Current Affairs 19th June 2021| Current Affairs News

 CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

National Reading Day – Observed on June 19

• National Reading Dayis celebrated to honour the father of the ‘Library Movement in Kerala’, the late PN Panicker, whose death anniversary is on June 19.
• Reading has a tremendous impact on the socio-economic growth of a country.
• A person’s, communities’ and country’s progress is all dependent on their extensive knowledge base.
• Reading is necessary for firming the foundation of knowledge.
• The N. The Foundation’s slogan is “Read and Grow.”
• MH has launched a social media campaign called “#MyBookMyFriend” for this National Reading Day.
• The ceremony is held in India to honour the late Puthuvayil Narayana Panicker, popularly known as P.N. Panicker, the father of the Library Movement.

International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict – Observed on June 19

• On June 19, the United Nations observes International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict to raise awareness about the need to eradicate and put a full stop to conflict-related sexual violence.
• This year’s themefor the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is “Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!”.
• The UN defines conflict-related sexual violence as a term that refers to rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, forced pregnancy, forced abortion, enforced sterilization, forced marriage, and any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity perpetrated against women, men, girls or boys that is directly or indirectly linked (temporally, geographically or causally) to a conflict”.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

MHA introduced National Helpline a reporting platform to Prevent Cyber Fraud

• The Union Home Ministry has operationalized the national helpline 155260 and reporting platform for preventing financial loss due to cyber fraud.
• The national helpline and reporting platform provide a mechanism for persons cheated in cyber frauds to report such cases to prevent loss of their hard-earned money.
• Reinforcing the commitment of the Modi government to provide a safe and secure digital payments ecosystem, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) under the leadership of Union Home Minister Amit Shah has operationalized the national helpline 155260 and reporting platform for preventing financial loss due to cyber fraud.
• The helpline was soft launched on April 1, 2021.
• The helpline 155260 and its reporting platform has been made operational by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the home ministry, with active support and cooperation from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), all major banks, payment banks, wallets and online merchants.

Fraud in cyber crime:

• Cybercrime, or computer crime, is a crime that involves a computer and a network.
• The computer may have been used in the commission of a crime, or it may be the target.
• Cybercrime may harm someone’s security and financial health.
• Computer fraudis a cybercrime and the act of using a computer to take or alter electronic data, or to gain unlawful use of a computer or system.
• In the United States, computer fraud is specifically proscribed by the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, which criminalizes computer-related acts under federal jurisdiction.

Ministry of Home Affairs:

• The Ministry of Home Affairs is a ministry of the Government of India.
• As an interior ministry of India, it is mainly responsible for the maintenance of internal security and domestic policy.
• The Home Ministry is headed by Union Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah.
• Ministry executive: Ajay Kumar Bhalla, IAS, Home Secretary

Centre unveils 14 disability early intervention centres across the nation

• The Union Social Justice and Empowerment (SJE) Ministry launched 14 cross disability early intervention centres throughout the nation to offer assistance to infants and younger youngsters prone to or with disabilities.
• Union SJE Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot nearly inaugurated the centres which are positioned at seven nationwide institutes and 7 composite regional centres of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.
• Through the centres, which have been begun as a pilot, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal are coated.
• The DEPwD mentioned all its 21 composite regional centres would have early intervention centres step by step.

Early Intervention Centers:

• Early intervention can provide specialized support and services for infants and young children at-risk or with disability and/or developmental delay and for their families to help them in their overall development, well-being and participation in family and community life”.

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment:

• The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowermentis a Government of India ministry.
• It is responsible for welfare, social justice and empowerment of disadvantaged and marginalized sections of society, including scheduled castes (SC), Other Backward Classes (OBC), trans-people and LGBTQ people, the disabled, the elderly, and the victims of drug abuse.
• The Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment holds cabinet rank as a member of the Council of Ministers.
• The current minister is Thawar Chand Gehlot, who is assisted by a Minister of State, Rattan Lal Kataria, Krishan Pal Gujjar and Ramdas Athavale.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

ADB sanctioned USD 250 million loan to Bangladesh

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $250 million policy-based loan to the Government of Bangladesh to help finance reforms aimed at improving the inclusiveness and responsiveness of the country’s social development and resilience program.
• Bangladesh has made remarkable progress in reducing poverty over the past 2 decades.
• The poverty incidence declined from 48.9% in 2000 to 20.5% in 2019.
• However, while many people were lifted from extreme poverty, a considerable number continue to live at a subsistence level.
• The corona virus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly affected the socio economic situation of Bangladesh with the decline of the country’s gross domestic product to an estimated 5.2 % in fiscal year (FY) 2020 from 8.2% in FY 2019.

