Current Affairs 30th June 2020| Current Affairs News

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS

International Day of the Tropics

• International Day of the Tropics, which is marked on June 29 every year.
• As per the United Nations, the Tropics is home to nearly 95 per cent of the world’s mangrove forests by area and 99 per cent of mangrove species. The Tropics have just over half of the world’s renewable water resources (54 per cent), and biodiversity is also much greater at 80 per cent.

World Allergy Week

• The World Allergy Organization is proud to announce thatWorld Allergy Week 2020 will occur 28 June – 4 July 2020 and will focus on the theme of “Allergy care does not stop with COVID-19.”
• Each year, the World Allergy Organization (WAO) addresses a different topic that has a need for greater awareness.

About WAO

• Headquarters location: United States

World Asteroid Day

• World Asteroid Day or International Asteroid Dayis celebrated in the remembrance of the Tunguska impact over Siberia, Russia. It took place on 30 June, 1908.
• It is said that it was the Earth’s largest asteroid impact ever recorded so far.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL

India inks pact with Bhutan for 600 MW Kholongchhu Hydroelectric Project

• India signed a concession agreement with Bhutan for the 600 MW Kholongchhu Hydroelectric Project in the virtual presence of external affairs minister S Jaishankar.
• The 600 MW run-of-the-river project is located on the lower course of the Kholongchhu River in Trashiyangtse district in Eastern Bhutan.
• The project envisages an underground powerhouse of four 150 MW turbines with water impounded by a concrete gravity dam of 95 meters height.
• It will be implemented by Kholongchhu Hydro Energy Limited, a Joint Venture launched between Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC) of Bhutan and Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL) of India.
• The concession agreement will lead to commencement of construction and other works of this first Joint Venture Hydroelectric Project between India and Bhutan.
• The project is expected to be completed in the second half of
• The 720 MW Mangdechhu hydroelectric project was jointly inaugurated earlier in August, 2019 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bhutan counterpart Lotay Tshering.

About Bhutan

• Capital: Thimphu
• Capital: Bhutan Ngultrum
• Prime minister: Lotay Tshering

India plans incentives to double auto exports in next five years

• India is drawing up an incentive scheme for the autos sector aimed at doubling exports of vehicles and components in the next five years.
• The incentives would be based on the sales value of vehicles or components and eligiblecompanies would need to meet certain conditions, including a minimum revenue and profit threshold and presence in at least 10 countries.
• The move is part of India’s effort to create ‘champion’ sectors to attract investment, generate jobs and boost manufacturing.
• India wants to promote exports and has identified some sectors, including autos and textiles, for which incentive plans are being designed.
• The initial scheme has been designed to incentivise large companies and in turn benefit smaller players in the supply chain, making the auto sector more competitive overall.

Govt launches PM FME scheme to help micro food processing enterprises

• The Government launched a Rs 10,000 crore scheme for micro enterprises which offers 50% subsidy for storage and transportation to prevent distress sale by farmers.
• The scheme, called Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Enterprises (PM FME) launched by Food processing minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, aims to bring in new technology, apart from affordable credit to help small entrepreneurs penetrate new markets.
• The scheme will be implemented for five years until 2024-25. It will generate investment of Rs 35,000 core, generate 900,000 jobs and help 800,000 units.
• Operation Greens Scheme, which has been extended from tomato, onion and potato (TOP) crops to other notifiedhorticulture crops for providing subsidy for their transportation and storage from surplus production area to major consumption centres, will prevent post-harvest losses and distress sale by farmers when prices fall.
• Under the PM FME scheme, micro enterprises will get 35% subsidy on project cost, with a ceiling of Rs 10 lakh. The beneficiaries will have to contribute at least 10% of the project cost while the balance will come from loans. Nearly 200,000 micro enterprises will get credit-linked subsidy support.
• Under the scheme, meant for the unorganised sector, the expenditure will be shared by the central and state governments in the ratio of 60:40.
• The ministry will provide the 50% subsidy for “transportation of eligible crops from surplus production clusters to consumption centres or hiring of appropriate storage facilities for eligible crops for a maximum period of three months”.
• The maximum subsidy amount per applicant will be Rs 1 crore during a six-month period.

