Coal India Limited, Sambalpur headquartered Mahanadi
Coalfields Limited (MCL) on 20th June 2020 has informed that the company has prepared
a Rs 60,000 crore investment plan for the state of Odisha. At present, about 30 coal
mines are operated by MCL in Odisha. In the next few years, the company had set a
target to enhance coal production to 300 million tonnes per annum for which it will
develop and operate three new MDO (mine, develop and operate) projects in the state.
About the New Investment Plans

 For the development of Mines and Social Infrastructure in the state( such as roads, flyovers,
schools), MCL has planned to invest Rs 31,000 crore under its command areas in 4 districts of
the state by 2013-24.
 Out of 3 new MDO projects, one will be at Ib Valley Coalfield of Jharsuguda district. The other
2 projects will be at Talcher coalfield of Angul district.
 At Sundergarh district, a supercritical power plant of 2X800 MW planned by the company at
an estimated cost of Rs 11,363 crore.
 MCL to set up solar power plants for improving the quality of life in areas affected by dust
suppression due to coal mining in districts such as Sundergarh, Angul, etc, and will also
strengthen coal evacuation infrastructure in its command areas. The company is also
committed to introducing the latest technologies for developing greenery and adopting best
practices for afforestation and agriculture.
123
238. Emergency Funds to Armed Forces of Rs. 500 Crore, Specialised

Mountain Forces deployed at LAC
Following the violent Galwan valley clash on 15th June 2020 and a six-week-long border
standoff with the Chinese army, under emergency requirement procurement Rs 500
crore of funds was granted by the Government for the Armed Forces.
With consultation with the Department of Military Affairs, the Indian Armed
Forces will be allowed to make a purchase of any weapon under the
sanctioned amount. The weapon purchased under the sanctioned fund can be
a new one that the armed forces feel they would require in case of a war or a
weapon that is short in inventory.
Specialised Mountain Forces deployed
239. China plans to Establish National Security Bureau in Hong Kong
On 28th May 2020, Beijing passed legislation that empowered the Chinese Parliament to
draft security laws for Hong Kong. Now China continues to tighten its grip on Honk Kong
by planning to establish a ‘Special Bureau- National Security Office’ in Hong Kong that
will have the rights to deal with criminal cases and analyze intelligence that is related to
the national security
Establishing a National Security Bureau in Hong Kong was confirmed after a

three day (from 18th June to 20th June) meeting of the Legislative Affairs
Commission (Top lawmaking committee in China). On 19th June 2020, it was
also reported in Chinese media that all departments under the Hong Kong
government will be directly answerable to Beijing once the legislation is
implemented.
Despite protests throughout Hong Kong and the international community, China seems
determined to suppress democracy in Hong Kong. The Chinese legislation is likely to be
implemented next week when the Standing Committee would meet in Beijing from 28th
to 30th June 2020. Once it’s implemented, the controversial legislation is likely to
override the existing laws in Hong Kong.
240. India becomes 12th Largest Holder of US Government Securities at

April 2020 end
Despite low returns, the Treasury Securities (are of four types- Bills, Notes, Bonds,
Inflation-Protected Securities) backed by the United States Treasury Department is one
of the safest assets for any Central Bank around the world. With USD 157.4 billion at the
end of April 2020, India has become the 12th largest holder of United States
Government Securities.
124
1. How the Indian Government invests in US Government Securities?
On behalf of the Government of India, India’s Central bank- The Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) invests in foreign assets. These foreign investments are part of prudential liquidity
management.
2. Top 5 Countries as per US Government Security holdings (at the end of April
2020)
241. Project ‘Decarbonising Transport in India’ will be launched on 24th

June
For reducing the carbon dioxide emission caused due to transportation in the country,
NITI Aayog will launch the project ‘Decarbonising Transport in India’ on 24th June 2020.
The project is in collaboration with the International Transport Forum (ITF).
1. Objective of the Project

To meet the goals related to climate/ climate change in the country, it is essential for the
Government to work on reducing the emission of Greenhouse Gases. Through this
project, an assessment framework will be designed that will be tailor-made for transport
emissions in India.
2. DTEE Project
India’s Decarbonising Transport initiative is a part of the DTEE project. DTEE stands for
Decarbonising Transport in Emerging Economies. DTEE is a project of ITF under which
apart from India, currently Argentina, Morocco, and Azerbaijan are the participants.
3. International Transport Forum (ITF)

ITF is a think tank for transport policy issues. It is headquartered in Paris, France. It is an
intergovernmental organization with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OCED).
242. Cipla’s ‘Cipremi’ gets approval for Treatment of COVID-19 Patients

in India
In its June 13th, 2020 guidelines for Clinical Management Protocol for COVID-19, the
Union Health Ministry as a part of investigational therapy added ‘Remdesivir’ only for
restricted emergency use. A week after, on 21st June 2020, Hetero and Cipla
Pharmaceuticals were granted approval by the Drug Controller General of India for the
production and marketing of the antiviral drug under its respective generic names.
125
The United States-based biopharmaceutical company, Gilead Sciences is the
developer of the drug. In May 2020 Cipla was granted the voluntary non-
exclusive by Gilead Science for manufacturing and marketing of the drug in
India under generic drug name ‘CIPREMI’.
Japan was the first country to approve Remdesivir drug as a treatment for COVID-19. At
present Remdesivir is only available in the injectable method. On 22nd June 2020, Gilead
Sciences had announced had it will soon start Phase I trial for the inhaled version of
Remdesivir.
June 23, 2020
_____________________________________________________________________________
243. U.S. Temporarily Suspends ‘Green Cards & Non-Migrant Work Visas’
till 31st December 2020
Following a global economic crisis since the COVID-19 was declared a pandemic back in
March 2020, the United States Government has decided to suspend ‘Green Cards and
Non-Migrant Work Visas’ till the 31st December 2020 in an effort to protect jobs for the
citizens of the United States.
1. Background
The suspension of Green Card and Non-migrant work visas will create around 5,25,000
jobs in the United States. Due to COVID-19, as per reports, a record 47 million could lose
their jobs in the United States.
2. Suspended Work Visas
3. Reform in H-1B Visa Programme

President Donald Trump had also instructed his administration to make reform in the
current H-1B Visa Programme. As per the reform, immigrant workers those who are
offered the highest wages by the recruiter shall be given priority, this is to ensure that
the wages of United States citizens are protected as employers will not be able to recruit
low-cost foreign labour.
4. Impact on India
Every year H-1B Visas are issued to 85,000 only, out of these, as per the records the
largest beneficiaries of the visa programme was the Indians. A more than 70 percent of
the total 85,000 beneficiaries are from India.
244. 23rd June: United Nations Public Service Day
By adopting resolution 57/277 on 20th December 2002, the United Nations General
Assembly designated 23rd June to be observed as ‘United Nations Public Service Day’ in
order to highlight the value and virtue of public service to the community.
126
1. Significance for 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has infected millions and has taken the lives of hundreds of
thousands of people globally. At these difficult times when health care organizations are
strained, lockdowns have led to a loss of jobs and financial crisis, education system,
social life, etc are disrupted, this year’s United Nations Public Service Day is to honour
the frontline workers (Healthcare, sanitation, public servants, social welfare groups,
transportation, law enforcement etc) who risk their lives to provide the essential services
for the society.
2. Public Service for SDGs

For countries to achieve their Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is essential that
the public institutions in an economy are inclusive, effective, and accountable for all in
society. The day is also to remind Governments across the world that the critical and
essential role public administration plays towards improving people’s lives.
245. Healthcare & Hygiene EXPO 2020- India’s first-ever Largest Virtual
Exhibition
Organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), the
five-day Virtual Healthcare & Hygiene Expo was e-inaugurated on 22nd June 2020 by
Mansukh Mandaviya (Union Minister of State for Chemicals & Fertilizers).
1. Aim of the Event

The event is to create a self-reliant ecosystem in the Pharmaceuticals and Health &
Hygiene Sector by ramping up domestic production. In our resolute fight against the
COVID-19 pandemic, this sector has a greater significance.
2. Bulk Drug Park in India

At the beginning of the Pandemic in March 2020, India’s dependence on foreign imports
for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) was highlighted. Indian Pharmaceutical
Companies imported more than 70% of the API used for manufacturing medicines in the
country.
246. 23rd June: International Olympic Day
On 23rd June 1894, the International Olympic Committee was founded in Paris. The day
23rd June was chosen to be celebrated as International Olympic Day to commemorate
the foundation day of the International Olympic Committee.
1. Significance for 2020

During these times of a pandemic, by sharing their home workouts, Olympians have
become a source of inspiration and motivation for many across the world. These efforts
made by Olympians at the time of a pandemic is to make everyone realize the
importance of being active for staying healthy in mind and body.
127
2. International Olympic Committee (IOC)
Summer and Winter Olympic Games are organized by the IOC. It is a non-governmental
sports organization headquartered at Lausanne, Switzerland. It was founded by Pierre de
Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas on 23rd June 1894.
247. Rs 2000 Crore from PM CARES Fund allocated for 50,000 Made-in-
India Ventilators
The Government of India on its way to create an AtmaNirbhar Bharat had allocated Rs
2000 crore for 50,000 Made-in-India ventilators. The entire sum of Rs 2000 crore was
allocated from PM CARES Fund Trust.
1. PM CARES Fund for Migrant Labourers

From PM CARES Fund, a sum of Rs 1000 crore was also released for the welfare
(arranging food, accommodation, medical treatment, etc) of migrant labourers in the
country. Maharashtra with Rs 181 crore was the highest recipient for this sum followed
by Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu with Rs 103 and Rs 83 crore respectively.
2. PM CARES Fund
Prime Ministers Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARE) Funds
is a dedicated national fund that was created on 28th March 2020. The fund was created
for raising funds for providing help to the affected during any sort of distress situation or
emergency (such as COVID-19 pandemic) in the country.
248. Bill to Rename ‘Tonoshiro’ to ‘Tonoshiro Senkaku’ triggered

tensions between Japan and China
A group of Islands without inhabitants located at the South China Sea has been a point of
disagreement between Japan and China since 1972. The island is known by the name
Senkakus in Japan, while in the People’s Republic of China the Islands are known by the
name Diaoyu.
1. History
The group of islands was controlled by the Ryukyu Kingdom of China as per records
available. But during the First Sino-Japanese War the Islands were annexed by the
Japanese Central Government.
2. Present Day
On 22nd June 2020, the assembly of Ishigaki city passed the bill under which from 1st
October 2020- the Tonoshiro area will be renamed as Tonoshiro Senkaku.
128
249. Last Satellite of China’s BeiDou Satellite System 3 (BDS-3)
Launched
In an effort to compete with the United States Government’s NAVSTAR Global Positioning
System (GPS), Russia’s GLONASS, and the Galileo Systems of the European Union, China
completed the launch of its final satellite on 23rd June 2020. The satellite was launched
as a carrier with Long March 3 rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre. BeiDou
means ‘Big Dipper’ in Mandarin.
The satellite launched is a part of the third generation of the BeiDou

Navigation Satellite System (BDS-3) and was the 55th satellite of the Beidou
system.
BeiDou System
250. U.S. Russia talks on new Nuclear Disarmament Treaty begins

without China
Delegations from the United States led by Marshall Billingslea and the Russian
Delegation under their Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov begin their 2-day talks on 22nd
June 2020 at the capital city of Austria, Vienna. The talks for extending the nuclear
disarmament treaty were in doubt over the last few months as the United States
President Donald Trump continued the call for the addition of China in the treaty. The
treaty is commonly known by the name ‘START’ treaty.
1. China’s Response to Trump Call

According to China, It’s still not the right time for them to involve or to be a part of such
a nuclear treaty, the United States and Russia has the primary responsibility of nuclear
disarmament as the nuclear stockpile of China is dwarfed by those of the two countries.
2. START Treaty
START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) is a bilateral nuclear disarmament treaty
between the United States and Russia. The formal name of the treaty is ‘Measures for
the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms’.
251. Rajasthan Government to launch ‘Indira Rasoi Yojna’
To provide pure and nutritious food to the economically weaker sections of the society,
the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot on 22nd June 2020 announced ‘Indira
Rasoi Yojna (Indira Kitchen Scheme).
129
Under the scheme, food will be available at a concessional rate twice a day to
make sure no one sleeps hungry in state. For the successful implementation of
the scheme, the state government will rope in local Non-Government
Organizations (NGOs) in every district of the state. For monitoring and
evaluating the progress of the scheme, Information Technology will be used.
In every district, a committee headed by the district collector will also be set
up for monitoring the scheme.
For the scheme, Rs 100 crore will be spent every year by the state government. The rate
for the meals under the Indira Rasoi Yojna has not been finalized yet.
252. Financial Assistance of Rs 4957 Crore provided to 17.5 Million

Building & Other Construction Workers
In order to help the Building & Construction workers to overcome the financial impacts of
COVID-19 lockdown, on 24th March 2020, the Chief Minister of all States and Union
Territories were advised by the Union Minister of Labour and Employment to create a
framework with bank account details of building & construction workers of their
respective state so that they can be provided with financial support through direct
benefit transfer (DBT)mode.
This request for creating a framework to provide financial support to the

workers was made by the Union Minister under section 22 (1) (h) of the
Building and Other Construction Workers Act 1996.
On 23rd June 2020, the Ministry of Labour & Employment has informed that through 17.5
million (1.75 Crore) transactions, cash assistance of Rs 4957 crore was directly into the
bank accounts of the building & construction workers through DBT mode.
253. President Aleksandar Vucic’s SNS-led Coalition registers landslide

win in 2020 Parliamentary Election
Since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in March 2020, Serbia on 21st June 2020
became the first country to conduct National Elections in Europe. The Serbian
Progressive Party (SNS) coalition, under the leadership of the President of Serbia,
Aleksandar Vucic registered one of the largest parliamentary majorities in Europe by
winning 191 of the total 250 seats in the Parliament.
Elections were conducted across 8,253 polling stations in Serbia and also in
140 polling stations of Kosovo (Serbia does not recognize Kosovo as an
Independent Country) where people of Serbian Community live.
The 2020 Parliamentary Elections of Siberia was initially scheduled to be conducted in
the month of April but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The election was
largely surrounded by controversies some of the opposition parties boycotted the
elections. These parties have accused President Vucic of having complete control over
the media as a result of which the votes won’t be free and fair.
130
254. China has decided to join the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)
The people’s Republic of China will join the multilateral Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), this
was decided during a three-day meeting from 18th June to 20th June of the top
lawmaking committee in China- Legislative Affairs Committee. China was one of the 23
countries back in 2013 when it abstained from the vote to adopt the treaty at the United
Nations.
China now seems determined to showcase itself on the world stage as a

responsible player- After curbing the autonomy of Hong Kong, making
continuous attempts to administer complete sovereignty in the South China
Sea, and further making its territorial ambitions clear by raising border
conflicts with India.
The U.S. President has announced in April 2019 that the U.S. will never ratify the Arms
Trade Treaty under his administration (the U.S has signed the treaty but was yet to
ratify). 5 months later on 27th September 2019, China is going through domestic legal
procedures for joining the Arms Trade Treaty- This was stated by their Foreign Minister
Wang Yi at the United Nations General Assembly.
June 24, 2020
_____________________________________________________________________________
255. HRD Minister launches ‘YUKTI 2.0’ Platform
On 23rd June 2020, Ramesh Pokhriyal (Union Human Resource Development Minister)
launched YUKTI 2.0. The YUKTI 2.0 web portal initiative is a logical extension of the
earlier version of ‘YUKTI (launched on 11th April 2020)’ and is in line with the mission of
making AtmaNirbhar Bharat.
YUKTI stands for Young India combating COVID with Knowledge, Technology,
and Innovation. YUKTI portal was launched for identifying many more
disruptive solutions from higher Education Institutes as the thinking of the
youngsters are more innovative.
YUKTI 2.0 Portal
256. RIC: Russia Backs India for Permanent UN Security Council Seat, FM
reminds China to Respect International Laws
The Foreign Ministerial level meeting of the Russia-India-China (RIC) was conducted on
23rd June 2020. The trilateral virtual meeting was hosted by the Russian Foreign Minister
Sergey Lavrov. The RIC meeting was to commemorate the 75th foundation anniversary
of the United Nations following the conclusion of the Second World War.
131
Over the years Russia has backed the entry of India for a permanent
membership at the United Nations Security Council, during the RIC meet as
well the Russian Foreign Minister had expressed Russia’s strong support for
the inclusion of India as a Permanent Member at the United Nations Security
Council. Last week on June 17th, India become a non-permanent member of
the UN Security Council by registering 184 out of the total 192 valid votes in
its favour.
India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishankar indirectly pressed for inclusion of India at the UN
Security Council by reminding the contributions that the Indians have made at the time
of the Second World War.
257. India calls for 50% Staff Reduction after Pakistan violates Vienna
Convention
On 23rd June 2020, within the next 7 days, the External Affairs Ministry of India has
decided to reduce the staff strength of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad by 50%
and has also directed the Pakistan Government to implement the same by reducing 50%
of its staff from its Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.
This significant downgrading of diplomatic ties is due to:
The abduction and barbaric treatment with two Indian high Commission staff at
Islamabad at gunpoint by Pakistan Government officials on 17th June 2020. The two
Indian High Commission staff returned to India on 22nd June, the level of severe ill-
treatment experienced by them at the hands of Pakistan Government Agencies
highlights the continued effort of the Pakistan Government over the decades to
intimidate the Indian High Commission in Islamabad from carrying on their legitimate
diplomatic functions.
Two Pakistan High Commission staff was caught red-handed in acts of espionage by the
Indian Officials in New Delhi on 31st May 2020. These two Pakistan High Commission
staff was also dealing with terrorist outfits. These two Pakistani Citizens were
immediately expelled from their duties and were made to return to Pakistan on the same
day. Over the years India has continuously expressed its concern on the activities of the
Pakistan High Commission staff in New Delhi.
258. Indigenously Developed ULV Sprayer successfully completed Trials

for Locust Control
With the rise in limitations for importing equipment, the Mechanization and Technology
Division of the Department of Agricultural Co-operation & Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW)
led the initiative for developing indigenous vehicle mounted ULV (Ultra Low Volume)
Sprayer for Locust Control. The indigenously developed prototype had completed the
trials successfully. Trials were conducted at Ajmer and Bikaner districts of Rajasthan.
132
1. Demerit of Vehicle Mounted Sprayer
One demerit of the vehicle-mounted sprayer is that it can spray to a maximum height of
between 25 to 30 feet as a result of which its use is limited, can’t be used for tall trees,
and inaccessible areas.
2. Necessity for Aerial Spray

Citing the limitations of the vehicle-mounted sprayer, the Union Ministry of Agriculture
and Farmers Welfare has impaneled two firms for providing a spray of pesticides with
the help of drones. Further, an Empowered Committee was constituted for the
procurement of the goods and services required for the aerial spray of pesticides.
259. President Halimah Yacob dissolves Parliament, 2020 Singapore

General Election will be held on 10th July
In the midst of a global pandemic, the Elections Department of Singapore had

announced on 23rd June 2020 that the 2020 General Election will be held on the 10th of
July 2020. This announcement came after President of Singapore, Halimah Yacob had
dissolved the ongoing 13th Parliament of Singapore earlier on the same day.
The announcement that the Parliament has been dissolved was made by the
Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong. The Prime Minister justified his
actions for calling an imminent election at the time of a global pandemic by
stating that the COVID-19 outbreak is relatively stable in the country, further
he assured that for the elections to be carried out safely, actions such as-
suspension of mass rallies, an increased number of polling stations,
designated time-bands for the senior citizens to vote, etc will be taken.
In order to reduce the risks of virus transmission, the Election Department issued further
safety guidelines that the political parties will be required to follow, such as for door-to-
door campaigns a maximum of 5 persons will be allowed in a group, etc.
260. Reliance JioTV & Haryana Government Signs Agreement to benefit

5.2 Million School Children
On 23rd June 2020, the Education Minister of Haryana has announced that the Haryana
State Government has signed an agreement under the Chief Minister’s Distance
Learning Programme with Reliance Industries Limited’s subsidiary company Jio. The
agreement signed is to provide education to school children in the rural areas of the
state.
Schools across the state were closed in the month of March 2020 following a
nationwide lockdown to combat COVID-19, after 3 months, today it’s still
uncertain on when the schools will re-open.
About the Agreement
133
261. Foundation Stone Laid for the First Hindu Temple in Pakistan’s
Capital
On 23rd June 2020, the foundation stone for the first Hindu Temple in Pakistan’s capital
city Islamabad was laid. The temple is the first to be constructed in Islamabad since the
Independence of Pakistan.
The temple will be devoted to Lord Krishna. The name of the temple will be
Shri Krishna Mandir. The name of the temple was decided by the Islamabad
Hindu Panchayat.
The construction of the temple would cost Rs 10 crore (in Pakistani Rupee). The cost will
be borne by the Pakistan Government as per their Religious Affairs Minister.
262. Cabinet Approves Ordinance to bring UCBs and MSCBs under RBI
supervision
The decision to bring Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) and Multi-State Cooperative
Banks (MSCBs) under the supervision of India’s Central Bank- the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) was taken on 24th June 2020 during a meeting of the Union Cabinet.
1. Background
The decision was taken by the Government following the financial irregularities of the
Punjab & Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank that was unearthed in the month of
September 2019.
2. Benefit for Depositors

RBI’s supervision means that the 8.6 crore depositors of these 1482 UCBs and 58 MSCBs
around the country will be able to get the added protection and comfort that are at
present applicable for the scheduled commercial banks in the country, such as Bank
Deposit Insurance to per depositor of up to Rs 5 lakh, etc.
3. Announced During the Finance Budget

Earlier on 1st February 2020, the Finance Minister during her Budget Speech had
announced that the Cooperative Banks will be brought under the Supervision of RBI. The
Cabinet cleared the amendment Bill on 5th February 2020 following which the Banking
Regulations (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was introduced in Lok Sabha on 3rd March 2020.
However, the Bill could not be passed as the Budget Session was curtailed due to the
outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
263. Union Cabinet Approves Private Sector Participation in Space

Activities
The move to leapfrog India’s space activities into the next stage by transforming the
Indian Space Sector for the future challenges was made during a meeting of the Union
Cabinet on 24th June 2020.
134
Under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, to
further advance India’s capabilities in the space sector, the Cabinet approved
the participation of the private sector in various space activities.
This long-awaited move from the Indian Government is highly significant in order to
establish India’s position as one of the important players in the global space economy.
264. Devika and Puneja Bridges Inaugurated in Jammu & Kashmir
Through the virtual platform, Jitendra Singh (Union Minister of State for Development of
North Eastern Region I/C) had inaugurated Border Roads Organisation (BRO) constructed
bridges- Devika and Puneja on 24th June 2020.
1. Devika Bridge
The bridge is located at Udhampur of Jammu & Kashmir. Built at a cost of Rs 75 lakhs,
the bridge fulfilled 70-year-old demand of the locals of the nearby region. Headquarters
of the Indian Armies Northern Command is situated at Udhampur. Apart from solving
traffic issues, the bridge will provide a smooth passage for the vehicles and convoys of
the Indian army. The bridge is 10 meters long.
2. Puneja Bridge
The bridge is located in Bhaderwah town in Doda district of Jammu & Kashmir. The cost
of constructing the bridge was Rs 4 crore. The bridge is 50 meters long.
3. Border Roads Organisation (BRO)

The Former and First Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru is credited as the founder
of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). It is headquartered in New Delhi and was
founded on 7th May 1960. At present, BRO operates under 18 projects in the country. It
maintains across 32,885 Kilometers of road and more than 12,200 meters of permanent
bridges across the country.
265. Scheme with Guarantee Cover worth Rs 20,000 Crore launched for
MSMEs
This scheme was announced as a part of the AtmaNirbhar Bharat Package by Finance
Minister back on 13th May 2020. On 24th June 2020, the Credit Guarantee Scheme for
Sub-ordinate Debt (CGSSD) was launched. The scheme is also called as Distressed
Assets Fund- Sub- Ordinate Debt for MSMEs.
1. Background
As a result of nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19, most of the
economic activities came to a halt across the globe. In India as well, the livelihood of
millions of people is dependent on the MSME sector.
2. About the Scheme

The scheme will provide support to about 2 lakh MSMEs across the country. Rs 20,000
crores of guarantee cover have been sanctioned under the scheme.
135
266. Decisions taken by the Union Cabinet on 24th June to Boost

Infrastructure Projects
In order to boost Infrastructure projects across all the sectors at a time of a global
pandemic, several decisions were taken by the Union Cabinet under the chairmanship of
Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on 24th June 2020.
1. Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF)

The aim of setting up AHIDF is to unlock private sector investments in the animal
husbandry sector. Through the fund, Infrastructural developments will be promoted in
dairy, animal feed, and meat processing plants. As per Government estimate, the fund
will help in creating up to 35 lakh jobs across the country.
2. Uttar Pradesh’s Khushinagar Airport declared as an International Airport

Khushinagar is a Buddhist pilgrimage town where Gautama Buddha attained
Mahaparinirvana. The move will provide a much-needed boost to the tourism sector of
the country in the post-COVID-19 world as International connectivity will increase
number of foreign and as well as domestic tourists. This will lead to significant economic
development in and around the region.
3. USD 121.27 million approved for Shwe Oil & Gas Project in Myanmar
ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) was given approval by the Government with an additional Rs
909 crore (USD 121.27 million) for further development of the Shwe Oil & Gas project.
The Shwe Oil & Gas Project is located in Myanmar. The project is a part of the
consortium of companies. Apart from India, companies from Myanmar and South Korea
are also a part of the Shwe project. From India, state-owned company GAIL is also a co-
investor in the project.
136
Hema Rekha B.C | hemarekha14@gmail.com |
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Current Affairs [PDF] - June 16-30, 2020
Contents
......................... _ ....... _ .... ...... .............................................................
News Headlines: June 16-30, 2020 ............................................................................................................................................................ 3
Current Affairs News Headlines: June 16, 2020 ............................................................................................................................. 3
Current Affairs News Headlines: June 20, 2020 ............................................................................................................................ 5
Current Affairs News Headlines: June 29, 2020 .......................................................................................................................... 10
Current Affairs News Headlines: June 30, 2020 .......................................................................................................................... 10
Current Affairs News Headlines: July 1 ........................................................................................................................................... 10
June 16, 2020 ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 11
Rapid Antigen Test Kits recommended ............................................................................................................................................ 11
SIPRI Yearbook: Nuclear Weapons of India and China increases ............................................................................................. 12
India joins Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence ................................................................................................................ 13
June 16: International Day of Family Remittances ......................................................................................................................... 13
ADIP scheme: First Distribution of Assistive aids to Divyangjan ............................................................................................... 13
Van Dhan Yojana: Expanded from 18,000 Van Dhan SHGs to 50,000 ................................................................................. 14
Fifth State of Matter observed by NASA scientists ....................................................................................................................... 14
COVID-19: Fifth Recession of India .................................................................................................................................................. 15
World Investment Report released by UNCTAD .......................................................................................................................... 15
June 17: World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought .................................................................................................... 16
India-Nepal sign MoU ......................................................................................................................................................................... 16
First Time India sends tri-services contingent to Russia’s Victory Day Parade ...................................................................... 17
Institute for Management Development releases World Competitive Index ........................................................................... 17
June 17, 2020 ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 17
Shramik Trains generated Rs 360 crores revenue ....................................................................................................................... 17
GoI Report: Average Temperature in India to raise by 4.4 degree Celsius ............................................................................ 18
SC issues Notice over health insurance for Mental Illness .......................................................................................................... 18
High Court seeks EIA on Lonar lake colour change .................................................................................................................... 18
750 million USD loan approved by AIIB to India ........................................................................................................................ 19
India to supply Pneumonia Vaccine to low-income nations ........................................................................................................ 19
GoI establishes Khelo India State Centres of Excellence ............................................................................................................. 20
India-China clash at Galwan Valley ................................................................................................................................................... 21
Solar Eclipse in India ............................................................................................................................................................................ 21
Largest COVID-19 facility in Delhi ................................................................................................................................................... 21
Arunachal Pradesh: New Fish Species Discovered ....................................................................................................................... 22
KVIC taps Indian Palm Industry ........................................................................................................................................................ 22
National Employment Policy .............................................................................................................................................................. 23
IM Vijayan recommended for Padmashri ....................................................................................................................................... 23
June 18-19, 2020 .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 23
25 Schemes will be brought together under Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan .......................................................................... 23
COVID Testing I-Lab created by the DBT- AMTZ COMManD Consortia flagged off by Union Minister for Health &
Family Welfare .............................................................................................................................................................................. 24
Urgent Procurement of 21 MiG 29s, 12 Su 30s following Border Tensions ......................................................................... 24
India will be UNSC President for August 2021 ............................................................................................................................. 25
Armed Forces of India and China to take part at Moscow Military Parade on 24th June 2020 ...................................... 25
MoU for providing Special Micro-Credit Facility for Street Vendors signed ......................................................................... 26
Supreme Court Calls for Uniformity in Fees for Covid-19 Testing ......................................................................................... 26
RIL becomes first Indian Company to be valued at USD 150 Billion ...................................................................................... 27
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Low Cost Covid-19 Diagnostic Kits developed by IIT Guwahati ............................................................................................. 27
SATYABHAMA Portal for AtmaNirbhar Bharat in Mining and Mineral Sector launched ................................................ 28
June 20, 2020 ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 28
First Installment of Highest Ever Rs 60,750 Crore Grant to RLBs Released ........................................................................ 28
20th June: World Refugee Day ......................................................................................................................................................... 29
WHO warns about a New and Dangerous phase of COVID-19 .............................................................................................. 29
Kharif Crops Sowing Area Increases Significantly as Compared to Last Year ...................................................................... 30
ICMR approves User-Friendly PPEs ‘NavRakshak’ ....................................................................................................................... 30
RBI extends restrictions on PMC Bank, eases Withdrawal Limit .............................................................................................. 30
5 Day Institutional Quarantine now Mandatory for COVID-19 Positive Patients in New Delhi ........................................ 31
Stegodon Fossil discovered from Saharanpur estimated to be 5 to 8 Million Years Old ..................................................... 31
68 Million Years Old Egg discovered from Antarctica ............................................................................................................... 32
India Ideas Summit 2020 on 21st & 22nd July .............................................................................................................................. 32
CIL partners with AIM to boost Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiatives ........................................................................... 32
USD 1.05 Billion Approved by World Bank for 3 Projects in Bangladesh .............................................................................. 33
42 Crore Citizens received Financial Aid of Rs 65,454 Crore under PMGKP ..................................................................... 33
June 21, 2020 ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 34
21st June: International Yoga Day .................................................................................................................................................... 34
21st June: World Hydrography Day ................................................................................................................................................. 34
India’s First Oral Vaccine for Moderate COVID-19 Cases gets Approval ............................................................................... 35
June 22, 2020 ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 35
FM radio stations in Nepal starts Weather Bulletins of Indian Territories .............................................................................. 35
Large Scale Phishing Attack using COVID-19 as Bait alerts CERT-In .................................................................................... 36
Hetero’s injectable ‘Covifor’ gets DCGI approval for COVID-19 Treatment ........................................................................ 36
No Ambubachi Mela at Kamakhya Temple for the first time in Recorded History ............................................................. 37
Tripura Government to start ‘Play Little, Study Little’ Scheme from 25th June ................................................................... 37
Job Gaurantee Scheme for Urban Poor to be launched by Jharkhand Government ........................................................... 37
MCL prepares Rs 60,000 Crores Investment Plan in Odisha ................................................................................................... 38
Emergency Funds to Armed Forces of Rs. 500 Crore, Specialised Mountain Forces deployed at LAC ......................... 38
China plans to Establish National Security Bureau in Hong Kong ........................................................................................... 39
India becomes 12th Largest Holder of US Government Securities at April 2020 end ........................................................ 39
Project ‘Decarbonising Transport in India’ will be launched on 24th June ............................................................................ 39
Cipla’s ‘Cipremi’ gets approval for Treatment of COVID-19 Patients in India ..................................................................... 40
June 23, 2020 ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 40
U.S. Temporarily Suspends ‘Green Cards & Non-Migrant Work Visas’ till 31st December 2020 ................................... 40
23rd June: United Nations Public Service Day ............................................................................................................................... 41
Healthcare & Hygiene EXPO 2020- India’s first-ever Largest Virtual Exhibition .................................................................. 41
23rd June: International Olympic Day ............................................................................................................................................. 42
Rs 2000 Crore from PM CARES Fund allocated for 50,000 Made-in-India Ventilators .................................................. 42
Bill to Rename ‘Tonoshiro’ to ‘Tonoshiro Senkaku’ triggered tensions between Japan and China .................................. 43
Last Satellite of China’s BeiDou Satellite System 3 (BDS-3) Launched .................................................................................. 43
U.S. Russia talks on new Nuclear Disarmament Treaty begins without China ..................................................................... 43
Rajasthan Government to launch ‘Indira Rasoi Yojna’ ................................................................................................................ 44
Financial Assistance of Rs 4957 Crore provided to 17.5 Million Building & Other Construction Workers ................... 44
President Aleksandar Vucic’s SNS-led Coalition registers landslide win in 2020 Parliamentary Election ....................... 45
China has decided to join the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) ......................................................................................................... 45
June 24, 2020 ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 45
HRD Minister launches ‘YUKTI 2.0’ Platform .............................................................................................................................. 45
RIC: Russia Backs India for Permanent UN Security Council Seat, FM reminds China to Respect International Laws
.......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 46
India calls for 50% Staff Reduction after Pakistan violates Vienna Convention .................................................................... 46
Indigenously Developed ULV Sprayer successfully completed Trials for Locust Control ................................................... 47
President Halimah Yacob dissolves Parliament, 2020 Singapore General Election will be held on 10th July ................ 47
Reliance JioTV & Haryana Government Signs Agreement to benefit 5.2 Million School Children .................................. 48
Foundation Stone Laid for the First Hindu Temple in Pakistan’s Capital ............................................................................... 48
Cabinet Approves Ordinance to bring UCBs and MSCBs under RBI supervision ............................................................... 48
Union Cabinet Approves Private Sector Participation in Space Activities ............................................................................... 49
Devika and Puneja Bridges Inaugurated in Jammu & Kashmir ................................................................................................. 49

Scheme with Guarantee Cover worth Rs 20,000 Crore launched for MSMEs ................................................................... 50
Decisions taken by the Union Cabinet on 24th June to Boost Infrastructure Projects ........................................................ 50
June 25, 2020 ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 51
World’s First Yoga University outside India, Vivekananda Yoga University launched in Los Angeles ............................... 51
Pakistan gets another extension on FATF Grey List despite failure to act against terror groups ...................................... 51
World’s Longest Internet Shutdown in Myanmar enters 2nd year ........................................................................................... 52
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to set up Permanent Base in the Indian Ocean ................................................ 52
China annexes parts of Nepal by diverting the flow of Rivers that acted as Natural Boundary ......................................... 53
Mobile Application ‘eBloodServices’ launched by Union Health Minister ............................................................................... 53
Gujarat, Tripura, and Nagaland Best Performing States in Annual TB Report 2020 .......................................................... 53
RCEP Member States hope India will Rejoin the Proposed Trade Agreement ..................................................................... 54
World Bank Approves USD 500 Million to Bangladesh for Improving Road Connectivity ............................................... 54
Karnataka amends its Industries (Facilitation) Act for Attracting Investments ...................................................................... 55
CM KCR launched the sixth phase of Haritha Haram Programme ......................................................................................... 55
June 26, 2020 ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 56
26th June: International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking ................................................................................ 56
Behaviour Change Campaign launched by NITI Aayog ............................................................................................................. 56
Liverpool wins 2019-20 English Premier League title ................................................................................................................. 56
PM launches Atma Nirbhar Uttar Pradesh Rojgar Abhiyan ....................................................................................................... 57
Russia’s Energia plans to take First Tourist on Space Walk in 2023 ....................................................................................... 57
Mukhyamantri Matru Pushti Uphaar announced by Tripura Government ............................................................................ 58
Cleared of Doping Charges, K. Sanjita Chanu to receive Arjuna Award ............................................................................... 58
Indigenously Developed Torpedo Decoy System Inducted by Indian Navy .......................................................................... 59
Vini Mahajan become the First Woman Chief Secretary of Punjab ......................................................................................... 59
NASA’s headquarter building named after ‘Mary W.Jackson’ ................................................................................................... 59
USD 31.3 Billion Required by WHO-led coalition ‘ACT-Accelerator’ to fight against COVID-19 ................................... 60
June 27, 2020 .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 60
Sero-Survey begins in New Delhi to determine the Spread of COVID-19 ............................................................................ 60
27th June: Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Day .............................................................................................. 61
Apollo Tyres commissions its Andhra Pradesh Manufacturing Plant ....................................................................................... 61
‘At One Click’ Initiative launched by Gujarat Government for MSMEs & Other Bigger Industries ................................. 62
Democrat-led House of Representatives approves Statehood Bill for Washington D.C ...................................................... 62
Vote for Constitutional Reforms begins as Putin looks to lead Russia until 2036 ................................................................ 62
3.5 Million Houses Handed Over to Beneficiaries under PMAY-U, Highlights from 5 Years of PMAY-U, SCM, and
AMRUT .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 63
‘Sankalp Parva’ on the call of Prime Minister by Ministry of Culture from 28th June to 12th July 2020 ....................... 63
Nine-year-long dispute between Sudan, Ethiopia, and Egypt likely to end in Upcoming Weeks ...................................... 64
Dexamethasone added in Clinical Management Protocols for COVID-19 Patients by Health Ministry .......................... 64
TPPA of USD 2.4 Billion Signed by Pakistan with China for Hydro Power Project in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir
........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 65
June 28-29, 2020 ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 65
29th June: National Statistics Day .................................................................................................................................................... 65
World Bank Group Approves USD 500 Million under STARS Program .............................................................................. 66
Lazarus Chakwera elected as New President of Malawi following Evidence of Irregularities in 2019 Elections .......... 66
Approx 2.4 Million Children Below the Age of 5 are facing Hunger and Malnutrition in Yemen .................................. 66
‘Kill Corona’ Campaign in Madhya Pradesh from 1st July 2020 .............................................................................................. 67
3 Million Houses will be Built under YSR Jagananna Colonies ................................................................................................. 67
Delhi Government to set up ‘Plasma Bank’ at ILBS, the First Plasma Bank in India ........................................................... 68
PM FME Scheme launched, To Generate 9 Lakh Employment ............................................................................................... 68
Concession Agreement Signed between India & Bhutan for Joint Venture Hydroelectric Project ................................... 68
World’s Largest Plasma Therapy Trial under Project ‘Platina’ launched by Maharashtra .................................................. 69
Indian Government signs agreement for Two Projects in Tamil Nadu with World Bank Group .................................... 69
June 30, 2020 .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 70
K.K.Venugopal reappointed as Attorney General for India ........................................................................................................ 70
China passes Hong Kong National Security Law ......................................................................................................................... 70
Indigenously Developed ‘COVAXIN’ gets DCGI approval for Human Clinical Trials ........................................................ 70
RBI to conduct Special OMOs on 2nd July to Pump up Liquidity ............................................................................................ 71
New Strain of Swine Flu Virus having Human Pandemic Potential Discovered in China ................................................... 71