About Asian Development Bank:

• The Asian Development Bank is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966, which is headquartered in the Ortigas Center located in the city of Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines.
• The company also maintains 31 field offices around the world to promote social and economic development in Asia.
• Headquarters: Manila, Philippines
• From 31 members at its establishment, ADB now has 68 members.
• President: Masatsugu Asakawa

About Bangladesh:

• Bangladesh, to the east of India on the Bay of Bengal, is a South Asian country marked by lush greenery and many waterways.
• Its Padma (Ganges), Meghna and Jamuna rivers create fertile plains, and travel by boat is common.
• On the southern coast, the Sundarbans, an enormous mangrove forest shared with Eastern India, is home to the royal Bengal tiger.
• Capital: Dhaka
• Currency: Bangladeshi taka
• Prime minister: Sheikh Hasina

Japan to launch vaccine passport for travel abroad

• Japan stated it will make a vaccine passportavailable from next month for Japanese travellers, as governments around the world experiment with ways to relaunch tourism and business trips.
• The certificate will be paper-based rather than digital and will be issued by local governments from sometime next month.
• The European Union is working on a digital vaccine passport for this summer so it can welcome back badly needed tourists, and some EU countries plan to introduce certificates at the national level.
• The EU version will feature information on whether a person has been vaccinated, or had the virus, tested negative, and recovered.

Vaccine Passport:

• An immunity passport or vaccine passport, also known as an immunity certificate, recovery certificate or release certificate is a document, in both paper and digital format, attesting that its bearer is immune to a contagious disease.

About Japan:

• Japan is an island country in East Asia, located in the northwest Pacific Ocean.
• It is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north toward the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south.
• Capital: Tokyo
• Currency: Japanese yen
• Prime minister: Yoshihide Suga

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

Punjab’s Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi launches a special Mobile App “Khedo Punjab”

• Punjab Sports and Youth Services Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi launched a special Mobile App “Khedo Punjab” for putting the Sports Department and all the Sports persons of State of Punjab on Digital platform.
• Rana Sodhi informed that this is the first time in the history of the Sports Department that the department has launched a mobile app.
• He stated that with the launch of Mobile App, the current sports persons and the budding players will be in a position to register online and can choose any game of their interest besides identifying their International, National and State goals, which will finally help in building competitive enthusiasm.

About Khedo Punjab:

• After the “Padho Punjab” initiative, the state education board is all set for “Khedo Punjab” to promote sports among the students at government schools.
• The aim of the project is to involve students into sports to keep them away from drug abuse and to encourage them towards fitness.
• As per the guidelines, the schools shall start their day by conducting morning assembly with drum, yoga and PT.

About Punjab:

• Punjab, a state bordering Pakistan, is the heart of India’s Sikh community.
• The city of Amritsar, founded in the 1570s by Sikh Guru Ram Das, is the site of Harmandir Sahib, the holiest gurdwara (Sikh place of worship).
• Known in English as the Golden Temple, and surrounded by the Pool of Nectar, it’s a major pilgrimage site.
• Also in Amritsar is Durgiana Temple, a Hindu shrine famed for its engraved silver doors.
• Capital: Chandigarh
• Governor: V. P. Singh Badnore
• Chief minister: Captain Amarinder Singh

Odisha state govt Launched e-Learning methods for students: e-Pathshala, e-Mulyankan