About MoFPI

• Minister of Food Processing Industries: Harsimrat Kaur Badal
• Constituency: Bathinda, Punjab.

Defence Minister launches web portal for issuing NOCs for projects in Indian waters

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched a web portal for issuing no objection certificates (NOCs) to entities that are undertaking power projects and activities related to research, survey, exploration and exploitation in the Indian territorial waters and exclusive economic zones.
• The online system will establish an effective, speedy and transparent mechanism to process these proposals.
• Singh, along with Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik, launched the web portal in the presence of Army Chief General M M Naravane, Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh, and Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria.
• The  newly developed web portal will facilitate the applicants in submitting their proposals online for seeking Security Clearance from the Defence Ministry  for undertaking Power Projects and RSEE activities.
• The web portal has been developed with the assistance of National e-Governance Division (NeGD), Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG) and National Informatics Centre (NIC).

About MoD

• Defence Minister of India: Rajnath Singh
• Constituency: Lucknow, UP.

Culture Ministry to  celebrate “Sankalp Parva” to plant trees from 28th June to 12 July 2020

• The Ministry of Culture has decided to celebrate Sankalp Parva from 28th June to 12 July 2020.
• This initiative is in line with the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi’s call for planting at least five trees either in Office campus or wherever it is possible, to ensure clean and healthy environment of the country.
• The Ministry of Culture has asked all its Subordinate Offices, Academies, Attached Institutions, Affiliated Institutions to plant the five trees as identified by PM Modi, in its campus or at the surroundings wherever it is possible.
• These trees are (i) “Bargad” (ii) “Awla” (iii) “Pepal” (iv) “Ashok” (v) “Bel”.

About Ministry of Culture

• Prahlad Singh Patel Constituency– Damoh Loksabha in Madhya Pradesh

NFL launches five Mobile Soil Testing Labs for testing the soil samples at farmers’ doorstep

• National Fertilizers Limited- NFL has launched five Mobile Soil Testing Labs for testing the soil samples at the doorstep of farmers free of cost.
• It will give further boost to the Soil Testing facility in the country for promoting appropriate use of fertilizers.
• Chairman and Managing Director of NFL  V N Datt   flagged off one such Mobile Lab from the premises of NFL Corporate Office in Noida.
• These Mobile Labs, loaded with latest soil testing equipment will  be used for macro and micro nutrient analysis of soil.
• In addition to this, these Mobile Labs are also equipped with Audio-Video system to educate farmers on various agricultural topics.
• Other than the Mobile Soil Testing Labs, the company is also serving the farming community through six Static Soil Testing Labs located in different parts of country.
• All these Labs tested around 25 thousand  soil samples free of cost in the year 2019-20.

About National Fertilizers Limited

• Headquarters: Noida, India
• Virendra Nath Datt (Chairman and MD)

India bans 59 Chinese mobile apps on security threat

• India has banned 59 Chinese mobile apps, including the popular SHAREit, TikTok, UC Browser, and SHEIN, citing them to be a security threat. The government invoked its powers under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act and relevant provisions under IT Rules 2009 to block these apps, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) stated.
• The move did not come as a surprise as it comes in the backdrop of stand-off along the Line of Actual control in Ladakh with Chinese troops. Other popular apps on the ban list include Club Factory, Helo, and CamScanner. The ministry stated it had received complaints about the misuse of some mobile apps available on the Android and iOS platforms “for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting user data” in an unauthorised manner to servers located outside India.
• The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre and the Home Ministry, who had earlier sent an exhaustive recommendation on the apps to be blocked, were consulted on this issue, the MeitY statement stated.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE

World Bank Enhances Support for Rejuvenating the Ganga

• The World Bank enhanced its support for the Government of India’s program to rejuvenate the Ganga River with a $400 million operation that will help stem pollution in the river, and strengthen the management of the river basin which is home to more than 500 million people.
• The Second National Ganga River Basin Project (SNGRBP), approved by the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors, will support the government’s Namami Gange program and its long-term vision for controlling pollution in the river and restoring its water quality.
• The World Bank has been supporting the government’s efforts since 2011 through the ongoing National Ganga River Basin Project, which helped set up the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) as the nodal agency to manage the river, and financed sewage treatment infrastructure in several riverside towns and cities.
• The first World Bank project helped build critical sewage infrastructure in 20 pollution hotspots along the river, and this Project will help scale this up to the tributaries.  It will also help the government strengthen the institutions needed to manage a river basin as large and complex as the Ganga Basin.
• Ongoing National Ganga River Basin Project
• Helped set up the National Mission for Clean Ganga
• Helping build sewage collection and treatment infrastructure in 20 towns along the mainstem of the Ganga
• 1,275 MLD sewage treatment capacity created
• 3,632 km of sewage network built
• Helped foster public mobilization for Ganga rejuvenation
• The Ganga Basin covers a quarter of India’s landmass, and is a critical economic and environmental resource for the country. It provides over one-third of India’s surface water, includes the country’s largest irrigated area and is key to India’s water and food security. Over 40 percent of India’s GDP is generated in the densely populated basin.

About World Bank:

• Headquarters:Washington, D.C., U.S
• President: David Malpass
• MD and CFO: Anshula Kant

India, World Bank sign loan agreements for housing sector in Tamil Nadu

• The government of India, government of Tamil Nadu and the World Bank signed legal agreements to help low-income groups in the state of Tamil Nadu get access to affordable housing.
• The legal agreements were signed for two projects – $200 million First Tamil Nadu Housing Sector Strengthening Programme and $50 million Tamil Nadu Housing and Habitat Development Project – to strengthen the state’s housing sector policies, institutions, and regulations.
• The $200 million First Tamil Nadu Housing Sector Strengthening Programme supports the government’s ongoing efforts to increase the availability of affordable housing by gradually shifting the role of the state from being the main provider to an enabler. It will also aim to unlock regulatory barriers and incentivise private sector participation in affordable housing for low-income families.
• Nearly half of Tamil Nadu’s population is urban, and this is expected to increase to 63 percent by 2030. An estimated 6 million people are currently living in slums (representing 16.6 percent of the state’s urban population).
• Concurrently, the Board also approved a $50 million Tamil Nadu Housing and Habitat Development Project to support innovations in housing finance and strengthen housing sector institutions in the state. It will finance the newly created Tamil Nadu Shelter Fund (TNSF) – an innovation in housing finance in India – by providing an equity contribution of $35 million.
• This initial support to TNSF will enable cross-subsidisation opportunities where higher returns from commercial and high-income developments will compensate for lower returns from affordable housing. This will make affordable housing commercially viable for potential investors.
• The loans of $200 million and $50 million from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) have a maturity of 20 years including a grace period of 3.5 years.

About Tamil Nadu:

• Capital: Chennai
• Governor: Banwarilal Purohit
• Chief Minister: Edappadi K. Palaniswami

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Swiggy ties up with ICICI Bank to launch digital wallet

• To enable a ‘single-click’ checkout experience on its platform, on demand delivery platform Swiggy launched its own digital wallet ‘Swiggy Money’ in partnership with ICICI Bank. The digital wallet will enable its customers to store money and be used for all food orders on Swiggy.
• ‘Swiggy Money’ is powered by ICICI Bank’s ‘insta wallet service’, which is built on a cloud platform with API integration. It enables Swiggy to create a digital wallet instantly for its customers. If the Swiggy customer happens to be an existing ICICI Bank customer, he/she can instantly start using the wallet.
• Non-ICICI Bank customers can also start using this immediately by providing details of a government ID to ICICI Bank. This integration offers benefits such as higher scalability, improved performance, quick to market and high-speed processing for reconciliation.
• Swiggy is currently present in over 500 cities in the country and continuously deepening its presence and value in existing markets through newly launched services ‘Swiggy Grocery’ and ‘Swiggy Genie’.