China running Campaign to Slash Birth ratesHema Rekha B.C | hemarekha14@gmail.com |

among the Muslim Minorities ........................................................................ 71
‘NADA INDIA’ Mobile Application launched to help athletes Stay Updated about Prohibited Substances ................... 72
Helicopter Services for Locust Control flagged off by Union Minister ................................................................................... 72
First Edition of ‘Matsya Sampada’ launched by Union Minister ................................................................................................ 73
NTPC Ltd, Indian Oil and SDMC signs MoU for Waste to Energy Plant in Delhi ............................................................... 73
World’s first-ever Online B.Sc. Degree in Programming and Data Science launched by IIT Madras ............................. 74
Compilation of select 120 Current Affairs MCQs ................................................................................................................................ 74

News Headlines: June 16-30, 2020
Current Affairs News Headlines: June 16, 2020
India
ICMR recommends use of rapid antigen test kits for diagnosis of COVID-19 in combination with RT-
PCR test
COVID-19 International Film Festival: Odia short film ‘Martyapura Re Jamaraj’ (‘Yamaraj on earth’)
wins Special Jury award
Economy & Corporate
Indian Gas Exchange (IGX), first nationwide online delivery-based gas trading platform, launched
WPI (Wholesale Price Index)-based inflation was –3.21% in May 2020
Exports in May 2020 fall 36.47% to $19.05 bn, trade deficit down to $3.15 bn
EPFO launches facility allowing settlement of online claims from its regional offices
CBIC (Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs) launches e-Office to automate internal file
handling
Nirmala Sitharaman meets private banks, NBFCs to ensure smooth roll out of ECLGS (emergency
credit line guarantee scheme) to help MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises)
Airtel Payments Bank launches ‘Suraksha Salary Account’ for workforce of MSMEs
Maruti Suzuki India’s Alto remains country’s best-selling model for 16th year in a row in 2019-20
Samir Bangara, cofounder & CEO of digital music platform Qyuki Digital Media, dies in Mumbai
ByteDance discontinuing its Vigo Video and Vigo Lite apps in India
World
India joins Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) as founding member
PM Boris Johnson to establish a commission to look at racial equality in the UK
India, China expanded nuclear stockpile in last one year: SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace
Research Institute)
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day observed on June 15
Sports
Azerbaijan’s Mamedyarov Shakhriyar wins Sharjah World Stars online chess tournament; India’s P.
Harikrishna 2nd
India
PM interacts with CMs of 21 States and UTs through video conference
Army officer, two soldiers martyred during violent face off with Chinese Army in Ladakh
COVID-19: U.S. hands over first shipment of 100 ventilators to Indian Red Cross Society
FDI
UNCTAD (UN Conference on Trade and Development) releases World Investment Report 2020
US was world’s largest recipient of FDI (foreign direct investment) in 2019 with $251 billion
India was world’s 9th largest recipient at $51 billion in 2019
World Competitiveness Index
India’s rank was unchanged at 43rd on the annual World Competitiveness Index (WCI)
Singapore retained its top position on the 63-nation list
WCI compiled by Institute for Management Development (IMD)
World
North Korea blows up inter-Korean joint liaison office in its border town of Kaesong
International Day of Family Remittances observed on June 16; theme: “Remittances are a lifeline”

India
Suvidha sanitary napkins made available at a minimum price of Rs. 1/- per pad at PMBJP (Pradhan
Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana) Kendras
Economy & Corporate
COVID-19 pandemic loan moratorium: no merit in ‘charging interest on interest’ for deferred
payments, says SC
RBI to modify regulations governing HFCs (housing finance companies) after taking over as their
regulator from NHB (National Housing Bank)
Beijing-based AIIB (Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank) clears $ 750 mn loan to India for
coronavirus response; second one after an earlier loan of $500 million
At 34.06 EJ (Exajoules) India’s energy consumption in 2019 was third largest behind China (141.70
EJ) and US (94.65 EJ): BP Statistical Review
China’s Great Wall Motor Company signs MoU with Maharashtra govt. to invest $1 billion in the state
World
World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought observed on June 17; theme: ‘Food. Feed. Fibre. –
the links between consumption and land’
Sports
Sports Ministry to establish Khelo India State Centres of Excellence under the Khelo India Scheme in
each State and UT: Kiren Rijiju
India
to launch ‘Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan’ to provide employment to over six million migrant workers in
six states — MP, UP, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand and Rajasthan — through government schemes in the
next four months
Economy & Corporate
Indian economy to contract by 4% in 2020-21, grow by 5% in 2021-22: ADB in its Asian Development
Outlook (ADO)
Fitch Ratings retains India’s sovereign rating at ‘BBB-’, changes outlook to ‘Negative’ from ‘Stable’
PM launches auction of 41 coal blocks for commercial mining, a move that opens India’s coal sector
for private players
France to provide loan of 200 million euros to India to support Delhi’s Covid response
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund to invest ₹11,367 crore in Jio Platforms for 2.32% stake
World
India, Ireland, Mexico and Norway elected non-permanent members of UN Security Council for 2-year
term
Nepal’s parliament approves new map that lays claim to Indian territory in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh
district
Turkey’s Volkan Bozkir elected president of 75th UN General Assembly
2020 Sony World Photography Awards: Uruguay’s Pablo Albarenga named Photographer of the Year
in professional category
‘The Room Where It Happened’, a book by US President Donald Trump’s former National Security
Adviser John Bolton, to release on June 23
US President confirms plans to withdraw 9,500 American soldiers from bases in Germany
Amazon indigenous chief Paulinho Paiakan dies of coronavirus in Brazil aged 65
Sustainable Gastronomy Day celebrated by UN on June 18
India
Rajasthan Rajya Sabha election winners: K. C. Venugopal and Neeraj Dangi of Congress and Rajendra
Gehlot of BJP
MP Rajya Sabha election winners: Jyotiraditya Scindia and Sumer Singh Solanki of BJP and Digvijaya
Singh of Congress
AP Rajya Sabha election winners: Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose, M. Venkata Ramana, Parimal Nathwani
and Ayodhya Rami Reddy of YSR Congress
Manipur Rajya Sabha election winner: Leishemba Sanajaoba of BJP
Country’s first mobile I-Lab (Infectious Disease Diagnostic Lab) for last mile coronavirus (COVID-19)
testing access launched by Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan
New Delhi-based NRDC (National Research Development Corporation) licenses manufacturing know-
how of a PPE (personal protective equipment) suit named — ‘NavRakshak’ — to five MSMEs
Economy & Corporate
Reliance Industries Ltd. becomes first Indian company to cross the Rs 11 lakh crore market valuation
mark
BSE tenth among world’s largest exchanges with a market capitalisation of $1.7 trillion, NYSE (New
York Stock Exchange) No: 1 with valuation of $19.3 trillion
Former RBI Governor Urjit Patel appointed Chairman of NIPFP (National Institute of Public Finance
and Policy), New Delhi for 4-year term
Noted economist B P R Vithal dies at 93; was Member of the Tenth Finance Commission
World
India will be the President of United Nations Security Council President for August 2021
Global Status Report on Preventing Violence Against Children 2020 launched by the UN
Jean Kennedy Smith, sister of late US President John F. Kennedy and former U.S. ambassador to
Ireland, dies at 92
Facebook acquires Swedish startup Mapillary in a move aimed at taking on Google Maps
International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict observed on June 19
World Sickle Cell Awareness Day observed on June 19
Sports
to set up 1000 Khelo India Centers (KIC) at the district level across the country: Kiren Rijiju
Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyan
PM launched the ‘Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyaan’ employment scheme for migrant workers from six
states who returned to their home states during the coronavirus-induced lockdown
The Rs 50,000 crore employment scheme will be implemented on a mission mode in 125 days in 116
districts of six states — Bihar, MP, UP, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Odisha
‘Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyaan’ will involve implementation of 25 public infrastructure works related
to rural housing, drinking water supply and construction of panchayat bhavans
Economy & Corporate
Pension Funds: Govt. approval made compulsory for investments from bordering countries “including
China”
Make in India: Govt invites global vessel owners to register ships in India
Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to provide $750 million loan to India for
‘COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Programme’
India’s foreign exchange reserves touch a life-time high of $507.644 billion in the week to June 12
RIL CMD Mukesh Ambani ninth on Forbes Real-time Billionaires List with a net worth of $64.6 billion;
Amazon founder & CEO ($160.1 billion) No: 1
World
World Refugee Day observed on June 20; theme: ‘Every Action Counts’
China announces tariff exemption for 97% of Bangladeshi exports effective from July 1
India
The annular ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse, wherein the Sun appears like a ring of fire, was visible in
several states
ISRO receives patent for Liquid Cooling and Heating Garment (LCHG) for human spaceflight
Gen. (Retd.) Raj Mohan Vohra, awarded Maha Vir Chakra for bravery in 1971 India-Pakistan War, dies
at 88
Social worker Vidyaben Shah dies at 98 in Delhi; was ex-President of ICCW (Indian Council for Child
Welfare), won Padma Shri (1992)
Economy & Corporate
With USD 157.4 billion, India becomes 12th largest holder of US govt securities at April end; Japan
remained No: 1 with USD 1.27 trillion
World
International Day of the Celebration of the Solstice observed on June 21
Solstice: derived from the Latin sol (“sun”) and sistere (“to stand still”)
International Day of Yoga observed on June 21; theme: “Yoga for Health – Yoga at Home”
World Music Day celebrated on June 21; started by Frenchmen Jack Lang and Maurice Fleuret in 1981
2968-metre Mount Merapi volcano erupts on the island of Java in Indonesia
China to set up a “national security agency” in Hong Kong to administer a new law aimed at cracking
down on dissent
India
approves individual and institutional contributions to NDRF (National Disaster Response Fund) that
was set up under Section 46 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005
UP becomes first state to operationalise rail coaches converted into isolation units for Covid-19
cases at Mau junction in Varanasi
IIT-Bombay develops Dhruva, Indian receiver chip for NAVIC, GPS satellites
Economy & Corporate
Reliance Industries Ltd. became the first Indian firm to hit a market valuation of $150 billion
(₹11,43,667 crore)
Harsimrat Kaur Badal launches Food Processing Edition of Exclusive Investment Forum
FICCI organising Virtual Healthcare and Hygiene EXPO 2020 on June 22-26
World
India Pavilion at the Cannes Film Market 2020 jointly set up by I&B Ministry and FICCI
Sports
Former Haryana and Punjab spinner Rajinder Goel dies at 77; took a record 637 wickets in Ranji
Trophy
India
India asks Pakistan to reduce High Commission staff in New Delhi by 50% within a week
HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ launches ‘YUKTI 2.0’ platform to assist R&D in Higher
Education Institutes
Economy & Corporate
Sellers on GeM (Government e-Marketplace) asked to specify country origin of products
PM CARES Fund allots ₹2,000 crore to supply 50,000 Made-in-India ventilators
PM CARES Fund Trust releases ₹1,000 crore to States/UTs for welfare of migrant labourers
Per capita income to decline by 5.4% during 2020-21 to Rs 1.43 lakh: SBI research report
India remains world’s third largest economy after China and the US on PPP (purchasing power parity)
basis for 2017
Patanjali Ayurved told to stop advertising anti-COVID-19 Ayurvedic medicine — ‘Coronil and Swasari’
World
Foreign Ministers Sergey Lavrov, S. Jaishankar and Wang Yi participate in RIC (Russia-India-China)
trilateral via video conference
S. President Donald Trump suspends issuing of H-1B visas along with other foreign work visas for the
rest of 2020
China launches last satellite for its BeiDou (“Big Dipper” in Chinese) Navigation Satellite System
United Nations Public Service Day observed on June 23
International Widows Day observed on June 23; theme: ‘Invisible Women, Invisible Problems’
Sports
Top-ranked tennis player Novak Djokovic and wife Jelena test positive for Covid-19
Olympic Day celebrated on June 23; International Olympic Committee was founded on this day in
1894
India
J&K: Devika and Puneja Bridges inaugurated in Udhampur & Doda districts respectively by Union
Minister Dr Jitendra Singh
Kushinagar Airport in UP declared as an International Airport
Passport Seva Divas celebrated on June 24 to commemorate the enactment of the Passports Act on
24 June 1967
Six-month extension granted to G. Rohini Commission appointed to examine sub-categorisation of
OBCs
West Bengal: Trinamool Congress MLA Tamonash Ghosh (60) dies due to COVID-19
PMMY
to provide 2% interest subvention to borrowers under the ‘Shishu’ category of PMMY (Pradhan Mantri
MUDRA Yojana)
Under the Shishu category, collateral free loans of up to ₹50,000 are given to beneficiaries.
Economy & Corporate
RBI to get more powers to supervise urban cooperative banks and multi-state cooperative banks
Cabinet approves establishment of Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund worth Rs.
15000 crores
NITI Aayog & OECD’s ITF (International Transport Forum) launch Decarbonizing Transport in
Emerging Economies project
Republic of Mali awards Project Management Consultancy contract to NTPC for development of 500
MW Solar Park
India’s GDP growth forecast for 2020-21 at –4.5%, 6% in 2021-22: IMF’s World Economic Outlook
report

World
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attends 75th Victory Day Parade in Moscow’s Red Square
Vivekananda Yoga University, world’s first yoga university outside India, launched in Los Angeles (US)
Earthquake with 7.4 magnitude shakes southern Mexico, at least 5 dead
Google adds ‘Fact-Checked’ labels for search images to limit misinformation
US: Johnson & Johnson told to pay $2.1 billion over cancer-causing talcum powder
India
Indian Red Cross Society’s ‘eBloodServices’ Mobile App launched by Union Health and Family Welfare
Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan
RailTel to provide video surveillance at 6,049 railway stations across country
Economy & Corporate
approves private sector participation in space activities like building of rockets, satellites and
providing launch services
Funds parked by Indian individuals and enterprises in Swiss banks down 6% in 2019 to 899 million
Swiss francs (Rs 6,625 crore)
TRAI launches channel selection app for easy subscription
RSWM of the LNJ Bhilwara Group ties up with Swiss firm HeiQ to offer antiviral fabric ‘ViroSecure’
under Mayur brand
Hindustan Unilever to drop the word “fair” from its “Fair & Lovely” range of products
World
India becomes founding member of Alliance for Poverty Eradication at the UN
Pakistan to remain on ‘grey list’ of terror financing watchdog FATF (Financial Action Task Force)
IMF lowers its global growth forecast for 2020 to –4.5% from –3% made in April
Day of the Seafarer celebrated by IMO on June 25; theme: ‘Seafarers are Key Workers’
Japan’s Olympus to exit camera business, focus on medical equipment
Sports
Clare Connor becomes first female president of the 233-year old London-based Marylebone Cricket
Club
India
People aged 65 years and above can opt for postal ballot facility in Lok Sabha, Assembly polls; earlier
80 years & above were allowed
PM launches “Atma Nirbhar Uttar Pradesh Rojgar Abhiyan”; about 1.25 crore migrant workers
expected to benefit
NITI Aayog launches behaviour change campaign ‘Navigating the New Normal’ and its website to help
people follow norms to contain the spread of Covid-19
Nasha Mukt Bharat: Annual Action Plan (2020-21) for 272 most affected districts e-launched
Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Narendra Singh Tomar launches Garib
Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan web portal
Indian Navy awards contract for building Advanced Torpedo Decoy System ‘Maareech’ to PSU Bharat
Electronics Limited
Yusuf Memon, a 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case convict and a brother of absconding accused Tiger
Memon, dies in Nashik prison
Economy & Corporate
Money in Swiss banks: UK first, India at 77th place accounting for 0.06% of foreign funds
IOC (Indian Oil Corp) launches battery swapping facility ‘Quick Interchange Station’ for EVs (electric
vehicles) at its petrol pumps
Welspun India to launch anti-viral home textile products in collaboration with HealthGuard
Corporation of Australia under brands —SPACES and Welspun Health
World
US Senate approves bill to impose sanctions on business and individuals that undermine Hong
Kong’s autonomy
International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking celebrated on June 26; theme: ‘Better
Knowledge for Better Care’
International Day in Support of Victims of Torture observed by UN on June 26
L’Oréal Group to remove the words whitening, lightning and fairness from all its skin-care products.
Sports
FIFA approves $1.5 billion Covid-19 relief fund for world football; each of the 211 member
associations will get $ 1million each
Australia & New Zealand to co-host the 2023 Women’s FIFA World Cup
India
Culture Ministry to celebrate “Sankalp Parva” to plant trees from June 28 to July 12
COVID-19: Serological survey started in Delhi; based on recommendations of Dr. VK Paul committee
IISc, Bengaluru launches ‘Project Praana’ to commercialise production of ICU (intensive care unit)
grade ventilator
MP govt. sets up Madhya Pradesh State Migrant Labourer Commission (MPSMLC)
Economy & Corporate
India’s foreign exchange reserves fell by $2.078 billion to $505.566 billion during the week ended
June 19
IRDAI frames COVID-19 health cover norms; product, to be called Corona Kavach Policy
launches Floating Rate Savings Bonds, 2020 (Taxable) of 7-year maturity; 7.15% starting interest rate,
reset every 6 months
Governing Council Meeting of National Productivity Council (NPC) held under Chairmanship of
Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal
Finance Commission to devise a mechanism for incentivisation of States in areas of agricultural
reforms
President promulgates Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020
Agra-based Indian Garment Company bags NRDC (National Research Development Cooperation)
license for manufacturing NavRakshak PPEs
World
MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) day observed on June 27; theme: “MSMEs: first
responders to societal needs”
ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) leaders organise their annual summit by video
conferencing
Global fundraising meeting on June 27, 2020 raised 6.15 billion euros from US, EU & others to fight
Covid-19
Ireland: Micheál Martin takes charge as Prime Minister of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael coalition govt.
Malawi: Opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera wins Presidential election
About 26.9 crore people used drugs in 2018: UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
World Drug Report
US: Vandalising national monuments made punishable offence with up to 10 years in jail
Milton Glaser, master designer of ‘I ♥ NY’ logo, dies at 91
Amazon to acquire self-driving startup Zoox
Microsoft Corp to shut its retail stores permanently, to sell through digital and third-party retailers
COVID-19: Govt. approves use of dexamethasone for managing moderate to severe cases
India to check all power equipment imported from China for malware that can be potentially used to
trigger electricity grid failures
India among top-3 countries getting detailed information from Switzerland about bank accounts of its
citizens in Swiss banks: OECD
Princeton University to remove name of former US President Woodrow Wilson from its School of
Public and International Affairs because of his support for segregation
India
of India bans 59 Chinese mobile apps, including TikTok, UC Browser and others under Section 69 A of
Information Technology (IT) Act
Birth anniversary of Prof. P C Mahalanobis celebrated as Statistics Day in India on June 29; theme:
Sustainable Development Goals
Former RBI Governor C. Rangarajan awarded ‘Prof. P. C. Mahalanobis National Award in Official
Statistics’
Dr Arvind Pandey and Dr. Akhilesh Chandra Kulshreshtha jointly given Prof. P.V. Sukhatme National
Award in Statistics
J&K: Syed Ali Shah Geelani (90), the lifetime chairman of the pro-Pakistan Hurriyat Conference,
resigns
Economy & Corporate
₹10,000 crore ‘PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM-FME)’ scheme launched
Defence Ministry launches online portal for issue of NOC for power, oil and gas exploration projects
in ITW (Indian Territorial Waters) and EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone)
Govt lifts ban on exports of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) medical coveralls, sets a monthly
quota of 5 million units
India, Bhutan sign agreement for construction of 600 MW Kholongchhu joint venture hydroelectric
project in Bhutan
World
Gunmen attack Pakistan Stock Exchange building in Karachi, seven including all 4 attackers killed
Legislature in the US state of Mississippi votes to remove the Confederate battle standard from the
state flag
International Day of the Tropics celebrated on June 29
Sports
India’s Nitin Menon (36) becomes youngest ever to be included in ICC’s (International Cricket
Council) Elite Panel of Umpires
Muttiah Muralitharan named ‘Most Valuable Test Player of the 21st Century’ by Wisden
Anna Ushenina wins first Grand Prix leg of the FIDE Women’s Chess.com Speed Chess
Current Affairs News Headlines: July 1
India
PM extends free grain distribution scheme under PMGKAY (Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna

Yojana) till the end of November
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar holds talks with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian
IIT Madras launches world’s first online BSc degree in Programming and Data Science
India’s AI enabled MyGov Corona Helpdesk bags 2 awards at CogX 2020 (Global Leadership Summit
and Festival of AI & Emerging Technology)
Indian Oil, NTPC, SDMC (South Delhi Municipal Corporation) to develop a demonstration waste-to-
energy plant at Okhla landfill site in Delhi
Ravinder Bhakar appointed CEO of CBFC (Central Board of Films Certification)
K. Venugopal reappointed as Attorney General of India for one year
Economy & Corporate
Output of eight core infrastructure industries shrank by 23.4 per cent in May
Eight core infrastructure industries are: fertilisers, coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, steel,
cement and electricity
Fitch Ratings cuts India’s growth forecast for 2021-22 fiscal to 8% from 9.5% projected in May
WTO sets up dispute panel on India’s import duties on ICT (information and communications
technology) products
BJP’s Rajya Sabha member Suresh Prabhu to head Cooperative Development Forum (CDF)
Facebook launches Avatars in India allowing users to make a cartoon-like version of themselves
World
The State of World Population 2020 report released by UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund)
S. ends defense exports to Hong Kong, restricts access to high tech products
International Asteroid Day observed on 30 June; marks anniversary of Tunguska impact over Siberia
on this day in 1908
International Day of Parliamentarism observed on June 30; Geneva-based IPU (Inter-Parliamentary
Union) founded on this day in 1889
2020 Global Education Monitoring Report released by UNESCO
China to join UN Arms Trade Treaty that is designed to control the flow of weapons into conflict
zones
‘Glow’ to replace ‘whitening’ in some L’Oreal skin products
Apple tops Boston Consulting Group’s (BCG) ranking of ‘50 Most Innovative Companies in 2020’
Sports
Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju unveils NADA’s (National Anti-Doping Agency) mobile app to help athletes
stay updated on banned substances.
June 16, 2020
Rapid Antigen Test Kits recommended
On June 15, 2020, the Indian Council of Medical Research recommended the use of Rapid Antigen test kits
along with RT-PCR in containment zones.
Highlights
The Antigen test kits will allow faster diagnosis. They will reduce laboratory examination. The maximum
time taken by the Rapid antigen test to interpret positive or negative is 30 minutes.
Recommendations of ICMR
According to ICMR, individuals that test negative to COVID-19 in rapid antigen test should be tested with RT-
PCR. On the other hand, individuals testing positive under the rapid antigen test are considered to be
positive.

Antigen Test Kits
The Antigen Test kits were developed by a South Korea based company SD Biosensor.
Why SD Biosensor kit was chosen?
The USFDA had earlier authorized US based antigen kit called sofia 2 SARS Antigen kit. Also, Japan had
authorized the Fujirebio’s Antigen test kit. However, with tests and analysis conducted by AIIMS and ICMR,
India was satisfied with the performance of SD Biosensor antigen kit. The selection was done based on the
specificity and sensitivity of the kits.
The specificity of the test is 99.3% to 100%. The sensitivity of the test ranged between 50.6% and 84%.
What is Antigen test?
Just like the RT-PCR test of COVID-19, the antigen testing also looks for virus rather than the antibodies.
Antigens are foreign substances that induce immune system in the body.
What is the plan?
The Antigen Test is to be used in three categories as follows
Persons showing influenza like symptoms
Asymptomatic patients hospitalized for the treatment of malignant disease, immunosuppressed
patients, transplant patients, etc.
Asymptomatic patients undergoing aerosol and surgical interventions such as surgical procedures,
dialysis and bronchoscopy.
Limitations of Antigen test
According USFDA, the antigen testing is not as sensitive as that of RT-PCR testing. The sample collected for
COVID-19 testing stays stable only for an hour. Therefore, its is essential to conduct the antigen testing at
the site of sample collection.
SIPRI Yearbook: Nuclear Weapons of India and China increases
On June 15, 2020, the Swedish think-tank launched the SIPRI Yearbook, 2020.According to the yearbook,
India and China have increased their nuclear arsenal as compared to 2019.
Key findings
The think tank also reports that China is modernizing its nuclear arsenal. China and Pakistan as compared
to India have more nuclear warheads.
The Think tank has listed the following
India has 150 nuclear war heads
China had 290 and Pakistan has around 150 to 160 nuclear war heads.
India
The report says that India is expanding its nuclear weapon stock pile and nuclear infrastructure. Aircrafts
are the most mature component of nuclear strike capability of India. India has assigned 48 nuclear bombs
to its aircrafts. India is also developing naval component of its nuclear triad.
China
The think tank says that China is developing the nuclear triad for the first time. It has made new sea-based
missiles and nuclear capable aircrafts. The country has assigned over 240 war heads to operate its land
and sea based ballistic missiles. Also, China has adopted a nuclear strategy for its self defence.
Findings of SIPRI
According to SIPRI, the nine major nuclear armed states of the world include US, UK, Russia, France, India,
Pakistan, China, North Korea and Israel. These countries together possessed 13,400 nuclear weapons in the
beginning of 2020. However, this has decreased to 13,865 nuclear weapons as compared to 2019. Of these
3,720 nuclear weapons are currently deployed and 1,800 are kept in high operational alert.
The reduction in the number of nuclear weapons as compare to 2019 was mainly because of the

dismantlement of retired nuclear weapons by Russia and US. US and Russia alone possess 90% of world
nuclear weapons.
India joins Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence
On June 15, 2020, India joined the Global Partnership of Artificial Intelligence as a founding member.
Highlights
The other leading member countries that joined along with India are UK, USA, European Union, Australia,
France, Canada, Germany, Mexico, Italy, Republic of Korea, Singapore, New Zealand, etc. The Gee-Pay or
GPAI-Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence is a multi-stake holder initiative that will guide
development of Artificial Intelligence.
About GPAI
The GPAI is the first initiative of its kind that will help to understand the opportunities and challenges of
Artificial Intelligence better. The GPAI will into opportunities to bridge the gaps between theories of AI and
AI supported researches to increase AI-related priorities.
India
India had recently launched the National AI Strategy and National AI portal. It has leveraged AI across
various sectors such as education, health care, agriculture, E-Commerce, telecommunications, finance, etc.
Therefore, by joining GPAI, India with its experience shall help in global development of AI.
The main problem of AI is that it greatly affects labour population as a good developed AI system reduces
work force. Being a populated country, India launces its AI related initiative addressing this issue of AI.
Every AI initiative of India including the recently launched National AI strategy includes this problem and
aims to develop AI considering its impacts on labour force.
June 16: International Day of Family Remittances
Every year, the International Day of Family Remittances is observed on June 16 by the United Nations. The
day is observed all over the world. This year the day is celebrated under the theme
Theme: Remittances are a lifeline
Highlights
The day is celebrated to recognize the efforts of migrants living abroad and help improve the lives of their
family members in their home countries.
The first International Day of Family Remittances was celebrated in 2015. The day encourages the public
sector and private sector countries to make policies for the betterment of migrants and encourage
remittances.
What is Remittance?
The transfer of money by a foreign worker to his or her family in their home country is called remittance. It
is highly important as it is one of the largest financial inflows for the developing countries
Remittances of India
According to the World Bank, the remittances of India are expected to fall by 23% in 2020 due to COVID-19
crisis. The remittances of India were 83 billion USD in 2019. Around 17.5 million Indians are living abroad.
Majority of them are in the gulf region, US, Western Europe and Canada.
World Remittances
The World Bank has projected that the global remittances for the year 2020 is to reduce to around 20% due
to COVID-19 crisis. According to World Bank, the remittances are to fall to 445 billion USD this year as
compared to 554 billion USD in 2019.
ADIP scheme: First Distribution of Assistive aids to Divyangjan
On June 15, 2020, Government of India organized the first ever ADIP camp. The camp was conducted to
distribute free assistive aids to Divyangjans under the ADIP scheme.

Highlights
The first camp to distribute free assistive aids was organized at Firozpur district of Punjab. The camp was
organized by ALIMCO (Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India) operating under Ministry of
Social Justice and Empowerment.
The ADIP camps have so far created 10 Guinness Book of World Records. The Ministry has issued unique ID
cards for the Divyangjans. So far 31 lakhs of such unique ID cards have been distributed.
About the Camp
The camp was held in the decentralized pattern of distribution. Around 95 beneficiaries were provided with
assistive appliances in more than 166 categories. This included motorized tricycles, walking sticks,
crutches, wheel chairs, smart phones. Rollators, hearing aids, artificial limbs, callipers, etc.
ALIMCO
The ALIMCO manufactures aids and appliances to meet the requirements of persons with disabilities.
Currently, there are 6 ALIMCO centres located in the country. They are located in Bhubaneshwar, Bengaluru,
Jabalpur, Chanalon (Punjab), Faridabad and in Ujjain. It started manufacturing in 1976.
ADIP scheme
The ADIP scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. ADIP aims to provide
Assistance to Disabled Persons for purchasing and fitting of aids. In order to become a beneficiary under
the scheme, a person should be an Indian citizen. He or she should hold 40% disablement certificate. His
monthly source of income should not exceed Rs 20,000 per month.
Van Dhan Yojana: Expanded from 18,000 Van Dhan SHGs to 50,000
On June 15, 2020, a webinar was organized by the TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development
Federation of India). The webinar was titled “Van Dhan: Tribal Startups Bloom in India”
During the webinar, it was informed that current coverage Van Dhan scheme is to be increased from 18,000
SHGs to 50,000 SHGs. This is to be achieved through Van Dhan Start-up programme.
What is the plan?
The plan is to expand the Van Dhan SHGs and cover 10 lakh tribal gatherers. The aim is to transform tribal
ecosystem as next Amul Revolution in terms of Minor Forest Produce.
Van Dhan Vikas Karyakram
The Government of India has allocated Rs 15 lakhs to every Van Dhan Vikas Karyakram centre. So far 25%
to 30% of the grant has been spent on these centres.
Van Dhan
Under the Van Dhan Scheme, so far 1205 Tribal enterprises have been established. The start up scheme
launched has covered 10 lakh tribal gatherers. The start ups that were started based on tribal produce are
now spread across 22 states. These Startups are called Van Dhan Startups.
Fifth State of Matter observed by NASA scientists
The NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) scientists in the International Space Station
unveiled the first results of Bose-Einstein condensate experiments under which the particles can be
manipulated free from Earthly constraints.
Bose-Einstein Condensates
Bose-Einstein Condensates were predicted by Indian Mathematician Satyendra Nath Bose and Albert
Einstein almost a century ago. The BEC is a state of matter that is typically formed when a gas of bosons is
cooled to temperatures close to absolute zero.
Absolute Zero is the temperature at which the entropy and enthalpy of cooled gas reach their minimum
value.

Four States of Matter
There are four state of matter namely solid, liquid, gas and plasma. The fourth state of matter called the
plasma was described by the chemist Irving Langmuir. It consists of gas of ions in which orbital electrons
are removed and positively charged nuclei roam freely.
Fifth State of Matter
The BEC is the fifth state of matter and was created by the scientists 25 years ago. When a group of atoms
are cooled to absolute zero, the atoms clump together behaving as a one big super atom. This state is
called the fifth state of matter and is referred to BEC.
COVID-19: Fifth Recession of India
Since Independence in 1947, India has faced four recessions. According to Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the
recessions occurred in 1958, 1966, 1973 and 1980.
Highlights
Recession is defined as the fall in economic activities of the country along with decline in sales, income and
employment. India has so far seen four such negative GDP growth. In 1958, the GDP growth was -1.2%, in
1966 it was -3.6%, in 1973 it was -0.32% and in 1980 the GDP growth was -5.2%.
1958: Balance of Payment Crisis
The Recession that India faced in 1957 was due to Balance of Payment problem. It was mainly due to weak
monsoon that affected the agricultural production badly. India then imported 60 lakh tonnes of food grains.
This widened trade deficit of the country that in turn reduced foreign reserved to half.
1966: Drought
India fought wars with China in 1962 and with Pakistan in 1965. The wars affected the economy badly and
eventually led to drought. The food grain production fell by 20% in 1966 due to droughts. India relied on its
foreign imports to rescue its starving population.
1973: Energy Crisis
In 1973, the world faced its first energy crisis. The OAPEC (Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting
Countries) proclaimed an oil embargo. Embargo is an official ban on trade with a particular country. The
organization aimed at countries that supported Israel. This led to increase in oil prices by about 400%.
India’s oil imports increased from 414 million USD in 1972 to 900 million USD in 1973.
1980: Oil Shock
The world witnessed an oil shock for the second time in 1980. This was due to decrease in oil production
due to Iranian revolution. It further increased due to the Iran-Iraq war that followed the revolution. This
created Balance of Payment crisis for India.
COVID-19 crisis
The current Economic crisis faced by India is the worst of all the previous recessions. The international
organizations expect India’s growth to contract by 5% to 6.8%
World Investment Report released by UNCTAD
On June 16, 2020, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development released its World Investment
Report, 2020. According to the report, India is the 9th largest recipient of FDI in 2019.
Key Findings: India
According to the report, the FDI of India has increased from 42 billion USD in 2018 to 51 million USD in
2019. In the region of Asia, India was among the top 5 countries.
The report says that the investments in Digital sector of India was highly promising. The investors of India
in the first quarter of 2020 concluded deals that were worth of 650 million USD and majority of the deals
were in digital sector.

Key Findings: World
The report said that the global FDI inflows are to decrease by 40% in 2020 as compared to 2019. This is the
first time since 2005 the global FDI falls below 1 trillion USD mark. The FDI of developing economies in Asia
are to hit hard and decline up to 45% in 2020.
The FDI inflows in South Asia increased by 10%. The growth in the investment was driven largely by the
growth of India.
June 17: World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought

Every year, the United Nations observes World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought on June 17. This
year, the day is observed under the theme
Theme: Food, Feed Fibre-The links between consumption and land
Highlights
The World Day to combat Desertification and Drought is observed focusing on changing public attitudes
towards land degradation and desertification.
Significance
As the global population is growing and the world becoming wealthier, there is more need for land for food,
clothing and animal feed. According to the United Nations, the world population is to reach 10 billion by
2050. In order to fulfil the needs of such huge population an additional 593 million hectares of agricultural
land is needed by 2050 as compared to 2010 levels. This is twice the area of India.
On the other hand, the heath and productivity of the land is declining due to climate change. Thus, the World
Day o Combat Desertification and Drought is to focus on educate the individuals about reducing the impacts
that lead to land degradation.
Background
The day was proclaimed by the United Nations in 1995 after the United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification was drafted.
Sustainable Development Goals
The 2030 Agenda for SDG includes to protect the Earth from degradation. The SDG 15 aims to halt and
reverse land degradation.
India-Nepal sign MoU
On June 15, 2020 India and Nepal signed a Memorandum of Understanding to improve infrastructure of the
Pashupatinath temple complex.
Highlights
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Federal Affairs ministry of Nepal and Indian
Embassy. Under the agreement, India has pledged to extend financial assistance of Rs 2.33 crores. The
project is to be implemented by Kathmandu Metropolitan city. India is to assist in constructing sanitation
facility at the temple complex.
India’s assistance comes amidst a raging border row between the two countries.
Pashupatinath Temple
The Pashupatinath temple is the largest temple complex in Nepal. It is located on the Bagmati river of
Nepal. The temple is one of the UNESCO World Heritage site.
Bagmati river
The river is considered holy by both Hindus and Buddhists. The river flows in India and Nepal. It is a
tributary of Kosi river.
India-Nepal Issue
The Nepal Parliament recently passed an amendment bill to redraw its political map. The new map is to

include Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura. These regions are disputed and are claimed by both India and
Nepal.
First Time India sends tri-services contingent to Russia’s Victory Day Parade
India is to send its tri-services contingent of all three services namely army, navy and air force to Russia.
The contingents are to take part in Victory Day parade to be held in Moscow.
Highlights
Around 75 to 80 personnel are to reach Moscow to take part in the Victory Day parade. This is the first time
all the three services of India are participating. Earlier, in 2015 the Indian Army alone took part in the
parade.
Victory Day Parade
Every year, the Victory Day is celebrated on May 9. However, due to the COVID-19 crisis the parade was
postponed. The parade is held every year to mark the surrender of Nazi Germany in 1945.
The military parade of Russia is held at the Red Square, Moscow with the President of Russia as the guest
of honour.
India-China
China will also send its soldiers to the parade. With the face off in Ladakh, both Indian and Chinese soldiers
are to participate at the parade together. India is to send 75 of its soldiers. 25 from Army, 25 from Navy and
25 from Air Force.
Institute for Management Development releases World Competitive Index
The Institute of Management Development recently released the World Competitive Index. India ranked 43rd
in the ranking.
Highlights
In 2019, India was at the 43rd ranking. Since 1989, India had ranked 41st in the World Competitiveness
Ranking. However, it slipped to 45th rank in 2017 and secured 44th in 2018. The continuous low ranking of
India is mainly due to poor infrastructure and insufficient education investment.
According to the ranking, India has improved in long term employment growth, foreign currency reserves,
overall productivity, education. On the other hand, India had declined in taxes, real GDP growth, competition
legislation, exchange rate stability.
Other Countries
Singapore secured the top position in the ranking system. Denmark was at the second position, followed by
Switzerland, Netherlands, Hong Kong.
The ranking is created by the business school based in Singapore and Switzerland.
China slipped from 14th place to 20th and US moved to 10th place. Among the BRICS countries, China topped
followed by India, Russia, Brazil and south Africa.
June 17, 2020
Shramik Trains generated Rs 360 crores revenue
The Railway Board recently informed that the Indian Railways has carried 4,450 Shramik trains so far
carrying 6 million migrant workers generating revenue of Rs 360 crores.
Highlights
The average fare of Shramik special train was around Rs 600 per ticket. Though the revenue seems bigger,
the Railways collected only 15% of cost of operations. The operating cost of a special migrant train was
around Rs 75-80 lakhs.
Demand
The demand for the Shramik special trains is reducing. This proves that majority of the workers have been
sent back home. In May 22, 2020, the demand for Shramik trains from the states was around 200. The
number had come down to 38 in June 1, 2020.
Indian Railways
The Indian Railways is playing a major role during COVID-19 crisis in the country. The National transporter
carried food grains that were distributed under Atma Nirbhar Bharat Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Garib
Kalyan Yojana. Also, the Indian Railway coaches were converted into isolation wards.
The Indian Railways also helped the country with its freight transport carrying the essentials like milk,
vegetables, fruits, etc.
GoI Report: Average Temperature in India to raise by 4.4 degree Celsius
The Ministry of Earth Science recently released its report “Assessment of Climate Change over Indian
Region”. According to the report, the average surface temperature of India could increase up to 4.4 degree
Celsius by the end of 2100 as compared to the temperature between 1976 and 2005.
Climate Forcing
The report says that with the RCP (Representative Concentration Pathway) increasing to 4.5, the
temperature of India could rise to 2.4 degree Celsius.
The Representative Concentration Pathway calculates Radiative Forcing or Climate Forcing. Climate Forcing
is the difference between sunlight absorbed by the Earth and the energy that is radiated back from the
earth.
Key Findings of the report
According to the report, the frequency of warm days and warm nights are to increase by 55% and 70%
respectively as compared to 1976-2005. The heat waves in the country are expected to increase by 3 to 4
times.
The average temperature of the country increased by 0.7 degree Celsius as compared to the period between
1900 and 2018. The increase in temperature has been largely associated with global warming. The report
predicts that the average temperature in the Hindukush-Himalayan region could increase by 5.2 degree
Celsius.
SC issues Notice over health insurance for Mental Illness
On June 16, 2020, the Supreme Court of India issued notice to the Insurance Regulatory Development
Authority (IRDA) and the Union Government on providing Health Insurance for mental illness.
Highlights
In 2018, the IRDA had issued a circular asking all insurance companies to comply with the Mental
Healthcare Act. According to the act, the mental illness is included under Health insurance. Also, it is
mandatory for the insurance companies to include mental illness under their health insurance policies.
The act had made it mandatory for all the insurance companies to stick to its legislation provisions. This
has been included under Section 21 of the Mental Healthcare Act. However, it has still not been
implemented widely. The petitioner brought up this particular argument to which the SC has issued notice.
Background
The issue of mental illness is being brought up after the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. The actor
committed suicide in his apartment.
High Court seeks EIA on Lonar lake colour change
The Bombay High court recently sought report on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of Lonar lake
from the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) and GSI (Geographical Survey of
India).
Highlights
The expert team from Geographical Survey of India and NEERI are to examine the findings of glass
formation on the surface of the lake.