• After launching YouTubelessons for college kids of Class IX and X, the state authorities launched e-Pathshala and e-Mulyankan amenities maintaining in thoughts disruption of lessons in the course of the ongoing pandemic.
• These on-line platforms will profit college students, academics and district training officers (DEOs).
• These e-learning amenities have been created as long-term resolutions for any tough scenario, stated college and mass training minister Samir Ranjan Sprint after launching the platforms.

e-Pathshala:

• The e-Pathshala is a web-based studying platform that has repositories of e-contents within the type of paperwork, audios and movies.
• The e-contents will help completely different areas of on-line studying like self-learning, on-line lessons, assignments, assessments and analysis of the learners’ progress.

e-Mulyankan:

• The e-Mulyankan platform is designed to behave as a digital financial institution of apply exams and mannequin query in order that the scholars can apply for examinations.
• The academics can conduct exams, mock examinations and closing examinations by the e-Mulyankan platform.

About Odisha:

• Odisha (formerly Orissa), an eastern Indian state on the Bay of Bengal, is known for its tribal cultures and its many ancient Hindu temples.
• The capital, Bhubaneswar, is home to hundreds of temples, notably the intricately-carved Mukteshvara.
• The Lingaraj Temple complex, dating to the 11th century, is set around sacred Bindusagar Lake.
• The Odisha State Museum is focused on the area’s history and environment.
• Capital: Bhubaneswar
• Governor: Ganeshi Lal
• Chief minister: Naveen Patnaik

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING NEWS

PhonePe introduces a new wallet auto top-up feature

• Digital payments company PhonePe has launched India’s first Wallet Auto Top-up feature using UPI e-mandates for its customers.
• This allows PhonePe customers to make multiple payments using their Wallet, without having to top up their wallet balance manually each time, saving a lot of time and effort.

Benefits of using Wallet Auto Top-up:

• This feature will help the PhonePe customers in setting up a UPI e-mandate once, after which PhonePe will automatically top up their wallet balance when it drops below a minimum level.
• Much higher transaction success rate since users don’t have to load their wallet each time the balance drops to zero.

About PhonePe:

• PhonePe is an Indian digital payments and financial services company.
• PhonePe was founded in December 2015, by Sameer Nigam, Rahul Chari and Burzin Engineer.
• The PhonePe app, based on the Unified Payments Interface, went live in August 2016.
• Parent organization: Flipkart
• CEO: Sameer Nigam (Dec 2015–)
• Headquarters: Bengaluru

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENT AND RESIGNATION NEWS

OnePlus named in Jasprit Bumrah as brand ambassador for wearables

• Premium smartphone brand OnePlus stated it has named cricketer Jasprit Bumrah as the brand ambassador for its wearables category.
• “The partnership with Bumrah reiterates the brand philosophy of ‘Never Settle’ and the company’s pursuit towards perfection.
• For young India, Bumrah represents a passion for a healthy, fit, and an active lifestyle while believing in constantly becoming better, a philosophy that truly resonates with what OnePlus stands for”.
• The OnePlus wearables category includes the OnePlus Watch and OnePlus Band.

About OnePlus:

• OnePlus Technology Co., Ltd. is a Chinese consumer electronics manufacturer headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, in the Tairan Building at the Chegong Temple subdistrict of Futian District.
• CEO: Pete Lau
• Headquarters: Shenzhen, China

About Jasprit Bumrah:

• Jasprit Jasbirsingh Bumrah is an Indian international cricketer, who plays for the Indian national cricket team in all formats of the game.
• He is a right arm fast bowler.

Govt appointed Aashish Chandorkar as director at India’s WTO Permanent mission

• “Aashish Chandorkar, a private person, is appointed to the post of  Councillor, Permanent Mission of India (PMI), World Trade Organisation (WTO), Geneva (at DS/Director level) for a period of three years,” the department of commerce has stated in an office order.
• The WTO is a 164-member multi-lateral body, which deals with global trade.
• India is a member since 1995.
• Chandorkar is director of Bengaluru-based policy think tank Smahi Foundation of Policy and Research.