About Swiggy:

• CEO: Sriharsha Majety
• Headquarters: Bengaluru

About ICICI:

• CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi
• Headquarters: Mumbai

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATES

Uttarakhand forest department develops India’s first lichen park in Kumaon

• Uttarakhand forest department has claimed to have developed the country’s first lichen park in Kumaon’s Munsiyari area, spread over 1.5 acres with over 80 species of lichens collected from across the Himalayan state.
• Lichens found in the Himalayas up to 5000 metres, are important species as they are the best bioindicators of the pollution levels.
• Jurassic-era lichen species are used in food, perfumes, dyes and traditional medicines.
• Aim of developing this Lichen Park is to create awareness among people about their importance in the overall Himalayan ecology and how to link the livelihood of these locals with these species and check their incriminating exploitation.
• One of the lichen species called Jhula Ghas is used as a flavouring agent in Hyderabadi biryani and some non-vegetarian dishes in North Indian cuisine. Their potential for antibiotics and sunscreen chemicals is also being explored by researchers. Some species can also withstand high levels of radiation and can be used as biological sensors that give us information about the environment

About Uttarakhand

• Capitals: Dehradun, Gairsain (Summer)
• CM: Trivendra Singh Rawat
• Governor: Baby Rani Maurya

Himachal Pradesh Government to open Varishth Nagrik Suvidha Kendra for senior citizens

• Himachal Pradesh Government would open Varishth Nagrik Suvidha Kendra on pilot basis to offer comprehensive day care services to senior citizens to lead a healthy and dignified lifestyle.
• These centres apart from having day care facilities such as recreation activities, upgradation of skill would also have facilities of free health check up for senior citizens, wellness programmes such as yoga sessions etc.
• The scheme was committed for welfare of the senior citizens and about 3.91 lakh old age persons were provided social security pension at the enhanced rate.
• An integrated Scheme for Older Persons has been formulated for running and maintenance of oldage homes, day care centres, helpline and counselling for older persons.

About HP

• Governor: Bandaru Dattatreya
• Capitals: Shimla (Summer), Dharamshala (Winter)
• Chief minister: Jai Ram Thakur

Madhya Pradesh launches ‘Hamara Ghar-Hamara Vidyalaya’ campaign P

• In Madhya Pradesh, the school bell will be ringing in the houses of the state too from July 6. Children will read, perform yoga, write and listen to stories and make notes on them.
• In order to maintain the academic regularity of students during the Corona crisis, the State Education Center has prepared a ‘Hamara Ghar-Hamara Vidyalaya’ means My Home-My school scheme, in which children will be taught at home in a school-like environment.

About Madhya Pradesh:

• Capital: Bhopal
• Chief minister: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
• Governor: Lalji Tandon

Maharashtra set to launch a plasma therapy trial ‘Project Platina’ on COVID-19 patients

• The Maharashtra government launched the largest plasma therapy trial for Covid-19.  Launching  the programme, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray stated Maharashtra will be the first state in the country to conduct an overarching trial on convalescent plasma therapy.  Mr. Thackeray stated that plasma donors are saviours.
• He stated the first plasma therapy trial was first conducted in  April this year, after which permission was sought from the Centre to undertake more trials.
• The Chief Minister also stated the Central team which visited the state has lauded the measures taken by the state government in containing  Covid.
• According to Mr. Thackeray the Centre has granted permission to conduct convalescent plasma therapy trials at 23 centres but as of now it will be done at 17 centres only.  He further stated a person who has recovered from the coronavirus infection can register himself on  plasmayoddha.in and can express his willingness to donate plasma.