Lonar Lake
The Lonar Lake in Maharashtra is an oval shaped lake that was formed by a meteorite hit on the earth
around 50,000 years ago. The colour of the lake had recently turned pink. The area around the lake is an
eco-sensitive zone as it consists of the Ejecta Blanket that is made up of the same material as that found
on the moon.
The lake is a National Geo-Heritage monument.
National Geo-Heritage Monument
The National Geo-Heritage Monument are areas of national importance and are notified under Geological
Survey of India for protection, maintenance, promotion and enhancement of geotourism. There are 34
National Geo-Heritage Monuments in India. The respective state governments are responsible to protect
these sites.
Why did the lake turn pink?
Experts believe that the Lonar lake turned pink due to increased salinity in the water and also due to the
presence of algae. The amount of water in the lake has reduced thereby increasing its salinity and turning
the lake pink.
750 million USD loan approved by AIIB to India
On June 17, 2020, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) approved 750 million USD loan to India.
The fund granted is to be used by the GoI to strengthen battle against the impact of COVID-19 on the poor
and vulnerable.
Highlights
The aid was cofinanced by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The funds are to be used for improving
informal sector, safety nets for the needy and strengthen heath care system of the country.
India and AIIB
The total sovereign loans to India that were already approved by AIIB amounts to 3.6 billion USD. This
includes the recent emergency response of the bank that amounted to 500 million USD.
The loan allocated is the second for the country under AIIB COVID-19 Crisis Recovery Facility (CRF).
Crisis Recovery Facility
The AIIB does not have an exclusive policy-based financing. The bank is currently extending its support to
its members through projects under CRF that are cofinanced either with the World Bank or ADB.
The CRF was set up with an initial investment of 5 billion USD. Later it was doubled to 10 billion USD in
order to make sure the funds are available to the member countries to fulfill their financial, economic and
public health pressures.
The AIIB has in total approved 4.05 billion USD under CRF. Of this, China received 355 million USD, 750
million USD to Indonesia and Philippines each, 250 million USD to Bangladesh and 500 million USD to
Pakistan.
India to supply Pneumonia Vaccine to low-income nations
The Pune based Serum Institute of India is to supply Pneumonia vaccine to low-income countries. The
Institute is one of the leading manufacturers of vaccines and immunobiological drugs.
Highlights
The Serum Institute of India and UNICEF have signed an agreement to supply pneumonia vaccine to low
income countries. Under the agreement, the institutes are to provide 10 million Pneumococcal Conjugate
Vaccine that will help prevent pneumonia to low income countries every year
The Pune based Serum Institute of India is to supply Pneumonia vaccine to low-income countries. The
Institute is one of the leading manufacturers of vaccines and immunobiological drugs.

Highlights
The Serum Institute of India and UNICEF have signed an agreement to supply pneumonia vaccine to low
income countries. Under the agreement, the institutes are to provide 10 million Pneumococcal Conjugate
Vaccine that will help prevent pneumonia to low income countries every year.
GAVI Alliance
The Serum Institute of India along with UNICEF and GAVI alliance are to supply the vaccine at 2 USD per
does. This is 43% less than GAVI price of 3.50 USD under the Advance Market Commitment
Under Advance Market Commitment, the GAVI alliance provided incentives to the pharmaceutical
companies to develop and produce suitable vaccines. This was done to provide sustainable prices to the
vaccines.
The AMC was launched in 2009. It has so far prevented deaths of 700,000 children in 60 developing
countries. The AMC programme is set to end this year (2020). The programme was launched by Canada, UK,
Russia, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Norway.
Background
Pneumonia is the biggest killer of children in the world that takes the life of a child every 39 seconds.
GAVI Alliance
The Serum Institute of India along with UNICEF and GAVI alliance are to supply the vaccine at 2 USD per
does. This is 43% less than GAVI price of 3.50 USD under the Advance Market Commitment
Under Advance Market Commitment, the GAVI alliance provided incentives to the pharmaceutical
companies to develop and produce suitable vaccines. This was done to provide sustainable prices to the
vaccines.
The AMC was launched in 2009. It has so far prevented deaths of 700,000 children in 60 developing
countries. The AMC programme is set to end this year (2020). The programme was launched by Canada, UK,
Russia, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Norway.
Background
Pneumonia is the biggest killer of children in the world that takes the life of a child every 39 seconds.
GoI establishes Khelo India State Centres of Excellence
The Ministry of Sports has launched Khelo India State Centres of Excellence. The centre aims to create
robust sporting ecosystem in the country.
Highlights
The Sports Ministry has identified state owned sports facilities in 8 states of India. The facilities are to be
upgraded into Khelo India State Centres of Excellence. The funds for the sports centres are to be used for
equipment, expert coaches, support staff and infrastructure through Khelo India Scheme.
About the centres
The centres are to be developed into world class sporting facilities. The required infrastructure are to be
identified by the states and Union Territories. Around 8 centres have been identified out of 15 proposals.
Significance
The Khelo India State Centre of Excellence is to be established to strengthen excellence of India in
Olympics. The centre will help the athletes to train in their respective discipline.
The Centres
The 8 centres established under the scheme are located in Arunachal Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Manipur,
Nagaland, Odisha, Telangana, Mizoram.

India-China clash at Galwan Valley
A violent clash broke out between the Indian and Chinese soldiers recently in the Galwan Valley of Ladakh
region. Around 20 Indian soldiers were killed in the face-off.
Highlights
The loss of 20 Army personnel on the Line of Actual Control is considered as the most violent face off
between Indian Army and the Chinese troops in more than 5 decades.
What is the issue?
The Armies of India and China are currently engaged in standoff in Galwan valley, Pangong Tso, Demchok
and Daulat Beg Oldie in Ladakh.
The stand off between the countries has increased in recent weeks as India is building a strategic road
through the Galwan valley that is close to China. The road connects the region to an airstrip. This improves
military access of India to the region.
External Affairs Minister
The External Affairs Minister of India Shri S Jai Shankar held a telephonic conversation with his counterpart
Wang Yi. The minister has conveyed the protest of the Indian Government over the stand-off in strongest
terms.
Background
The stand-off in the Galwan area was one of the biggest flashpoints in the 1962 war. China till date opposes
to Indian constitutional provisions in the area. India, in 2019, abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution
ending the special status to Jammu and Kashmir. China was one of the handful of countries that
condemned the move. China even tried to raise the issue in the international forum including United Nations
Security Council.
Solar Eclipse in India
The Earth is to witness an annular solar eclipse on June 21, 2020. The eclipse is to be the deepest as the
moon is to cover 98.8% of the sun.
Highlights
There are four types of solar eclipses. They are partial solar eclipse, total solar eclipse, hybrid solar eclipse
and annual solar eclipse.
Total Eclipse: The total eclipse occurs when the moon completely obscures the sun
Annular Eclipse: The eclipse that occurs when the sun and moon are in line with the earth. During this
eclipse, the sun appears as a bright ring or an annulus.
Hybrid Eclipse: This type of eclipse shifts between total and annular eclipse
Partial Eclipse: This eclipse occurs when the sun and moon are not in line with the moon and the
earth.
India
The eclipse to occur on June 21, 2020 will be visible in many parts of India. The eclipse is to continue for 6
hours. The eclipse is to be visible to states such as Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttarakhand. To the rest of the
country, the eclipse is to be partial.
Largest COVID-19 facility in Delhi
The Delhi Government is to convert the Radha Soami Spiritua Centre into a COVID-19 care facility. The
centre is as large as 22 football fields.
Highlights
The centre will the largest COVID-19 facility in the world. It will hold more than 200 halls with 10,000 beds.
This is being done to ramp up the capacity of beds in the capital region.

What is the plan?
The Government of Delhi is planning to accommodate 50 patients in a hall. The halls are to get adequate
lighting and fans. The halls will also be provided with coolers. Separate tents are to be constructed. It is to
be ready for treatment of patients by June 30, 2020.
The centre will also have provisions for accommodation of doctors.
Background
The number of COVID-19 cases suddenly increased suddenly with 44,688 cases. The Delhi Government will
also start the Rapid Antigen Test to increase COVID-19 testing in the region. It is to be noted that the Indian
Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recently approved the test to increase the testing potential of the
country.
With the increase in testing, more number of cases are likely to be hospitalized. Hence, the number of bed
requirements is to increase.
Arunachal Pradesh: New Fish Species Discovered
A new fish species called Schizothorax sikusirumensis has been discovered in Arunachal Pradesh.
Highlights
The name of the species has been derived from the names of the rivers where the fish was found. They are
River Sirum and River Siku.
Schizothorax
The Schizothorax fish is found in western and southern China, Centra and Southern Asia. They are mainly
found in lakes, streams, rivers and highland. There are more than 65 species that are recognized under this
genus.
Fresh water fish
The Fresh water fish are those that spend their life in water that has salinity less than 1.05%. Around
41.24% of the fishes known are fresh water fishes. The freshwater fishes are further classified as cold
water, warm water and cool water fishes.
Salt water fish
They are also called marine fish. The fishes that live in estuaries are also categorized as salt water fish.
Estuaries are areas where the rivers and oceans meet.
KVIC taps Indian Palm Industry
The Khadi and Village Industries Commission is to roll out a project to produce Palamgur and Neera. The
initiative is to generate huge employment.
Highlights
Neera is to be introduced as a substitute for soft drinks. This will create self employment opportunities to
tribal. It was first launched in Maharashtra where there are more than 50 lakh palm trees.
About the initiative
The KVIC distributed tools for making Palmgur and to extract Neera. The tools included axes, ropes and
knives. The KVIC also provided a 7-day training programme to the local artisans. The initiative has been
rolled out by the Ministry of MSME (Micro, small and Medium Enterprises).
Background
Neera is extracted from the palm trees before sun rise. There are more than 10 crore palm trees in the
country. However, due to lack of commercial market techniques, large scale Neera production has not
commenced in the country.
Neera also has great export potential. Neera is consumed widely in countries such as Indonesia, Thailand,
Malaysia, Myanmar, Africa and Sri Lanka.

National Employment Policy
The Ministry of Labour is to fast track the National Employment Policy. The main idea of framing the
National Employment Policy is to lay out a roadmap that will provide incentives for employment generation.
Highlights
The policy will aim at absorbing additional 5 million workforce every year. Also, the policy will focus on
formalizing 500 million workforce in the country. It will also ensure social security and job security for them.
The policy will frame a road map to provide incentives for employment generation. Also, the policy will
focus on the challenges thrown by the COVID-19 crisis.
Objectives
The National Employment Policy is to be framed focusing on twin objectives as follows
To attract new enterprises and industries to generate employment opportunities
To improve the skill set of existing work force and make them employable. This will also help in India
gearing up to attract companies from China to set up manufacturing units in India.
IM Vijayan recommended for Padmashri
The All India Football Federation recently recommended the former Indian Captain IM Vijayan for the fourth
highest civilian award in India, the Padmashri.
Highlights
IM Vijayan has scored 40 goals in over 79 matches. He won the Arjuna award in 2003. Also, in 1993, 1997
and in 1999 he was awarded the best Indian “Player of the year”.
Padmashri
PAdmashri is the fourth highest civilian award in India. The other three highest civilian awards include
Bharat Ratna, PAdma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan. The awards are presented by the President of India
during Republic Day celebrations of the country.
Padma Awards
The Padma Awards are being awarded to the citizens since 1954. The awards are being presented under the
categories such as medicine, education, sports, literature, industry, public affairs, social service.
As of 2020, around 3,123 people have received the award.
June 18-19, 2020
25 Schemes will be brought together under Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan
Via video conference on Saturday 20th, June 2020 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the massive
rural public works scheme- Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan.
Aim
Under the scheme, the aim will be to reduce the economic impact faced by the rural parts of the country due
to nationwide lockdown by providing livelihood support to the rural citizens, especially for the migrant
workers. The Central Government has set up a target of 125 days for achieving the targets under the
scheme in 116 districts across the country by bringing together about 25 schemes under the Garib Kalyan
Rojgar Abhiyan.
How the Scheme will Work?
From 116 districts across 6 states ( Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, and Uttar
Pradesh), a total of 6.7 million migrant workers (that is about two-thirds of the total returning migrant
workers in the country) have been mapped out according to their skill sets by the Central Government with
the help of the particular state governments. All the selected districts have a minimum of 25,000 returning
migrant workers.
Under the scheme, the 25 merged schemes of the Government consists of schemes for house construction,
safe drinking water through tap connection to households, road construction, etc. The returning migrant
workers who require a job will be hired based on their skillset under the scheme.
Budget for the Scheme
Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan is a part of the relief package of 20 trillion announced by the Central
Government in the month of May 2020.
For the year 2020-21, Finance Minister has announced in the Finance Budget on 1st February 2020 a total of
Rs 61,500 crore for creating new job opportunities in the rural sectors of the country. On Thursday, 18th June
2020 the Finance Minister has announced that a total of Rs 50,000 crore will be infused in the Garib Kalyan
Rojgar Abhiyaan from the already approved Rs 61,500 from the Central Budget.
A separate Rs 40,000 crore was approved by the Central Government last month for creating jobs in the
rural sectors across the country, this amount was not part of the amount approved under the Central Budget
of Rs 61,500.
COVID Testing I-Lab created by the DBT- AMTZ COMManD Consortia flagged off by Union
Minister for Health & Family Welfare
On 18th June 2020, the Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan has launched the I-Lab
(Infectious disease diagnostic laboratory) in New Delhi. This is the first-ever I-Lab in India that was
launched. The I-Lab will help in scaling up the testing for Covid-19 across the country. It will be deployed by
the Department of Biotechnology in one of its COVID testing hubs. At present there are more than 20 such
hubs in the country operating on a daily basis, these hubs have 100 testing laboratories that have
conducted above 2 lakh 60 thousand tests to date.
Objective of the I-Lab
The I-Lab is a mobile testing facility that will be used for collecting samples and testing for Covid-19 across
inaccessible areas in the rural regions of the country.
DBT- AMTZ COMMand
Along with Asia’s first medical equipment ecosystem- Andhra Pradesh Med-tech Zone (AMTZ)- located at
Vishakapatnam, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has set up DBT- AMTZ COMManD ( COVID Medtech
Manufacturing Development) Consortia for addressing the shortage of technology in the field of health
care. The country’s first-ever I-Lab was built in a record time of 8 days at the AMTZ.
I-Lab
The mobile testing facility apart from COVID-19 is also capable of diagnosing other infectious diseases.
Some of its features are: Each of these I-Lab can conduct 25 RD-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase
Chain Reaction) Tests every day, 300 ELISA (Enzyme-linked Immunoassay) tests and also has the
specifications to conduct tests for diseases like HIV, TB, etc.
The labs are designed in BSL-2 (Bio-Safety Level-2) facility having diagnostic equipments and can be lifted
from Automotive Chassis. The Automotive Chasis (frame of the vehicle) is designed and built by Bharat
Benz.
Urgent Procurement of 21 MiG 29s, 12 Su 30s following Border Tensions
Earlier during the Indian Air Force Day on the 8th of October 2019, Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhaduria (Chief-
India Air Force) stated about the plans for procuring additional aircraft. Now, following the clashes and
intense faceoff along the Line of Actual Control over the last couple of months the proposal for
procurement is likely to get its final approval next week. As per media reports, a fast track purchase of 21
additional MiG 29 and 12 Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighter jets with an estimated cost of around Rs 6,000 crore is
likely to be made, though the delivery of the fighter jets may take a couple of years from the date of
purchase. Since the 2017 Rafael deal, this combined 33 fighter jets will be first to be ordered for the Indian
Air Force. India has purchased a total of 36 Rafael fighter jets from French company Dassault Aviation at a
cost of around Rs 58,000 crore.

MiG 29 Fighter Jets
Indian Air Force has already three Squadrons of MiG 29 fighter aircraft in service. Russian company
Mikoyan is the manufacturer of MiG 29 aircraft. All equipment and radar of the newly procured fighter jets
will be as per the latest standards.
Su-30 MKI
Russian Company Sukhoi designed Sukhoi Su-30 MKI is under license manufactured for the Indian Air Force
in India by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). At Present the Indian Air Force has a total of 260
Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft in service. The 12 Su-30MKI fighters will be manufactured at the Nasik,
Maharashtra facility of the HAL.
Boost to ‘Make in India’
Apart from the Su-30 MKI fighter jets to be manufactured by HAL, the Bengaluru based Indian state-owned
company is likely to get the biggest ever Make in India project for an order of 83 Tejas Light Combat Aircraft
Mk 1A this year. The order is estimated to be valued at around Rs 38,000 crore.
India will be UNSC President for August 2021
After securing 184 out of the total 192 votes on 17th June 2020, India became a non-permanent member of
the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for a period of 2 years. India’s term will begin on 1st January
2021. Apart from India, Norway, Kenya, Ireland, and Mexico were also elected for a period of 2 years as non-
permanent members.
The post of the presidency of the UN Security Council is rotated among the 15 member states (5 permanent,
10 non-permanent) every month. Based on that, India will have the presidency of the UN Security Council in
the month of August 2021 and again for a month in the year 2022.
India was last elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the years 2011-2012.
United Nations Security Council
For ensuring peace and security across the world, the United Nations has a total of six principal organs, out
of the six, the Security Council is one of the principal organs. The United Nations Security Council was
formed in the year 1945.
The Council has a total of 15 member states of which 5 are permanent members (United States, France,
China, Russia, and the United Kingdom), this 5 permanent members only have the right to use the power of
veto against any resolution.
The remaining 10 non-permanent members are elected among the other member states of the United
Nations for a period of 2 years.
As compared to the other principal organs of the United Nations, the UNSC is the only authorized body
under the United Nations that can issue a binding resolution on the member states if the members of the
Council vote in favor of the resolution.
Armed Forces of India and China to take part at Moscow Military Parade on 24th June 2020
Within 10 days of the Galwan Valley Clash, the Armed Forces of India and China are set to take part in the
75th Victory Anniversary of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany at the Red Square in Moscow, Russia on 24th
June 2020. A contingent of 75 all rank personnel from the Tri-service of the Indian Armed Forces will
participate in the Parade. The contingent will be lead by a Colonel rank officer of the Sikh Light Infantry
Regiment.
A total of 20 foreign countries are invited by the Russian armed forces to mark the diamond jubilee
celebrations, this also includes armed forces from the United States, United Kingdom, and France.
Moscow Victory Day Parade
The victory day parade is conducted by the Russian Armed Forces every year on 9th May. This year due to
the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak the parade was postponed to 24th June. As the Supreme Commander of the

Russian Armed Forces, the Russian President is the Guest of Honor for the parade.
On 9th May 1945: Nazi Germany surrendered to the Soviet commanders, while on 24th June 1945: a victory
parade held at the Red Square of Moscow for the Soviet Armed Forces.
The military parade is to honor the sacrifices made by the Russian and citizens of the other friendly allies of
the Soviet Union during the Second World War.
During the World War-II, one of the largest allied forces against the Axis powers was the British Indian
Armed Forces contingent. About 87 thousand Indian armed forces servicemen sacrificed their lives while
approx 35 thousand were wounded.
In September 1944, USSR (Soviet Union) awarded Havildar Gajendra Singh Chand and Subedar Narayan Rao
Nikkam the prestigious Orders of the Red Star.
MoU for providing Special Micro-Credit Facility for Street Vendors signed
The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with
Lucknow based financial institution SIDBI- Small Industries Development Bank of India on 19th June 2020.
The MoU will provide a boost in building Atmanirbhar Bharat by providing credit or loans to the street
vendors across the country for resuming their livelihood activities.
About the MoU
The MoU authorizes SIDBI as the implementing agency for the Pradhan Mantri AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM
SVANidhi) scheme. The scheme will be under the guidelines set up by the Ministry of Housing and Urban
Affairs.
PMSVANidhi
The scheme was launched on 1st June 2020 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs with a target to
provide financial support to more than 50 lakh street vendors across the country. A street vendor can avail a
loan of up to Rs 10,000 under the scheme which has to be repaid within a period of 1 year, there will be no
penalty for early repayment of the loan amount. For repayment of loan or credit, monthly installments can
be availed by the vendor.
The interest on the loan amount will be 7%, which however will be credited back on a quarterly basis to the
bank accounts on the beneficiary as interest subsidy –if the beneficiary is able to make timely repayment of
the loan amount.
The scheme will be provided in a phased manner, with a total of 108 cities being selected for the first phase
which is expected to commence in the month of July 2020.
To ensure collateral-free credit under the scheme, the credit guarantee for the lending institutions will be
managed by SIDBI through the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE).
Supreme Court Calls for Uniformity in Fees for Covid-19 Testing
Since the outbreak of Covid-19 in India, the testing fees charged has been a point of discussion. On 19th
June 19, 2020, during a hearing at the Supreme Court, it was observed by the bench comprising of Justice
S.K Paul, M.R Shah, and Ashok Bhushan that the fee for Covid-19 testing must be uniform or same across
the country and has asked the Central Government to fix an upper price cap. As per reports, in some states,
people have charged as high up to Rs 4500 while in some other states the charges are as low as Rs 2200.
During the last week of May, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had removed the earlier upper
price cap of Rs 4500 (set by ICMR on 17th March) that it had set for Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
(RT-PCR) tests. The Supreme Court Bench stated that the upper limit must be fixed throughout the country.
States that currently have Upper Price Cap
On 17th June 2020, the Union Home Minister taking note of the rising Covid-19 cases in the National
Capital New Delhi has set a price cap of Rs 2400 in New Delhi.
Uttar Pradesh has set a price cap of Rs 2500 for RT PCR tests.

Maharashtra has a price cap of Rs 2,200 for private laboratories.
In Telangana as well the price cap for RT PCR test has been set at Rs 2,200
Covid-19 in India
Until 18th June 2020, India has conducted tests of 62,49,668 samples with 3,80,532 samples being reported
positive. The recovery rate stands at 53.79 percent. With 13,586 cases on 18th June- The highest number of
single-day positive cases were reported.
RIL becomes first Indian Company to be valued at USD 150 Billion
In rupee term, Mumbai based Indian Multinational conglomerate company, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL)
on 19th June 2020 was valued at USD 150 billion following a rise in the share market, this also made RIL the
first-ever Indian company to achieve a market value of above Rs 11 lakh crore. The positive growth in the
shares of the company was registered after it announced that the company has become net debt-free well
ahead of its target of March 2021.
As of 31st March 2020, Reliance has a total debt of Rs 161,035 crore. Despite a pandemic, airlines & other
international travel being suspended and a lockdown in most International business hubs across the world,
in a period of 58 days, Reliance Industries was able to raise more than Rs 168,818 crore.
Breakdown of which as follows:
The existing shareholders of the company were offered shares worth Rs 53,124.20 crore.
The remaining Rs 115,693.95 crore was raised through 11 deals of stake sale in RIL’s subsidiary Jiop
Platforms.
Stake’s of approx 24.70% in Jio Platforms are now owned by the following companies: United States
company Facebook bought 9.99% stake at Rs 43,574 crore, this deal to date is the largest Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI) in any sector in India. Other companies are Abu Dhabi based investment companies-
Mubadala and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, United States companies- General Atlantic, Silver Lake, Vista
Equity Partners, KKR & CO. Inc., TPG Capital, and Catterton Partners. The most recent of the stake sale of
2.32% was on the 18th of June 2020 to the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia at Rs 11,367 crore.
Low Cost Covid-19 Diagnostic Kits developed by IIT Guwahati
In association with the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) and RR Animal Healthcare Limited,
at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, kits for diagnosing Covid-19 has been developed by
using material that is available in the local market. 3 different types of diagnosis low-cost kits have been
developed, they are Ribonucleic acid (RNA) isolation kits, Viral Transport Media (VTM) kits, Real-Time
Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test kits. The materials used for manufacturing the kits are as per the
recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Two batches of the Kits have been handed over to GMCH and the National Health Mission, Assam at
present.
VTM Kits
These Kits are used to collect the sample safely to the laboratory for testing. The VTM Kit must keep the
sample specimen intact if any virus is present in the sample until the testing procedure for it can be
completed in a laboratory, hence the quality of the VTM Kit is important for accurate results.
The VTM Kit developed at IIT Guwahati is said to preserve the viability of viruses at refrigerated temperature
for up to 72 hours.
This VTM Kit of IIT Guwahati can be used to collect both oral and as well as nasal sample specimens. The
Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has validated the VTM Kits as safe to use.
RT-PCR Kits
A complementary Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) is generated in this type of Kit, an enzyme Reverse
Transcriptase (RT) is used to generate the DNA from an isolated and purified RNA. This converted and

newly formed DNA is then used to check the presence of the Covid-19 virus in the sample specimen.
SATYABHAMA Portal for AtmaNirbhar Bharat in Mining and Mineral Sector launched
A portal named ‘Science and Technology Yojana for AtmaNirbhar Bharat in Mining Advancement
(SATYABHAMA)’ was launched by Union Ministry of Mines and Coal, Pralhad Joshi.
About the Portal
The portal has been designed and developed by emphasizing the need for promoting the role of digital
technology in the mineral and mining sector of the country. The Mines Informatics Division of the National
Informatics Centre (NIC) is the implementing agency of the portal. SATYABHAMA is also being integrated
with the NITI Aayog portal- NGO Darpan. The portal can be accessed at – research.mines.gov.in
Aim of the Portal
Through the Portal, the Central Government aims to encourage researchers and scientists to undertake
qualitative and innovative research and development work in the mining and mineral sector. The Portal will
help in increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of various schemes of the Government in this sector,
optimum utilization of funds allocated to institutions in this sector for various research and development
based projects, and in ensuring proper usage and conservation of mineral resources of the country.
Advantages of the Portal
SATYABHAMA Portal will allow researchers to submit their reports (Progress and Final) to be submitted in
electronic format, to date this progress or final technical reports can only be submitted physically by the
researchers. Project proposals can also be submitted through the portal.
Through regular monitoring, the portal will also be used for the management of grants/funds for various
projects by both the officials and for researchers and scientists.
Digital submission of reports and proposals of projects and also the management of funds for projects will
encourage more researchers and scientists to take work in the mines and minerals sector of the country.
This will further help in building AtmaNirbhar Bharat.
June 20, 2020
First Installment of Highest Ever Rs 60,750 Crore Grant to RLBs Released
For the Financial Year (FY) 2020-21, the Fifteenth Finance Commission had earlier submitted its report for
the Rural Local Bodies (RLB), the recommendations in the report were accepted by the Government. Based
on it, the highest ever grants in a single year was allocated to the RLBs for the FY 2020-21 of Rs 60,750
Crore.
The first installment of which, Rs 15187.50 crore was released to 2.63 lakh RLBs across 28 states in the
country on 17th June 2020.
The Union Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Narendra Singh Tomar further added that the
second installment of Rs 15187.50 crore is also expected to be released soon by the Finance Ministry.
Use of Grants by RLBs
In every FY the Central Government approves a specific amount of financial aid for the RLBs for ensuring
proper infrastructural development work in the rural areas of the country. The grants provided are used for
projects such as rainwater harvesting, safe drinking water connection, maintaining proper sanitation
facilities to ensure rural areas can attain and maintain the status of 100% Open Defecation Free (ODF).
How these Grants are Distributed?
The States Governments are responsible for the distribution of these grants to the RLBs. RLBs include all
the tiers of panchayats (village, block, and district). The Grant is distributed by the State Government based
on the recommended made by the State Finance Commission of the particular state and the maximum and
minimum bands of pay that are recommended by the 15th Finance Commission. The bands are 70-85% for
Village Panchayats, 10-25% for Block Panchayats, and 5-15% for District Panchayats.
20th June: World Refugee Day
To honor refugees across the globe, the United Nations designated 20th June to be observed as World
Refugee Day in its Resolution 55/76 on 4th December 2000. The first World Refugee Day was observed on
20th June 2001.
The theme of 2020 World Refugee Day: Every Action Counts
This year’s theme is to remind the citizens of each and every nation across the globe that at a time of a
pandemic, anyone from the society can make a change. A small effort made by an individual or an
organization can make a lot of difference in the overall global efforts to make the world a much more
inclusive for all.
Significance
As per United Nations data, 20 people in every 1 minute are forced to flee from their home in order to
escape terror, war and conflicts. By the end of 2019, there is a total estimate of 79.5 million people who
were displaced forcibly in the world.
Despite all the plight, the courage and resilience that are shown by refugees across the globe are being
celebrated today in order to further strengthen them and make them realize that not only they will survive,
but also thrive towards achieving their rights and dreams.
For this, the governments across the globe are made to realize their duties on this date to protect and
support the refugees.
Apart from conflicts and terror, today the world also has many refugees who were forced to leave their
homes due to natural disasters such as Tsunami, Earthquake, Floods, etc.
Stats related to Refugees:
As per 2019 United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), 68% of the refugees in the world are from
countries Syria (6.6 million refugees), Venezuela (3.7 million refugees), Afghanistan (2.7 million), South
Sudan (2.2 million) and Myanmar (1.1 million).
Of the total 79.5 million refugees across the globe as in 2019, 26 million are under the age of 18.
WHO warns about a New and Dangerous phase of COVID-19
Following reports of relaxation in lockdown by various major economies around the world, on 19th June
2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that this could lead to a new and dangerous phase
of the Covid-19 pandemic. As people and governments across the world are tired of lockdowns, the WHO
reminded that the Covid-19 virus spread has accelerated.
Background
This warning came after reports from Italy came through that from two cities of Italy (Milan and Turin),
samples of sewage water collected from 18th December 2019 have traces of the Covid-19 virus. The first
case in Italy was reported in mid-February, which means the virus was already present 2 months before the
first case was detected. This study was conducted at the National Health Institute Body (ISS).
A similar study in Spain was conducted in which traces of the Covid-19 virus were found in sewage water
samples collected from Barcelona in the month of January.
This indicates that the symptoms of the virus and the extent to which it has spread are still unknown.
Covid-19 Vaccine Update
Indian scientist Soumya Swaminathan (currently- Chief Scientist at WHO) has recently said that she expects
2 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccine to be available by the end of 2020 but for reaching the distribution stage
of the vaccine, the exact time frame still depends on the success of the trails.
United States company Moderna which is working on a messenger-Ribonucleic Acid (mRNA) vaccine has
recently announced that they are likely to launch trails for Phase 3 of the vaccine next month. The clinical
trials are conducted in III phases for a vaccine: In Phase I, it’s tested in a small sample of healthy humans,

while in Phase II efforts are made to test in a larger sample of healthy humans having different age groups
for the efficiency, safety and also to determine the correct dose required as the group. Phase III trials are
performed in a much broader population.
Kharif Crops Sowing Area Increases Significantly as Compared to Last Year
Kharif Crops are grown in hot and humid rain fed areas. During the first 18 days of the month of June, the
country has received surplus rainfall of about 26mm. As compared to last year, rainfall was 82.4 mm in
between 1st to 18th June, while this year, the country has registered 108.3mm of rainfall during the period.
Sowing Area of Kharif Crops as on 20th June 2020
Rice, Jute, and Mesta are the only important crops whose area has reduced as compared to the previous
year. Rice had coverage of 10.28 lakh hectares during last year while it has reduced to 10.05 lakh hectares
this year. Jute and Mesta had combined 6.08 lakh hectare last year, this has reduced to 5.78 lakh hectare
this year.
Pulses, Course Cereals, Oilseeds, Sugarcane, and Cotton have registered significant growth in the sowing
area as compared to last year.
Pulses: 2019-2.22 lakh hectare, 2020- 4.58 lakh hectare
Coarse Cereals: 2019-7.83 lakh hectare, 2020-19.16 lakh hectare
Oilseeds: 2019-1.63 lakh hectare, 2020-14.36 lakh hectare
Sugarcane: 2019- 48.01 lakh hectare, 2020-48.63 lakh hectare
Cotton: 2019- 18.18 lakh hectare, 2020-28.77 lakh hectare
Kharif Crops
Kharif crops are cultivated and harvested in India generally between June to November depending on the
monsoon rains of that particular region. These crops are sown after the first rain of the southwest monsoon
season in June or sometimes even during the last week of May in Southern parts of the country. Kharif
Crops are directly dependent on the quantity and timing of rainfall.
ICMR approves User-Friendly PPEs ‘NavRakshak’
Within a month, user-friendly Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Kit known by the name ‘NavRakshak’ are
expected to be available in the Indian market as the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has
approved it earlier this week for mass production and use in the country. One of the nine authorized NABL
accredited laboratories for PPE prototype sample testing, the Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied
Sciences (a DRDO laboratory) has also certified the PPE Kit after testing.
NavRakshak
The PPE Kit was developed by a naval doctor at the Innovation Cell of the Institute of Naval Medicine
located at INHS Asvini in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
The kit will be available in two versions: Single and Double ply. The entire kit will consist of face mask,
headgear and a mid-thigh level show cover. The specialty of the Kit will be its enhanced breathability factor
as compared to other PPEs available in the market, this will provide health workers working in the frontline
against the pandemic a much-needed comfort while working for long hours.
The PPE will also not require any tapes and sealing machines as the quality of the fabric used for it is such
a superior one that even it won’t require any plastic-like film or polymer lamination.
Production of NavRakshak PPEs
5 Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) have got the license for the production of the PPE Kit. The
National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) has issued the licenses. More than 10 million
NavRakshak PPEs are expected to be produced by 5 MSMEs together in a year.
RBI extends restrictions on PMC Bank, eases Withdrawal Limit
The Reserve Bank of India on 19th June 2020 has extended the regulatory restrictions imposed on the multi-

state urban Cooperative Bank, Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank Limited (PMC Bank) by another 6
months. As per the earlier notice dated March 21st, 2020, the regulatory restrictions were up to 22nd June
2020, which now has been extended up to 22nd December 2020.
However, the customers were provided relief in terms of withdrawal limit set by the RBI earlier in November
last year as now the limit was enhanced from the earlier Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,00,000 per depositor. The RBI
went on to inform that with the relaxation in withdrawal limits, more than 84 percent of the customers of the
bank will now be able to withdraw the entire available balance from their accounts.
PMC Bank Crisis
Restrictions were imposed by the RBI on the PMC bank in the month of September last year under Section
35A of the Banking Regulations Act, 1949. The curbs imposed by the RBI also limited the bank customer’s
withdrawal limits to Rs 1000 per depositor from 24th September 2019 onwards, later which was increased
gradually to Rs 25,000 (now increased to Rs 1 lakh per depositor).
The PMC bank crisis started when a money laundering case was filed against the bank by the Enforcement
Directorate for providing loan to a financially stressed real estate company named Housing Development &
Infrastructure (HDIL) from the Bhandup Branch of the bank. Despite the non-payment of the loan amount by
the company, the bank officials did not classify the loan as a non-performing loan.
5 Day Institutional Quarantine now Mandatory for COVID-19 Positive Patients in New Delhi
Until yesterday, COVID-19 patients who were pre-symptomatic or had mild symptoms were advised to self-
quarantine themselves at their homes by staying in a separate room and using a separate toilet. This was as
per a notice issued last month.
Over the last couple of weeks, the COVID-19 cases are notable on the rise in the National Capital, following
this development the Lieutenant Governor of New Delhi, Anil Baijal on 19th June 2020 had made 5 days
institutional quarantine mandatory for all positive patients of Covid-19.
Earlier on 19th June, in a high committee meeting comprising of officials from the Delhi Government along
with Dr. V.K Paul (NITI Aayog member) and the Director of AIIMS, the charges were fixed for ICU facilities
and isolation beds in the National Capital.
Steps taken by the Government to Restrict the Outbreak of the Pandemic in New Delhi
Citing a spike in Covid-19 cases, the government has made an estimate earlier during the first week of June
2020 that by the end of July 2020, there might be 5.5 lakh positive cases in New Delhi.
The Union Home Ministry along with the Delhi Government decided to scale up the testing during the
second week of June 2020. From 5,947 samples being tested on 12th June, on 19th June a total of 13,047
samples were tested.
On 18th June it was also informed that 169 facilities are being set up at the National Capital to conduct 6
lakh rapid antigen Covid-19 tests. The Central Government has also ensured that 500 plus ventilators and
650 Ambulances will be provided to the hospitals and quarantine centers across the New Delhi.
Stegodon Fossil discovered from Saharanpur estimated to be 5 to 8 Million Years Old
Over decades, a number of richest fossil records in South Asia have been found at the Dhok Pathan
Formation of the Sivalik range. This time, the researchers found a fossil of an extinct ancestor of Elephant,
that is estimated to be around between 5 to 8 million old. The fossil was discovered in the state of Uttar
Pradesh’s Saharanpur District’s Badshahi Bagh area.
The fossil found during this remarkable discovery is said to be of a Stegodon (now extinct, a type of
Elephant found until the late Pleistocene). Specimens of Stegodon were available at the Dehradun’s Wadia
Institute of Himalayan Geology, the fossil discovered was compared with the specimen after a proper
examination.
Earlier as well fossils of Stegodon were discovered at other hills or locations of the Sivalik mountain range,

but the one that was discovered this time was the oldest fossil that has been found from the Sivalik
mountain range to date. With this discovery, it can be concluded that there was the existence of a dense
forest in the Siwalik range millions of years back, it can also be stated that a lot of river and other water
sources were also present in the area.
About the Newly Discovered Fossil
The fossil was embedded in sedimentary rock-Sandstone. It was informed that the Stegodon Fossil
discovered has nine well-developed ridges on its surface. The enamel of the molar is very thick while the
length of the molar is approx 24 centimeters. The nature of the sandstone has characteristics of the middle
Sivalik range as the lithology found embedded on the fossil is medium grained.
68 Million Years Old Egg discovered from Antarctica
In 2011, on the Seymour Island of Antarctica, a group of scientists from South American Nation Chile
discovered a fossil 200 meters away from the spot where the fossil of a 10-meter long Mosasaur (an
ancient reptile) was unearthed.
The fossil, since then was kept at a museum in Chile and was named ‘The Thing’ as for over the next 7 years
scientists kept on trying to resolve the football-sized mysterious fossil.
Finally, on 17th June 2020, a study was published in the Journal Nature, according to which the fossil named
“The Thing’ was the second-largest egg in terms of size (29 by 20 centimeters) that has been discovered to
date. It is the second largest to the Madagascan Elephant Bird (extinct) egg and also the largest soft-
shelled egg on record.
Scientists however in their study were not able to identify the animal that laid the egg. The animal that had
laid the egg could be up to 17 meters tall and at least 7 meters long.
There have been opinions from scientists that the fossil egg might belong to a Mosasaur, in this case then
this could be the only Mosasaur fossil egg to have been discovered to date.
India Ideas Summit 2020 on 21st & 22nd July
th
The 45 annual meeting of the United States India Business Council (USIBC) will be marked with the 2020
India Ideas Summit. This year’s summit will be held virtually on 21st and 22nd July. During the Summit,
different sessions are organized, with each session focusing on a particular issue related to India. In every
session leaders, diplomats, scholars, senior executives of business companies, think tanks are invited to
share their thoughts and opinions.
Every year the Summit is being organized by the USIBC. The summit is conducted to showcase the
importance of the positive outcome of the India-United States economic partnership and the overall bilateral
relationship between the two nations. The summit is an outcome of the joint efforts of the United States
Chambers of Commerce and USIBC.
2019 India Ideas Summit was organized at the US Chamber of Commerce at Washington D.C on 12th June.
Mike Pompeo (US Secretary of State) addressed the 2019 summit.
Focus of the 2020 Summit
Following the grave developments along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), one of the major discussions and
focus of this year’s summit will be on Geopolitics in the post-COVID world.
Both Indian and the United States Government at present are looking to start their economies after months
of lockdown with revised strategies for businesses, the focus will be on the importance of re-establishing
trade between both the countries, digitization, equitable growth, the future of healthcare system post-
COVID-19, etc.
CIL partners with AIM to boost Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiatives
th
On 19 June 2020, a Statement of Intent (SOI) was signed and exchanged during a virtual e-summit
according to which Coal India Limited (CIL) has partnered with Atal Innovation Mission (AIM). The strategic

partnership is to provide support to various entrepreneurship initiatives and innovation programs of AIM.
AIM Entrepreneurship & Innovation Building Initiatives
The AIM conducts various programs at the school level (ATL-Atal Tinkering Labs), institutional levels
(AIC-Atal Incubation Centres) for building an entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country.
For Industry level: ANIC – Atal New India Challenges, and ARISE- Applied Research and Innovation for
MSMEs.
Along with rural India, in Tier-2 and 3 cities: ACIC- Atal Community Innovation Centres work towards
stimulating innovations.
Importance of the CIL-AIM Partnership
The partnership will focus on motivating the talented youths of the country in order to create an
AtmaNirbhar Bharat. For this, CIL will adopt a certain number of ATL based schools in the country where
training sessions for teachers will be conducted so that the teachers could be able to provide mentoring
support to the students.
Close to areas of operation of CIL (generally in Tier 2, 3 cities, or in rural areas), CIL will support the youths
by adopting programs of the ACIC, such as by hosting innovation-based events, etc. As CIL is operating in
remote areas of the country, this will help the youths of these unserved and under-served regions.
In the future, as the youths understand the power of innovation and entrepreneurship, local jobs will be
created that will help in creating a sustainable AtmaNirbhar Bharat.
USD 1.05 Billion Approved by World Bank for 3 Projects in Bangladesh
The World Bank has announced on 19th June 2020 that it had approved a USD 1.05 billion for helping the
economy of Bangladesh to bounce back by creating more and better jobs. Bangladesh to date has received
financial aid of more than USD 13 billion of loans from the International Development Association (IDA, a
part of the World Bank Group). With this grant, the total loan provided by the World Bank Group to
Bangladesh since its independence in 1971 has crossed USD 31 billion. The financial aid for the 3 projects
is provided by the IDA on behalf of the World Bank Group.
3 Projects
Private Investment and Digital Entrepreneurship (PRIDE) is the name of the first project. For this
project, USD 500 million has been sanctioned. The project is estimated to create more than 1.5 lakh
jobs and further expected to attract Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) worth Rs USD 2 billion. At the
Janata Software Park, Dhaka’s first digital entrepreneurship hub will be established under this
project.
The second project is named Enhancing Digital Government and Economy (EDGE). This project will
create 100 thousand jobs and will also assist the MSME sector in preparing for the fourth industrial
revolution. Further, an integrated cloud computing digital platform will be set up for all government
agencies of the country. The financial grant provided by the World Bank for this project is USD 295
million.
USD 250 million was sanctioned for the 2nd Programmatic Jobs Development Policy Credit (Financial
Grant of USD 250 million were provided by the World Bank Group in December 2019 for the 1st
Programmatic Jobs Development Policy Credit). The World Bank Group will provide financial aid for a
total of 3 planned Programmatic Jobs Development Policy Credit. This 3 part project focuses on
creating an institutional framework that will have stronger policies to create jobs for all the members
of the population.
42 Crore Citizens received Financial Aid of Rs 65,454 Crore under PMGKP
As per the data provided by the Union Finance Ministry on 20th June 2020, through Pradhan Mantri Garib
Kalyan Package (PMGKP), a total of 42 crore citizens across the country have received financial aid of Rs