About World Trade Organization:

• The World Trade Organization is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade between nations.
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
• WTO Director-General: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

Montek Ahluwalia appointed as member of WB-IMF High-Level Advisory Group

• Montek Singh Ahluwalia, former Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission and distinguished fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP), was named as a member of a High-Level Advisory Group (HLAG) formed by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the face of the dual crisis posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change.

About Montek Singh Ahluwalia:

• Montek Singh Ahluwalia is an Indian economist and civil servant who was the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of India, a position which carried the rank of a Cabinet Minister.
• He tendered his resignation for this post in May 2014 following the impending end of the UPAII regime at the center.

About World Bank:

• The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects.
• President: David Malpass
• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
• Subsidiaries: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Development Agency (IDA), International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA).

International Monetary Fund:

• The International Monetary Fundaims to reducing global poverty, encouraging international trade, and promoting financial stability and economic growth.
• The IMF has three main functions: overseeing economic development, lending, and capacity development.
• Managing Director: Kristalina Georgieva
• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., U.S
• Chief Economist: Gita Gopinath

British lawyer Karim Khan Take oath as ICC’s chief prosecutor

• British lawyer Karim Khan was sworn as the new chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court, pledging to reach out to nations that are not members of the court in his quest to end impunity for atrocities and to try to hold trials in countries where crimes are committed.
• He takes over from Fatou Bensouda of Gambia, whose nine-year term ended.

About Karim Ahmad Khan:

• Karim Asad Ahmad Khan QC is a British lawyer and a specialist in international criminal law and international human rights law.
• Karim Asad Ahmad Khan QC is a British lawyer and a specialist in international criminal law and international human rights law.
• Khan, a 51-year-old English lawyer, has years of experience in international courts as a prosecutor, investigator and defense attorney.

About International Criminal Court:

• ​ The International Criminal Courtis an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal that sits in The Hague, Netherlands.
• The International Criminal Court (ICC) investigates and, where warranted, tries individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.
• Headquarters: The Hague, Netherlands

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

Indian-American chemist bags European Inventor Award               

• Indian-American chemist Sumita Mitra has won one of Europe’s most prestigious innovation prizes for her pioneering use of nanotechnology in dentistry to produce stronger and more aesthetically pleasing fillings which are now used by dentists around the world.
• Mitra won European Inventor Award 2021 in the “Non-EPO countries” category.

About chemist Sumita Mitra:

• In the late 1990s, Sumita Mitra, a chemist at 3M Oral Care, the dental products division of 3M Company, invented the first dental filling material to include nanoparticles.
• The new composite filling material, called Filtek Supreme Universal Restorative, is a versatile material that could be used for restoring teeth in any area of the mouth.
• Mimicked the beauty of natural teeth, had better polish retention and exhibited superior strength than existing dental composites.

About European Inventor Award:

• The European Inventor Award or European Inventor awards (formerly European Inventor of the Year Award, renamed in 2010), are presented annually by the European Patent Office, sometimes supported by the respective Presidency of the Council of the European Unionand by the European Commission, to inventors who have made a significant contribution to innovation, economy and society in Europe.
• Inventions from all technological fields are considered for this award.
• The winners in each category are presented with an award shaped like a sail.
• There is no cash prize associated with the award.

Sumant Sinha honoured with SDG Pioneers by UNGC

• United Nations Global Compact has recognized Sumant Sinha, Chairman& MD of ReNew Power, as one of the ten SDG Pioneers 2021, for his work to advance access to clean and affordable energy.
• SDG Pioneers are business leaders selected by the UN Global Compact for doing an exceptional job to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the implementation of the UN Global Compact Ten Principles on human rights, environment, labor, and anti-corruption.
• This honor comes in recognition of Sumant ‘s work to advance access to clean and affordable energy (SDG 7).

About Sumant Sinha:

• Sumant Sinha is an Indian businessman.
• He is the Chairman and Managing Director of ReNew Power, an Indian renewable energy company, which he founded in 2011.

SDG Pioneer:

• SDG Pioneers are individuals – working at any level in a company – who are doing an exceptional job of making global goals local business.