About Maharashtra :

• Capital: Mumbai
• Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari
• Chief Minister: Uddhav Thackeray (SS)

Plasma Bank to be set up in Delhi to treat COVID-19 patients

• In a first for India, the delhi government launched a plasma bank for treating covid-19 patients.
• Delhi was one of the first states to give the go-ahead for plasma therapy in April. It has now stated that the proposed plasma bank will be up and running in two days, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal stated.
• The facility is to be set up at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), and will be made available to government and private hospitals.
• Kejriwal stated the bank was needed because patients were facing problems accessing blood plasma. It will, however, not be mandatory for patients to contact the bank for plasma therapy.
• The therapy requires drawing blood from patients who have recovered from covid-19 and using the plasma and antibodies from that blood in active patients. Unlike blood donation, only the plasma is drawn from the blood. Doctors involved in the trial stated they use the therapy on patients who have gone to the second stage of the disease, in which the lungs are affected.
• If a patient wants to get plasma on their own, they can continue doing that. If someone needs plasma, they will need a doctor’s recommendation. The hospital or doctor will approach ILBS, he stated.
• Several states, including Punjab, are running trials to see the efficacy of plasma therapy in the recovery of coronavirus-positive patients.

About Delhi:

• Governor: Anil Baijal,
• Chief Minister: Arvind Kejriwal

Naveen Patnaik plans to increase green cover under ‘Sabuja Odisha’ over 1.30 Lakh Hectares

• The Odisha Government planned to implement a new initiative ‘Sabuja Odisha’ to increase green cover through extensive plantation over 1,30,264 Hectares of land.
• This has been decided in a high-level meeting held under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy.
• Tripathy has directed to put a web-based system for real-time monitoring and supervision of the programme. The department has asked to form district-level committees led by the collector for proper coordination and implementation of the program at the ground level, the statement stated.
• The Divisional Forest Officer headquarters would work as Plantation Officer in the district. Chief Secretary directed all districts to have their own micro-level work plan for plantations.
• PCCF stated, The people will be given the seedling of their choice at Rs 1 per seedling. The plantation sites with geographic information system coordinates will be uploaded on the website for continuous monitoring through satellite applications.
• This year’s all-time high number of seedlings have been raised in the 5,222 nurseries.
• So far, around 13.11 crore seedlings of various varieties like the medicinal plant, fruit-bearing species, timber species, multi-purpose plants, aesthetic and shade bearing species, endangered species have been raised. The groundwork for raising more 2 crore seedlings has been started.

About Odisha :

• Capital: Bhubaneswar
• Governor: Ganeshi Lal
• Chief minister: Naveen Patnaik

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATION

UP Governor Anandiben Patel Gets Additional Madhya Pradesh Charge

• President Ram Nath Kovind has assigned Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel additional charge of Madhya Pradesh in the absence of Governor Lal Ji Tandon, who has taken ill and has been in a hospital.
• Anandiben Patel, former chief minister of Gujarat, was appointed as the Governor of Uttar Pradesh last year. She was the Madhya Pradesh Governor before that.

About MadhyaPradesh

• Capital: Bhopal
• Chief minister: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Lazarus Chakwera sworn in as Malawi president after historic win

• Lazarus Chakwera has been sworn in as Malawi’s new president.
• He defeated incumbent Peter Mutharika with 58.57% of votes.
• Chakwera is Malawi’s sixth president after winning the historic election, the first time a court-overturned vote in Africa has resulted in the defeat of an incumbent leader.

About Malawi

• Capital: Lilongwe
• Currency: Malawian Kwacha

K K Venugopal reappointed as Attorney General of India for one year

• K K Venugopal was reappointed as the Attorney General for India for one year.His present three-year term ends.
• The President is pleased to re-appoint Shri K K Venugopal, Senior Advocate as Attorney General for India for a period of one year we.f.July 1, 2020,a notification stated.
• Senior government officials had earlier stated that the Centre had written to Venugopal, 89, about its plan to give him a fresh tenure.
• Venugopal, a leading lawyer of the country, succeeded Mukul Rohatgi as the Attorney General on June 30, 2017.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONORS

Beyonce receives BET Humanitarian Award from Michelle Obama

• Beyonce received the prestigious BET Humanitarian Award.
• Former first lady Michelle Obama, who worked on her Let’s Move! campaign with Beyoncé during her time in the White House, gave a pretaped speech during the virtual BET Awards honoring the music star for all of her charitable efforts.
• Beyoncé was honored for her philanthropic work through the BeyGOOD initiative, which has included helping her hometown of Houston following the devastation of Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and currently during the coronavirus pandemic.