65,454 crore to date. The amount was distributed in the 3 forms, :(i) Through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)
to beneficiaries such as women Jhan Dhan account holders, senior citizens/differently-abled/widows
registered under Below Poverty Line (BPL), farmers (PM-KISAN), etc (ii) Providing free foodgrains to all
families registered as BPL cardholders, and (iii) by providing free LPG cylinder to women registered under
Ujjwala Yojana.
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP)
This package was announced by Finance Minister on 26th March 2020. The package was announced for
providing economic support at the time of nationwide lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic for the
financially weaker section of the society. A total of Rs 1.70 lakh crore was announced under the package.
Major Highlights from Rs 65,454 Crore Distribution
8.52 Crore LPG cylinders distributed under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in April and May
In April, 113 lakh metric tonnes of food grains were lifted by all states and union territories in a
combine
5.8 lakh metric tonnes of pulses allocated for all states and union territories for distribution for 3
months from April to June
Rs 2814.5 crore provided to 2.81 crore beneficiaries (senior citizens, widows and differently-abled
persons)
Rs 17,891 crore under first payment for the FY 2020-21 to PM-KISAN beneficiaries
In three separate installments, 20.62 crore women Jan Dhan account holders were credited with Rs
500 in each installment. A total of Rs 10,315 crore was transferred in each installment.
June 21, 2020
21st June: International Yoga Day
th
On 11 December 2014, International Yoga Day was adopted under its Resolution by the United Nations
General Assembly following the proposal given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his speech at the
General Assembly of the United Nations on 27th September 2014.
The day was first observed in the year 2015. The aim of observing the day is to raise global awareness
about the benefits of practicing yoga.
The theme of 2020 International Yoga Day: Yoga for Health- Yoga at Home
This year’s theme focuses on the importance of yoga at the time of a global pandemic. As most nations
across the world are practicing lockdown and social distancing norms, many economic activities have come
to a halt which had a negative impact on both the mental and physical well being of individuals as a result
of stress due to job insecurity, financially, etc.
As a means to improve health at this time of uncertainty, yoga has benefits that can help an individual to
deal with stress by increasing the overall mindfulness, flexibility, and fitness. Yoga can be learned and
practiced from home through various online resources available across the internet.
What is Yoga?
Yoga is a practice that originated in India. The word yoga is a Sanskrit word that means to unite or to join.
Yoga symbolizes the unification of the body and consciousness. Yoga has 84 classical asanas such as
Tadasana, Trikonasana, Bhajangasana, etc.
Physical inactivity over the last couple of decades due to a hectic lifestyle has become one of the major
causes of death worldwide as it causes non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, etc.
Yoga is more than physical activity, it not only fosters good health but also helps in maintaining a balanced
day-to-day life.
21st June: World Hydrography Day
Hydrography plays one of the most important roles in today’s world by describing the physical feature of the
navigable portion of the water covered area on the Earth’s surface through maps and nautical charts.
Without a hydrographic survey, navigation for ships or fishing boats would have been much difficult.
The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) was founded on 21 June 1921. To highlight the
importance of hydrography, on 29th November 2005, the resolution ‘A/60/30 Oceans and the Law of the
Sea’. was adopted at the United Nations General Assembly under which 21st June was recognized as World
Hydrography Day from 2006 onwards.
As of October 2019, IHO has a total of 93 member states. The day marks an opportunity for the
governments of the member states to reaffirm their commitment towards promoting safe navigation across
the water bodies on the earth by increasing the coverage of hydrographic information on a global basis.
The theme of 2020 World Hydrography Day: Hydrography- Enabling Autonomous Technologies
India’s First Oral Vaccine for Moderate COVID-19 Cases gets Approval
For the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 positive patients across the country, on 19th June 2020, for
manufacturing and marketing of oral antiviral drug ‘Favipiravir (Fabiflu)’ was approved by the National
Regulatory Authority for Indian pharmaceuticals -Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) to
Mumbai based Glenmark Pharmaceuticals.
The approval for the drug was given in India based on the global evidence of the ongoing clinical trial on
150 subjects. The drug must be strictly sold by the pharmacists to customers having a valid prescription.
Background
The drug has shown notable efficacy as per results from Russia and Japan. Japan and Russia have already
approved the drug for COVID-19 treatment on 15th March and 1st June 2020 respectively.
Favipiravir
It is an antiviral drug that was approved first in the year 2014 in Japan. Tokyo based Toyama Chemicals was
the first to develop and manufacture the drug. The drug has been used to treat a number of viral infections
over the years, especially for influenza. In 2019 it became a generic drug.
The drug targets the Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) polymerase (RdRp) enzymes that are dependent on RNA. For
transcription and replication, the RNA polymerase enzymes are necessary for the DNA or RNA genes of the
virus.
Medication
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals has assured the availability of the drugs in the next 7 to 10 days across the
country. The price of each tablet will be Rs 103/-. The tablets will be available in a combined strip of 34. The
cost of the strip will be Rs 3,500. Each tablet will be of 200 mg.
On the first day of treatment, the patient is advised to take 18 tablets (9 each in the morning and evening).
From the second day onwards, 4 tablets each in the morning and evening. The company has stated that the
treatment through Favipiravir could last up to 14 days.
The medication is for COVID-19 positive patients in the age group from 18 to 75 years having mild to
moderate symptoms of COVID-19.
June 22, 2020
FM radio stations in Nepal starts Weather Bulletins of Indian Territories
The House of Representatives in Nepal on 18th June 2020 had made a constitutional amendment under
which the map of Nepal was revised. The revised map surprisingly included three Indian territories as part
of Nepal. The 3 areas are- Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura.
On 21st June 2020, it was reported from Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand that some Nepalese FM radio
stations located in Nepal’s bordering district with India- Darchula, have started broadcasting weather report
of Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura.
The local authorities however are yet to confirm any such developments from the Nepalese FM site yet. The
information was provided by the residents of Pithoragarh.
Treaty of Sugauli signed in December 1815 and was ratified in the month of March 1816 establishes and
serves as the borderline between India and Nepal.
Background
Earlier on 8th May 2020, Rajnath Singh (Defence Minister of India) had inaugurated a much-awaited road
route for pilgrims to reach Kailash Mansarovar. The 80 Km long new road was built between Ghatibagarh
and Lipulekh by Border Roads Organisation (BRO). There was no new construction of a road on the Lipulekh
Pass, the road which already existed through Lipulekh Pass was upgraded by BRO.
The Southern side of the Lipulekh Pass is the Kalapani territory, which is a disputed territory that has been
controlled by India. Since the up-gradation of the road at Lipulekh pass, the Nepalese Government has
started its objection and went on to declare 3 Indian territories as its own under its new revised map.
Large Scale Phishing Attack using COVID-19 as Bait alerts CERT-In
To steal personal data (such as bank account details- debit/ credit card information) of Individuals and
Businesses across the country, from 21st June 2020, a large scale phishing attack has been planned by
malicious actors. This information asking the citizens to be cautious was issued by the nodal agency
responsible to deal with cyber-attack threats in the country- The Indian Computer Emergency Response
Team (CERT-In).
How you could be targeted?
Indian Citizens will be targeted through malicious ‘Emails’. These emails are likely to use COVID-19 as bait
by using details of local government authorities (details such as logo, name, etc of government officers or
departments those who are in-charge for various COVID-19 initiatives of the government) for making it look
authentic.
The email will contain an external link that will drive the recipients of the email to some fake websites
designed in such a way that the website may install a malicious file without the consent of the recipient of
the email or may ask for entering personal or financial details on the pretext of raising fund for some
government initiative.
As per the alert issued by CERT-IN: The Emails that will be sent might have a subject –‘Free COVID-19
testing for all residents’. The attackers could use various fake Email Accounts such as ‘ncov2019@gov.in’.
Hetero’s injectable ‘Covifor’ gets DCGI approval for COVID-19 Treatment
For the treatment of COVID-19 positive cases, on 21st June 2020, Hyderabad based pharmaceutical
company -Hetero Drugs has received approval from the Drug Controller General of India (a department
under- CDSCO: Central Drugs Standard Control Organization) for manufacturing and marketing of antiviral
drug Remdesivir.
Brandname for Marketing
Under the brand name ‘Covifor’, Hetero Pharmaceuticals’ generic version of Remdesivir will be marketed in
India.
The drug is manufactured at the Hetero company’s Hyderabad facility, while its Active Pharmaceutical
Ingredients (API) is being developed at Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam.
Remdesivir
The antiviral drug ‘Remdesivir’ is administered via injection into a vein. This antiviral medication was
developed by the United States biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences for treatment of Hepatitis C.
United Kingdom, Singapore, and Japan are the countries where the drug has been approved to date for the
treatment of COVID-19 cases.
Price and Availability
As it is an injectable drug, it has to be administered under the supervision of a healthcare practitioner and

will not be available through any retail channel. The drug will be made available for hospitals and
government healthcare agencies. It will be available in a 100mg injectable dose. The price will be in the
range of Rs 5,000 to 6,000 per dose.
Hetero has targeted to manufacture one lakh doses of it in the upcoming weeks, the company has stated
that production can be increased based on the demand.
Covifor will be used for the treatment of confirmed COVID-19 cases for those who have severe symptoms of
the disease.
No Ambubachi Mela at Kamakhya Temple for the first time in Recorded History
At the centuries-old historic Kamakhya Temple at Guwahati, for the first time in six centuries of record
available from 1565, the 5 days Ambubachi Mela will not be organized due by keeping in mind the possibility
of spreading the COVID-19 virus.
Every year the fair draws lakhs of pilgrims, tourists, sadhus, and others from all over the country. As per the
Assam State Tourism, a minimum of 5 lakh devotees attend the fair that also includes many foreigners.
The rituals of Ambubachi Mahayog will be performed by the priests of the temple by maintaining the social
distancing norms. The Mahayog will be performed at the Devalaya from 07:53:15 am- 22nd June to 8:16:55
pm- 25th June.
Kamakhya Temple will remain closed for the devotees till the 30th of June 2020 as per the decision taken by
the Kamakhya Devalaya Management Committee.
Kamakhya Temple
The Hindu temple located at the Nilachal Hill is dedicated to the mother goddess Kamakhya. The temple as
per history was built by King Narakasura. As per the official records available from 1565, the temple was
rebuilt by Koch King Naranarayan.
Kamakhya is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths (each of the 51 Shakti Peeths represents a body part of Lord
Shiva’s companion, Sati).
Tripura Government to start ‘Play Little, Study Little’ Scheme from 25th June
The state government of Tripura has decided to start a scheme for school students from 25th June 2020.
The scheme is named ‘Ektu Khelo, Ektu Padho’ –meaning ‘Play Little, Study Little’.
The scheme will be implemented via SMS or WhatsApp. For students, those who have access to
smartphones of their parents will be able to access the scheme through WhatsApp. For students having
feature phones, they will be able to access through SMS.
The objective of the scheme is to make sure that students invest their time in studies during these times of
uncertainty as it could still take a couple of months for schools to reopen due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As per the scheme name ‘Play little’, students apart from studies will also be provided with fun and games
activities. The scheme will benefit students from 4,398 government-aided and 335 private schools across
the state.
How Students will get access to the scheme?
Every morning, from the headquarter of the state’s Education Department the learning contents will be
shared with the academic coordinator each district. The coordinator of the district will share the same with
the headmasters of the schools located in that particular district.
The school headmasters will further share it with the teachers of their schools, a single teacher will have the
responsibility of a particular number of students of the school. The teacher will share the content will the
students.
Job Gaurantee Scheme for Urban Poor to be launched by Jharkhand Government
The state government of Jharkhand is likely to become the second state after Kerala in the country to
launch a job guarantee scheme that will be on the lines of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment

Guarantee Act (MNREGA). The scheme unlike MNREGA (which focuses on providing a 100-day job for the
Rural poor), will focus on providing 100-day work for the unskilled workers living in the urban areas of the
state.
The scheme aimed to enhance the livelihood security for the urban poor will be named Mukhyamantri
SHRAMIK (Shahri Rozgar Manjuri For Kamgar). The scheme is awaiting approval of the state cabinet.
Ayyankali Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme (AUEGS) is the 100-day employment guarantee scheme of
the Kerala Government for urban poor.
How the Scheme will be different from MNREGA?
On 21st June 2020, the Urban Development Secretary of Jharkhand has informed the media that the scheme
will also have a provision under for unemployment allowance. This allowance will only be applicable when if
a local body fails to provide a job within 15 days to the unskilled worker.
As per information provided in media, for the first 30 days a beneficiary of the scheme will be entitled to
one-fourth of the wages as unemployment allowance, while if the local body fails to provide job during the
next 30 days then the beneficiary will be provided with half of the total 100 days work wage entitled.
MCL prepares Rs 60,000 Crores Investment Plan in Odisha
One of the eight subsidiaries of Coal India Limited, Sambalpur headquartered Mahanadi Coalfields Limited
(MCL) on 20th June 2020 has informed that the company has prepared a Rs 60,000 crore investment plan for
the state of Odisha. At present, about 30 coal mines are operated by MCL in Odisha. In the next few years,
the company had set a target to enhance coal production to 300 million tonnes per annum for which it will
develop and operate three new MDO (mine, develop and operate) projects in the state.
About the New Investment Plans
For the development of Mines and Social Infrastructure in the state( such as roads, flyovers, schools),
MCL has planned to invest Rs 31,000 crore under its command areas in 4 districts of the state by
2013-24.
Out of 3 new MDO projects, one will be at Ib Valley Coalfield of Jharsuguda district. The other 2
projects will be at Talcher coalfield of Angul district.
At Sundergarh district, a supercritical power plant of 2X800 MW planned by the company at an
estimated cost of Rs 11,363 crore.
MCL to set up solar power plants for improving the quality of life in areas affected by dust
suppression due to coal mining in districts such as Sundergarh, Angul, etc, and will also strengthen
coal evacuation infrastructure in its command areas. The company is also committed to introducing
the latest technologies for developing greenery and adopting best practices for afforestation and
agriculture.
Emergency Funds to Armed Forces of Rs. 500 Crore, Specialised Mountain Forces deployed at
LAC
Following the violent Galwan valley clash on 15th June 2020 and a six-week-long border standoff with the
Chinese army, under emergency requirement procurement Rs 500 crore of funds was granted by the
Government for the Armed Forces.
With consultation with the Department of Military Affairs, the Indian Armed Forces will be allowed to make a
purchase of any weapon under the sanctioned amount. The weapon purchased under the sanctioned fund
can be a new one that the armed forces feel they would require in case of a war or a weapon that is short in
inventory.
Specialised Mountain Forces deployed
To safeguard Indian territories from any cross-border aggression from the People’s Liberation Army of
China, India has deployed its Specialised High Altitude Warfare Forces who are trained in guerrilla warfare

and fighting along the 3,488 Km Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The specialized Indian mountain troops are trained on the northern front. These forces go to the frontier
when the red flag goes up. Over the decades these troops in the Himalayan States of India (Himachal
Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Ladakh) have adapted themselves to the rarefied heights by
developing the required skill sets and capabilities that are essential to have a pin-pointed accuracy for
mountain fighting.
China plans to Establish National Security Bureau in Hong Kong
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On 28 May 2020, Beijing passed legislation that empowered the Chinese Parliament to draft security laws
for Hong Kong. Now China continues to tighten its grip on Honk Kong by planning to establish a ‘Special
Bureau- National Security Office’ in Hong Kong that will have the rights to deal with criminal cases and
analyze intelligence that is related to the national security
Establishing a National Security Bureau in Hong Kong was confirmed after a three day (from 18th June to
20th June) meeting of the Legislative Affairs Commission (Top lawmaking committee in China). On 19th June
2020, it was also reported in Chinese media that all departments under the Hong Kong government will be
directly answerable to Beijing once the legislation is implemented.
Despite protests throughout Hong Kong and the international community, China seems determined to
suppress democracy in Hong Kong. The Chinese legislation is likely to be implemented next week when the
Standing Committee would meet in Beijing from 28 th to 30 th June 2020. Once it’s implemented, the
controversial legislation is likely to override the existing laws in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of China since 1997 when the former colony was returned by
Britain to China. Matters related to foreign affairs and defense of Hong Kong are controlled by China, rest it
has its own- Executive, Legislative, and Independent Judicial Power.
India becomes 12th Largest Holder of US Government Securities at April 2020 end
Despite low returns, the Treasury Securities (are of four types- Bills, Notes, Bonds, Inflation-Protected
Securities) backed by the United States Treasury Department is one of the safest assets for any Central
Bank around the world. With USD 157.4 billion at the end of April 2020, India has become the 12th largest
holder of United States Government Securities.
India’s holding touched an all-time record high of USD 177.5 billion at the end of February 2020 but was
reduced to USD 156.5 billion at the end of March 2020. This significant drop was due to the financial impact
of the global COVID-19 pandemic. As economic uncertainties increased following lockdowns in most
countries across the world, securities were sold by India in the month of March.
How the Indian Government invests in US Government Securities?
On behalf of the Government of India, India’s Central bank- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) invests in
foreign assets. These foreign investments are part of prudential liquidity management.
Top 5 Countries as per US Government Security holdings (at the end of April 2020)
1. Japan- USD 1.266 Trillion
2. China- USD 1.073 Trillion
3. United Kingdom- USD 368.5 Billion
4. Ireland- USD 300.2 Billion
5. Luxembourg- USD 265.5 Billion
Project ‘Decarbonising Transport in India’ will be launched on 24th June
For reducing the carbon dioxide emission caused due to transportation in the country, NITI Aayog will
launch the project ‘Decarbonising Transport in India’ on 24th June 2020. The project is in collaboration with
the International Transport Forum (ITF).

Objective of the Project
To meet the goals related to climate/ climate change in the country, it is essential for the Government to
work on reducing the emission of Greenhouse Gases. Through this project, an assessment framework will
be designed that will be tailor-made for transport emissions in India.
This framework will provide the Government with much needed detailed inputs on the current and future
transport challenges that are related to carbon dioxide emission. Based on the outcomes from the project, a
pathway towards a low carbon transport system in India will be created.
DTEE Project
India’s Decarbonising Transport initiative is a part of the DTEE project. DTEE stands for Decarbonising
Transport in Emerging Economies. DTEE is a project of ITF under which apart from India, currently
Argentina, Morocco, and Azerbaijan are the participants.
Under the DTEE project, ITF aims to create a common assessment framework for the decarbonising
transportation system for several transport sub-sectors and transport modes. This framework will be
created based on the inputs from the participating countries and their specific model in decarbonising
transport.
International Transport Forum (ITF)
ITF is a think tank for transport policy issues. It is headquartered in Paris, France. It is an intergovernmental
organization with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OCED).
Cipla’s ‘Cipremi’ gets approval for Treatment of COVID-19 Patients in India
In its June 13th, 2020 guidelines for Clinical Management Protocol for COVID-19, the Union Health Ministry
as a part of investigational therapy added ‘Remdesivir’ only for restricted emergency use. A week after, on
21st June 2020, Hetero and Cipla Pharmaceuticals were granted approval by the Drug Controller General of
India for the production and marketing of the antiviral drug under its respective generic names.
The United States-based biopharmaceutical company, Gilead Sciences is the developer of the drug. In May
2020 Cipla was granted the voluntary non-exclusive by Gilead Science for manufacturing and marketing of
the drug in India under generic drug name ‘CIPREMI’.
Japan was the first country to approve Remdesivir drug as a treatment for COVID-19. At present Remdesivir
is only available in the injectable method. On 22nd June 2020, Gilead Sciences had announced had it will
soon start Phase I trial for the inhaled version of Remdesivir.
Background
In May 2020, clinical trials conducted under ACTT-1 (Adaptive COVID-19 Treatment Trial) with Remdesivir in
more than 60 centers across the United States, Asia, and Europe had shown promising results when
compared with the patients who were given placebo. During the trails a total of 1063 patients were given
Remdesivir, the mortality rate was 7.1 %.
June 23, 2020
U.S. Temporarily Suspends ‘Green Cards & Non-Migrant Work Visas’ till 31st December 2020
Following a global economic crisis since the COVID-19 was declared a pandemic back in March 2020, the
United States Government has decided to suspend ‘Green Cards and Non-Migrant Work Visas’ till the 31st
December 2020 in an effort to protect jobs for the citizens of the United States.
The executive order was signed by the United States President Donald Trump on 22nd June 2020.
Background
The suspension of Green Card and Non-migrant work visas will create around 5,25,000 jobs in the United
States. Due to COVID-19, as per reports, a record 47 million could lose their jobs in the United States.
Suspended Work Visas
1. H-1B
2. H-4 for some H-1B spouses
3. H-2B for low skill workers
4. L-1 for Intra-Company Transfers
5. J Visas for Educational and Cultural Workers
Reform in H-1B Visa Programme
President Donald Trump had also instructed his administration to make reform in the current H-1B Visa
Programme. As per the reform, immigrant workers those who are offered the highest wages by the recruiter
shall be given priority, this is to ensure that the wages of United States citizens are protected as employers
will not be able to recruit low-cost foreign labour.
Until today, the H-1B visas were distributed through a random lottery.
Impact on India
Every year H-1B Visas are issued to 85,000 only, out of these, as per the records the largest beneficiaries of
the visa programme was the Indians. A more than 70 percent of the total 85,000 beneficiaries are from
India.
23rd June: United Nations Public Service Day
By adopting resolution 57/277 on 20th December 2002, the United Nations General Assembly designated 23rd
June to be observed as ‘United Nations Public Service Day’ in order to highlight the value and virtue of
public service to the community.
The day is also observed so that the value of public service for the development of the society can be
understood by the younger generation, further they can be encouraged to pursue careers in the public
sector.
Significance for 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has infected millions and has taken the lives of hundreds of thousands of people
globally. At these difficult times when health care organizations are strained, lockdowns have led to a loss
of jobs and financial crisis, education system, social life, etc are disrupted, this year’s United Nations Public
Service Day is to honour the frontline workers (Healthcare, sanitation, public servants, social welfare
groups, transportation, law enforcement etc) who risk their lives to provide the essential services for the
society.
Public Service for SDGs
For countries to achieve their Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is essential that the public
institutions in an economy are inclusive, effective, and accountable for all in society. The day is also to
remind Governments across the world that the critical and essential role public administration plays
towards improving people’s lives.
Healthcare & Hygiene EXPO 2020- India’s first-ever Largest Virtual Exhibition
Organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), the five-day Virtual
Healthcare & Hygiene Expo was e-inaugurated on 22nd June 2020 by Mansukh Mandaviya (Union Minister of
State for Chemicals & Fertilizers).
As Digital India is making a way forward, the exhibition is the first-ever virtual exhibition in India. The virtual
event will be live daily from 22nd to 26th June.
Aim of the Event
The event is to create a self-reliant ecosystem in the Pharmaceuticals and Health & Hygiene Sector by
ramping up domestic production. In our resolute fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, this sector has a
greater significance.
During the five day event, the focus will also be on (i) Health Infrastructure such as medical devices,
ventilators, etc, (ii) Benefits of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy) and (iii) On

Medical Textiles & Consumables.
Bulk Drug Park in India
At the beginning of the Pandemic in March 2020, India’s dependence on foreign imports for Active
Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) was highlighted. Indian Pharmaceutical Companies imported more than
70% of the API used for manufacturing medicines in the country.
In order to end this dependency, the Government of India has taken steps for setting up Bulk Drug Parks in
the country. API is also known as Bulk Drug, it is the most essential component for the manufacturing of
any drugs.
At the inauguration event, Mansukh Mandaviya informed that by equity participation, the Government is
ready to provide the private sector for setting up of Bulk Drug Parks in the country. This will further help in
building an AtmaNirbhar Bharat.
23rd June: International Olympic Day
On 23 June 1894, the International Olympic Committee was founded in Paris. The day 23 rd June was
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chosen to be celebrated as International Olympic Day to commemorate the foundation day of the
International Olympic Committee.
International Olympic Day was first celebrated in the year 1948. A total of 9 countries celebrated the day in
their respective countries in 1948. But today with time the energy and positivity with which the Olympians
have inspired millions across the globe, the celebrations for the day are truly global in nature now.
Irrespective of any sort of discrimination based on age, gender, etc, the National Olympic Committees
across the world conduct creative events on this day that are based on three pillars ‘Move, Learn, and
Discover’.
Significance for 2020
During these times of a pandemic, by sharing their home workouts, Olympians have become a source of
inspiration and motivation for many across the world. These efforts made by Olympians at the time of a
pandemic is to make everyone realize the importance of being active for staying healthy in mind and body.
International Olympic Committee (IOC)
Summer and Winter Olympic Games are organized by the IOC. It is a non-governmental sports organization
headquartered at Lausanne, Switzerland. It was founded by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas on
23rd June 1894.
Rs 2000 Crore from PM CARES Fund allocated for 50,000 Made-in-India Ventilators
The Government of India on its way to create an AtmaNirbhar Bharat had allocated Rs 2000 crore for 50,000
Made-in-India ventilators. The entire sum of Rs 2000 crore was allocated from PM CARES Fund Trust.
These ventilators will be supplied to various government-run COVID hospitals based on priority across the
country. To date, a total of 1340 ventilators have already been delivered out of 2923 that have been
manufactured. A total of 14,000 ventilators will be delivered by 30th June to various government-run COVID
hospitals across the country. Out of the total 50,000 ventilators, 30,000 will be manufactured by the state-
owned company- Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).
PM CARES Fund for Migrant Labourers
From PM CARES Fund, a sum of Rs 1000 crore was also released for the welfare (arranging food,
accommodation, medical treatment, etc) of migrant labourers in the country. Maharashtra with Rs 181
crore was the highest recipient for this sum followed by Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu with Rs 103 and Rs
83 crore respectively.
PM CARES Fund
Prime Ministers Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARE) Funds is a dedicated
national fund that was created on 28th March 2020. The fund was created for raising funds for providing