Indian Environment Organization ‘Family Forestry’ bags UNCCD’s 2021 Land for Life Award

• This year’s Land for Life Award goes to Familial Forestry of Rajasthan, India, a unique concept of Shyam Sunder Jyani, Associate Professor for Sociology at in Rajasthan that relates a tree with a family, making it a green “family member.”
• Placing a family at the cornerstone of society, the concept ensures the success of any social campaign.
• The Land for Life Award ceremony will take place in August at the Eighth Kubuqi International Desert Forum in China.
• The award winner will also have an opportunity to present their work at the UNCCD Fifteenth Conference of the Parties UNCCD COP15.

Family Forestry:

• Familial Forestry means transferring the care of trees and environment in the family so that a tree becomes a part of the family’s consciousness.
• More than a million families from more than 15,000 villages of desert-prone northwest Rajasthan in over 5 million saplings have been planted in the past 15 years, with active participation of students and desert dwellers.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU’s AND AGREEMENTS

IIM Nagpur signed MOU with CIRT 

• The Indian Institute of Management Nagpur (IIMN) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT) for generating industry-oriented knowledge in transport management and boosting work capacity.
• The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
• The MoU paves way for collaboration in the areas of training, research, consulting and outreach in the domain of transport management and skill development.
• The IIMN has been appointed for carrying out this job.
• The MoU contains goals for increasing capacity in the transport sector and enhancement of production.
• The MoU signing programme was also attended by Tech Mahindra’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director C P Gurnani, IIMN Director Dr Bhimaraya Metri, CIRT Director Dr Rajendra B Saner Patil and NHAI Consultant Vaibhav Dange.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS 

CCI Cleared proposed deal to acquire stake in Magma HDI General Insurance      

• On June 17, 2021, The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the proposed acquisition of a stake in Magma HDI General Insurance Company by two entities, Under the transaction, India Advantage Fund S4 I & Dynamic India Fund S4 US I, and NHPEA Trisul Holding B.V.
• The transaction involves acquisition of less than 25% of Magma HDI by India Advantage Fund S4 I and Dynamic India Fund S4 US I on a fully diluted basis.
• The deal also involves acquisition of less than 10% of the share capital of Magma HDI on a fully diluted basis by NTH.
• NTH is an investment holding firm that belongs to a fund managed or controlled by an affiliate of Morgan Stanley.

About CCI :

• Founded: 14 October 2003
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• First executive: Dhanendra Kumar
• Chairperson : Ashok Kumar Gupta

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

International collaborative sky surveying project : PASIPHAE

• Polar-Areas Stellar-Imaging in Polarisation High-Accuracy Experiment (PASIPHAE) is an international collaborative sky surveying project.
• PASIPHAE is an instrument used in sky surveys to study stars.
• The PASIPHAE survey will measure starlight polarisation over large areas of the sky.
• Scientists from the University of Crete, Greece, Caltech, USA, Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), India, the South African Astronomical Observatory and the University of Oslo, Norway, are involved in this project.
• The Project, which will be used in upcoming sky surveys to study stars, is being led by an Indian astronomer.

About the Project Funds :

• The Project had been funded with $1 million

1. The Infosys Foundation, India, 
2. Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Greece 
3. USA’s National Science Foundation 

• This was combined with contributions from the European Research Council and the National Research Foundation in South Africa.
• The survey will use two high-tech optical polarimeters to observe the northern and southern skies.
• It will focus on capturing starlight polarisation of very faint stars that are so far away that polarisation signals from there have not been systematically studied. 
• The distances will be obtained from measurements of the GAIA satellite.
• It will help to understand the mysteries surrounding the origin of the universe and continue to draw human curiosity.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SPORTS NEWS

Neeraj Chopra wins gold medal in Meeting Cidade de Lisboa in Lisbon                  

• India’s Neeraj Chopra won the javelin gold medal in the Meeting Cidade de Lisboa in Lisbon, Portugal.
• His fifth attempt too was no throw while the last and sixth throw was 83.18m.
• In January 2020, a throw of 87.86m in South Africa he had qualified for Tokyo Olympic 2020.