The BET Awards, which honor Black excellence in entertainment and sport

• Album of the Year “Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial,” Roddy Ricch
• Best Female R&B/Pop Artist Lizzo
• Best Male R&B/Pop Artist Chris Brown
• Best Group Migos
• Best Collaboration Chris Brown Ft. Drake, “No Guidance”
• Best Male Hip Hop Artist DaBaby
• Best Female Hip Hop Artist Megan Thee Stallion
• Video of the Year DJ Khaled ft. Nipsey Hussle & John Legend, “Higher”
• Video Director of the Year Teyana “Spike Tee” Taylor
• Best New Artist Roddy Ricch
• Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Kirk Franklin, “Just for Me”
• Best Movie “Queen & Slim”
• Best Actress Issa Rae
• Best Actor Michael B. Jordan
• Young Stars Award Marsai Martin
• Sportswoman of the Year Simone Biles
• Sportsman of the Year LeBron James
• BET HER Award Beyoncé ft. Blue Ivy, WizKid & Saint Jhn, “Brown Skin Girl”
• Viewer’s Choice Award Megan Thee Stallion ft. Nicki Minaj, “Hot Girl Summer”
• Best International Act Burna Boy (Nigeria)
• Viewer’s Choice: Best New International Act SHA SHA (Zimbabwe)

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING

IIM Bangalore jumps 25 places to break into top 50 of QS EMBA Rankings

• From 61st position last year, the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore has broken into the global top 50 Executive MBA (EMBA) Rankings by QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) this year at 36th position.
• The EMBA rankings measure management programs meant for executives with prior work experience. In India, business schools (B-schools) like IIMs have their flagship programs open for both freshers and working professionals. However, they also run one year executive management program or MBA that are strictly meant for those with prior work experience of anywhere between five and ten years or beyond.
• Under QS’ EMBA rankings, IIM Bangalore’s EPGP program has been ranked.
• There are also two new Indian entries into the EMBA Rankings this year, including Indian School of Business (ISB) debuting at 81st position, while IIM Kozhikode ranks in the 101+ grouping.
• However, the Executive MBA sector is still one dominated by institutions in the United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) with 62 of the 141 single-provider programs ranked are offered by American or British providers.
• Globally, The Wharton School retains its position as the world’s best, while Spain’s IESE Business School and France’s HEC Paris – 2nd and 3rd respectively – indicate that Europe is also home to world-class providers. In total, 161 EMBA programs have been ranked.
• Meanwhile, Asia’s leading Executive MBA program is offered by the National University of Singapore Business School at 15th rank which went up by three places, followed by globally 17th ranked CUHK Business School which went up by seven places, breaking into the top 20.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

CSIR-NCL and BEL manufacture Oxygen Enrichment Unit useful in Covid-19 treatment

• Oxygen Enrichment Unit (OEU), developed by scientists from Polymer Science and Engineering Division of CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL), will help reduce the requirement of ventilators and oxygen cylinders in homecare, villages and remote places.
• The technology has been licensed to NCL-start up GEnrich Membranes and the OEUs will be manufactured by Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL).
• Oxygen enrichment units have special significance in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. Patient recovery can be faster with supplemental oxygen in early stages.
• It can reduce the number of patients who will need ventilators. Post-ventilator treatment patients can be served with this unit, thus reducing demand for oxygen cylinders. Its portability makes it convenient for using such units in home care, villages and remote places.