help to the affected during any sort of distress situation or emergency (such as COVID-19 pandemic) in the
country.
Bill to Rename ‘Tonoshiro’ to ‘Tonoshiro Senkaku’ triggered tensions between Japan and China
A group of Islands without inhabitants located at the South China Sea has been a point of disagreement
between Japan and China since 1972. The island is known by the name Senkakus in Japan, while in the
People’s Republic of China the Islands are known by the name Diaoyu.
The island group is at present administered by the administrative authority of Ishigaki city of Japan’s
Okinawa Prefecture. The islands are located in the southern part of Japan, the entire area under which the
Senkaku Islands are located is known by the name Tonoshiro in Japan.
History
The group of islands was controlled by the Ryukyu Kingdom of China as per records available. But during
the First Sino-Japanese War the Islands were annexed by the Japanese Central Government.
As Japan surrender at the end of 2nd World War, the islands came under the power of the United States
Government. 26 years later in 1971, the United States Senate passed the Okinawa Reversion Treaty to return
the group of islands back to Japan. Japan took over the control of the islands from 1972. Since then China
began to declare its ownership over the islands based on the fact that the islands were discovered during
the 14th century by the Chinese Ryukyu Kingdom.
Present Day
On 22nd June 2020, the assembly of Ishigaki city passed the bill under which from 1st October 2020- the
Tonoshiro area will be renamed as Tonoshiro Senkaku.
Last Satellite of China’s BeiDou Satellite System 3 (BDS-3) Launched
In an effort to compete with the United States Government’s NAVSTAR Global Positioning System (GPS),
Russia’s GLONASS, and the Galileo Systems of the European Union, China completed the launch of its final
satellite on 23rd June 2020. The satellite was launched as a carrier with Long March 3 rocket from the
Xichang Satellite Launch Centre. BeiDou means ‘Big Dipper’ in Mandarin.
The satellite launched is a part of the third generation of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS-3)
and was the 55th satellite of the Beidou system.
BeiDou System
First Generation (BDS-1): This system was launched with three working and one backup satellites
between 2000 to 2003. This system was decommissioned in the year 2012. This navigation system
provided limited coverage for users in China as an experimental basis. The first satellite under this
system was launched on 30th October 2000.
Second Generation (BDS-2): This system provides coverage in the Asia-Pacific Region and is still
operational. BDS-2 was started in December 2011. The entire system consists of 10 working
satellites. The first satellite under this system was launched on 13th April 2007.
Third Generation (BDS-3): This system was aimed to provide global coverage. The first satellite under
BDS-3 was launched on 30th March 2015. This system comprises of 35 satellites (3 Geosynchronous
satellite, 3 Inclined Geosynchronous Satellite, 24 Medium Earth Orbits Satellite).
BDS-3 has started providing global navigation services from December 2018 to countries that had signed
the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of China. The global constellation of the BeiDou satellite system is
expected to be completed in the upcoming months. Once completed, it will be able to provide services such
as precise point positioning, short message communication, and also can be used for international search
and rescue operations globally.
U.S. Russia talks on new Nuclear Disarmament Treaty begins without China
Delegations from the United States led by Marshall Billingslea and the Russian Delegation under their
Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov begin their 2-day talks on 22nd June 2020 at the capital city of Austria,
Vienna. The talks for extending the nuclear disarmament treaty were in doubt over the last few months as
the United States President Donald Trump continued the call for the addition of China in the treaty. The
treaty is commonly known by the name ‘START’ treaty.
China’s Response to Trump Call
According to China, It’s still not the right time for them to involve or to be a part of such a nuclear treaty, the
United States and Russia has the primary responsibility of nuclear disarmament as the nuclear stockpile of
China is dwarfed by those of the two countries.
China also added that for other nations to join the Nuclear Disarmament Treaty, the United States must
drastically reduce the size of its stockpile.
START Treaty
START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) is a bilateral nuclear disarmament treaty between the United
States and Russia. The formal name of the treaty is ‘Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of
Strategic Offensive Arms’.
The treaty was last signed on 8th April 2010, came into effect on 5th February 2011 for a period of 10 years.
The current treaty expires on 5th February 2021.
Rajasthan Government to launch ‘Indira Rasoi Yojna’
To provide pure and nutritious food to the economically weaker sections of the society, the Chief Minister
of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot on 22nd June 2020 announced ‘Indira Rasoi Yojna (Indira Kitchen Scheme).
Under the scheme, food will be available at a concessional rate twice a day to make sure no one sleeps
hungry in state. For the successful implementation of the scheme, the state government will rope in local
Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) in every district of the state. For monitoring and evaluating the
progress of the scheme, Information Technology will be used. In every district, a committee headed by the
district collector will also be set up for monitoring the scheme.
For the scheme, Rs 100 crore will be spent every year by the state government. The rate for the meals under
the Indira Rasoi Yojna has not been finalized yet.
On 31st March 2020 the tenure of the previous subsidized meal scheme of the Rajasthan state government-
‘Annapurna Rasoi Yojana’ had expired. This scheme was launched in December 2016 by then Chief Minister,
Vasundhra Raju. Under this scheme lunch and breakfast was provided for Rs 8 and Rs 5 respectively.
Financial Assistance of Rs 4957 Crore provided to 17.5 Million Building & Other Construction
Workers
In order to help the Building & Construction workers to overcome the financial impacts of COVID-19
lockdown, on 24th March 2020, the Chief Minister of all States and Union Territories were advised by the
Union Minister of Labour and Employment to create a framework with bank account details of building &
construction workers of their respective state so that they can be provided with financial support through
direct benefit transfer (DBT)mode.
This request for creating a framework to provide financial support to the workers was made by the Union
Minister under section 22 (1) (h) of the Building and Other Construction Workers Act 1996.
On 23rd June 2020, the Ministry of Labour & Employment has informed that through 17.5 million (1.75 Crore)
transactions, cash assistance of Rs 4957 crore was directly into the bank accounts of the building &
construction workers through DBT mode.
The Amount ranging from a minimum of Rs 1,000 to a maximum of Rs 6,000 was transferred to the bank
account of every worker. The amount to be granted to a particular worker was decided by the State
Government.
The Ministry has stated that there are still many workers who are left out, for which the Ministry has
launched a project in mission mode to complete their registration for the benefits.
President Aleksandar Vucic’s SNS-led Coalition registers landslide win in 2020 Parliamentary
Election
Since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in March 2020, Serbia on 21st June 2020 became the first country to
conduct National Elections in Europe. The Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) coalition, under the leadership of
the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic registered one of the largest parliamentary majorities in Europe by
winning 191 of the total 250 seats in the Parliament.
Elections were conducted across 8,253 polling stations in Serbia and also in 140 polling stations of Kosovo
(Serbia does not recognize Kosovo as an Independent Country) where people of Serbian Community live.
The 2020 Parliamentary Elections of Siberia was initially scheduled to be conducted in the month of April
but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The election was largely surrounded by controversies
some of the opposition parties boycotted the elections. These parties have accused President Vucic of
having complete control over the media as a result of which the votes won’t be free and fair.
Ana Brnabic (First female Prime Minister of Serbia) is the incumbent Prime Minister of Serbia. She became
the Prime Minister in 2017 after President Aleksandar Vucic proposed her name.
The Parliament of Siberia (also known as the National Assembly of Siberia) has a unicameral legislature.
The Prime Minister of Siberia is elected and appointed by the 250 elected members of the National
Assembly. The President of Siberia has the power to propose the name of an individual to the National
Assembly for the post of the Prime Minister.
China has decided to join the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)
The people’s Republic of China will join the multilateral Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), this was decided during a
three-day meeting from 18th June to 20th June of the top lawmaking committee in China- Legislative Affairs
Committee. China was one of the 23 countries back in 2013 when it abstained from the vote to adopt the
treaty at the United Nations.
China now seems determined to showcase itself on the world stage as a responsible player- After curbing
the autonomy of Hong Kong, making continuous attempts to administer complete sovereignty in the South
China Sea, and further making its territorial ambitions clear by raising border conflicts with India.
The U.S. President has announced in April 2019 that the U.S. will never ratify the Arms Trade Treaty under
his administration (the U.S has signed the treaty but was yet to ratify). 5 months later on 27th September
2019, China is going through domestic legal procedures for joining the Arms Trade Treaty- This was stated
by their Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the United Nations General Assembly.
As per a report by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute in March 2020, between 2015 to 2019:
By accounting 5.5 percent of the global market and exporting arms to 53 countries the fifth-largest arms-
exporter in the world was China.
Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)
Under this treaty, international sales and transfer of conventional arms are regulated as per the global
standards. The treaty was adopted at the United Nations General Assembly on 2nd April 2013. It came into
force from 24th December 2014.
The treaty was launched with the aim of maintaining international and regional peace. The global standards
that have been set under the treaty are in line for promoting transparency and co-operation among the
countries. To date, about 130 countries have ratified the treaty. India has not signed the treaty yet.
June 24, 2020
HRD Minister launches ‘YUKTI 2.0’ Platform
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On 23 June 2020, Ramesh Pokhriyal (Union Human Resource Development Minister) launched YUKTI 2.0.
The YUKTI 2.0 web portal initiative is a logical extension of the earlier version of ‘YUKTI (launched on 11th
April 2020)’ and is in line with the mission of making AtmaNirbhar Bharat.
YUKTI stands for Young India combating COVID with Knowledge, Technology, and Innovation. YUKTI portal
was launched for identifying many more disruptive solutions from higher Education Institutes as the
thinking of the youngsters are more innovative.
YUKTI 2.0 Portal
The YUKTI 2.0 portal is for the Higher Education Institutes of New Delhi. Through the portal, the objective
will be to acquire technologies in a very holistic and comprehensive way from startup incubators that have
commercial potential. The startup incubators will by the student entrepreneurs. The portal will help in
establishing a market place where these young innovators will be connected with investors.
Further, the support required for advancing the innovations and technologies of the Higher Education
Institutions will be endeavored by the HRD Ministry through the portal.
For the success of AtmaNirbhar Bharat, it is important that a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation is
fostered in the educational institutions of the country. For this, initiatives like YUKTI are essential to convert
the young idea into enterprises.
RIC: Russia Backs India for Permanent UN Security Council Seat, FM reminds China to Respect
International Laws
The Foreign Ministerial level meeting of the Russia-India-China (RIC) was conducted on 23rd June 2020. The
trilateral virtual meeting was hosted by the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The RIC meeting was to
commemorate the 75th foundation anniversary of the United Nations following the conclusion of the Second
World War.
Over the years Russia has backed the entry of India for a permanent membership at the United Nations
Security Council, during the RIC meet as well the Russian Foreign Minister had expressed Russia’s strong
support for the inclusion of India as a Permanent Member at the United Nations Security Council. Last week
on June 17th, India become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council by registering 184 out of
the total 192 valid votes in its favour.
India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishankar indirectly pressed for inclusion of India at the UN Security Council by
reminding the contributions that the Indians have made at the time of the Second World War.
S Jaishankar also emphasized the historical injustice that the victors of the Second World War have made
by not recognizing the contributions and the sacrifices that were made by the Indians.
The Foreign Minister reminded China about the contribution of the Indian Physicians in 1938 when Japan
Invaded China. The Indian Medical Mission led by Dwarkanath Kotnis performed operations for up to 72
hours without any sleep. More than 800 wounded Chinese Soldiers were treated by the Mission.
In an oblique manner, the Indian Foreign Minister reminded China about the significance of building a
durable world order by respecting international laws for promoting the common good and supporting
multilateralism.
India calls for 50% Staff Reduction after Pakistan violates Vienna Convention
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On 23 June 2020, within the next 7 days, the External Affairs Ministry of India has decided to reduce the
staff strength of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad by 50% and has also directed the Pakistan
Government to implement the same by reducing 50% of its staff from its Pakistan High Commission in New
Delhi.
This significant downgrading of diplomatic ties is due to:
1. The abduction and barbaric treatment with two Indian high Commission staff at Islamabad at
gunpoint by Pakistan Government officials on 17th June 2020. The two Indian High Commission staff
returned to India on 22nd June, the level of severe ill-treatment experienced by them at the hands of
Pakistan Government Agencies highlights the continued effort of the Pakistan Government over the
decades to intimidate the Indian High Commission in Islamabad from carrying on their legitimate
diplomatic functions.
2. Two Pakistan High Commission staff was caught red-handed in acts of espionage by the Indian
Officials in New Delhi on 31st May 2020. These two Pakistan High Commission staff was also dealing
with terrorist outfits. These two Pakistani Citizens were immediately expelled from their duties and
were made to return to Pakistan on the same day. Over the years India has continuously expressed its
concern on the activities of the Pakistan High Commission staff in New Delhi.
With this incongruous behavior by the Pakistani Agencies with the two Indian High Commission staffs,
Pakistan has violated the Vienna Convention Treaty and also the bilateral agreements between the two
countries.
Indigenously Developed ULV Sprayer successfully completed Trials for Locust Control
With the rise in limitations for importing equipment, the Mechanization and Technology Division of the
Department of Agricultural Co-operation & Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW) led the initiative for developing
indigenous vehicle mounted ULV (Ultra Low Volume) Sprayer for Locust Control. The indigenously
developed prototype had completed the trials successfully. Trials were conducted at Ajmer and Bikaner
districts of Rajasthan.
To date, the United Kingdom-based firm-Micron Sprayers was the sole supplier of vehicle-mounted sprayers
to India. Out of the 60 such spray equipment last ordered in February 2020 from the supplier, 15 has been
delivered to date.
Demerit of Vehicle Mounted Sprayer
One demerit of the vehicle-mounted sprayer is that it can spray to a maximum height of between 25 to 30
feet as a result of which its use is limited, can’t be used for tall trees, and inaccessible areas.
Necessity for Aerial Spray
Citing the limitations of the vehicle-mounted sprayer, the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
has impaneled two firms for providing a spray of pesticides with the help of drones. Further, an Empowered
Committee was constituted for the procurement of the goods and services required for the aerial spray of
pesticides.
This Committee recommended 5 companies for the work order engagement of Drones. Each of the 5
companies has been issued 5 drones each. In a phased manner, 12 drones have been already deployed at 5
districts of Rajasthan to date.
India became the first country in the world that is using Drones for controlling desert locust, this effort
made by India was appreciated by the specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for improving
food security and nutrition by defeating hunger across the world-the Food and Agricultural Organization
(FAO).
President Halimah Yacob dissolves Parliament, 2020 Singapore General Election will be held on
10th July
In the midst of a global pandemic, the Elections Department of Singapore had announced on 23rd June 2020
that the 2020 General Election will be held on the 10 th of July 2020. This announcement came after
President of Singapore, Halimah Yacob had dissolved the ongoing 13th Parliament of Singapore earlier on
the same day.
The announcement that the Parliament has been dissolved was made by the Prime Minister of Singapore,
Lee Hsien Loong. The Prime Minister justified his actions for calling an imminent election at the time of a
global pandemic by stating that the COVID-19 outbreak is relatively stable in the country, further he assured
that for the elections to be carried out safely, actions such as- suspension of mass rallies, an increased
number of polling stations, designated time-bands for the senior citizens to vote, etc will be taken.

In order to reduce the risks of virus transmission, the Election Department issued further safety guidelines
that the political parties will be required to follow, such as for door-to-door campaigns a maximum of 5
persons will be allowed in a group, etc.
Parliament of Singapore
It is a unicameral parliament with 105 seats. 47 seats is the majority mark that is required by a political
party or coalition to form a government.
Out of 105, 93 members are elected through the Parliamentary Elections, 3 seats are reserved under
the Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) while the remaining 9 seats are reserved for the
Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP).
The 3 NCMP seats are for those who have lost in the General Elections of the Parliament but are
among the best performing losers (top 3 those who have lost in the General Election by least Margin).
9 NMP members are appointed directly by the President of Singapore.
Reliance JioTV & Haryana Government Signs Agreement to benefit 5.2 Million School Children
On 23rd June 2020, the Education Minister of Haryana has announced that the Haryana State Government
has signed an agreement under the Chief Minister’s Distance Learning Programme with Reliance Industries
Limited’s subsidiary company Jio. The agreement signed is to provide education to school children in the
rural areas of the state.
Schools across the state were closed in the month of March 2020 following a nationwide lockdown to
combat COVID-19, after 3 months, today it’s still uncertain on when the schools will re-open.
About the Agreement
The agreement is signed with the aim to impart education to every school student in the state without
jeopardizing social distancing norms.
The four channels of EDUSAT will be available free of cost on the live television streaming application of
Jio- JioTV. The content that will be live broadcasted on the channels of EDUSAT will also be available in
recorded mode on the JioTV platform that will enable students to watch and study as per their convenience.
The agreement will benefit a combined 52 lakh (5.2 million) students of both government and private
schools in the state of Haryana.
Foundation Stone Laid for the First Hindu Temple in Pakistan’s Capital
rd
On 23 June 2020, the foundation stone for the first Hindu Temple in Pakistan’s capital city Islamabad was
laid. The temple is the first to be constructed in Islamabad since the Independence of Pakistan.
The temple will be devoted to Lord Krishna. The name of the temple will be Shri Krishna Mandir. The name
of the temple was decided by the Islamabad Hindu Panchayat.
The construction of the temple would cost Rs 10 crore (in Pakistani Rupee). The cost will be borne by the
Pakistan Government as per their Religious Affairs Minister.
The 20,000 sq ft plot was is located at the H-9/2 area of Islamabad. This plot was allotted back in January
2017 to the Islamabad Hindu Panchayat by the Capital Development Authority (CDA). CDA allotted the plot
for the construction of Hindu temple following the orders from Pakistan’s National Commission for Human
Rights. The foundation stone ceremony was attended by Lal Chand Malhi (Pakistan’s Parliamentary
Secretary on Human Rights).
After Islam, the second largest religion in Pakistan is Hinduism. As per Pakistan Hindu Council, the total
Hindu population of Pakistan is less than 4 percent of the total population of Pakistan (21.22 crore-
Population of Pakistan in 2018), which is 8 million (80 lakh) as of 2018.
Cabinet Approves Ordinance to bring UCBs and MSCBs under RBI supervision
The decision to bring Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) and Multi-State Cooperative Banks (MSCBs) under
the supervision of India’s Central Bank- the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was taken on 24th June 2020 during

a meeting of the Union Cabinet.
The ordinance will immediately come into effect from the date of signature of the President of India.
Background
The decision was taken by the Government following the financial irregularities of the Punjab & Maharashtra
Cooperative (PMC) Bank that was unearthed in the month of September 2019.
Benefit for Depositors
RBI’s supervision means that the 8.6 crore depositors of these 1482 UCBs and 58 MSCBs around the
country will be able to get the added protection and comfort that are at present applicable for the scheduled
commercial banks in the country, such as Bank Deposit Insurance to per depositor of up to Rs 5 lakh, etc.
Announced During the Finance Budget
Earlier on 1st February 2020, the Finance Minister during her Budget Speech had announced that the
Cooperative Banks will be brought under the Supervision of RBI. The Cabinet cleared the amendment Bill on
5th February 2020 following which the Banking Regulations (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was introduced in Lok
Sabha on 3rd March 2020. However, the Bill could not be passed as the Budget Session was curtailed due to
the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Union Cabinet Approves Private Sector Participation in Space Activities
The move to leapfrog India’s space activities into the next stage by transforming the Indian Space Sector for
the future challenges was made during a meeting of the Union Cabinet on 24th June 2020.
Under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, to further advance India’s capabilities
in the space sector, the Cabinet approved the participation of the private sector in various space activities.
This long-awaited move from the Indian Government is highly significant in order to establish India’s
position as one of the important players in the global space economy.
The decision will bring new energy and dimension to the entire space sector, which in the long run will also
help in building an AtmaNirbhar Bharat by making the space sector self-reliant and technologically
advanced.
Role of IN-SPACe and NSIL
The Cabinet has approved setting up of Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre
(IN-SPACe). Through friendly regulatory and encouraging policies, IN-SPACe will have the
responsibility to guide the private sector in various space activities.
State-owned enterprise New Space India Limited (NSIL) was founded in March 2019. The NSIL will
have the responsibility to change the economic and social policies for encouraging the private sector
in space activities by making Indian Space Sector demand-driven from the current supply-driven
model.
Devika and Puneja Bridges Inaugurated in Jammu & Kashmir
Through the virtual platform, Jitendra Singh (Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern
Region I/C) had inaugurated Border Roads Organisation (BRO) constructed bridges- Devika and Puneja on
24th June 2020.
Devika Bridge
The bridge is located at Udhampur of Jammu & Kashmir. Built at a cost of Rs 75 lakhs, the bridge fulfilled
70-year-old demand of the locals of the nearby region. Headquarters of the Indian Armies Northern
Command is situated at Udhampur. Apart from solving traffic issues, the bridge will provide a smooth
passage for the vehicles and convoys of the Indian army. The bridge is 10 meters long.
Puneja Bridge
The bridge is located in Bhaderwah town in Doda district of Jammu & Kashmir. The cost of constructing the
bridge was Rs 4 crore. The bridge is 50 meters long.

Border Roads Organisation (BRO)
The Former and First Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru is credited as the founder of the Border
Roads Organisation (BRO). It is headquartered in New Delhi and was founded on 7th May 1960. At present,
BRO operates under 18 projects in the country. It maintains across 32,885 Kilometers of road and more than
12,200 meters of permanent bridges across the country.
Scheme with Guarantee Cover worth Rs 20,000 Crore launched for MSMEs
This scheme was announced as a part of the AtmaNirbhar Bharat Package by Finance Minister back on 13th
May 2020. On 24th June 2020, the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Sub-ordinate Debt (CGSSD) was launched.
The scheme is also called as Distressed Assets Fund- Sub- Ordinate Debt for MSMEs.
Union Minister of Medium, Small and Marginal Enterprises (MSMEs) Nitin Gadkari launched the scheme.
After consultation with the Reserve Bank of India, SIDBI, and the Ministry of Finance, the scheme was
approved by the Committee on Economic Affairs.
Background
As a result of nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19, most of the economic activities
came to a halt across the globe. In India as well, the livelihood of millions of people is dependent on the
MSME sector.
As per data available to the Government, the biggest challenge that was faced by these MSMEs was in
getting capital for restarting their businesses.
About the Scheme
The scheme will provide support to about 2 lakh MSMEs across the country. Rs 20,000 crores of guarantee
cover have been sanctioned under the scheme.
The guarantee cover under the scheme will be provided from banks to the promoters. Only those promoters,
who’s MSMEs have either become a Non-Performing Asset (NPA) or are financially stressed as on 30th April
2020 will be eligible for the scheme.
Through Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Mirco and Small Enterprises (MSEs), the scheme will be
implemented.
Decisions taken by the Union Cabinet on 24th June to Boost Infrastructure Projects
In order to boost Infrastructure projects across all the sectors at a time of a global pandemic, several
decisions were taken by the Union Cabinet under the chairmanship of Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi
on 24th June 2020.
Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF)
The aim of setting up AHIDF is to unlock private sector investments in the animal husbandry sector.
Through the fund, Infrastructural developments will be promoted in dairy, animal feed, and meat processing
plants. As per Government estimate, the fund will help in creating up to 35 lakh jobs across the country.
The total budget for the fund is Rs 15,000 crores. Beneficiaries of the fund will be MSMEs, Farmer Producer
Organisations (FPOs), private Companies, Section 8 companies, and Individual Entrepreneurs working in the
Animal Husbandry Sector.
Beneficiaries will be provided with a 3 percent interest subvention by the Government of India.
Uttar Pradesh’s Khushinagar Airport declared as an International Airport
Khushinagar is a Buddhist pilgrimage town where Gautama Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana. The move
will provide a much-needed boost to the tourism sector of the country in the post-COVID-19 world as
International connectivity will increase number of foreign and as well as domestic tourists. This will lead to
significant economic development in and around the region.
USD 121.27 million approved for Shwe Oil & Gas Project in Myanmar
ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) was given approval by the Government with an additional Rs 909 crore (USD

121.27 million) for further development of the Shwe Oil & Gas project. The Shwe Oil & Gas Project is located
in Myanmar. The project is a part of the consortium of companies. Apart from India, companies from
Myanmar and South Korea are also a part of the Shwe project. From India, state-owned company GAIL is
also a co-investor in the project.
In July 2013, the first gas from the project was received. OVL has invested Rs 3,949 crore on the Shwe gas
project until 31st March 2019. Since 2014-15 the project has given investors positive cash flows.
The additional investment provided to OVL will further help in the continuous development of the Shwe
Project. The success of this oil and gas exploration project in a neighbouring country will help India in
strengthing its energy security needs. It is also important for the overall global and as well as regionally for
India to develop such energy bridges with the neighbours.
June 25, 2020
World’s First Yoga University outside India, Vivekananda Yoga University launched in Los Angeles
The world’s first Yoga University outside India was launched on 23rd June 2020 at United State’s Los
Angeles city. The Yoga University has been named after Swami Vivekananda. The university will be known
by the name- Vivekananda Yoga University. The University was launched as a part of the commemorations
for the 6th International Yoga Day.
The virtual launch event was organized at New York City’s Consulate General of India. V. Muraleedharan
(Union Minister of State for External Affairs) and PP Chaudhary (Chairperson of the Standing Committee on
External Affairs) jointly launched the Vivekananda Yoga University during the virtual event.
Programs based on the ancient traditional Indian practice of yoga will be offered at the university with a
combination of scientific principles and modern research approaches. For offering yoga-based higher
education programs, the approval and official recognition for the launch of the university was received in
November 2019 from California’s Bureau of Private Post-secondary Education.
Chancellor of SVYASA- Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (Deemed University at
Bengaluru for the study of yoga), Dr. H R Nagendra will be the first Chairman of the Vivekananda Yoga
University. SVYASA was founded in the year 2002, it is the first Yoga University of India and also of the
World.
Faculties for the Vivekananda Yoga University have been recruited from SVYASA. The first day of classes
for the fall 2020 semester of the University will commence on 24th August 2020. Online Master’s Program in
Yoga (M.S Yoga) will also be offered by the University.
Pakistan gets another extension on FATF Grey List despite failure to act against terror groups
During the 3rd & and the last Plenary and Working Groups Meeting of the Global anti-money laundering
watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) for the current FATF plenary year on 24th June 2020, Pakistan
again managed to escape from entering the ‘Blacklist’ despite its continuing failure to act against terrorist
organizations. The FATF plenary and Working Groups meeting was originally scheduled to be held in Beijing,
China, but due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, it was conducted virtually through video conferencing.
Under the FATF Chairmanship of China, it was certain that Pakistan will be given another extension until the
next FATF Plenary and Working Group meeting in October 2020.
Background
Pakistan’s performance in implementing the 27-point action given by FATF during its Plenary Meeting in
June 2018 was under review during the June 2020 Plenary meet. Pakistan has given more than a year for
implementing the 27-point action plan, but Islamabad failed to implement 22 out of the 27 action-points,
this was informed during the FATF’s plenary meet in October 2019.
In October 2019 meeting, Pakistan was given an extension to implement all the remaining 22 action points
by February 2020. In February 2020, Pakistan failed to implement 13 out of the total 27 action-points of the
FATF, as a result of which another extension for four months until June 2020 Plenary Meet was granted.
Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
FATF was founded in 1989 as per the initiative taken by the G& countries for developing global policies that
can combat money laundering and financing for terrorism activities. It is headquartered in Paris, France.
FATF plenary year begins in the month of July every year and ends in the month of June next year. Every
year a total of 3 Plenary and Working group meetings of the FATF are conducted in the months of October,
February, and June.
For the FATF year from 1st July 2019 to 30th June 2020, China has the Presidency of FATF. From 1st July
2020, Germany will take over the Presidency of FATF until 30th June 2021.
World’s Longest Internet Shutdown in Myanmar enters 2nd year
st
On 21 June 2019, the mobile internet services were shut down by the Myanmar Government in eight
townships of the conflict-hit Rakhine State and in one township in Chin State. Between September 2019 to
February 2020 the restrictions were lifted in 5 states but were again reinstated. In Maungdaw township of
Rakhine State, the restrictions were lifted on 2 nd May 2020. The internet services for the remaining
townships will remain shut down till the 1 st of August 2020, this was announced by the Ministry of
Transportation and Communication of the Myanmar Government.
Background
Since January 2019, the Myanmar Government has been engaged in battle with the Arakan Army (Rakhine
Armed Group). This insurgent group is fighting for the independence of ethnic Rakhine Buddhists.
Rising Criticism for the Myanmar Government
As lack of information would result in an underreported shortage of essential services from food, water to
medical aid, etc. At a time of a global pandemic, suspension of internet services would have also made it
difficult for the people living in these townships to get proper information about the safety standard
protocols related to COVID-19.
The move of the Myanmar Government has continued to draw criticism from both the domestic as well as
International Human Rights Organizations. As per Myanmar’s Telecommunication law’s Article 77, the
Government can suspend the service during an emergency situation. Various Human Rights Organizations
now call for the amendment of the Article as it is not in line with the international standards for freedom of
expression.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to set up Permanent Base in the Indian Ocean
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has announced that it will set up its permanent military base in the
Indian ocean by March next year. The announcement was made by Alireza Tangsiri on 23rd June 2020.
Alireza Tangsiri is the Navy Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The Navy Commander informed that the move of setting up a Permanent Base in the Indian Ocean is as per
the instructions by Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He further added that the move of
setting up a permanent presence far away from the country in the waters was taken as a result of repeated
harassment faced by Iranian Fishermen in the ocean from pirates and even encroachments made by foreign
vessels in the Indian Ocean and the Sea of Oman.
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was established on the order of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (1st
Supreme Leader of Iran). It is a branch of the Iranian Armed Forces. It was founded on 22nd April 1979 after
the Iranian Revolution.
At present, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is designated as a terrorist organization by the United
States, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain.

China annexes parts of Nepal by diverting the flow of Rivers that acted as Natural Boundary
A report prepared by Nepal’s Agricultural Ministry’s Survey Department has indicated that China has
diverted the flow of rivers in certain areas of the Nepal-China border. These rivers act as a natural boundary
between the two countries.
As per the report, in a total of 11 places where the Chinese have encroached the Nepalese territory, in 10
places China has diverted the flow of rivers for encroachment. In these 10 places, the total area of Nepalese
land encroached by China is said to be around 33 hectares.
Highlights from the Report
Humla District: Route of Bagdare Khola River and Karnali River are diverted. By this diversion, China
has annexed 10 hectares of land under its Tibet Autonomous Region.
Rasuwa District: Routes of 3 rivers- Jambu Khola, Sinjen, and Bhurjuk are diverted. The total area of
about 6 hectares annexed in this district.
Sindhupalchowk District: In this district, a total of 11 hectares of land has already been claimed by
China as its own territory. This was done by diverting the route of Bhote Kosi and Kharane Khola
rivers.
Sankhuwasabha District: Routes of 3 rivers- Arun, Sumjung, and Kam Khola are diverted. The total
area annexed by China in this district is 9 hectares.
China have also annexed Nepalese Villages Rui and Teigha
Another report that was published by media houses in Nepal claims that 2 villages in the northern part of
the Gorkha district have been annexed by China. The name of the villages is Rui and Teigha. These villages
are currently included in the map of Nepal (also included in the newly amended map of Nepal that was
passed on 13th June). But as per the reports, the boundary pillars that demarcated as the border between
the two countries have been removed.
Mobile Application ‘eBloodServices’ launched by Union Health Minister
As the COVID-19 pandemic has restricted activities and movement of people across the globe, one
challenge that has emerged for all the States and as well as Central Government of India is in ensuring safe
blood for the citizens who require regular blood donation for blood or bleeding disorders such as
hemophilia, etc.
On 25th June 2020, a mobile application named ‘eBloodServices’ was launched for the citizens of the
national capital New Delhi by Dr. Harsh Vardhan (Union Health Minister). The mobile application is an
initiative of the Indian Red Cross Society. Mobile blood collection units will be sent across all localities of
New Delhi by the Indian Red Cross Society for conducting blood donation camps. This will help in ensuring
no shortage of blood in the city.
Through the app, the government aims to end the worries of those who require regular blood by bringing
transparency in the blood donation program. The mobile application will provide information about the
availability of blood in blood banks in the city. A person will be able to place orders for four units of blood at
a time.
The ‘eBloodServices’ mobile application is developed by the ERaktkosh team of Centre for Development of
Advanced Computing (C-DAC).
Gujarat, Tripura, and Nagaland Best Performing States in Annual TB Report 2020
With a focus on eliminating Tuberculosis(TB) from the country by 2025, in January 2020 the Government of
India renamed the ‘National Tuberculosis Control Program’ to the ‘National Tuberculosis Elimination
Program’. In a virtual event, the Annual TB Report 2020 was released on 24th June 2020. The Report was
released by Dr. Harsh Vardhan (Union Health Minister).

Highlights from the Report
New cases notified in 2019 in India: 24.04 lakh. This as compared to 2018, amounts for a 14%
increase in TB notification. Out of 24.04 lakh new cases, 6,64,584 cases were reported from the
private healthcare sector.
Expanded provision of financial assistance provided through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to
beneficiaries of 4 schemes under the NIKSHAY System
Almost every rural area in the country has been covered with the help of more than 4.5 lakh DOT
Centres.
Number of missing cases significantly reduced to 2.9 lakh as compared to above 10 lakh missing
cases in 2017
HIV testing for all notified TB patients increased to 81 % in 2019. This was 67% in 2018.
Best Performers
States were divided based on their population as larger and smaller states. All states having more than 50
lakh population were under larger states while states with less than 50 lakh population were under smaller
states.
In the larger state category, Gujarat was awarded as the best-performing state followed by Andhra Pradesh
and Himanchal Pradesh at 2nd and 3rd place. In smaller states, both Nagaland and Tripura were awarded as
best performers.
Among Union Territories, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu was awarded as the best performer.
RCEP Member States hope India will Rejoin the Proposed Trade Agreement
A virtual inter-sessional ministerial meeting of the proposed free trade agreement of a group of 15 countries
from the Indo Pacific region- Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) was conducted on 23rd
June 2020. Apart from the 10 ASEAN countries, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia and China are
the 15 countries that are negotiating for the free trade agreement.
Since the outbreak of the global pandemic in March 2020, this was the 3rd major RCEP meet, earlier the 29th
and the 30th RCEP Trade Negotiating Committee meeting were conducted in the months of April and May in
which all the 15 participating countries have reaffirmed to sign the agreement in 2020.
The economic crisis that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought has accelerated the RCEP negotiations over
the last months as all the 15 countries under the negotiating agreement are looking for a larger market for
their economic recovery. As a result, India with a population of more than 130 crores is being recognized as
a valuable participant under the free trade agreement.
In a joint statement released after the ministerial-level meeting of RCEP countries on 24th June 2020, it was
stated that the RCEP group remains open for India, the participation of India in RCEP will contribute to the
prosperity and overall advancement of the region.
India’s stance to RCEP
India pulled out of the RCEP group in November 2019 as opening up the market through this free trade
agreement can put the domestic manufacturers and producers of India at risk of getting swamped by
imports from China.
Also, India has already a trade deficit with 11 out of the 15 countries participating in the RCEP agreement.
World Bank Approves USD 500 Million to Bangladesh for Improving Road Connectivity
World Bank has approved a loan amount of USD 500 million to Bangladesh on 23rd June 2020. The amount
was approved for improving road connectivity along the Jashore-Jhenaidah corridor that will benefit 4
western districts of Bangladesh. This will be Phase I of the overall USD 1.4 billion multi-phase projects of
the World Bank for improving road connectivity in Bangladesh.
The World Bank stated that the western districts of Bangladesh are endowed with much natural and

agricultural produce. The project once completed will have great economic potential for the entire region.
Phase I of the Project
Phase I of the project for which USD 500 million has been approved is named as Western Economic Corridor
and Regional Enhancement (WeCARE). In this phase, an existing 110 Km of two-lane highway will be
upgraded to a safer and climate-resilient four-lane highway. This 110 Km project will be part of the
Bangladesh Government’s larger plan of developing an economic corridor of 260 km in the western part of
the country.
Between Jhenaidah and Jashore, 48 Km will also be upgraded on the N7 highway under the Phase I. Apart
from this, 600 Km of rural roads that connect 32 rural markets will also be improved under this Phase.
Karnataka amends its Industries (Facilitation) Act for Attracting Investments
th
On 25 June 2020, Under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister of Karnataka BS Yediyurappa the State Cabinet
of the Karnataka state government has made amendments to sections of ‘The Karnataka Industries
(Facilitation) Act, 2002’. An ordinance will be issued by the state government soon for the amendments to
come into effect.
The amendment was made with the aim of creating an investor-friendly environment in the state. The
amendment has simplified regulations and has reduced procedural requirements. The amendment will
improve the ease of doing business in the state. For the first three years, small and medium industries can
begin manufacturing without having to wait for statutory clearances.
The amendment made by the Karnataka Government will be applicable for all small, medium, and large
industries of the state. Gujarat and Rajasthan are the other states that have amended their Industries Act,
but in both these states, the amendment was made only for small industries.
Background
The Nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic has brought economic activities to a halt
throughout the country. Now, the slow transition of the economy and the uncertainty of when things could
normalize have added further pressure on most state governments across the country due to an acute fund
crunch.
In order to generate employment, the state government of Karnataka had amended the Factories Act on 22nd
May 2020 under which all factories were exempted from provisions of daily and weekly stipulated hours
until 21st August 2020.
CM KCR launched the sixth phase of Haritha Haram Programme
By planting a sapling of a Black Plum at Medak districts Narsapur forest is on 25th June 2020, the Chief
Minister of Telangana K Chandrashekhar Rao has launched the sixth phase of the Haritha Haram
Programme. The Chief Minister also inaugurated a 636 acre Urban Forest Park at Narsapur.
Under the sixth phase of the programme, the target has been set to plant 30 crore saplings across the state.
Out of the 30 crores, 50 lakh saplings will be planted in Medak district. The large scale tree plantation
programme has also generated employment in the state as the pits for the plantation of saplings are dug
under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).
Haritha Haram Programme
The programme was launched on 3rd July 2015 by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao. Through the
programme, the Telangana state government has set a target to increase the forest cover in the state to 33
per cent from the 24 per cent (as per 2015 records) by planting a total of 230 crore saplings across the
state.
As per records, a total of 182 crore saplings have been planted to date across the state. The saplings are
planted across the state with the help of departments such as forest, municipal administration, Panchayati
raj and rural development etc.

June 26, 2020
26th June: International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
In order to make societies across the world free of drug abuse, on 7 th December 1987, by adopting
resolution 42/112, the United Nations General Assembly declared 26 th June to be observed as the
International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
The Theme for 2020 International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking: Better Knowledge for
Better Care
Focus of 2020 Theme
For countering the impact that drug has on our societies, it is important that cross border cooperation
increases among countries across the globe. This will help in restricting the negative effects of many kinds
of misinformation that has caused challenges for the authorities involved in addressing the drug problem.
Drug trafficking has hindered the overall development of many developing countries over the years, as the
financially weaker sections of society fall prey to various drug or trafficking networks for monetary stability
in life. For countering this, understanding has to improve for which better knowledge through greater
international cooperation is important for countering these negative impacts on society.
Significance of the Day in 2020
As per the World Drug Report 2020, if 2009 data are compared to the 2018’s, there has been a 30 percent
increase in the number of drug consumers across the globe. 269 million people have used drugs in 2018.
At a time of a global pandemic, the day is to encourage individuals, private sectors, non-profit organizations,
and the Governments across the world to continue their efforts in raising awareness about the adverse
health consequences of drugs through social media campaigns.
Behaviour Change Campaign launched by NITI Aayog
A behaviour change campaign named ‘Navigating the New Normal’ was launched on 25th June 2020 by NITI
Aayog. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is a partner for the behavior change campaign.
Aim of the Campaign
As the country is now in an Unlock phase, the aim is to develop an appropriate COVID safe behavior in the
country, such as by making people adapt to wearing masks as a part of their daily routine. Until a vaccine is
developed, it is essential for the citizens of the country to adopt certain behavioral changes in their day to
day life by practicing hand hygiene, wearing masks, etc.
About the Campaign
The behaviour change campaign has been designed under the guidance of the Empowered Group 6 (this
Group addresses issues related to COVID-19 response activities through effective solutions and formulation
of plans).
The behaviour change campaign has two parts:
1. The Web Portal (http://www.covidthenewnormal.com/): It contains behavioral norms required for
being COVID-safe.
2. Media Campaign: As the pandemic has restricted the movement of people across the country, people
are spending more time watching television or on the internet. The aim of the behaviour change
campaign will reach millions across the country through advertisements, animation for children,
virtual awareness campaigns on social networking sites, etc.
Liverpool wins 2019-20 English Premier League title
Following Manchester City’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea on 25th June 2020, Liverpool clinched the 2019-20 English
Premier League season with 7 games still left in the season. This is the first time that Liverpool has won
the English Premier League title.
As of 26th June 2020, Liverpool by winning 28 of their 31 games in the season has accumulated 86 points.
Manchester City with 63 points in 31 games is at the second place of the standing table. With 7 games
remaining in the season, 3 points are being awarded for winning a game, if Liverpool loses their remaining 7
games as well then also Manchester City can finish the 2019-20 season with a maximum of 84 points.
Liverpool’s performance has been exceptional since the last 2 years as they became the only English Club in
2019 to win the International treble of UEFA Champions League 2018-19, UEFA Super Cup 2019, and also
the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup.
Overall, this was the 19th title for Liverpool in the 1st tier of club football in England and also the first since
1989-90 season. The English Premier League replaced English Football League in the year 1992 as the 1st
Tier of English football.
PM launches Atma Nirbhar Uttar Pradesh Rojgar Abhiyan
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a 125-day campaign on 26th June 2020 that will provide
employment migrant and daily wage workers in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The campaign is called Atma
Nirbhar Uttar Pradesh Rojgar Abhiyan. The campaign was launched through video conferencing in the
presence of Yogi Adityanath (Chief Minister Uttar Pradesh).
It was also announced that 5000 tool kits will also be distributed under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Initiative in
the state.
The mega job scheme launched by Prime Minister today is part of the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan that
was launched on 20th June 2020 by Prime Minister himself.
The Campaign launched today will focus on providing employment in a total of 31 districts of Uttar Pradesh.
There are more than 25,000 returnee migrant workers in each of the 31 districts. More than 30 lakh (3
million) migrant workers have returned in the state of Uttar Pradesh following the loss of employment in
urban cities of the country after the nationwide lockdown was implemented in March 2020 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. Under the campaign, employment to migrant workers in the remaining 44 districts of
the state and for other daily wage workers in the state those who require a job will also be provided.
How the Abhiyan will be implemented?
Different departments of the Central & State government have been assigned to provide under the campaign
to those who need it. 25 works related to public infrastructure and for improvement of livelihood
opportunities have been chosen for the campaign such as the construction of rural houses under Pradhan
Mantri Awas Yojana, plantation drives, construction of roads under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, etc.
Work will be provided based on the skill set of the workers.
Russia’s Energia plans to take First Tourist on Space Walk in 2023
th
On 25 June 2020, Russian Company- S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia (also known as
RSC Energia) has announced that it will take the first tourist for a spacewalk in 2023. The announcement
came after RSC Energia has signed a deal with Space Adventures (space tourism company in the United
States). RSC Energia is a part of the Roscosmos (Russia’s space agency).
As per the deal, two tourists will be sent to the International Space Station (ISS) in the year 2023 under the
joint agreement of both the companies. From the end of RSC Energia, one of the two tourists will be able to
do a spacewalk together with a cosmonaut from Roscosmos.
Between 2001 to 2009, Space Adventures along with the Russian Space Agency has taken eight tourists to
the ISS. In 2001, Dennis Tito (a businessman from the United States) became the World’s First Private
Space Explorer (first paying space tourist in the world). Since 2009, no other space tourist program has
been conducted in the world. None of the space tourists to date have done a spacewalk.
Background
The announcement came a month after SpaceX (the United States-based space transportation services and
aerospace manufacturer company) broke the monopoly of the Russian space agency. Until 30th May 2020,

only Russian Space Agency Roscosmos had the technology to successfully able to carry Humans to space.
All Human Space Flight missions until 30 th May 2020 were conducted with the help of Russian crew
spacecraft Soyuz. On 30th May 2020, Falcon 9 rocket of SpaceX successfully carried two astronauts of
NASA to the ISS.
SpaceX in February 2020 has also signed an agreement with Space Adventures. Under the agreement, both
the companies have planned to carry a space tourism trip next year. The number of space tourists for the
trip will be 3. Spacewalk for the tourists under this trip is not a part of the agreement yet.
Mukhyamantri Matru Pushti Uphaar announced by Tripura Government
Tripura ‘s Social Welfare and Social Education Minister has announced on 24th June 2020 that the State
Government will launch an ambitious scheme named Mukhyamantri Matru Pushti Uphaar under which
nutrition Kits will be provided to pregnant and lactating women.
The Central Government’s Pradhan Mantri Matru Bandana Yojana will also be applicable in the state for
pregnant and lactating women.
Objective of the Scheme
The objective of the scheme by the State Government is to combat infant and maternal mortality in the
state. The nutrition Kit provided under the scheme will further help the state government in its efforts
against malnutrition.
About the Scheme
At the Primary Health Centers of the state, pregnant women would undergo periodic check-ups. The
nutrition kit will be provided to them from the Primary Health Centers after the checkup. A pregnant woman
will be eligible for 4 such Nutrition Kits, this Kits will be provided after periodical check-ups.
The Kit would contain food items and grocery supplies such as jaggery, ghee, soyabeans, mixed pulses, etc.
Expenses for Scheme
Each Nutrition Kit would cost Rs 500 to the State Government. Through the scheme, at least 40,000 women
would be benefited in the state every year, based on it, the State Government is expecting an expenditure of
Rs 8 crore under the scheme every year.
Cleared of Doping Charges, K. Sanjita Chanu to receive Arjuna Award
Secretary of Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF) has informed on 25th June 2020 that K. Sanjita Chanu
will receive the Arjuna Award for 2018. The two time Commonwealth Games Gold medalist was cleared of
doping charges earlier this month by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF). The Secretary of IWF
has also informed that the Sports Ministry has confirmed that K. Sanjita Chanu will be awarded Arjuna
Award for 2018.
Doping Charges and Non-Conformities by USADA Laboratory
In May 2020, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) had suspended the accreditation of the laboratory of
the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) was the sample of the Indian weightlifter was tested positive
for testosterone (a banded anabolic steroid) back in November 2017 prior to the 2017 World Weightlifting
Championships in Anaheim, United States. Following this, Sanjita Chanu was provisionally suspended on
15th May 2018.
WADA suspended the accreditation of the laboratory citing certain ‘non-conformities’ in handling the test
samples of the Indian weightlifter by the USADA laboratory during analysis. This was informed to IWLF by
WADA on 28th May 2020 after which in June 2020 Sanjita Chanu was cleared of all doping charges by IWF.
Sanjita Chanu
Born in Kakching district of Manipur, 26-year-old Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu has won Gold Medal in
Commonwealth Games twice in 2014 (48 Kg category) and in 2018 (53 Kg category).