About Portugal :

• Capital: Lisbon
• Currency: Euro

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

Veteran Brigadier Raghubir Singh passes away

• Mahavir Chakra (MVC) recipient, Brig Raghubir Singh Rajawat, Passed away.
• He was 99.

About Brigadier Raghubir Singh :

• Born on 02 Nov 1923, in Soda village of Tonk District
• He was from 18 Rajputana Rifles and had also received a sword from Maharaja Sawai Man Singh as a token of honour.
• He participated in the Burma war in 1944 and went to Japan to fight.
• During the war of North and South Korea in 1954, he was posted as Chairman of the Neutral Nations Representative Commission (NNRC) as part of the peace keeping force.
• During the 1958-59 Israel Egypt war, he was part of the United Nations Emergency Force.
• During the 1971 Indo Pak War, he Served as the Provost Marshal in the Military police.

Achievements :

• President of India Dr S Radhakrishnan honoured Lieutenant Colonel (later Brigadier) Raghubir Singh with Mahavir Chakra, the second highest gallantry award in the country.

Former Zambia’s first president Kenneth Kaunda Passes away 

• Kenneth Kaunda, Zambia’s founding president and a champion of African nationalism Passed away.
• He was 97.

About Kenneth Kaunda :

• Kenneth Kaunda was popularly known as KK.
• Kenneth Kaunda was a Zambian politician who served as the first President of Zambia from 1964 to 1991.
• He also ruled Zambia for 27 years from 1964.
• Kaunda made Zambia a center for anti-colonial groups fighting to end white minority rule in southern African countries including Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
• Previously, he worked as a teacher and mine welfare officer.
• He was a founder member of the Northern Rhodesian African National Congress.
• His most notable contribution was his zeal in the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Daily CA On June 18 :

• The UN General Assembly adopted on 21 December 2016 its resolution and designated 18 Juneas an international observance, Sustainable Gastronomy Day.
• June 18th every year is International Picnic Day. The origins of this event are unknown, but it doesn’t dampen its popularity with many countries across the globe celebrating this event.
• Autistic Pride Day is a pride celebration for autistic people held on June 18 each year. The theme for World Autistic Pride Day 2021 announced by the United Nations(UN) is “Inclusion in the Workplace: Challenges and Opportunities in a Post-Pandemic World”.
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) stated, it has approved a USD 484-million loan to improve transport connectivity and road maintenance in the Chennai-Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor (CKIC) in Tamil Nadu.
• The Haryana government announced a one-time payment of Rs 5,000 each to small shopkeepers, construction workers, auto-rickshaw drivers and unorganized labourers who have faced financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown.
• West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee relaunched her government’s Krishak Bandhu scheme, doubling the assistance to farmer- beneficiaries to Rs 10,000 a year.
• Federal Bank has expanded its strategic collaboration with Oracle and Infosys, to offer an enhanced customer experience through Oracle CX (Customer Experience) platform.
• LIC Cards Services Ltd (LIC CSL) has launched a contactless prepaid gift card ‘Shagun’ in collaboration with IDBI Bank on the RuPay platform.
• State-owned Canara Bankmentioned it will be the lead sponsor of National Asset Reconstruction Company Limited (NARCL) or bad bank with 12 per cent stake in the entity.
• udChalo, a Consumer Services Company for Indian Defence Personnel announced that Ravi Kumar has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of udChalo.
• com has appointed Ankit Fitkariwala as Chief Business Officer & Head of Products.
• Watch manufacturer Timex Group India announced the appointment of former ADIDAS India executive Manoj Juneja as Vice President Sales & Marketing.
• Yuvraj Singh appointed as Brand Ambassador of PUMA Motorsport in India
• H-Energy signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Petrobangla recently to supply re-gasified liquefied natural gas (R-LNG) from India to Bangladesh.
• India’s ministry of state for ports, shipping, and waterways has signed a pact with the ministry of civil aviation to develop seaplane services across the country.
• On June 14, 2021, The yearly meeting of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) held a face-to-face summit at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
• On June 16, 2021, The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay hosted a three-day virtual conference of BRICS Network Universities on electric mobility.  The theme of the Conference of BRICS Network Universities is “Electric Mobility”.
• On June 13, 2021, The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced  list of 10 cricket legends who have been inducted to the prestigious list of the ICC Hall of Fame 
• On June 13, 2021, world’s second youngest Grandmaster D. Gukesh sensationally won the $15,000 Gelfand Challenge chess title.
• On June 15, 2021, Former All India Football Federation (AIFF) vice-president CR Viswanathan passed away