Bharat Biotech Announces India’s First COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate ‘COVAXIN’ With DCGI Approval For Human Clinical Trials

• Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech announced that it has successfully developed Covaxin, India’s first vaccine candidate for Covid-19, in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Institute of Virology (NIV).
• The Drug Controller General of India – CDSCO, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare granted permission to initiate Phase I & II Human clinical trials after the company submitted results generated from preclinical studies, demonstrating safety and immune response. Human clinical trials are scheduled to start across India in July 2020. The SARS-CoV-2 strain was isolated in NIV, Pune and transferred to Bharat Biotech.
• The indigenous, inactivated vaccine developed and manufactured in the company’s Bio-Safety Level 3 (BSL-3) High Containment facility located in Genome Valley, Hyderabad.
• Expedited through national regulatory protocols, the company accelerated its objective in completing the comprehensive pre-clinical studies. Results from these studies have been promising and show extensive safety and effective immune responses.
• Bharat Biotech’s track record in developing vero cell culture platform technologies has been proven in several vaccines for Polio, Rabies, Rotavirus, Japanese Encephalitis, Chikungunya and Zika.

About Bharat Biotech:

• Headquarters: Hyderabad
• Founder: Krishna Ella

About Indian Council of Medical Research:

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Secretary & Director General: Dr. Balram Bhargava

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS

Mario Gomez: Former Germany and Bayern Munich striker announces retirement

• Former Germany striker Mario Gomez retired from football after scoring in his last game for Stuttgart.
• Gomez won the Bundesliga title during his first spell at Stuttgart in 2007 before winning another two league titles at Bayern Munich after moving to the German giants in 2009.

India’s Nitin Menon becomes youngest umpire to enter ICC Elite Panel 

• India’s Nitin Menon became the youngest member of the International Cricket Council’s Elite Panel of Umpires, replacing England’s Nigel Llong for the upcoming 2020-21 season after an annual review.
• He has officiated in three Tests, 24 ODIs and 16 T20Is, is only the third from India to make it to the prestigious group after former captain Srinivas Venkatraghavan and Sundaram Ravi.
• England’s Michael Gough, 40, was the youngest in the current panel before Menon’s elevation.

About ICC

• Chairperson: Shashank Manohar
• CEO: Manu Sawhney
• Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARY

Former Delhi cricketer Sanjay Dobal Passes Away

• Former Delhi cricketer Sanjay Dobal has passed away after contracting COVID-19 infection. He was 52.
• A student of coach Tarak Sinha at the Sonnet Club, Dobal was employed with Air India.

Bangladesh Defence Secretary Abdullah Al Mohsin Chowdhury passes away

• Bangladesh Defence Secretary Abdullah Al Mohsin Chowdhury passed away due to the novel coronavirus.
• Chowdhury became Defence Secretary in January and on June 14, the government promoted him to the senior secretary post of the Ministry of Defence.

Noted Kannada novelist Geetha Nagabhushan passes away

• Kannada novelist Geetha Nagabhushan, has passed away of cardiac arrest.
• She was the first woman writer to bag Kendra Sahitya Academy and Nadoja awards and serve as the chairperson of Karnataka Sahitya Academy.
• Her works include 50 short stories, 27 novels, 12 plays, two collections of poems and research works. Baduku (novel), Hasimamsa Mattu Haddugalu (novel), Avva Mattu Itara Kathegalu (collection of short stories), Jwalantha (collection of short stories) and Jogini (play) are among her works that were widely read and discussed.