Indigenously Developed Torpedo Decoy System Inducted by Indian Navy
The Indian Navy has inducted an Indigenously developed Maareech capable Advanced Torpedo Decoy
System on 26th June 2020. The induction has provided a huge boost to the Indian Navy’s Anti-Submarine
Warfare Capabilities.
What is Torpedo Defence System?
A Torpedo is a self-propelled underwater missile that can be launched from a surface vessel, submarine,
and airplane. During a Torpedo attack, the Torpedo Defence System helps in detecting a torpedo and further
applying countermeasures that are required for the protection of the naval platform.
Trails with Prototype
The prototype of the Anti-Torpedo Decoy System had successfully completed the trails. During the
evaluation trials, the features demonstrated by the prototype has been as per the Qualification
Requirements set by the Naval Staff.
Design and Development
Naval Science & Technology Laboratory (NSTL) and Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) are
two laboratories of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The Anti-Torpedo Decoy
System has been designed and developed at these laboratories of DRDO.
Production
The production of the Anti-Torpedo Decoy System will be undertaken by Bengaluru headquartered state-
owned company Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).
Boost to Make-in-India
The successful induction of the Anti-Torpedo Decoy System has provided a massive boost to the Make-in-
India initiative. The success of the Indigenously developed Defence Technology will act as a confidence-
building measure for the entire domestic Defence Industry of the country, which further will help in building
an AtmaNirbhar Bharat.
Vini Mahajan become the First Woman Chief Secretary of Punjab
1987 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) batch officer Vini Mahajan became the Chief Secretary of Punjab
on 26th June 2020. With this, she became the First Woman to hold the position of Chief Secretary in Punjab.
She replaced Karan Avtar Singh who took over as Special Chief Secretary for Governance Reforms.
Vini Mahajan is also the First Woman Officer to hold the post of Deputy Commissioner in the state of
Punjab. She became the Deputy Commissioner of Ropar district in 1995.
Career Highlights
After completing 12th from Modern School, New Delhi, she completed her graduation in Economics from
Delhi University’s Lady Shri Ram College. She pursued her Post Graduation from Calcutta’s Indian Institute
of Management (IIM Calcutta).
She has numerous academic achievements under her name that includes the likes of National Talent Search
Scholarship, Roll of Honour from IIM Calcutta, etc.
In the Punjab State Government’s response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, she has played an important
role by steering various initiatives as a Chairperson of the Health Sector Response and Procurement
Committee of the Punjab Government.
She has held the post of Director in the Union Finance Ministry’s Department of Economic Affairs in
2004-05.
NASA’s headquarter building named after ‘Mary W.Jackson’
NASA has named it’s headquarter building at Washington D.C after its first African American Female
Engineer Mary W.Jackson. The announcement was made on 24th June 2020 by the Administrator of NASA.
The story of success of Mary W.Jackson was shown in the 2016 biographical drama Hidden Figures.

The street outside the headquarters of NASA at Washington D.C was renamed as Hidden Figures Way in
2019.
Mary W.Jackson
National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics recruited Mary W.Jackson in 1951. The Committee was
replaced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1958.
Mary W. Jackson started her professional career as a research mathematician at the Langley Research
Centre of NASA. Later she was promoted to become the first African American female engineer at NASA.
At the time when Martin Luther King, Jr. was fighting against discrimination (race, religion, national origin)
in the United States, Mary W. Jackson quietly the barriers in the field of engineering and technology. She
opened opportunities for African Americans and as well as for women by not accepting the status quo that
existed in the society.
Mary W.Jackson died in 2005. By naming the headquarter in her name, NASA has ensured that her
contribution made by her for the women, African-Americans, and people of all backgrounds will be
recognized for years to come.
USD 31.3 Billion Required by WHO-led coalition ‘ACT-Accelerator’ to fight against COVID-19
A coalition led by the World Health Organization (WHO) to combat the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic
has informed on 26th June 2020 that it would require USD 31.3 billion in the next 12 months for continuing
its fight against the pandemic.
As of today, the coalition has been able to collect USD 3.4 billion, which is 27.9 billion less than what they
would require to develop and deliver tests, treatment, and vaccines for the COVID-19. The coalition further
added that it would require USD 13.7 billion out of the USD 31.3 billion urgently.
About the WHO-led Coalition
The coalition is known by the name ACT-Accelerator initiative, where ACT stands for Access to COVID-19
Tools. The ACT-Accelerator was launched in April 2020 as a global initiative by the WHO. Under the
coalition, many public and private organizations involved in drug-development to funding and distribution
are involved.
Aim of the ACT-Accelerator Initiative
Under the initiative, the coalition intends to develop 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of
2021. Out of the 2 billion, the coalition expects that the 1 billion will be bought by low and middle-income
countries.
At present, under the initiative, the aim is to scale up the development and delivery of 500 million COVID-19
test Kits.
June 27, 2020
Sero-Survey begins in New Delhi to determine the Spread of COVID-19
As a part of one of the five aspects of the revised COVID-19 response plan of New Delhi, the Delhi
Government jointly with National Centre for Disease Control will conduct the Sero Survey across the
National Capital from 27th June 2020.
Amidst a rising number of COVID-19 cases over the last one month, the Survey will help in determining the
extent of spread of the Coronavirus disease in New Delhi. 20,000 residents will be covered under the Survey
from all the 11 districts of New Delhi.
About the Sero-Survey
ELISA (Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) based antibody kit developed by the National Institute of
Virology (NIV) will be used for the Survey. A pilot Sero Survey was conducted in New Delhi by using the
antibody kit earlier in the month. Good results were yielded during the pilot Survey by using the anti-body
Kit. The antibody kit of NIV is known by the name ‘COVID Kavach ELISA’.
A Sero Survey is for determining the presence of antibodies in the blood sample of an individual. The
presence of the COVID-19 Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody in the blood sample of an individual will
suggest past exposure to the COVID-19 virus.
Immunoglobulin G (IgG) Antibody
The immune system develops the antibody Immunoglobulin G (IgG) in the blood and other body fluids for
protection against bacterial and viral infections. The antibody IgG develops in 7 to 12 days after an infection
or immunization.
27th June: Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Day
The United Nations on 6th April 2017 has adopted a resolution as per which 27th June to be observed every
year as the day of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME). The day was first observed in 2017, this
year marks the 4th MSME Day.
Importance of the Day
For achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, Governments across the globe are required to create an
environment for promoting innovation and creativity. For this, the importance of Micro, Small, and Medium-
sized Enterprises needs to be recognized. This will further help in encouraging the formalization and growth
of the MSME sector across the domestic and international markets. Globally, the MSME sector is the largest
employment provider and also the backbone of major economies.
As per the International Council for Small Business data, MSMEs on average contribute 50 percent in the
GDP and generate 70 percent employment in an economy. Most of the employment generated by MSMEs is
for the vulnerable sectors of our society.
MSME Day 2020
At the time of a global pandemic when millions across the world have lost their jobs, MSMEs are creating
the most significant employment and income generation opportunities, especially in rural areas. But as
countries across the globe have been imposing nationwide or partial lockdown, the business of the MSMEs
have also affected significantly. Their primary obstacle has been lack of access to financial support.
This year’s MSME day is to raise awareness and remind the governments of the important role that MSMEs
have played in their economy over the decades. Reviving the MSME sector through financial support can
revive the overall economy of a country.
Apollo Tyres commissions its Andhra Pradesh Manufacturing Plant
As per a 2016 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the State Government of Andhra
Pradesh and Gurugram headquartered Apollo Tyres Limited, the company will set up its new manufacturing
unit at Chittoor district of the state. The foundation stone of the manufacturing plant was laid on 9th January
2018 by the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
On 25th June 2020, the company has announced the commissioning of the Manufacturing plant that is
spread over 256 acres. Rs 3,800 crores were invested for setting up the state-of-the-art manufacturing
facility. Globally, this is the 7th manufacturing unit of Apollo Tyres and the 5th in India.
For setting up the highly automated manufacturing plant that will cater to both domestic and international
markets, It took 12 million (1.2 crores) man-hours of construction work, 35 million tonnes of steel used and
1.23 lakh cubic metre of concrete used.
The company has employed around 850 people at present (most hired locally) at its shop floor. The built-up
area facility is 2,16,000 square metres. The plant has a modular layout and uses Information Technology-
driven systems and robotics.
By 2022, through the manufacturing plant, the company has set a per-day target to roll out 15,000
passenger car tyres and 3,000 truck-bus radials.

‘At One Click’ Initiative launched by Gujarat Government for MSMEs & Other Bigger Industries
For 12,247 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and bigger industrial units (including the textile
industry) in the state, the Gujarat Government on 26th June 2020 has launched an online cash aid initiative.
The initiative is named as ‘At One Click’. The initiative was launched by the Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay
Rupani.
About the Initiative
‘At One Click’ is an online aid initiative for which the Gujarat Government has committed Rs 1,369 crore of
financial aid for the MSMEs and bigger industrial units (including the textile industry).
Objective of the Initiative
Through the initiative, the State Government looks to restore the former vibrancy of the state by motivating
sectors such as MSME, traders, bigger industries, and businesses. The online initiative is to encourage
these sectors for taking up the challenge that the COVID-19 crisis has bought and convert this into an
opportunity.
Launch of the Initiative
By transferring Rs 768 crore directly into the bank accounts of 12,247 MSMEs the initiative was launched.
Bigger industrial units that include textile industries as well will be transferred Rs 601 crore under the
initiative.
The Chief Minister at the launch of the initiative has informed that 1.3 lakh loan applications from MSMEs
and other industries have been received in the state under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Package of the Central
Government. The total loan amount of Rs 8,200 crore has been sanctioned as per the applications received
to date, out of this, Rs 4,175 crore has already been disbursed.
Democrat-led House of Representatives approves Statehood Bill for Washington D.C
th
On 26 June 2020, the lower house of the United States Congress the House of Representatives has voted
232-180 in favour of the Bill that would grant the United States capital Washington D.C statehood for the
first time since it was created 230 years ago.
However, with the Presidential Elections in November this year, the Bill introduced by Eleanor Holmes
Norton (non-voting member of the House of Representative from Washington D.C) seems unlikely to come
into force as the chances for the Bill to advance at the Senate (Upper House of the United States Congress)
seems unlikely. Also, the United States President has made it clear that he would ‘veto’ the Bill even if it is
passed at the Senate.
In 1790, Washington D.C was carved out from the states of Virginia and Maryland. D.C stands for District of
Columbia.
At present, at the House of Representatives, the Democratic Party has a clear majority with 233 seats out of
the total 435 seats. The United States President Trump’s Republican Party has 198 members at the House
of Representatives. Out of 233 Democrats, 232 have voted in favour of the Bill. The Republican Party has
voiced their opposition against the Bill from the beginning.
At the Senate, the Bill is even unlikely to be introduced as the Republican Party has a majority with 53 out of
the 100 seats. Democrats have 45 seats at the Senate.
Vote for Constitutional Reforms begins as Putin looks to lead Russia until 2036
th
On 25 June 2020, Voting for Constitutional Reforms in Russia had begun amid the outbreak of the global
COVID-19 pandemic. The voting was originally scheduled to be conducted on 22nd April 2020 had to be
rescheduled to 1st July 2020 following the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Russia. In order to maintain
social distancing and prevent any sort of overcrowding, the polling stations were opened a week earlier.
About the Constitutional Reforms
Vladimir Putin’s current term as the President of Russia ends in 2024. On 15th January 2020, President Putin
during his annual address to the Federal Assembly has announced amendments to 14 articles under the
1993 Constitution of Russia. For introducing these amendments, he called for a nationwide referendum or a
national vote.
As per the amendments, the term of the current (Vladimir Putin) and former (Dmitry Medvedev from
2008-2012) President of Russia will be reset or counted from 0 from 2024 so that either of them can be
elected as the President again in 2024. At present, a person can serve as the President of Russia for a
maximum of two consecutive terms. A term of the President of Russia is of 6 years.
3.5 Million Houses Handed Over to Beneficiaries under PMAY-U, Highlights from 5 Years of
PMAY-U, SCM, and AMRUT
On 25th June 2020, a webinar was conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to mark the 5
years of successful completion of the 3 Schemes. The Progress, Achievements, and Outcomes from the 3
schemes in the 5 years are:
Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT)
The Mission covers more than 60 percent of the urban population of the country.
Rs 77, 640 crores has been approved for projects under the State Annual Action Plans out which Rs
75, 829 has been sanctioned to date.
Drinking-Water Supply Projects- Rs 39,011 crore allocated for providing water to 1.39 crore
households
Sewerage and Septage Projects- Rs 32,546 crore allocated for providing the service to 1.45 crore
households
Energy-efficient LED Streetlights have replaced 76 lakh conventional streetlights (reduction in 13 lakh
tonnes of Carbon Dioxide emission per annum)
Online Building Permission System (OBPS) implemented
Smart Cities Mission (SCM)
Rs 1,66,000 crores of tender for projects have been issued to date out of which Rs 1,25,000 crores of
work orders have been issued. Additional 1000 projects worth Rs 32,500 have been tendered.
Integrated Command and Control Centres (ICCC) developed
In last one year, 1000 additional projects at a cost of RS 36000 have been completed
Start-up culture in Smart Cities under Smart Cities Mission started with joint efforts from Invest India
and AGNI
Urban Learning Internship Program (TULIP) developed
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Urban (PMAY-U)
Validated demand for 1.12 Crore houses in 5 years of the scheme
35 lakh (3.5 million) houses have been delivered to beneficiaries to date
65 lakh houses are under construction at the moment, this will generate 3.65 crore jobs as the
government has set a target to deliver 1.12 Crore houses under the scheme by 2022.
‘Sankalp Parva’ on the call of Prime Minister by Ministry of Culture from 28th June to 12th July
2020
The Union Ministry of Culture has announced on 27th June 2020 that on the call of Prime Minister Narendra
Modi the Ministry has decided to celebrate a 2-week long tree plantation campaign called ‘Sankalp Parva’
from 28th June to 12th July 2020. This was informed by the Union Minister of State for Culture (Independent
Charge) Prahlad Joshi.
During the nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the country has experienced the
importance of a clean and healthy environment. Under the Sankalp Parva, the Ministry of Culture has
recommended planting 5 tress: Bargad, Awla, Pepal, Ashok and Bel. These 5 trees represent the herbal
heritage of the country.
The Ministry has asked for the participation of all and has urged the organization to ensure that each
employee must plant at least one sapling of his/her choice. If the saplings of the above five trees are not
available, people can do plantation of any other sapling that is available.
Sankalp Parva will be celebrated across all the Subordinate Offices, Institutions affiliated & attached to the
Ministry and academies. For the success of the campaign, the Ministry has urged Institutions to ensure that
employees must take care of the sapling that they have planted until it survives and flourishes.
Nine-year-long dispute between Sudan, Ethiopia, and Egypt likely to end in Upcoming Weeks
On 26th June 2020, Ethiopia’s Water Minister has stated that a consensus had been reached between the
three countries(Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt) over the USD 4.5 billion worth Giant Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
and the dam will not be filled unilaterally by Ethiopia. Three countries have been involved in continuous
negotiations over the years to reach an agreement.
Over the last couple of months, there were serious clashes and unprecedented escalations reported for the
border between Ethiopia and Sudan. Now with the tripartite agreement likely to be signed in upcoming
weeks, regional stability at the Horn of Africa might improve significantly in upcoming years.
Background
In 2011 when Ethiopia started construction for the dam on the Blue Nile, Egypt immediately protested. As
the Blue Nile which originated from Lake Tana in Ethiopia flows downstream through Sudan to Egypt. Egypt
is dependent on the Nile River for freshwater estimated that the dam might block its annual share of water
resources of 55.5 billion cubic meters.
Nile River
The Nile River is the longest river in the African continent. There are two major tributaries of the river- the
White Nile and the Blue Nile. These two tributaries of the Nile River meet near the capital of Sudan,
Khartoum. The White Nile and the Blue Nile enter Sudan from South Sudan and Ethiopia respectively before
converging to the north of Khartoum. From Khartoum, the river flows downstream to enter Egypt.
Dexamethasone added in Clinical Management Protocols for COVID-19 Patients by Health
Ministry
On 27th June 2020, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has released an updated Clinical
Management Protocol under Dexamethasone was advised as an alternative to Methylprednisolone.
Further, the Ministry has also stated that the Dexamethasone drug to be only used for COVID-19 positive
patients who require oxygen support or those with an excessive inflammatory response.
Background
The United Kingdom’s University of Oxford has published its report on 16th June 2020 after conducting trials
on 2104 patients with 6 mg of Dexamethasone per day for a period of 10 days. As per which, it was found
that Dexamethasone has reduced mortality in COVID-19 patients who had severe respiratory complications.
The drug has reduced deaths among ventilated patients by one-third.
The report also stated that for patients who were not on respiratory support, the drug has shown no signs of
benefit.
Dexamethasone
It is a type of corticosteroid medication that is being used for the treatment of a wide range of conductions
such as eye pain after eye surgery, asthma, skin diseases, etc. The steroid has immunosuppressant and
anti-inflammatory effects.
How COVID-19 Patients were benefited from Dexamethasone?
As Dexamethasone has immunosuppressant effects, the COVID-19 patients whose immune system rapidly
produces proteins called cytokines in response to the coronavirus infection, Dexamethasone serves to

dampen the too aggressive response of the immune system. This overdrive reaction from the immune
system is called ‘cytokine storm’. These cytokines when overproduced by the immune system damages
cells and tissues in the body.
TPPA of USD 2.4 Billion Signed by Pakistan with China for Hydro Power Project in Pakistan
Occupied Kashmir
On 25th June 2020, a Tripartite Power Purchase Agreement (TPPA) was signed for the construction of the
1124 MW Kohala Hydro Power Project. The agreement was signed in between the Government of Pakistan,
Chinese Company- China Three Gorges Corporation (State-owned company of Chinese Government), and
Government of Azad Kashmir (Part of Pakistan occupied Kashmir).
Kohala Hydro Power Project
The Hydropower project is located near the villages of Siran and Barsala in Muzaffarabad district of
Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. The Hydro Power Project is located on the river Jhelum.
The project is part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor. The estimated cost of the project is USD 2,364
million and is expected to be completed by 2026. The Hydro Power Plant will be constructed by Kohala
Hydropower Company Limited (KHCL). KHCL is a subsidiary of China Three Gorges Corporation.
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
CPEC was established on 22 nd May 2013 with the intent to developed Pakistan’s infrastructure for
strengthening its economy
CPEC has been a Chinese debt trap for Pakistan. This was proven when the Pakistan government was
negotiating for a USD 6 billion bailout package for their economy with the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
in 2018.
The documents submitted by Pakistan’s Ministry of Planning and Development to the IMF have revealed
that in the shape of debt and dividends Pakistan will pay China USD 40 billion for USD 26.5 Billion
investment under the CPEC. The original value of the CPEC project was estimated at USD 46 billion at the
initial stages, but the total value of CPEC projects as per the last update on 2017 has reached USD 62 Billion
(more than double of the USD 26.5 billion).
June 28-29, 2020
29th June: National Statistics Day
To popularize the use of Statistics in everyday life, every year 29 th June is celebrated as the National
Statistics Day. The day 29th June was chosen to acknowledge the invaluable contributions made by Prof.
Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis in establishing the National Statistical System. 29th June is the birth
anniversary of Prof. P.C Mahalanobis.
National Statistics Day was celebrated first in the year 2007. World Statistics Day is celebrated on October
20th every year.
Theme of National Statistics Day 2020
SDG- 3 (Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages) & SDG- 5 (Achieve gender equality
and empower all women and girls)
Aim of the Day
The day is being celebrated to sensitize the citizens of the country as to how Statistics helps in shaping and
framing policies. Statistics helps us in presenting a result much effectively through correct analyses and the
proper methods for collecting the data.
Prof. P C Mahalanobis
Recipient of Padma Vibhushan in 1968 Prof P.C Mahalanobis’s contribution in the field of Statistics is
recognized all over the world. He served as the Chairman of the United Nations Sub Commission on
Statistical Sampling from 1947 to 1951.
In 1931, Prof. P C Mahalanobis founded the ISI-Indian Statistical Institute (ISI formally registered in April
1932). Post Independence, a comprehensive socio-economic national sample survey was designed and
planned by ISI, for this survey-the National Sample Survey (NSS) was established by him in the year 1950.
To date, for the collection of sample surveys in the country, NSS is the premier agency of the Indian
Government.
World Bank Group Approves USD 500 Million under STARS Program
th
On 28 June 2020, the World Bank Group has announced that a loan of USD 500 million (approx Rs 3700
crore) was approved by its Board of Executives on 24th June 2020 for improving the quality and governance
of school education system in India. The loan approved will benefit 10 million teachers and 250 million
school students across 1.5 million schools in 6 states of India. The loan was approved as a part of the
STARS Program. The 6 Indian States are Rajasthan, Odisha, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh,
and Maharashtra.
About the Loan
The loan of USD 500 million will be sanctioned by the lending arm of the World Bank Group- International
Bank for Reconstruction and Development(IBRD). Including a grace period of 5 years, the loan has a final
maturity of 14.5 years. With this loan of USD 500 million, the World Billion Group has approved total
financial assistance of more than USD 3 billion for improving the education system in India to date.
STARS Program
STARS stands for Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States Program. Since 1994 the
program has helped in establishing a long partnership between India and the World Bank. Through the
program, the World Bank Group has provided greater flexibility to the vision of the Indian Government to
provide ‘Education for All’. The Government of India has made significant strides in its vision over the years
as the number of students going to school has increased to 248 million from 219 million between the
2004-05 to 2018-19 period.
The program will have a series of reform initiatives that will help in addressing the leaning outcome
challenges that exist in the educational system in rural parts of the country.
Lazarus Chakwera elected as New President of Malawi following Evidence of Irregularities in
2019 Elections
On 23rd June 2020, the Presidential Elections of Malawi was conducted after the annulment of the results of
the 2019 Presidential Elections by the Constitutional Court of Malawi earlier in the month of February 2020.
Lazarus Chakwera was elected as the new President of Malawi after winning 2,604,043 votes, which is
59.34 percent of the total valid votes. 2019 Presidential Election winner Peter Mutharika secured 39.92
percent of the total valid votes in the 2020 Presidential Elections.
This is the second incidence of Annulment of Election in the Africa Continent in the last 4 years, in August
2017 the Presidential Election of Kenya was annulled.
Background
The 2019 Presidential Election was conducted on 21st May 2019 in which Peter Mutharika become the
President of Malawi by securing the highest 38.57 percent of the total valid votes.
The election results were highly criticized by the opposition parties of Malawi and called the election as the
Tipp-Ex election. Tip-Ex is a popular correction fluid. The opposition parties claimed that the correction fluid
Tip-Ex was used for tampering the votes. Based on the allegations, the Constitutional Court of Malawi
founded irregularities and evidence of vote tampering during the investigations.
This led to the annulment of the 2019 Presidential Election by the Constitutional Court on 3rd February 2020.
Approx 2.4 Million Children Below the Age of 5 are facing Hunger and Malnutrition in Yemen
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on 26th June 2020 has stated that amid the COVID-19 global
pandemic, around 2.4 million (24 lakh) children who are below the age of 5 are facing hunger and
malnutrition in Yemen. The global pandemic has further added to a shortage of humanitarian aid in the war-
torn nation that is has been struggling with a widespread shortage of essential services, medicines, etc
since the beginning of the civil war back in 2015.
UNICEF has further stated that within the next 5-6 months, 30,000 children below the age of 5 could suffer
from life-threatening acute malnutrition. More than 90 lakh (9 million) Yemeni children do not have access
to hygienic factors such as safe water, food, and sanitation today. During this pandemic, only half of the
health facilities are operating in Yemen, that too is struggling to cope due to lack of infrastructure,
equipment, staff and other facilities.
Yemen Civil War
The Civil War in Yemen stated in march 2015 between the Houthi Armed Movement and the Government of
Yemen. Both the fractions claim to constitute the official Government in Yemen. The Houthi armed forces at
present have control over Sanaa (the Capital City of Yemen).
‘Kill Corona’ Campaign in Madhya Pradesh from 1st July 2020
To control the spread of COVID-19 in the state, the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan
has informed that the State Government will launch a campaign called ‘Kill Corona’ from 1st July 2020 under
which door-to-door Survey will be conducted. During the campaign, the highlight will be the number of tests
conducted. The campaign will double the COVID-19 testing capacity from 4000 per 10 lakh people to 8000
per 10 lakh people in the state.
About the Campaign
‘Kill Corona’ campaign will be conducted for 15 days across the state through a door-to-door survey. In
these 15 days, 2.5 lakh COVID-19 tests will be conducted. The target will be to collect and test 15 to 20
thousand samples on a daily basis.
COVID-19 in Madhya Pradesh
The recovery rate in Madhya Pradesh is 76.9 percent as of 28th June 2020. This is significantly higher than
the national recovery rate that is 58.1 percent. As of 29th June, Madhya Pradesh has a total of 13,186
COVID-19 positive cases out of which 10,084 have recovered. The number of Active cases as of 29th June is
2,545.
3,44.836 is the total number of COVID-19 tests conducted in Madhya Pradesh as of 28th June 2020.
3 Million Houses will be Built under YSR Jagananna Colonies
The State Government of Andhra Pradesh will take up the construction of 3 Million (30 lakh) houses under
the YSR Jagananna Colonies project after distributing the house sites to the beneficiaries on 8th July 2020.
Jagananna Colonies is part of the State Government’s Navratnalu- Pedalandariki Illu (houses for all the
poor) Program.
YSR Jagananna Colonies Project
For the land acquisition of the colonies, the state government will bear around Rs 10,000 to Rs 11,000 crore.
The house sites will be provided at Rs 1 to the selected white Ration Card beneficiaries. The total
expenditure for the project including the share of the Central Government is estimated at RS 50,000 crore.
The project will be implemented in two phases with 15 lakh houses being constructed in each phase.
Construction for the first phase will begin on 28th August this year while the second phase construction will
begin from August 2021. All necessary facilities will be provided in the colonies such as water, connecting
roads, electricity, etc. Each house will have a carpet area of 230 square feet. The cost of each house is
estimated to be around Rs 1.80 lakh.
The State Government has set a target for completion of the project by 2024.

Delhi Government to set up ‘Plasma Bank’ at ILBS, the First Plasma Bank in India
To treat COVID-19 patients, on 29th June 2020 Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was announced that a
‘Plasma Bank’ will be set up at the National Capital in the next two days. The Plasma Bank will be set up at
the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS).
At the Delhi Government’s Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, 35 people have been administered with
Plasma Therapy out of which 34 have survived. In order to meet the demand of Plasma, the Chief Minister
has urged cured COVID-19 patients to come forward and donate plasma.
Plasma Therapy
A person who has recovered successfully from the COVID-19 infection can donate his/her plasma. In the
case of COVID-19, Convalescent Plasma is used to transfer antibodies to the patient suffering from the
COVID-19 virus. This helps the patient’s body to develop similar antibodies for fighting the COVID-19 virus.
Trials with Plasma Therapy conducted to date have shown positive results. The patients suffering from the
virus at the second stage have either a decline in oxygen levels or the respiration levels have increased. In
both cases when the patient was given Plasma therapy, the levels have shown improvement.
Plasma donation does not cause any weakness in an individual. A person can donate plasma again in a gap
of 10 days.
PM FME Scheme launched, To Generate 9 Lakh Employment
As a part of Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, the Prime Minister Formalization of Micro Food Processing
Enterprises (PM FME) scheme was launched on 29th June 2020. The scheme was launched by Harsimrat
Kaur Badal (Union Food Processing Industries Minister). Earlier on 20th May 2020, the scheme was approved
by the Union Cabinet.
The scheme will generate 9 lakh skilled and semi-skilled employment. Rs 35000 crore of the total
investment will be generated under the scheme. 8 lakh micro food processing units across the country will
be benefited under the scheme.
Objective of the Scheme
The objective of the scheme is to support local unorganized food processing units in the country. Support in
the form of finances, strengthening capabilities of support systems, increase in revenue targets, in tribal
districts focusing on minor produce, etc. Through the scheme, the aim will be for transition of unorganized
food processing units into the formal sector.
Funding for the Scheme
The total expenditure of the scheme will be Rs 10,000 crore. The scheme will be implemented over the next
five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25.
Central and State Governments will share the expenditure in the ratio of 60:40. With the Himalayan and
North Eastern States, the share will be in the ratio 90 percent by Central Government, 10 percent by the
States. In Union Territories, the scheme will be 100 percent funded by the Central Government.
Concession Agreement Signed between India & Bhutan for Joint Venture Hydroelectric Project
On 29th June 2020, a concession agreement was signed between the Kholongchhu Hydro Energy Limited
and the Royal Government of Bhutan. The Concession Agreement provides the right to Kholongchhu Hydro
Energy Limited to operate the Kholongchhu Hydroelectric Project within the jurisdictions of the Bhutanese
Government.
The Concession Agreement signing was conducted at Bhutan’s capital city Thimphu. The Agreement
signing was attended virtually by the Minister of External Affairs of India Dr. S. Jaishankar.
Kholongchhu Hydroelectric Project
The project will be located on the Kholongchhu River in Eastern Bhutan’s Trashiyangtse District. The run of
the river Hydroelectric Project will of 600 MW and is expected to be completed by the second half of 2025.

For the implementation and development of the Hydroelectric project, a joint venture between Bhutan’s Druk
Green Power Corporation and India’s Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited was formed on 12th June 2015. The
joint venture was named as Kholongchhu Hydro Energy Limited.
India-Bhutan Bilateral Hydropower Projects
With the signing of the concession agreement, construction work at the Kholongchhu Hydroelectric Project
will begin. This is the 5th Hydroelectric project under bilateral ties between the Governments of India and
Bhutan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the Mangdechhu Hydroelectric project in August 2019. The
Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Project is of 720 MW. The Tala Hydroelectric Project is the largest Hydropower
project in Bhutan with 1020 MW. Tala Hydroelectric Project is operational since 2007 and was financed by
India through grants.
World’s Largest Plasma Therapy Trial under Project ‘Platina’ launched by Maharashtra
The World’s largest Convalescent Plasma Therapy Trial project was launch on 29 th June 2020 by the
Maharashtra State Government. The name of the project is Platina. The project was virtually launched by
the Chief Minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray.
For this trial project, the Indian Council of Medical Research has given the approval to conduct plasma
therapy in COVID-19 positive patients admitted in the 21 COVID-19 hospitals of the Maharashtra State
Government.
Project Platina
In the absence of a definite treatment or drugs for the COVID-19 positive patients, Convalescent Plasma
Therapy has shown encouraging results on patients across the world. As Maharashtra has been the worst-
hit state in India by the COVID-19 pandemic, trial under project Platina will help in creating a robust data for
the use of Convalescent Plasma Therapy. The project will also help in establishing an infrastructure for
plasma treatment in the state.
Costs of Plasma Therapy trials under the project will be borne by the State Government of Maharashtra.
From Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, Rs 16.85 crores have been sanctioned for the project.
Under the trial project, two doses of 200 ml of convalescent plasma will be given to all critical patients in 21
State Government-run COVID-19 Hospitals of Maharashtra.
Plasma Therapy
A person who has recovered successfully from the COVID-19 infection can donate his/her plasma. In the
case of COVID-19, Convalescent Plasma is used to transfer antibodies to the patient suffering from the
COVID-19 virus. This helps the patient’s body to develop similar antibodies for fighting the COVID-19 virus.
Indian Government signs agreement for Two Projects in Tamil Nadu with World Bank Group
On 29th June 2020, an agreement was signed between the World Bank Group and the Government of India
for providing urban poor in the state of Tamil Nadu access to affordable housing. The agreement signed
has two projects under it- (i) Tamil Nadu Housing Sector Strengthening Program and (ii) Tamil Nadu
Housing and Habitat Development Project.
The loans for both the project are from the lending arm of the World Bank Group the International Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). The maturity of both the loans including 3.5 years grace period is
20 years.
Tamil Nadu Housing Sector Strengthening Program
As per the agreement, a loan of USD 200 million has been sanctioned under the Program. The aim of the
program is to support the ongoing efforts made by the government in the state for increasing affordable
housing for low-income families. In order to achieve this, the program will work towards incentivizing the
participation of the private sector by unlocking the barriers set by regulatory policies.

Tamil Nadu Housing and Habitat Development Project
For this project, a loan agreement of USD 50 million has been sanctioned as per the agreement. The
objective of this project will be to strengthen the housing sector policies, regulations, and institutions of the
state. Through the project, innovations in housing finance will also be supported.
Out of the USD 50 million for the project, as a part of innovation in housing finance, Tamil Nadu Shelter Fund
will be provided an equity contribution of USD 35 million.
June 30, 2020
K.K.Venugopal reappointed as Attorney General for India
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On 29 June 2020, the President of India has reappointed Senior Advocate K.K. Venugopal as the Attorney
General for India. The current tenure of K.K. Venugopal was up to 30th June 2020, his tenure was extended
for a period of one year effective from 1st July 2020 to 30th June 2021.
On 30th June 2017, K.K. Venugopal succeeded Mukul Rohatgi to become the 15th Attorney General of India.
K.K. Venugopal
K.K. Venugopal has been conferred with the second highest( Padma Vibhushan) and the third-highest
(Padma Bhushan) civilian honour by the Indian Government. In 2002, he was conferred with Padma Bhushan
while in 2015 he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan.
When Bhutan’s Constitution was drafted, he served as the Constitutional Adviser for the Royal Government
of Bhutan.
Attorney General for India
On advice with the Union Cabinet, the President of India appoints the Attorney General of India under Article
76 (1) of the Indian Constitution. The term of the Attorney General is decided by the President of India. The
Attorney General is the Chief Legal Advisor for the Government of India.
M.C Setalvad served as the first Attorney General for India from 1950 to 1963.
China passes Hong Kong National Security Law
The National People’s Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) has unanimously passed the National
Security Law for Hong Kong on 30th June 2020. The three-day meeting of the Standing Committee began on
28th June, on the first day itself the controversial Bill was fast-tracked for approval, on the last day of the
meet all 162 members of the Standing Committee approved the Bill.
The National Security Law of Hong Kong is expected to come into effect from 1st July 2020 onwards. Back
in 1997, on 1st July, the Hong Kong City was handed over to China as a Special Administrative Region from
the British rule.
Earlier in the month, under the National Security Law, the establishment of a National Security Bureau in
Hong Kong was confirmed after a three day (from 18th June to 20th June) meeting of the Legislative Affairs
Commission (Top lawmaking committee in China). On 19th June 2020, it was also reported in Chinese media
that all departments under the Hong Kong government will be directly answerable to Beijing once the
legislation is implemented.
Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of China since 1997 when the former colony was returned by
Britain to China. Matters related to foreign affairs and defence of Hong Kong are controlled by China, rest it
has its own- Executive, Legislative, and Independent Judicial Power.
Indigenously Developed ‘COVAXIN’ gets DCGI approval for Human Clinical Trials
The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has given approval for Phase I and Phase II human clinical trials
for COVID-19 vaccine ‘COVAXIN’. In association with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the
National Institute of Virology (NIV), COVAXIN is developed by Hyderabad based vaccine & bio-therapeutics
manufacturer-Bharat Biotech. At NIV Pune, the strain of SARS-CoV-2 was isolated before being transferred
to Bharat Biotech.
COVAXIN is the first indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine to be approved for Human Clinical Trials.
The approval was granted based on the results from the pre-clinical studies of the vaccine. During
preclinical studies, the vaccine has demonstrated safety and effective immune response.
The vaccine is developed at the high containment facility of Bharat Biotech- BSL-3 (Bio Safety Level 3).
Human trials are expected to begin from the month of July in a phased manner.
Bharat Biotech has developed several vaccines over the last decades such as Polio, Rabies, Chikungunya,
Rotavirus, Zika.
Last month, the Indian Government has announced that for developing a vaccine for the COVID-19 virus, as
many as 30 Indian Companies are working on it.
RBI to conduct Special OMOs on 2nd July to Pump up Liquidity
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On 29 June 2020, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced that it will be conducting a special Open
Market Operations (OMOs) on 2nd July 2020. The Open Market Operations was announced after reviewing
the market conditions and evolving liquidity situations in banks. Through this special Open Market
Operations, the aim will be to pump up liquidity in the financial system of the country.
About the Special Open Market Operations
Government Securities worth Rs 10,000 crore will be purchased and sold simultaneously during the special
Open Market Operations.
At first, the Reserve Bank of India will be selling short term government securities worth Rs 10,000 crore
that is maturing in between 15th October 2020 to 29th April 2021.
Then it will be purchasing new long term government securities worth Rs 10,000 crore that will have a
maturity period between May 2027 to 5th December 2033.
Such operations were simultaneous selling and purchase of government securities are conducted by the
Central Bank of the country are known as Operation Twist. This will be the second such operation in this
financial year to be conducted by the Reserve Bank of India. The first Operation Twist of this financial year
was conducted on 27th April 2020 of Rs 10,000 crore.
New Strain of Swine Flu Virus having Human Pandemic Potential Discovered in China
A new virus has been discovered by scientists in China that is quite similar to the 2009 Swine Flu that
caused a global pandemic. The new strain of the virus is named as ‘G4 EA H1N1 (commonly called G4
virus)’, it has human pandemic potential.
G4 Virus
The G4 virus was detected by scientists at several institutions of China including the National Influenza
Centre of China during a pig surveillance program. The surveillance program was conducted in between
2011 to 2018 by collecting above 30,000 nasal swab samples from pigs across 10 provinces of China.
A total of 179 swine influence viruses were identified during the program, mostly didn’t pose such concern
for human transmission. The new strain of the G4 Virus has sharply increased among the pigs since 2016
after which tests were conducted on the strain of the virus.
The tests conducted found that the virus can cause zoonotic infection (animal to human) but there hasn’t
been any evidence of person-to-person transmission of the virus yet. The G4 virus can replicate in human
cells and the test results have further shown that the immunity developed by a human body against
seasonal flu won’t be able to provide protection to the human body against the G4 virus.
China running Campaign to Slash Birth rates among the Muslim Minorities
An investigation conducted by the United States-based news agency Associated Press (AP) has found that
the Chinese Government has been running a number of in-human campaigns to slash the birth rates among
the minority Muslim population in its country. Experts have labeled this Campaign of China as ‘Demographic
Genocide’. Among the Muslim minorities in China, most belong to Uyghurs ethnic groups.