Daily CA On June 19 :

• National Reading Dayis celebrated to honour the father of the ‘Library Movement in Kerala’, the late PN Panicker, whose death anniversary is on June 19.
• On June 19, the United Nations observes International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict to raise awareness about the need to eradicate and put a full stop to conflict-related sexual violence. This year’s themefor the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is “Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!”.
• The Union Home Ministry has operationalized the national helpline 155260 and reporting platform for preventing financial loss due to cyber fraud.
• The Union Social Justice and Empowerment (SJE) Ministry launched 14 cross disability early intervention centres throughout the nation to offer assistance to infants and younger youngsters prone to or with disabilities.
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $250 million policy-based loan to the Government of Bangladesh to help finance reforms aimed at improving the inclusiveness and responsiveness of the country’s social development and resilience program.
• Japan stated it will make a vaccine passportavailable from next month for Japanese travellers, as governments around the world experiment with ways to relaunch tourism and business trips.
• Punjab Sports and Youth Services Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi launched a special Mobile App “Khedo Punjab” for putting the Sports Department and all the Sports persons of State of Punjab on Digital platform.
• After launching YouTubelessons for college kids of Class IX and X, the state authorities launched e-Pathshala and e-Mulyankan amenities maintaining in thoughts disruption of lessons in the course of the ongoing pandemic.
• Digital payments company PhonePe has launched India’s first Wallet Auto Top-up feature using UPI e-mandates for its customers.
• Premium smartphone brand OnePlus stated it has named cricketer Jasprit Bumrah as the brand ambassador for its wearables category.
• “Aashish Chandorkar, a private person, is appointed to the post of Councillor, Permanent Mission of India(PMI), World Trade Organisation (WTO), Geneva (at DS/Director level) for a period of three years,” the department of commerce has stated in an office order.
• Montek Singh Ahluwalia, former Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission and distinguished fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP), was named as a member of a High-Level Advisory Group (HLAG) formed by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the face of the dual crisis posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change.
• British lawyer Karim Khan was sworn as the new chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court, pledging to reach out to nations that are not members of the court in his quest to end impunity for atrocities and to try to hold trials in countries where crimes are committed.
• Indian-American chemist Sumita Mitra has won one of Europe’s most prestigious innovation prizes for her pioneering use of nanotechnology in dentistry to produce stronger and more aesthetically pleasing fillings which are now used by dentists around the world. Mitra won European Inventor Award 2021 in the “Non-EPO countries” category.
• United Nations Global Compact has recognized Sumant Sinha, Chairman& MD of ReNew Power, as one of the ten SDG Pioneers 2021, for his work to advance access to clean and affordable energy.
• This year’s Land for Life Award goes to Familial Forestry of Rajasthan, India, a unique concept of Shyam Sunder Jyani, Associate Professor for Sociology at in Rajasthan that relates a tree with a family, making it a green “family member.”
• The Indian Institute of Management Nagpur (IIMN) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT) for generating industry-oriented knowledge in transport management and boosting work capacity.
• On June 17, 2021, The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the proposed acquisition of a stake in Magma HDI General Insurance Company by two entities, Under the transaction, India Advantage Fund S4 I & Dynamic India Fund S4 US I, and NHPEA Trisul Holding B.V.
• Polar-Areas Stellar-Imaging in Polarisation High-Accuracy Experiment (PASIPHAE) is an international collaborative sky surveying project.
• India’s Neeraj Chopra won the javelin gold medal in the Meeting Cidade de Lisboa in Lisbon, Portugal.
• Mahavir Chakra (MVC) recipient, Brig Raghubir Singh Rajawat, Passed away.
• Kenneth Kaunda, Zambia’s founding president and a champion of African nationalism Passed away.