DAILY CA 28th  & 29th JUNE

• National Statistics Day-29th june
• BRO rebuilds bridge on Munsyari Milam Road near Indo -China Border in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand
• Govt Approves Additional Rs 1,691 Crore for Highway Works in J&K, Uttarakhand for 2020-21
• Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda launches TRIFED Digital Platforms through video conference
• Union Minister Shripad Naik Inaugurates Defence Conclave 2020 Gujarat
• USAID Announces A Contribution Of $356.2 Million From The U.S. Government For Sudan’s Democratic Transition
• World Bank clears $500 mn to improve quality of education system
• SBI working on setting up e-commerce portal “Bharat Craft” for MSMEs
• IMF Executive Board Approves a US$356.5 Million Disbursement to Myanmar to Address the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Reserve Bank of India extends enhanced borrowing limit to banks under MSF till Sept 30
• Sidbi sets up fund to facilitate free onboarding of MSMEs on TReDS platform
• Fintech, digital lenders launch schemes for MSME credit
• RBL Bank’s chatbot ‘RBL Cares’, now enables banking transactions
• Hindustan Zinc launches “Koi Bacha Rahe Na Bhookha” campaign
• Government launches 7.15% floating rate bonds
• SAP launches Global Bharat program to equip MSMEs with digital technologies
• Chhattisgarh to be the first state of the country to procure cowdung for welfare of cattle owners
• MP govt to launch ‘Kill Corona’ campaign from July
• Micheal Martin Becomes Ireland’s Prime Minister
• Vini Mahajan is Punjab’s first woman Chief Secretary
• Piyush Goyal Led the Governing Council Meeting of National Productivity Council
• Bengaluru in world’s top 30 startup ecosystem list
• Ex-RBI governor Rangarajan gets lifetime achievement award on Stats Day
• IISc in process of commercialising ICU-grade ventilator ‘Project Praana’
• NASA Renamed Its Headquarters For ‘Hidden Figure’ Mary Jackson
• Hindi writer Priyamvad’s new book “Bharatiya Loktanktra Ka Koras: Kuch Bisari Bikhari Dhwaniyan”
• ‘Shrek 2’, ‘Smurfs’ director Kelly Asbury passes away
• Renowned Jammu advocate Bhupinder Slathia passes away at 70
• Milton Glaser, Designer Behind The ‘I ♥ NY’ Logo, passes away
• Charles Webb, Elusive Author of ‘The Graduate,’ passes away at 81

DAILY CA 30th JUNE

• International Day of the Tropics- 29th june
• World Allergy Week-28th june to 4th july
• World Asteroid Day- 30th june
• India inks pact with Bhutan for 600 MW Kholongchhu Hydroelectric Project
• India plans incentives to double auto exports in next five years
• Govt launches PM FME scheme to help micro food processing enterprises
• Defence Minister launches web portal for issuing NOCs for projects in Indian waters
• Culture Ministry to  celebrate “Sankalp Parva” to plant trees from 28th June to 12 July 2020
• NFL launches five Mobile Soil Testing Labs for testing the soil samples at farmers’ doorstep
• India bans 59 Chinese mobile apps on security threat
• World Bank Enhances Support for Rejuvenating the Ganga
• India, World Bank sign loan agreements for housing sector in Tamil Nadu
• Swiggy ties up with ICICI Bank to launch digital wallet
• Uttarakhand forest department develops India’s first lichen park in Kumaon
• Himachal Pradesh Government to open Varishth Nagrik Suvidha Kendra for senior citizens
• Madhya Pradesh launches ‘Hamara Ghar-Hamara Vidyalaya’ campaign
• Maharashtra set to launch a plasma therapy trial ‘Project Platina’ on COVID-19 patients
• Plasma Bank to be set up in Delhi to treat COVID-19 patients: CM Arvind Kejriwal
• Naveen Patnaik plans to increase green cover under ‘Sabuja Odisha’ over 1.30 Lakh Hectares
• UP Governor Anandiben Patel Gets Additional Madhya Pradesh Charge
• Lazarus Chakwera sworn in as Malawi president after historic win
• K K Venugopal reappointed as Attorney General of India for one year
• Beyonce receives BET Humanitarian Award from Michelle Obama
• IIM Bangalore jumps 25 places to break into top 50 of QS EMBA Rankings
• CSIR-NCL and BEL manufacture Oxygen Enrichment Unit useful in Covid-19 treatment
• Bharat Biotech Announces India’s First COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate ‘COVAXIN’ With DCGI Approval For Human Clinical Trials
• Mario Gomez: Former Germany and Bayern Munich striker announces retirement
• India’s Nitin Menon becomes youngest umpire to enter ICC Elite Panel
• Former Delhi cricketer Sanjay Dobal Passes Away
• Bangladesh Defence Secretary Abdullah Al Mohsin Chowdhury passes away
• Noted Kannada novelist Geetha Nagabhushan passes away