China’s Stance on Detention Camps in Xinjiang
The Chinese Government continues to claim that the camps set up at the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of
China are for offering voluntary education and training; however, the authorities running these camps have
been instructed by the Government to run these camps as high-security prisons with punishments, no
escapes, strict disciplines, etc.
Investigation by AP
In its investigation, the AP found that millions of ethnic minorities are often locked in these camps for
having too many children. Minority women in Xinjiang are regularly forced to pregnancy checks and to take
IUDs. The interviews and data have shown thousands have been forced for abortion in Xinjiang. Failure to
comply with the instructions for birth control of the authorities results in mass detention and punishments
in the form of huge fines, regular police raids at homes for searching hidden children, etc.
The investigation report by AP was published on the basis of the interview of a former detention camp
instructor, 30 ex-detainees, and their family members. The statements made during the interviews were
backed by the Statistics and Data of the Chinese Government and the Government of the Xinjiang
Autonomous Region. The use of IUDs has fallen drastically in China over the last decade, except in Xinjiang
there has been a rise of 60 percent between 2014 to 2018 in the use of IUDs.
U.S. Sanctions on Chinese Officials
Earlier in the month, based on reports of continuous human rights violations on the Uyghurs population by
the Chinese Government, the United States has imposed visa restrictions on Chinese officials accused of
involvement in abuse of human rights. The U.S Bill passed by its Congress and signed by President Donald
Trump on 17th June 2020 was named the ‘Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act’.
‘NADA INDIA’ Mobile Application launched to help athletes Stay Updated about Prohibited
Substances
On 30th June 2020, the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has launched its mobile application ‘NADA
INDIA’ for creating a bridge with the athletes under which information on prohibited substances would be
provided easily. The mobile application was launched by the Union Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs
and Sports Kiren Rijiju.
Through this initiative, NADA has taken an important step towards creating a clean and dope free sports.
The mobile application was released on platforms such as Google Play Store on 12th January 2020, however,
the official launch of the application was delayed due to certain reasons from time to time.
Benefits of the Mobile Application
Information on medicines that are commonly prescribed and used by Athletes will be available in the
application
Information on Inadvertent use of prohibited substances that may affect the career of athletes
Registered Testing Pool (RTP) athletes under NADA can update their whereabouts, this will ensure a
smoother and quicker process for conducting tests as per availability of Dope Control Officers
This will make athletes self-dependent for information on which medication or substance is to be
used or not
National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA)
NADA is headquartered in New Delhi, founded on 24th November 2005 for monitoring and promoting doping
control programs in all forms of sports in India. NADA is also responsible for ensuring the proper
implementation of anti-doping policies in all forms of sports in India.
Helicopter Services for Locust Control flagged off by Union Minister
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On 30 June 2020, a Bell 206-B3 Helicopter was flagged off with spray equipment for Air Force Station in
Rajasthan’s Barmer from the helipad facility in Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddh Nagar. Union Minister for

Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar flagged off the Helicopter.
The Helicopter will be deployed for locust control in the desert areas of Rajasthan. Districts that the
Helicopter will cover are Nagaur, Jodhpur, Barmer, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, and Jodhpur.
The Helicopter will be able to cover about 25 to 50-hectare area in one flight. In a single flight, it will have
the capacity to carry 250 liters of pesticide.
Objective of the Helicopter Operation
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has warned last week that the Desert Locusts may
breed in the semi-arid/desert regions of Rajasthan as the monsoon rains will make it suitable for them to
breed.
The bell helicopter will work towards reaching areas in the desert that is not easily accessible through
drones and spray mounted vehicles.
Locust Control Operations
From 11th April to 28th June 2020, a total of 2,33,487 hectares of land has been covered under locust control
operations in 9 states of India. In terms of crop loss, only from the state of Rajasthan, there have been
reports of minor crop losses.
First Edition of ‘Matsya Sampada’ launched by Union Minister
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On 30 June 2020, the first edition of Fisheries and Aquaculture Newsletter was launched. The name of the
newsletter is ‘Matsya Sampada’. The newsletter was launched by the Union Minister of Animal Husbandry,
Dairying and Fisheries, Giriraj Singh.
From the first quarter of 2020-21, newsletter Matsya Sampada will be published on a quarterly basis. The
operational guidelines for the PMMSY scheme have also been published in the first edition of the
newsletter.
Aim of Matsya Sampada
Through the newsletter, the Department of Fisheries will aim to reach out to the fishers and fish farmers of
the country. The newsletter will serve as a means of communication for educating and providing the latest
information and developments related to the fisheries and aquaculture sector to all the stakeholders
involved in the sector.
Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)
With an investment of Rs 20050 crore, the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) was launched
in May 2020. Through the scheme, responsible and sustainable development of the fisheries sector will be
aimed, which will further help in creating an AtmaNirbhar Bharat.
Under the scheme, 55 lakh (5.5 million) jobs are expected to be created over the next 5 years as the target
has been set for an additional 7 million (70 lakh) tonnes of fish production per year.
NTPC Ltd, Indian Oil and SDMC signs MoU for Waste to Energy Plant in Delhi
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on 30th June 2020 for setting up of a Waste to Energy
Plant. The Waste to Energy Plant will be set up at Delhi’s Okhla. The MoU was signed between South Delhi
Municipal Corporation (SDMC) and two Maharatna Public Sector Undertaking’s (PSUs) Indian Oil and NTPC
Limited.
In Delhi, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Management has been a major issue for the local Municipal
Authorities, the Waste to Energy Plant will help in addressing the issue and also will lead us towards a more
energy-efficient and greener future.
The problem of Solid Municipal Waste in TIER II and TIER III cities of the country has been increasing from
day-to-day. The Plant in Delhi will serve as a demonstrative model, the success of which will further help in
establishing such Plants in other cities of the country.

About the Waste to Energy Plant
Gasification Technology will be used in the Waste to Energy Plant that will have the capacity to process
17500 tons of RDF-Refuse Derived Fuel per annum. From combustible components of Municipal Waste, RDF
is produced. Through Gasification Technology, this RDF will be used for the production of Syngas. Syngas
will be further used to generate electricity by using it in reciprocating engines or turbines.
World’s first-ever Online B.Sc. Degree in Programming and Data Science launched by IIT Madras
The World’s first-ever Online B.Sc. Degree in Programming and Data Science is prepared and to be offered
by the Indian Institute of Technology(IIT) Madras. The Online Course was launched through a virtual event
by the Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal on 30th June 2020.
About the Online Course
In three different stages, the course will be offered. First, Foundation Program, after successful completion
of the Foundation program the student will receive a Certificate. Second, the Diploma Programme and the
third, Degree Programme.
For joining the Courses, a student needs to appear in the qualifier exam for which they have to fill a form
and pay the fee for the qualifier exam of Rs 3000. For the qualifier exam students will be provided access to
4 weeks of online lectures on 4 subjects- Mathematics, Statistics, English, and Computational Thinking. At
the end of 4 weeks, students will have to appear in the qualifier exam.
Students who secure more than 50 percent marks in the qualifier exam will be able to get themselves
enrolled in the Foundation Programme.
Importance of Data Science
Data Science has emerged among one of the fastest-growing sectors in the world, its importance will
further keep on increasing in the upcoming decade as Data Science helps in making better decisions that
are based on statistical numbers, facts, and trends. By 2026, 11.5 million (115 crores) jobs in the field of
Data Science are likely to be created as per predictions for analysts.
Compilation of select 120 Current Affairs MCQs
1. Which milestone has been reached by the foreign exchange reserves of India, for the first time?
[A] USD 300 billion
[B] USD 400 billion
[C] USD 500 billion
[D] USD 700 billion
Answer: USD 500 billion
India’s foreign exchange reserves crossed the half-a-trillion mark for the first time in the week ended
June 5.
As per the recent data from the Reserve Bank of India, the forex reserves increased by $8.22 billion the
week, which made the overall reserves cross the USD 500 billion mark to reach USD 501.70 billion. A
huge rise in the Foreign Current Assets (FCA) is the main reason for the rise in reserves. The reserves
stood at USD 493.48 billion in the previous week.
2. UNICEF released the report titled ‘COVID-19 and Child labour: A Time of Crisis, A Time to Act’, along with
which organisation?
[A] World Economic Forum
[B] World Bank
[C] International Labour Organisation
[D] UNESCO
Answer: International Labour Organisation
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) jointly released
a report titled ‘COVID-19 and Child labour: A Time of Crisis, A Time to Act’.
The report highlights that millions of children are in the risk of being pushed into child labour as a result
of the COVID-19 crisis. The report also warned that the decrease in child labour by 94 million since 2000
is now at risk. Due to the reduction in family income amid Covid-19 crisis, many more children will get
into Child labour.
3. Who has been appointed as the first female head of NASA’s human spaceflight mission?
[A] Jessica Meir
[B] Kathy Lueders
[C] Christina Koch
[D] Ann McClain
Answer: Kathy Lueders
US space agency NASA has selected Kathy Lueders as its first female head of human spaceflight
mission.
NASA has successfully sent two astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) on board a SpaceX
Falcon 9 rocket. In its next mission, it aims to land humans on the Moon by 2024. Kathy Lueders, who is
currently the Commercial Crew Program Manager, has been named NASA’s next associate administrator
of the Human Exploration and Operations (HEO) Mission Directorate.
4. Vasant Raiji, who recently passed away, is the oldest sportsperson of India in which sport?
[A] Football
[B] Tennis
[C] Cricket
[D] Table Tennis
Answer: Cricket
Vasant Raiji, India’s oldest first-class cricketer, passed away at his residence in Mumbai, at his 100th
year.
Vasant Raiji was a chartered accountant by profession. He was a right-handed batsman and played nine
first-class matches for Mumbai and Baroda in the 1940s. He started playing in the Mumbai team under
the leadership of Vijay Merchant. He was also a veteran cricket historian.
5. What is the theme of the ‘International Albinism Awareness Day’?
[A] Made To Shine
[B] Made to Outperform
[C] Albinism Achievers
[D] Succeed with Albinism
Answer: Made To Shine
International Albinism Awareness Day is observed every year by the United Nations on June 13, across
the world. “Made To Shine” is the theme for this year’s observation, to highlight the achievements of
persons with albinism worldwide.
Albinism is a rare, non-contagious, genetically inherited difference present at birth. Albinism results in a
lack of melanin in the hair, skin and eyes, causing vulnerability to the sun and bright light.
6. Which Indian state/UT has launched Poultry Policy, 2020 and announced subsidy for poultry related
activities?
[A] Tamil Nadu
[B] Jammu and Kashmir
[C] Himachal Pradesh

[D] Sikkim
Answer: Jammu and Kashmir
The Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has launched J&K Poultry Policy, 2020, to
promote establishment of poultry units.
It has also announced a dedicated allocation of Rs. 50 crore per annum as subsidy, for establishing of
broiler/layer farms and other poultry allied activities. The UT is spending about 900 crores spent on
importing poultry and its products from outside. Capital investment incentive for access to credit and
interest incentive are also provided to commercial poultry farms.
7. Gulzar Dehlvi, who recently passed away, was associated with which profession?
[A] Politician
[B] Poet
[C] Mountaineer
[D] Sportsperson
Answer: Poet
Veteran Urdu poet Anand Mohan Zutshi Gulzar Dehlvi recently passed away at the age of 93, in New
Delhi.
The poet was earlier infected by Coronavirus and was undergoing treatment. Though he returned home
after recovering from Covid-19, he has passed away. He was the editor of ‘Science ki Duniya’, the only
science magazine published by the government in Urdu from 1975. He also played an instrumental role
in opening Urdu schools across India.
8. What is the name of the healthcare supply chain portal launched by the Union Government?
[A] Bharat Aarogya
[B] Aarogyapath
[C] Health is Wealth
[D] Covid Care
Answer: Aarogyapath
The Union Government has launched a new healthcare supply chain portal called ‘Aarogyapath’. The
portal has been launched by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
The objective of the portal is to provide real-time availability of critical healthcare supplies for
manufacturers, suppliers and customers. As per the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, the public
platform can help customers in knowing about critical healthcare supplies.
9. Anosmia, which was in news recently, is associated with which biological phenomenon?
[A] Loss of smell
[B] Loss of taste
[C] Loss of perspiration
[D] Loss of skin sensitivity
Answer: Loss of smell
As per the revised clinical management protocols released by the Union Health Ministry, Anosmia
(called as Loss of smell) and Ageusia (called Loss of taste) has been added to the official list of
COVID-19 symptoms.
These symptoms are being continuously reported by the coronavirus-infected patients before the
beginning of respiratory symptoms. Health Ministry also approved use of Remdesivir to treat Covid-19 in
moderate stage of criticality and use of HCQ (hydroxychloroquine) to treat Covid-19 in early stages.
10. Which state government has signed a concession agreement with GMR Airports for construction of a

greenfield international airport at Bhogapuram?
[A] Kerala
[B] Andhra Pradesh
[C] Karnataka
[D] Telangana
Answer: Andhra Pradesh
The Andhra Pradesh government has recently signed a concession agreement with GMR Airports for
construction of a greenfield international airport at Bhogapuram.
The proposed place is located in Vizianagaram district, which about 40 km from Visakhapatnam. The
concession agreement was signed in the presence of Chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. The state
cabinet had earlier approved the selection of the GMR Group as the developer for Bhogapuram
international airport.
11. Which Bollywood personality was named by NITI Aayog to promote the Women Entrepreneurship
platform (WEP)?
[A] Salman Khan
[B] Akshay Kumar
[C] Sushant Singh Rajput
[D] Vidya Balan
Answer: Sushant Singh Rajput
Young Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput was recently found dead at his residence, at the age of 34.
Sushant was known for his acclaimed performances in films such as MS Dhoni: The Untold Story,
Sonchiriya, Kai Po Che, Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! among others.
The policy think-tank of the Indian government, NITI Aayog signed him to promote the Women
Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) in the year 2018.
12. Global firms TPG and L Catterton are set to buy stake in which Indian digital company?
[A] Jio Platforms
[B] Bharti Airtel
[C] Vodafone Idea
[D] Novi Digital Entertainment
Answer: Jio Platforms
One of the world’s largest consumer-focused private equity firms L Catterton will buy a 0.39% stake for
Rs 1894.50 crore in Jio Platforms.
Another global investment firm TPG will also buy a 0.93% stake in Jio for Rs 4,546.80 crore in the digital
unit of Reliance Industries Limited. Since April 22, Jio Platforms has raised Rs 104,326.95 crore from
leading global investors including Facebook, Silver Lake among others.
13. What is the theme of ‘World Blood Donor day 2020’?
[A] Safe blood saves lives
[B] Encourage Blood donation
[C] Blood Donors are Angels
[D] Resources for Blood collection
Answer: Safe blood saves lives
The World Blood Donor Day is celebrated on June 14, every year across the world. The day is celebrated
to raise awareness about the need for safe blood and blood products.
On this day, general public and other institutions thank blood donors. The theme of ‘World Blood Donor
day 2020’ is – Safe blood saves lives. In the year 2005, the World Health Assembly designated this date
to thank blood donors and encourage more people to donate blood. It also calls governments to provide
resources for blood collection.
14. Who is the Chairperson of IBBI’s reconstituted ‘Advisory Committee on Corporate Insolvency Resolution
and Liquidation process’?
[A] Adi Godrej
[B] Uday Kotak
[C] Anand Mahindra
[D] Dilip Sanghvi
Answer: Uday Kotak
The insolvency regulator IBBI has reconstituted the Advisory Committee on Corporate Insolvency
Resolution and Liquidation process.
This panel would be chaired by Executive Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Kotak Mahindra Bank,
Uday Kotak. The panel comprising of 13 other members will provide professional support on matters
relating to the Corporate Insolvency resolution and liquidation handled by the Board under the
Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016.
15. A 500-year-old ancient temple submerged in river has recently reappeared in which state?
[A] Odisha
[B] Chhattisgarh
[C] Bihar
[D] Sikkim
Answer: Odisha
A 500-year-old ancient temple of Lord Vishnu that was submerged in Odisha’s Mahanadi river during
19th century has reappeared after 15 years.
The river is said to have been submerged due to change of course of the river. The Indian National Trust
for Art and Cultural Heritage’s archaeological survey team visited the village in Nayagarh district and
said that the top of the Gopinath Dev temple was visible due to the reduction in the water-level of the
river.
16. Which bank has launched an overdraft (OD) facility named ‘Insta FlexiCash’, for its salaried account
customers?
[A] State Bank of India
[B] IndusInd Bank
[C] ICICI Bank
[D] HDFC Bank
Answer: ICICI Bank
Leading private bank ICICI Bank has launched an overdraft (OD) facility named ‘Insta FlexiCash’, for its
salaried account customers who are facing a cash crunch.
The specified customers can initiate this facility by applying online using the bank’s Internet banking
platform and can avail short-term instant credit within 48 hours. The product has been launched to help
the bank’s Salary Account customers from missing their Equated Monthly Instalments (EMIs) or cheque
bounces due to insufficient funds.
17. Which country is set to establish an Anti-racism commission?
[A] United States
[B] United Kingdom
[C] Australia

[D] Brazil
Answer: United Kingdom
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that a commission to look at racial equality in the
UK will be established.
The proposed body would look at all forms of inequality in employment, health outcomes, academics,
criminal justice system and all aspects of life. This announcement has been given after protests have
been undertaken after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
18. What is L. vannamei, a species that was seen in news recently?
[A] Frog
[B] Turtle
[C] Shrimp
[D] Prawn
Answer: Shrimp
The Aquatic Quarantine Facility (AQF), a premier institution of Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture,
MPEDA, Ministry of Commerce & Industry (RGCA-MPEDA), has received 3,600 numbers of L. vannamei
(White-leg shrimp) brood stock imported by India’s shrimp hatchery operators from Hawaii.
The brood-stock were successfully quarantined for five days and handed over to the hatchery operators
with 97.12 per cent survival. This has been achieved for the first time since the inception of the Aquatic
Quarantine Facility.
19. Which Union Ministry organises ‘ADIP’ scheme, through the Public sector enterprise ALIMCO?
[A] Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers welfare
[B] Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
[C] Ministry of Home Affairs
[D] Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
Answer: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment implements the ‘Assistance to Disabled persons for
purchasing / fitting of aids / appliances’ (ADIP) scheme through its Public sector enterprise, Artificial
Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO).
Recently, a virtual ADIP Camp for free distribution of assistive aids and devices at Block level for
Divyangjans under the ADIP scheme was organized at Firozpur District in Punjab. This is the first camp
being organized by the ALIMCO after opening of lockdown with the Standard Operating Procedure
(SOP).
20. ‘Martyapura Re Jamaraj’, that won a special jury award at COVID-19 International Film Festival 2020, is a
short film made in which language?
[A] Marathi
[B] Odia
[C] Hindi
[D] Kannada
Answer: Odia
A short film produced by a group from a village of Odisha named ‘Martyapura Re Jamaraj’ (‘Yamaraj on
earth’) has won a special jury award at the COVID-19 International Film Festival 2020.
The 13-minute short film directed in Odia language by Stitadhi Rath, seeks to spread awareness about
preventive measures to curb the spread of coronavirus in the rural areas. The film uses humour genre to
convey the message.

21. Which payment bank launched ‘Suraksha Salary Account’ for workforce of MSMEs?
[A] Airtel Payments Bank
[B] India Post Payments Bank
[C] Jio Payments Bank
[D] Paytm Payments Bank
Answer: Airtel Payments Bank
Leading payments bank of India, Airtel Payments Bank has recently launched a salary account for micro,
small and medium enterprises (MSME).
Named as the ‘Suraksha Salary’ account, it will enable MSMEs and other organisations to make cashless
payments. It also provides Hospicash Insurance and Personal Accidental insurance cover. As of now, it
is only available to new customers and will be extended to existing account holders soon.
22. What is the name of the co-founder and chief executive of digital music platform Qyuki Digital Media,
who recently passed away?
[A] Samir Bangara
[B] Nagendranath Jha
[C] Sarah Hegazi
[D] Arun Kumar Mehta
Answer: Samir Bangara
The co-founder and chief executive of digital music platform Qyuki Digital Media, Samir Bangara,
recently passed away following a motorcycle accident.
Samir Bangara had served as Managing Director (Digital) at Disney India, before joining the start-up firm
Qyuki. In 2012, Director Shekhar Kapur and Oscar-winning musician AR Rahman launched Qyuki in
Mumbai. Samir also played an instrumental role in the sale of Indiagames firm to Disney.
23. India signed an MoU with which country to construct Rs 2.33 crore sanitation facility in their iconic
temple?
[A] Sri Lanka
[B] Nepal
[C] Bhutan
[D] Myanmar
Answer: Nepal
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Indian Embassy, Nepal’s Ministry of
Federal Affairs & General Administration and Kathmandu Metropolitan City for the construction of the
sanitation facility at the Pashupatinath Temple of Nepal.
The famous temple is also listed under the UNESCO World Heritage site. India has pledged to construct
a Rs 2.33 crore sanitation facility at the Temple complex to improve the infrastructure for the pilgrims.
24. R M Vohra, who passed away recently, was associated with which field?
[A] Business
[B] Sports
[C] Armed Forces
[D] Politics
Answer: Armed Forces
Lieutenant General R M Vohra, a war hero of the 1971 war, recently passed away at the age of 88, after
being contracted by COVID-19.
He was a Lieutenant Colonel in command of 4th Horse, the most feared tank regiments of Indian Army.
He destroyed 27 enemy tanks which stopped his tanks from crossing the Basantar river. The Lt General
was later awarded a Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) and his regiment was awarded the Basantar battle honour.
25. Which is the first country, where WhatsApp is launching its ‘WhatsApp Pay’?
[A] India
[B] Brazil
[C] Japan
[D] South Korea
Answer: Brazil
Facebook owned social media major WhatsApp has launched its ‘WhatsApp Pay’ for the first time in
Brazil.
Two years ago, WhatsApp began testing the payments service in India, which enables users to send and
receive money. However, the plan could not be materialised due to regulatory issues. WhatsApp has
designed the payment system with a special six-digit PIN or fingerprint authorisation to prevent
unauthorised transactions.
26. Which Indian financial start-up firm has been awarded as technology pioneer by World Economic
Forum?
[A] ZestMoney
[B] Snapmint
[C] PayU
[D] CC Avenue
Answer: ZestMoney
Two Indian firms namely ZestMoney and Stellapps feature in the new list of Tech Pioneers released by
the World Economic Forum (WEF).
The 100 firms selected as pioneers will be invited to participate at World Economic Forum workshops,
events and high-level discussions. Zestmoney offers affordable credit as an alternate to traditional way
of finance. Stellapps, is a farm-to-consumer dairy technology solutions company.
27. What is the rank of India in the World Competitiveness Index (WCI) 2020?
[A] 37
[B] 41
[C] 43
[D] 47
Answer: 43
India is ranked 43rd on the annual World Competitiveness Index compiled by the Institute for
Management Development (IMD).
It has retained the same 43rd rank obtained in the previous edition. In the 2020 list that ranks 63
nations, Singapore has retained its top spot. It is followed by Denmark and Switzerland. However, the
United States moved down from 3rd place to 10th place. While India improved in high-tech exports,
foreign currency reserves etc, it degraded in areas like exchange rate stability, real GDP growth.
28. The inter-Korean liaison office building, that has been demolished, is located in which country?
[A] South Korea
[B] North Korea
[C] Taiwan
[D] Cambodia
Answer: North Korea
South Korea recently said that North Korea has blown up the inter-Korean liaison office building, that is

located north of the Korean border.
This serious incident followed the recent degradation in the relations between the two countries. North
Korea has earlier threatened to engage in military action at the border with South Korea. The two
countries jointly set up a liaison office at Kaesong in North Korea in 2003. The Kaesong Industrial
Complex is a joint industrial zone operated by both North Koreans and South Koreans.
29. What is the theme of ‘International Day of Family Remittances’ 2020?
[A] Cities, Communities and Countries
[B] Remittances are a lifeline
[C] Family Remittance matters
[D] Household economies
Answer: Remittances are a lifeline
‘International Day of Family Remittances (IDFR)’ is celebrated on June 16, every year across the world.
This year, the International Day is observed with the theme of “Remittances are a lifeline”. The United
Nations that designated the day, also calls upon governments, private sector companies and the civil
society, to maximize the impact of remittances through individuals.
30. Chinese carmaker Great Wall Motors (GWM) signed MoU with which Indian state to modernise its
manufacturing plant?
[A] Tamil Nadu
[B] Maharashtra
[C] Gujarat
[D] Punjab
Answer: Maharashtra
Great Wall Motor (GWM), the Chinese carmaker recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with the Maharashtra government.
GWM, also the latest Chinese automaker to enter the Indian market agreed to invest in modernising its
Talegaon manufacturing plant. This investment is expected to generate employment for 3,000 people.
The company also confirmed its plan to invest USD 1 billion in the Indian market.
31. The investment arm of NABARD, NABVENTURES Fund I, has made its first investment in which rural
fintech start-up?
[A] Jai Kisan
[B] Zest Money
[C] Stellapps
[D] PayU
Answer: Jai Kisan
The investment arm of NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development), NABVENTURES
Fund I has made its first investment in rural fintech start-up Jai Kisan.
NABVENTURES was launched in May 2019 with a proposed corpus of over ₹500 crore. The investment
was made in the Mumbai-based start-up as part of a ₹30 crore funding round. Jai Kisan plans to invest
the capital for hiring personnel and investing in its technology platform.
32. Which international financial institution approved a loan of USD 750 million to India to tackle COVID-19?
[A] International Monetary Fund
[B] Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
[C] World Bank
[D] BRICS Bank

Answer: Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has recently approved an additional $750 million loan to
strengthen India’s fight against Covid-19.
This loan would be co-financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The funds will be utilised for
boosting the businesses in informal sector, providing social security for the deserving and strengthening
the health care systems of India.
33. Galwan valley, that was seen in news recently, is located in which Indian state/UT?
[A] Jammu and Kashmir
[B] Ladakh
[C] Uttarakhand
[D] Sikkim
Answer: Ladakh
In a violent conflict that took place in the Galwan Valley located in the Union Territory of Ladakh, as
many as 20 Indian soldiers were killed.
As per the statement of the Indian Army, the two sides disengaged from the area where the fight
happened. The US media reported that its intelligent officials quoted about 35 Chinese troops have been
killed. The infrastructure projects that India has undertaken recently, a strategic road through the
Galwan Valley, connecting the region to an airstrip, has escalated the conflict.
34. Which eclipse is to be witnessed on 21 June, 2020 in India?
[A] Total solar eclipse
[B] Partial solar eclipse
[C] Annular solar eclipse
[D] Lunar eclipse
Answer: Annular solar eclipse
An annular solar eclipse would occur on 21 June this year. The annular phase is expected to be visible
from some places of the country.
It would be seen as partial solar eclipse from the rest part of the country. A solar eclipse occurs when
the moon passes between the sun and the earth and blocks the light of the sun from reaching the earth.
As a result, the shadow of the moon is cast on the earth. Annular eclipse happens when the moon is
farthest from the earth and a ring of fire structure is seen.
35. Which generic steroid drug has been found to reduce deaths by a third for patients affected by
COVID-19?
[A] Dexamethasone
[B] Aspirin
[C] Indomethacin
[D] Naproxen
Answer: Dexamethasone
Scientists in UK have claimed that the generic steroid drug dexamethasone has reduced deaths by up to
one third in severely ill hospitalised patients, affected by COVID-19.
This result is a part of one of the world’s largest randomised trial of drugs to treat COVID-19 patients,
that also showed hydroxychloroquine was not working against the coronavirus. The drug is shown to cut
the risk of death by a third for patients on ventilators and a fifth for those on oxygen. However, World
Health Organisation said that the drug is reserved for severely ill and critical patients.
36. Which Tennis championships is scheduled to be held from August 31 to September 13 this year, without

spectators?
[A] Australian Championship
[B] US Open Championship
[C] Wimbledon Championship
[D] French Open Championship
Answer: US Open Championship
As per the official confirmation, the US Open tennis championships will be held as scheduled in the
month of August.
The championships will be held without spectators, in Queens, New York from August 31 to September
13. The New York Governor Andrew Cuomo formally gave approval to the event. There was uncertainty
around the tournament, as the location is the epicentre of Covid-19 crisis in the US. Safety procedures
and sanitation protocols would be followed.
37. Which Indian software company signed on to the Climate Pledge and announced to go net carbon free
by 2040?
[A] Wipro
[B] Tata Consultancy Services
[C] Infosys
[D] Tech Mahindra
Answer: Infosys
Indian software major, Infosys signed on to ‘The Climate Pledge’, an initiative by Amazon founder Jeff
Bezos and Global Optimism founder and former United Nations climate chief Christian Figueres.
The initiative seeks to fast-track the transition to a low carbon economy. Infosys also announced that it
will make its business net zero carbon by 2040, ten years ahead of the deadline set out by the Paris
Agreement. US-based Verizon and British firm Reckitt Benckiser also signed on the climate pledge.
38. Which financial institution is the regulator of housing finance companies (HFCs) after August 2019?
[A] National Housing Bank (NHB)
[B] Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
[C] Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)
[D] Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
Answer: Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) took over the powers to regulate HFCs from the National Housing Bank
(NHB) in August 2019.
Recently, RBI proposed to modify the rules of housing finance firms, which includes the formal definition
of housing finance as “financing, for purchase/ construction/ reconstruction/ renovation/ repairs of
residential dwelling unit”. RBI also proposed to classify HFCs as systemically important HFCs and non-
systemically important HFCs.
39. As per BP Statistical Review, what is the position of India, in terms of energy consumption in 2019?
[A] Two
[B] Three
[C] Four
[D] Five
Answer: Three
According to the BP Statistical Review released recently, India’s energy consumption in 2019 was third
largest behind China (141.70 EJ) and US (94.65 EJ).
While World primary energy consumption rose to 583.90 Exajoules (EJ), India’s consumption increased
2.3 per cent to 34.06 EJ. The growth was lower than 5.2 per cent in 2018. It also said that India was
second biggest growth driver of primary energy consumption in the world, behind China, in 2019.
40. Prime Minister of India launched the auction process for how many coal blocks for commercial mining?
[A] 11
[B] 41
[C] 71
[D] 101
Answer: 41
Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi launched the auction process for 41 coal blocks for commercial
mining, to open coal sector of India to private players.
The Ministry of Coal in association with FICCI launched the process of auction under the provisions of
Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act and Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act. The
auction is expected to invite Rs 33,000 crore of capital investment in the country over next five to seven
years.
41. How many non-permanent members are elected by the UN Security Council every year?
[A] Four
[B] Five
[C] Six
[D] Seven
Answer: Five
India has been recently elected as the non-permanent member of UN Security Council for 2021-22, along
with Ireland, Mexico and Norway. India’s term is to begin from January 2021.
Each year the General Assembly elects five non-permanent members, out of the 10 total seats, for a two-
year term. In the recent election, India won 184 votes out of 192 valid votes cast. Previously, India has
been elected as a non-permanent member of the Council for seven terms.
42. Which global institution has estimated that India’s economy will contract by 4% in the financial year
2020-21?
[A] Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
[B] Asian Development Bank (ADB)
[C] World Bank
[D] International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Answer: Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Manila-based Asian Development Bank recently announced that the economy of India would contract by
4% in the financial year 2020-21.
In its earlier outlook released in the month of April, it had estimated that India would grow at 4%. But it
has been reduced to -4%. It also projected that the GDP of India would grow at 5.0% in the following year,
as compared to 6.2% projected in April. A growth of 0.1% is expected for the whole Developing
economies of Asian region.
43. Who has been elected as the President of 75th United Nations General Assembly?
[A] Gita Gopinath
[B] Volkan Bozkir
[C] Masatsugu Asakawa
[D] David Malpass
Answer: Volkan Bozkir

The United Nations General Assembly has recently elected Turkish diplomat Volkan Bozkir to be its
president. He is the first Turkish national to head the General Assembly.
This decision has been taken ahead of the 75th General Assembly in September. Volkan Bozkir is
serving as the head of the Turkish Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee. He had also served as
Turkey’s Minister of European Affairs and Chief Negotiator. He would assume office in September 2020
and hold the post for one year.
44. What is the name of the first mobile COVID-19 testing lab launched by the Health Minister, to promote
testing access in rural areas?
[A] I-LAB
[B] Bharat Lab
[C] CO-LAB
[D] GRAM LAB
Answer: I-LAB
Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan has recently launched India’s first mobile
lab for COVID-19 testing to promote last mile testing access in rural India.
The Infectious Disease Diagnostic Lab (I-LAB) has been launched with the support of the Department of
Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, under the COVID command strategy. This mobile lab
will be deployed in the remote and inaccessible parts of the country. It can perform 25 RT-PCR tests and
300 ELISA tests per day.
45. Vadhavan port is proposed to be built in which Indian state/UT?
[A] Gujarat
[B] Maharashtra
[C] West Bengal
[D] Kerala
Answer: Maharashtra
In the month of February, the Cabinet approved to build the Vadhavan port at Palgarh district in
Maharashtra at an estimated cost of Rs. 65544 crores.
Recently, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has said that ports as an industry are
allowed in the ecologically sensitive Dahanu taluka area, which includes the Vadhavan in Palgarh
district. The port will be developed on landlord model by a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to be formed
with Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) as the lead partner.
46. Achyut Usgaonkar, who recently passed away, is associated with which field?
[A] Sports
[B] Politics
[C] Business
[D] Armed Force
Answer: Politics
Achyut Kashinath Sinai Usgaonkar, former Goa Minister passed away recently, at the age of 92, due to
age-related ailments.
Achyut Usgaonkar was a leader of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), the oldest regional
party in Goa. He served as a cabinet Minister from 1977 to 1979. Before that, he also served as the
deputy speaker of Goa during the government of Dayanand Bandodkar, the first chief minister of Goa.
47. Which country is named the President of the UN Security Council for August 2021?
[A] United States

[B] China
[C] India
[D] Norway
Answer: India
India, which has been elected as a non-permanent member of the Security Council recently, will serve as
its president for the month of August, 2021.
India, Norway, Ireland, Mexico and Kenya were elected as the non-permanent members of the 15-nation-
UNSC for a two-year term beginning January 1, 2021. Tunisia will begin 2021 as the President of the
Council in January. It will be followed by each of the members in turn for one month, as per the English
alphabetical order of the name of member states.
48. Which institution has been selected as the implementation Agency for PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar
Nidhi (PM SVANidhi)?
[A] Life Insurance Corporation (LIC)
[B] National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)
[C] Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)
[D] NITI Aayog
Answer: Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)
Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs signed a MoU with Small Industries Development Bank of India
(SIDBI), to engage SIDBI as the Implementation Agency for PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM
SVANidhi).
The scheme aims to provide a working capital loan up to Rs 10000 to street vendors, who have been
adversely affected by the Covid-19 lockdown. The loan is repayable in monthly instalments in 1-year
tenue. On prompt payment, a subsidy of 7% per annum is also provided.
49. Which technology company has acquired the Swedish mapping technology company, ‘Mapillary’?
[A] Amazon
[B] Facebook
[C] Apple
[D] Google
Answer: Facebook
Technology major Facebook has recently acquired Swedish mapping technology company Mapillary, as
per official sources.
Mapillary crowd-sources the images, collects pictures contributed from smart phones and other types of
cameras. It then uses computer vision technology to stack them together into a real-time 3-D map. This
technology is expected to support Facebook products under development like augmented reality glasses
and virtual reality headsets.
50. Who has become the first Indian to participate in the $150,000 Chessable Masters tournament?
[A] B. Adhiban
[B] P. Harikrishna
[C] Praggnanandhaa
[D] Sasi Kiran
Answer: P. Harikrishna
Indian Grandmaster P. Harikrishna is the first Indian to participate in the in the million-dollar Magnus
Carlsen Chess Tour that continues with the $150,000 Chessable Masters.
The Chessable Masters is a 12-player tournament which is to be played by the top six players of the
world, on the classical ranking list, including Norway’s Magnus Carlsen, China’s Ling Diren and USA’s
Fabiano Caruana. The field has been divided into two groups of six players each.
51. Which FinTech company has partnered with major e-commerce firms including Flipkart, to promote
digital ecosystem?
[A] MobiKwik
[B] PhonePe
[C] FreeCharge
[D] Paytm
Answer: MobiKwik
Leading Indian FinTech company MobiKwik has partnered with e-commerce majors including Flipkart,
Snapdeal and Confirmtkt, to promote digital ecosystem in India.
MobiKwik has introduced a new product for its partners called ‘MobiKwik Biller Stack’, using which the
users of the e-Commerce platforms can pay utility bills through their application. Payment of all bills
including electricity, TV, mobile recharge can be done easily through the feature, from multiple payment
options.
52. Which special day is observed every year on June 19, that is associated with a genetic illness?
[A] World Diabetes Day
[B] World Sickle Cell Day
[C] World Hepatitis Day
[D] World Epilepsy Day
Answer: World Sickle Cell Day
World Sickle Cell Day is observed globally on 19 June every year. This year is the 40th year of
observance of the day by the Sickle Cell Society.
The UN General Assembly recognised sickle cell disease as a public health problem and one of the
world’s foremost genetic diseases. If someone has the Sickle Cell disease, the red blood cells become
hard and look like a sickle. It restricts the movement of oxygen carried by the red blood cells.
53. The Kodumanal excavation, that has revealed the belief of afterlife in megalithic culture, is carried out in
which Indian state/UT?
[A] Kerala
[B] Tamil Nadu
[C] Karnataka
[D] Andhra Pradesh
Answer: Tamil Nadu
The State Department of Archaeology Team of the Kodumanal excavation has identified 250 cairn-
circles at the village in Erode district of Tamil Nadu.
The team has recently found around 10 pots and bowls, instead of the usual 3-4 pots, placed outside
three-chambered burial cists. It is expected to be of the head of the community. Pots filled with grains
were placed outside the chambers as it was believed that the deceased will get a new life after death.
This has revealed about the burial rituals and the belief of afterlife in megalithic culture.
54. When is the ‘International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict’ observed?
[A] June 19
[B] June 20
[C] June 22
[D] June 23
Answer: June 19

Every year, on June 19, the ‘International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict’ is
observed by the United Nations.
The UN General Assembly proclaimed 19 June of each year as this special day in the year 2015, in order
to raise awareness to prevent conflict-related sexual violence, to honour the victims and survivors of
sexual violence. The day also pays tribute to people who have fought against this crime and laid down
their lives. On the same day in 2008, the Security Council resolution condemning sexual violence as a
tactic of war, was adopted.
55. What is ‘NavRakshak’, that was seen in news recently?
[A] Light Combat Aircraft
[B] Fighter Jet
[C] Personal Protective Equipment
[D] Covid-19 Drug
Answer: Personal Protective Equipment
The manufacturing know-how of a PPE Suit being named ‘NavRakshak’ has been licensed by National
Research Development Corporation (NRDC) to 5 five MSMEs.
The manufacturers are expected to mass produce more than 10 million PPEs per year, to meet the
demand of quality PPE kits across the country. This know-how has been developed at the Mumbai-based
Innovation Cell of the Institute of Naval Medicine. Intellectual property rights are also to be obtained.
56. India Ideas Summit is an annual conference held to promote trade between India and which country?
[A] Japan
[B] Souh Korea
[C] Russia
[D] United States
Answer: United States
The US Chamber of Commerce has recently announced that ‘India Ideas Summit 2020’ is scheduled to
be held virtually on July 21-22.
The summit is organised by US India Business Council (USIBC). This year is the 45th annual meeting and
will focus on geopolitics in the post-COVID world, technology trends and the future of healthcare, among
others. Last year, the Summit was organised in Washington. It brings together scholars, diplomats and
think tanks for high-level dialogue on key issues related to India.
57. Which type of animal is Stegodon, the fossil of which has been recently found in Uttar Pradesh?
[A] Elephant
[B] Turtle
[C] Giraffe
[D] Lion
Answer: Elephant
The fossil of Stegodon, a variety of the elephant, was recently discovered near Saharanpur in the state of
Uttar Pradesh.
Stegodon is an extinct type of elephant with unique tusks and molars, that was found at an early age in
Asia and Africa. The fossil found is claimed to be five to eight million years old and from the Dhok
Pathan formation of Siwalik range. More researches are to be carried out in the vicinity of the place.
58. What is the name of the special campaign of FICCI-FLO, launched by the Union Minister of Women and
Child Development?

[A] Power to Empower
[B] Empowering the Greater 50%
[C] Women Entrepreneur Power
[D] Empowering Women ecosystem
Answer: Empowering the Greater 50%
Union Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Irani launched a special campaign titled
‘Empowering the Greater 50%’.
This campaign is an initiative of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and
its division FICCI Ladies Organization (FLO). It seeks to create an ecosystem to support women
entrepreneurship and empower as many as 1 lakh women in India over the next three years.
59. Vikram Pawah has been appointed as the President of the Indian arm of which automobile company?
[A] BMW India
[B] Mercedes India
[C] Honda India
[D] Nissan India
Answer: BMW India
BMW India, the Indian arm of the Luxury car maker BMW Group has recently named Vikram Pawah as its
President.
He is to continue to serve in his present role as Chief Executive Officer of BMW Group Australia and New
Zealand. The previous President and Chief Executive Officer Rudratej Singh suddenly passed away in the
month of April. Pawah has been engaged with the BMW Group from the year 2017.
60. What is the expansion of LLP Act, that was seen in news recently?
[A] Limited Logistics Partnership Act
[B] Limited Liability Partnership Act
[C] Legal Liability Partnership Act
[D] Logistics Liability Partnership Act
Answer: Limited Liability Partnership Act
The Union Ministry of Corporate affairs (MCA) has proposed to decriminalise some compoundable
offences under the Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Act.
In the draft proposal, the Ministry has listed as many as 20 sections of the LLP Act and sought public
comments and stakeholder consultations. It includes change of designated partners, maintaining books
of accounts etc. Certain minor, procedural or technical violations which does not involve any harm to
public interest are to be decriminalized.
61. What is the term of the selected member of the Rajya Sabha?
[A] Three years
[B] Four years
[C] Five years
[D] Six years
Answer: Six years
The Rajya Sabha consists of not more 238 members representing the States and Union Territories, and
12 members nominated by the President. Each member is elected for a term of six years.
In the recent elections to 19 seats in 10 states, BJP won eight and Congress won four seats. The current
strength of Rajya Sabha goes up to 244, of which BJP has 86 members and the National Democratic
Alliance NDA’s tally is expected to cross 100. The Congress has 41 members while others have 27.

62. The planting of which crops has raised 40% year-on-year, due to strong monsoon start?
[A] Rabi crops
[B] Kharif crops
[C] Zaid crops
[D] Cash crops
Answer: Kharif crops
Plantation of Kharif, or summer-sown crops has raised 40% year-on-year, supported by the strong start
of the monsoon season.
The increase in planting has been led by oilseeds particularly groundnut, which has been sown in a large
area of Gujarat. Total oilseeds area is about eight times more than that of last year. Total area under
cultivation has also increased to 13.13 million hectares, from 9.42 million hectares a year ago.
63. Which Union Ministry celebrates International Yoga Day 2020 with a campaign titled ‘Namaste Yoga’?
[A] Ministry of AYUSH
[B] Ministry of Culture
[C] Ministry of External Affairs
[D] Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
Answer: Ministry of Culture
Ministry of Culture is celebrating International Yoga Day 2020 by organising a campaign titled ‘Namaste
Yoga’ from 19th to 21st June, 2020.
Union Minister of State for Culture Prahlad Singh Patel urged everyone to join him for a Surya Namaskar.
He also asked them to post their Surya Namaskar videos on social media platforms to create health
awareness among all citizens.
64. Which Indian stands at the ninth position in the Forbes Real-time Billionaires List with a net worth of
$64.6 billion?
[A] Mukesh Ambani
[B] Gautam Adani
[C] Shiv Nadar
[D] Lakshmi Mittal
Answer: Mukesh Ambani
The Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries, Mukesh Ambani is the world’s ninth richest
billionaire on the Forbes Real-time Billionaires List.
With a net worth of $64.6 billion, he is ahead of Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. The
market capitalisation of Reliance Industries (RIL) crossed the Rs 11-trillion mark recently. The company
also announced itself net debt free while it had net debt of Rs 1.61 trillion in March 2020. In the same
month, Ambani was ranked 21st on Forbes’ annual billionaire list.
65. Which organisation has received a patent for its Liquid Cooling and Heating Garment (LCHG)?
[A] Defence Research and Development Organisation
[B] Indian Space Research Organisation
[C] Indian Navy
[D] Hindustan Aeronautical Ltd
Answer: Indian Space Research Organisation
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has received a patent for its Liquid Cooling and Heating
Garment (LCHG).
The special garment is made up of bio-compatible fabrics and a system for circulating temperature
controlling fluid into and out of the garments. This would provide a comfortable temperature to the
astronauts wearing it in space. The garments can also be used in other military applications, fire-fighting
and in extreme environments in industrial areas.
66. When is the International Day of the Celebration of the Solstice observed?
[A] June 20
[B] June 21
[C] June 23
[D] June 25
Answer: June 21
The United Nations General Assembly designated June 21 as the ‘International Day of the Celebration of
the Solstice’.
It considered that the celebration of solstice represents the unity of the cultural heritage across the
world. Solstice is an event that occurs when the path of the sun stands still at a northern or southern
limit before reversing direction. There are two solstices that occur annually namely the Summer Solstice
around June 21 and Winter Solstice around December 21.
67. Which Metro station of India is to have the first She-Man station of North India with special facilities for
transgenders?
[A] Delhi Metro
[B] Noida Metro
[C] Kolkata Metro
[D] Gurgaon Metro
Answer: Noida Metro
The Noida Metro Rail Corporation has announced its plan to convert Sector 50 metro station into a ‘she-
man’ metro station.
Once implemented, this would be the first She-Man station of North India with special facilities for
employment opportunities to the transgender community. This station will be on the lines of the Pink
Metro stations. Though the ‘She-Man’ station will be open for all passengers, it will cater especially to
the transgender passengers.
68. In which Indian state/UT, the famous Ambubachi festival is celebrated?
[A] Odisha
[B] Assam
[C] West Bengal
[D] Mizoram
Answer: Assam
The annual Ambubachi Mela at the Kamakhya temple in the state of Assam has begun, but without
devotees.
The traditional rituals would only be performed in the Kamakhya temple, located atop of Nilachal Hills
and is regarded as one of 51 Shakti Peeths. This is the most awaited festival among the devotees
usually attracts more than 25 lakh visitors has been cancelled this year. The temple was shut for visitors
since March 20, due to the Covid-19 induced restriction.
69. The corporation of which state/UT has launched ‘Mission Zero’ plan to combat ‘COVID-19’?
[A] New Delhi
[B] Maharashtra
[C] Tamil Nadu
[D] Gujarat

Answer: Maharashtra
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) of Maharashtra launched ‘Mission Zero’ rapid action
plan to combat Covid-19.
Under the action plan, as many as fifty dispensary vans will cover various parts of Mumbai for 2-3 weeks
to carry out a preliminary examination of patients. As per the data of the Ministry of Health and Family
welfare, Maharashtra stands at the top spot with maximum number of people affected by Covid-19 in the
country.
70. Which Indian state is set to become the first state to launch an employment guarantee scheme for
urban poor?
[A] West Bengal
[B] Jharkhand
[C] Chhattisgarh
[D] Andhra Pradesh
Answer: Jharkhand
Jharkhand is set to become the first state to launch an employment guarantee scheme for urban poor
on the lines of the Mahatma Gandhi Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
The scheme named ‘Mukhyamantri Shramik Yojna’ will guarantee 100 days of work in a financial year for
urban unskilled labourers. Under the scheme, if the person doesn’t get work within 15 days of request,
unemployment allowance would be given. An urban employment guarantee council would be formed,
headed by the Chief Minister and Urban development minister as the vice president.
71. What is the theme of the ‘World Hydrography Day 2020’?
[A] Hydrography enabling autonomous technologies
[B] Work and Contribution of Hydrographers
[C] Opportunity to highlight Hydrography
[D] Celebrating Hydrographic data
Answer: Hydrography enabling autonomous technologies
The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and its international members celebrate World
Hydrography Day every year on June 21.
The day highlights the importance of hydrography and its relevance in the modern world. This year, the
theme of the World Hydrography Day is “Hydrography enabling autonomous technologies”. The
autonomous technologies include aerial, surface and underwater survey drones as well as autonomous
ships.
72. How many countries are members of Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of
Terrorism (EAG)?
[A] Five
[B] Seven
[C] Nine
[D] Twelve
Answer: Nine
The Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (EAG) is a regional
body comprising nine countries. It is an associate member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
The members of EAG include Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan,
Uzbekistan and Belarus. Recently, Indian officials attended the virtual 32nd special EAG plenary meeting
through video-conferencing, under the aegis of the Financial Action Task Force.

73. Which country has committed to provide 200 million euros to India, to support the country’s response to
tackle COVID-19?
[A] Japan
[B] Australia
[C] Germany
[D] France
Answer: France
Under the recently signed agreement, France committed to provide 200 million euros to India, to support
the country’s response to tackle COVID-19.
The programme design has been developed by the World Bank in collaboration with the Indian
authorities. It seeks to fast track the existing social protection measures of the Indian Government
including the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana. The programme will provide assistance to low-
income families and protect essential frontline workers.
74. Which country is the chair of the ASEAN association for the year 2020?
[A] Singapore
[B] Vietnam
[C] Thailand
[D] Malaysia
Answer: Vietnam
As per the recent data from Vietnam, the 36th ASEAN Summit will be held via video conference on June
26.
Vietnam is the chair of ASEAN in 2020 and its Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc will chair the opening
session, plenary session and special sessions on woman empowerment in digital era among other
meetings. The 36th ASEAN Summit, which had been scheduled to be held in April, has been postponed
to June end due to COVID-19.
75. Which fund has been made open to contributions from individuals or institutions, by the Finance
Ministry?
[A] National Disaster Response Fund
[B] PM CARES Fund
[C] Consolidated Fund of India
[D] Public Account Fund
Answer: National Disaster Response Fund
The Department of Economic Affairs, Finance Ministry has recently announced that there is no objection
to the proposal of contributions from individuals or institutions towards the National Disaster Response
Fund (NDRF).
The proposal has been accepted based on the Disaster Management Act, 2005. The NDRF was
constituted under the same act and it supplements SDRF of a state, when adequate funds are not
available in SDRF in case of a severe disaster. The central government may constitute a fund to be
called the NDRF for meeting any severe disaster.
76. Which Indian state/UT became the first to operationalise rail coaches converted into isolation units for
Covid-19?
[A] New Delhi
[B] Madhya Pradesh
[C] Uttar Pradesh
[D] Gujarat
Answer: Uttar Pradesh
The Uttar Pradesh Government has started using rail coaches as isolation units for COVID-19 suspected
patients.
COVID coaches are deployed at Mau junction in Varanasi in the state of Uttar Pradesh, in a first in the
country. Indian Railways is ready to offer as many as 5,231 isolation coaches to the states and the
respective zonal railways have converted the coaches as quarantine facilities. After Uttar Pradesh, Delhi,
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Madhya Pradesh have also been using rail coaches.
77. The Indian pavilion at Cannes Film Market has been jointly set up by Information & Broadcasting
Ministry and which association of India?
[A] CII
[B] FICCI
[C] NASSCOM
[D] Digital Media Association
Answer: FICCI
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar has recently inaugurated the India
Pavilion at the Cannes Film Market 2020 virtually.
The Indian pavilion at Cannes Film Market has been jointly set up by Ministry of Information &
Broadcasting and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). The Minister also
informed that the Marathi movie titled ‘Mai Ghat’ and the Gujarati movie ‘Hellaro’ are the official entrants
to be showcased in the Cannes film festival this year.
78. A 40-feet-long Bailey bridge, that has recently collapsed near the Sino-India border, is located in which
state/UT?
[A] Uttarakhand
[B] Jammu and Kashmir
[C] Sikkim
[D] Assam
Answer: Uttarakhand
A bailey bridge located nearly 50 kilo meters from the Sino-India border has recently collapsed, when a
truck carrying a JCB machine was crossing.
The bridge is located in the state of Uttarakhand, which collapsed on increasing the weight over its
capacity. The 40-feet-long bridge was built in the year 2009. As the bridge collapsed, about 15 border
villages of Johar Valley have been cut off. It is estimated to take 15 days to construct a new bridge.
79. When is the United Nations Public Service Day celebrated?
[A] June 21
[B] June 23
[C] June 25
[D] June 24
Answer: June 23
Every year the United Nations Public Service day is observed on June 23 to honour people engaged in
public service, around the world.
On 20 December 2002, the United General Assembly designated 23 June as UN Public Service Day. The
United Nations also established the UN Public Service Awards (UNPSA) programme in 2003, to
recognise the UN Public Service Day and to encourage youngsters to take up their career in public
sector.

80. Which country, also the world’s second largest arms producer, is set to join the UN Arms Trade Treaty?
[A] India
[B] United States
[C] China
[D] Germany
Answer: China
China recently announced that it will join the United Nations (UN) Arms Trade Treaty. China’s top
legislative body voted to adopt a decision on joining the treaty.
Under the treaty, the member countries ought to keep records of international transfers of weapons. The
members should also prohibit cross-border shipments that could be used in human rights violations.
Earlier, the United States had rejected to join in the treaty, which has been designed to control the flow
of weapons into conflict zones.
81. Which is the first country in Europe to successfully conduct its national elections, amidst Covid-19
pandemic?
[A] France
[B] Serbia
[C] Germany
[D] Italy
Answer: Serbia
Serbia is the first country in Europe to successfully conduct its national election in Europe during the
coronavirus epidemic.
The voting, which had been initially planned for April, was postponed because of the pandemic.
However, the turnout appeared lower compared to previous elections due to the fear of coronavirus. The
ruling governing conservative party led by President Aleksandar Vucic is set to obtain a landslide victory.
82. Which Indian state/UT is set to launch a welfare scheme for poor named ‘Indira Rasoi Yojna’?
[A] Chhattisgarh
[B] Rajasthan
[C] Punjab
[D] Maharashtra
Answer: Rajasthan
The Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot has recently announced that Rajasthan will soon launch
the ‘Indira Rasoi Yojna’.
The scheme seeks to provide pure and nutritious food on concessional rates to the needy people
residing in the state, twice a day. For implementing the Indira Rasoi Yojna (Indira Kitchen Scheme), the
state is to spend Rs 100 crore every year. Local NGOs will be engaged to implement the scheme.
83. Which country warned against the renaming of the Senkaku islands by Japan?
[A] South Korea
[B] North Korea
[C] China
[D] Taiwan
Answer: China
A Japanese broadcaster had reported that the Ishigaki City assembly in Okinawa, in Japan, had passed a
bill to change the name of the administrative area covering the islands to Tonoshiro Senkaku from
Tonoshiro.
China has recently said that it reserved the right to respond to the city’s decision to rename the area that
includes remote islands claimed by both China and Japan. The disputed islands are known as the
Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China. It also warned that Japan should not interfere in Beijing’s
internal affairs.
84. When is the ‘World Olympic Day’ celebrated across the world?
[A] June 21
[B] June 22
[C] June 23
[D] June 24
Answer: June 23
World Olympic Day or the International Olympic Day is celebrated across the world on June 23. It was
introduced in 1948 to commemorate the birth of the modern Olympic Games on 23 June 1894.
The objective of celebrating the Olympic Day was to promote participation in sports and games across
the globe, regardless of age, gender, or other abilities. This year, the world’s largest 24 hour digital-first
Olympic workout is organised, to celebrate the day virtually. The campaign is named ‘Stay Healthy, Stay
Strong, Stay Active with the #Olympicday Workout On 23 June’.
85. Which Union Minister inaugurated the country’s first Virtual Healthcare & Hygiene Expo 2020?
[A] Mansukh Mandaviya
[B] Amit Shah
[C] Harsh Vardhan
[D] Prakash Javadekar
Answer: Mansukh Mandaviya
Union Minister of State for Shipping (IC) and Chemicals & Fertilisers, Mansukh Mandaviya has recently
inaugurated India’s one the largest first Virtual Healthcare & Hygiene EXPO 2020.
The Expo has been organised by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the
leading association of business organisations in India. This is the first ever largest virtual exhibition in
India. The Chairman of FICCI, the President of FICCI, Tennis star P V Sindhu were also present during the
virtual Expo.
86. Which Indian has won the prestigious Peace Prize of the German Book Trade?
[A] Amartya Sen
[B] Raghuram Rajan
[C] Urjit Patel
[D] Manmohan Singh
Answer: Amartya Sen
Veteran Indian economist and Nobel-laureate Amartya Sen has won the prestigious Peace Prize of the
German Book Trade.
The 86-year-old economist has been named for the award for his decades-long work on global justice
and social inequality. The German Publishers and Booksellers Association, Börsenverein constituted the
award. The association also mentioned Amartya Sen’s three significant concepts: ‘Human Development
Index’, the ‘capabilities approach’ and the notion of ‘missing women’.
87. Who is the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information and Technology, that
has started working on Aarogya Setu app?
[A] Prakash Javadekar
[B] Anand Sharma
[C] Shashi Tharoor

[D] Kalraj Mishra
Answer: Shashi Tharoor
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information and Technology has started working on queries
on privacy of the Aarogya Setu application.
The Chairperson of the Parliamentary committee on IT is Shashi Tharoor. He said that despite
challenges in organising meeting, the committee has started functioning. Data security of the
application and the imposition on using the app would be focussed in the meeting.
88. As per a recent study, the researchers detected an exoplanet named ‘HIP 67522 b’. What is it otherwise
called?
[A] Hot Jupiter
[B] Super-Earth
[C] Mini-Neptune
[D] Ice giant
Answer: Hot Jupiter
According to the new study published in the Astronomical Journal, the researchers have detected the
exoplanet HIP 67522 b.
The exoplanet appears to be the youngest hot Jupiter ever found. It also orbits around a well-studied
star that is about 17 million years old. This means that the hot Jupiter is only a few million years
younger probably. As most known hot Jupiters are more than a billion years old, this is likely the
youngest hot Jupiter.
89. Who are the beneficiaries of the recent and first allocation of Rs 1000 crore from the PM CARES Fund?
[A] MSME owners
[B] Migrant workers
[C] Farmers
[D] Street vendors
Answer: Migrant workers
The PM CARES Fund Trust has allocated Rs 1000 crore for the welfare of migrant labourers, to all states
and UTs.
The distribution of the fund is based on the formula of 50% weightage for the population as per 2011
census, 40% weightage for number of positive COVID-19 cases and 10% for equal distribution among all
the States/UTs. This fund will be deployed for arranging accommodation, food, medical treatment and
transportation of the migrants.
90. As per the National Statistical Office (NSO), what is the rank of India as the world’s largest economy, in
terms of purchasing power parity (PPP) for 2017?
[A] Three
[B] Four
[C] Five
[D] Six
Answer: Three
The National Statistical Office (NSO) has recently announced that India has retained its position as the
third-largest economy after China and the US in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP) for 2017.
The government quoted the World Bank data and said that India accounted for 6.7 per cent (USD 8,051
billion out of the total of USD 119,547 billion) of global GDP in terms of PPP. India is also third-largest
economy in terms of its PPP-based share in global actual individual consumption and global gross
capital formation.
91. Which country’s super computer has become the fastest in the world?
[A] United States
[B] Japan
[C] China
[D] Germany
Answer: Japan
The Japanese supercomputer, Fugaku has been recently named the fastest super computer in the
Top500 list, which ranks the most powerful benchmarked supercomputers in the world.
It is powered by chipsets from Advanced RISC Machines (ARM). This marks the first time an ARM-based
supercomputer to ever top the list. It also marks the first time Japan has taken the top place since 2011.
It is followed by IBM’s Summit supercomputer and IBM’s Sierra supercomputer.
92. Which agency, in its Global Macro Outlook update, estimated that India’s GDP growth would be -3.1%
this year?
[A] Fitch
[B] Moody’s
[C] IndRa
[D] ICRA
Answer: Moody’s
Moody’s Investor Service has released the June update of its flagship Global Macro Outlook report. It
has estimated that India’s GDP growth would be -3.1% this year.
It had earlier estimated the growth to be 0.2% in April. The report also projected that India’s GDP would
grow at 6.9% in the fiscal year 2021-22, as compared to 6.2% estimated in the April update. It has
lowered its estimates for all major economies.
93. Which sport association of India has been provisionally de-recognised from its global head association?
[A] Karate Association of India
[B] All India Football Federation
[C] Basketball Federation of India
[D] Hockey India
Answer: Karate Association of India
The World Karate Federation (WKF) has provisionally de-recognised the Karate Association of India with
immediate effect.
The decision has been taken after an inquiry found that the association involved in infighting and
violating the world body’s laws during its elections last year. As the election process was considered to
be flawed by the WKF, it has de-recognised with immediate effect in accordance with the WKF rules.
94. Which paramilitary force has been named the nodal agency of the new 10000-bed Covid Care Centre,
New Delhi?
[A] Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)
[B] Central Reserve Police Frce (CRPF)
[C] Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)

[D] National Security Guard (NSG)
Answer: Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)
Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has been named the nodal agency of the new 10000-bed Covid Care
Centre at Chattarpur, New Delhi.
The Home Ministry had nominated ITBP as nodal agency to provide a team of doctors and other medical
professionals to this centre. 2000 bed facility is to be made operationalised this week. It will be further
expanded to over 10000 beds. This would be the largest single Covid Care Centre in the country.
95. Which is the Headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the
Near East (UNRWA)?
[A] Geneva
[B] Paris
[C] Amman
[D] New York
Answer: Amman
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is an UN
agency created to support the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. Its headquarters is
located in Amman, Jordan.
Recently, India has pledged contributing 10 million US dollar to the UNWRA over the next two years. This
was announced during the Extraordinary Virtual Ministerial Pledging Conference for UNRWA. This year,
India has already disbursed two million dollars and will soon remit the balance three million dollars.
India also provides 250 annual scholarships to Palestinian youth and officials.
96. What is the estimated GDP growth rate of India in this fiscal year, as per India Ratings and Research?
[A] 1.2%
[B] 0.2%
[C] -2.5%
[D] -5.3%
Answer: -5.3%
As per the India Ratings and Research, India’s economy is estimated to contract by 5.3 per cent this
fiscal year.
As per Ind-Ra, this is the lowest GDP growth in the Indian history and the sixth instance of economic
contraction. It also revealed that though some activities have started now, tourism and hospitality
sectors will not allow the economic activity to return to normalcy throughout FY21 due to the disruptions
caused by Covid-19 pandemic.
97. As per the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which is the first country to control Desert Locust
through Drones?
[A] China
[B] India
[C] Bangladesh
[D] Nepal
Answer: India
As per the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, India is the first country in the
world which is controlling Desert Locust through Drones.
Under Make in India initiative, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers’ Welfare (DAC&FW),
Agriculture Ministry has indigenously developed a vehicle mounted Ultra-low volume (ULV) sprayer for
locust control. After Ministry of Civil Aviation approved conditional exemption for Drone operations for
locust control, trials were conducted in Jaipur (Rajasthan) and Shivpuri (Madhya Pradesh).
98. Which international organisation releases its flagship report titled ‘World Economic Outlook (WEO)’?
[A] World Bank
[B] International Monetary Fund

[C] United Nations
[D] World Economic Forum
Answer: International Monetary Fund
Washington-headquartered International Monetary Fund releases its flagship report titled ‘World
Economic Outlook (WEO)’.
In the recent forecast report, the International Monetary Fund has estimated that the economy is
expected to contract by -4.5 per cent, in the fiscal year 2020. IMF has also projected that the Indian
economy will bounce back in 2021-22 with a growth rate of around 6%, though it is lower than the 7.4%
growth predicted in April.
99. Which inter-governmental organisation has placed Pakistan in its ‘Grey List’ until its next meeting?
[A] Financial Action Task Force
[B] International Monetary Fund
[C] Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
[D] Group of Seven
Answer: Financial Action Task Force
In the third and final plenary held virtually by the Financial Action Task Force, Pakistan has been placed
in its ‘Grey List’.
The country will remain in the Grey list until FATF’s next meeting to be held in October. The recent
plenary was held under the Chinese Presidency of Xiangmin Liu. The FATF has 39 members at present
including India. It has black listed countries including North Korea and Iran. Those countries would not
be able to get financial aid from institutions like World Bank, IMF etc.
100. Who is set to become first female president of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in its 233-year
history?
[A] Clare Connor
[B] Rachael Heyhoe Flint
[C] Betty Wilson
[D] Cathryn Fitzpatrick
Answer: Clare Connor
Former England captain and present Managing Director of women’s cricket England Cricket Board, Clare
Connor is set to become the first female president of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in its 233-year
history.
The current President of MCC, Sri Lanka’s veteran cricketer Kumar Sangakkara named Clare Connor as
the next Chief, during Annual General Meeting. Sangakkara is to step down from the top position next
year. Clare Connor was made an Honorary Life Member of MCC in 2009.
101. Which state was ranked first in eradicating Tuberculosis, in the Annual TB Report 2020?
[A] Maharashtra
[B] Tamil Nadu
[C] Gujarat
[D] Himachal Pradesh
Answer: Gujarat
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan released the Annual Tuberculosis (TB) Report 2020, through video
conferencing.
Gujarat was ranked the top performing state in eradicating Tuberculosis, in the category of large states
with more than 50 lakh populations. It is followed by Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. In the
category of small states, Nagaland and Tripura have been awarded the best performing states.
102. In the Credit Guarantee scheme CGSSD, launched to help the distressed MSME sector, what does ‘SD’
stand for?
[A] Small Debt
[B] Sub-ordinate Debt
[C] Stressed Debt
[D] Strategic Debt
Answer: Sub-ordinate Debt
Union Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Minister Nitin Gadkari has launched the Credit
Guarantee Scheme for Sub-ordinate Debt, CGSSD.
Under the scheme, a guarantee cover of Rs 20000 crore rupees will be provided to the promoters who
are willing take loan from banks to invest in their stressed MSMEs as equity. Promoters will be given
credit equal to 15 percent of their stake or 75 lakh rupees whichever is lower.
103. Which organisation has launched a new initiative to explore sandalwood and bamboo tree plantation?
[A] Khadi and Village Industries Commission
[B] National Institute of Agricultural Marketing
[C] Small Frmers Agribusiness Consortium
[D] Indian Council of Agricultural Research

Answer: Khadi and Village Industries Commission
The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has launched a first of its kind initiative to explore
sandalwood and bamboo tree plantation.
The statutory body that functions under the MSME Ministry has begun a drive with plantation of 500
saplings each of sandalwood and bamboo at its Nashik training centre. The plantation process aims at
monetization of the property. KVIC has procured sandalwood saplings from Fragrance and Flavour
Development Centre (FFDC), Uttar Pradesh and Bamboo saplings from Assam.
104. What is the theme of the “Day of the Seafarer”, celebrated by the International Maritime Organisation
(IMO)?
[A] Seafarers are Key Workers
[B] Importance of Seafarers
[C] Role of Seafarers in Economy
[D] Support Seafarers
Answer: Seafarers are Key Workers
Every year, 25 June is celebrated as the “Day of the Seafarer”, to recognise the contribution of seafarers
in international trade and the global economy.
The Day of the Seafarer was first celebrated in 2011 after it was designated by a resolution in the
Conference of Parties to the International Convention (STCW), held in Philippines, in 2010. The theme of
the Day of the Seafarer is ‘Seafarers are Key Workers’.
105. Which state has launched a mega employment scheme to provide jobs to 1.25 crore migrant workers?
[A] Madhya Pradesh
[B] Uttar Pradesh
[C] Odisha
[D] Bihar
Answer: Uttar Pradesh
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has virtually launched Atma Nirbhar Uttar Pradesh Rojgar Abhiyan, a
campaign to provide employment to 1.25 crore workers in Uttar Pradesh.
The campaign aims to cover migrant workers who returned and other employees in the state, who lost
their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic. It will be undertaken as part of the Garib Kalyan Rojgar
Abhiyan that was launched for 116 districts in six states across the country.
106. Energia space corporation, which announced to take the first tourist on a space walk by 2023, is
located in which country?
[A] United States
[B] Russia
[C] China
[D] Israel
Answer: Russia
Russia’s Energia space corporation has recently announced that it will take the first tourist on a space
walk by 2023.
Energia has inked a contract with its U.S. partner, Space Adventures, to take two tourists to the
International Space Station (ISS). The company had earlier taken eight tourists to the ISS between 2001
and 2009, along with the Russian agency.
107. Which technology company has launched a platform for small enterprises in India, to enter into digital
ecosystem?
[A] Amazon
[B] Google
[C] Microsoft
[D] IBM
Answer: Google
Google India announced a platform for small enterprises in India, to enter into digital ecosystem, named
‘Grow with Google Small Business hub’.
It will serve as a single destination for all small businesses to get access to digital tools. It also provides
resources like videos and support videos to learn new digital skills. It has also introduced new features
in Google My Business app and Google Pay for Business, to promote digital payment.
108. Which international sports organisation has launched an online tool ‘Road to Tokyo’?
[A] World Athletics
[B] World Archery Federation
[C] International Table Tennis Federation
[D] International Weightlifting Federation
Answer: World Athletics
Monaco-based World Athletics has launched ‘Road to Tokyo’, an online tool to track the qualification
process for next year’s Olympic Games.
The Tokyo Olympics were postponed in March and is scheduled to be held from July 23 to August 8,
2021. The qualification system is adapted to fit in the new dates of the games. The online tool will
provide a real time view of each event during the Tokyo 2020 qualification period which ends on June
29, 2021.
109. Olympus, that has recently exited from its camera business, is a famous company based in which
country?
[A] China
[B] Japan
[C] South Korea

[D] United States
Answer: Japan
The Japanese camera brand Olympus has been in the business of manufacturing cameras, lenses, audio
recorders, and related accessories since 1936.
Recently, it has decided to sell off its entire camera business to Japan Industrial Partners (JIP). This
step has been taken as the digital camera market has been severely crashed due to the evolution of
smart phones. JIP had earlier bought Sony’s VAIO computer business.
110. Which Union Ministry has launched “Nasha Mukt Bharat: Annual Action Plan (2020-21)”?
[A] Ministry of Human Resources and Development
[B] Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
[C] Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
[D] Ministry of Women and Child Development
Answer: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched “Nasha Mukt Bharat: Annual Action Plan
(2020-21)”.
The action plan has been launched for 272 Most Affected Districts, on the occasion of “International Day
Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking”. The Minister of State of Social Justice also released the
Logo and Tagline for National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction and awareness videos for Drug
Abuse Prevention.
111. Which technology company has launched ‘Online Business Guide’ and a training programme, to help
people move their business online?
[A] Facebook
[B] Amazon
[C] Tata Consultancy Services
[D] Infosys
Answer: Facebook
Major Technology company Facebook has launched a new initiative called ‘Boost with Facebook
Summer of Support’.
The programme comprises a six-week free on-demand online training and discussion on fields such as
modern customer service, creative reinvention, digital processing etc. The company also launched
‘Online Business Guide’, to help people move online.
112. When is ‘International Day in Support of Victims of Torture’ observed by UN?
[A] June 24
[B] June 26
[C] June 28
[D] June 30
Answer: June 26
The ‘International Day in Support of Victims of Torture’ is observed by the United Nations, on June 26
every year.
In the year 1997, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 26 June as the UN International Day in support of
victims of torture. The day is observed with an objective of total eradication of torture. On 26 June 1987,
the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment,
came into effect.
113. Which Indian state has launched an initiative called “At One Click”, to aid MSMEs and Textile

Industries?
[A] Gujarat
[B] Madhya Pradesh
[C] Odisha
[D] Andhra Pradesh
Answer: Gujarat
The Chief Minister of Gujarat has launched a new initiative called “At One Click”, to aid MSMEs and
Textile Industries.
An aid of Rs 1,369 crore for micro small and medium enterprises and textile industries was launched
during the session. ”At One Click” is an online cash aid initiative aims to cover 13,000 MSMEs in Gujarat,
by providing financial assistance directly in their bank accounts.
114. Which country is set to host the 2023 Women’s FIFA World Cup?
[A] Brazil
[B] Australia & New Zealand
[C] Japan
[D] Argentina
Answer: Australia & New Zealand
The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, as per the recent
announcement from FIFA.
The President Gianni Infantino announced the results of the votes taken during its meeting held via
videoconference. The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 will be the first edition to feature 32 teams and it
will also be the first to be hosted by Australia and New Zealand and across two confederations.
115. ‘India Cycles4change Challenge’ is an initiative of which scheme, to support cities implement cycling-
friendly initiatives?
[A] Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban)
[B] Smart Cities Mission
[C] Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT)
[D] Pradhan Mantri Sadak Yojana
Answer: Smart Cities Mission
A webinar has been organised to mark the 5th anniversary of three urban schemes implemented by the
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs namely, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) (PMAY-U), (SCM)
and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).
A new initiative of Smart Cities Mission called ‘India Cycles4change Challenge’ was also launched. It
aims to encourage and support Indian cities to implement cycling-friendly initiatives in response to
COVID-19, including pop-up cycle lanes and non-motorized zones.
116. Which international organisation released the report titled “Money laundering and illegal wildlife
trade”?
[A] UNCTAD
[B] UNIDO
[C] FATF
[D] World Bank
Answer: FATF
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has released its first report on “Money laundering and illegal
wildlife trade”.
In the first global report, illegal wildlife trade has been described as a ‘global threat’, which also has links
with other organised crimes like slavery, drug trafficking and arms trade. As per the report, the illegal
trade is estimated to generate revenues of up to USD 23 billion a year. It also highlighted that legislative
changes were necessary to apply the laws to illegal wildlife trade-linked offences.
117. As per the consolidated guidelines released by the MSME Ministry, the MSMEs would be known by
which name?
[A] Udyog
[B] Udyam
[C] Upakram
[D] Sangatan
Answer: Udyam
Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has launched a consolidated notification in the
form of guidelines for classification and registration of MSMEs.
As per the new guidelines, an MSME will be known as Udyam, as this word is closer to the meaning of
‘Enterprise’. Accordingly, the registration process will henceforth be known as Udyam Registration. The
Udyam Registration can be filed online based on self-declaration, only on the basis of Aadhaar number,
via a paperless process.
118. Which UT has launched a unified portal to provide information about job vacancies in government and
private sectors?
[A] New Delhi
[B] Goa
[C] Puducherry
[D] Chandigarh
Answer: Goa
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has launched a portal to provide information about the job vacancies
in government and private sectors.
The dedicated portal is expected to help the common people in the UT amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The registered job seekers can find the vacancies present in various private establishments,
autonomous bodies and educational institutes among others.
119. Which steroid has been added in Covid-19 treatment protocol by the Union Health Ministry?
[A] Dexamethasone
[B] Aspirin
[C] Naproxen
[D] Meloxicam
Answer: Dexamethasone
The Union Health Ministry has released a revised version of “Clinical Management Protocol: COVID-19”.
This document is published to be used as a reference by health professionals. The Ministry has added
the use of dexamethasone for patients in need of oxygen support. The drug can also be used for those
who have excessive inflammatory response. ‘WHO’ also called for a rapid increase in production of
Dexamethasone.
120. ‘SkillsBuild’ is an online learning platform of which technology company?
[A] Tata Consultancy Services
[B] IBM
[C] Wipro
[D] Infosys

Answer: IBM
In November 2019, IBM India launched the SkillsBuild platform, in partnership with Directorate General
of Training (DGT), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
Recently, IBM has launched ‘SkillsBuild Reignite’ programme, to provide free online coursework and
mentoring support to job seekers and entrepreneurs. It provides personalized coaching for
entrepreneurs to restart their businesses. SkillsBuild is rated as one of the Top 10 online learning
platform in the country by National Skills Network.

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Current Affairs [PDF] - June 1-24, 2020

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June 20, 2020

June 21, 2020

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June 23, 2020

June 24, 2020

1. SpaceX: First Private Space Company to send NASA astronauts to

2. Why is a private Space Company hired?

4. The US-Russia Factor

2. Jal Jeevan Mission: Funds allocated to Assam and Bihar

3. Jal Jeevan Mission

3. Unlock 1.0; Lock Down 5.0 begins in India

3. Prohibitions of Lock Down 5

5. Unlock Phase III

4. New Asteroid discovered near Jupiter

3. How did the tail form?

5. PM Modi launches “My Life My Yoga”

6. Scorpaenospsis neglecta: Rare fish found in Gulf of Mannar

7. China objects the presence of US THAAD missile in South Korea

THAAD is Terminal High Altitude Area Defense. It is a transportable and ground-based

1. What is the issue?

8. GoI discontinues 7.75% savings bonds

9. What is “George Floyd” protest in news currently?

2. Black Lives Matter Movement

11. June 1: World Milk Day

2. Controversy: World Plant Milk Day

4. National Milk Day

12. Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Kendra: Sales up to Rs 100

13. NITI Aayog organizes Convention to boost Natural Farming

2. Programmes highlighted at the Convention

15. “Ultra Swachh” Booth developed by DRDO to disinfect PPEs

The Defence Research Development Organization (DRDO) developed a disinfection unit

1. About the unit

16. GoI launches PM SVANidhi scheme

2. Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan

3. How was 10% of GDP fixed?

2. Objectives of the portal

3. About the platform

18. GoI increases Minimum Support Price of 14 Kharif crops

19. Real Time Electricity Market launched by Indian Energy Exchange

2. About Real Time Electricity Market

4. India Energy Exchange

5. Central Electricity Regulatory Commission

20. Union Cabinet approves change of definition of MSMEs

21. Telangana celebrates Statehood Day

3. Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awards

23. GoI launches three new schemes to boost Electronics sector

1. About the schemes

2. Production Linked Incentive Scheme

24. Khelo India Community Coach Development Programme

3. Fit India Movement

4. Why is the programme important?