Current Affairs 22nd June 2021| Current Affairs News

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

MoS for Education, Sanjay Dhotre initiates NIOS Diploma course in Yogic Science

• Minister of State for Education Shri Sanjay Dhotre launched NIOS Diploma course in Yogic Science on the occasion of International Day of Yoga.
• The Minister released the self-instructional material of the course.

About the course:

• The Minister mentioned that NIOS offers such vocational courses to the learners.
• Shri Dhotre stated it has resulted in creating many employment opportunities.
• The course in Yogic science launched will help those who pass out of the course to become a job provider rather than a job seeker.
• The Minister also reiterated the laudable effort of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in declaring June 21st as the International Day of Yoga.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Ebrahim Raisi sworn in as Iran’s 2021 President Elect

• Ebrahim Raisi, a hardline judge who is under U.S. sanctions for human rights abuses, secured victory as expected in Iran’s presidential election after a contest marked by voter apathy over economic hardships and political restrictions.
• Appointed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to the high-profile job of judiciary chief in 2019, Raisi was placed under U.S. sanctions a few months later over human rights violations.

About Ebrahim Raisi:

• Sayyid Ebrahim Raisol-Sadati, commonly known as Ebrahim Raisi, is an Iranian conservative and principlist politician and Muslim jurist who is the president-elect of Iran, having been elected in the 2021 Iranian presidential election.
• He is Chief Justice of Iran from 2019.

About Iran:

• Iran, also called Persia, and officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country in Western Asia.
• Capital: Tehran
• Currency: Iranian rial
• Supreme leader: Ali Khamenei

World’s Third-Largest Diamond discovered in Botswana

• The diamond firm Debswana has announced the discovery in Botswana of a 1,098-carat stone that it described as the third largest of its kind in the world.
• The company’s acting managing director, Lynette Armstrong, presented the stone, which was found on 1 June, to the country’s president, Mokgweetsi Masisi.
• It is the third largest in the world, behind the 3,106-carat Cullinan found in South Africa in 1905 and the 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona discovered in Botswana in 2015.

About Botswana:

• Botswana, a landlocked country in Southern Africa, has a landscape defined by the Kalahari Desert and the Okavango Delta, which becomes a lush animal habitat during the seasonal floods.
• The massive Central Kalahari Game Reserve, with its fossilized river valleys and undulating grasslands, is home to numerous animals including giraffes, cheetahs, hyenas and wild dogs.
• Capital: Gaborone
• President: Mokgweetsi Masisi
• Currency: Botswana pula

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

Odisha CM inaugurated scheme for COVID-19 Orphan Children – ‘Ashirbad’

• Odisha CM inaugurated scheme for COVID-19 Orphan Children – ‘Ashirbad’
• The Covid-19 pandemic has orphaned many children.
• Governments are trying their level best for the upbringing of these children.
• The states were asked by the Center to pay attention to such children, take care of them and make arrangements for their protection.

About the scheme:

• Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has launched the Ashirbad scheme on Father`s Day.
• Under this scheme, the government will give Rs 2,500 per month to every child who has lost one or both of his parents.
• This money will be sent to the bank account of the guardian or caregiver of the beneficiaries till they turn 18. 
• If such children are sent to a children’s home in the absence of a caregiver, they will be given an additional Rs 1,000 every month.

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

Nagaland govt sanctioned Rs 2,000 each to bank accounts of all building, other construction workers

• Nagaland Government has announced the approval for transfer of 2,000 rupees each to the bank accounts of all the Building and Other Construction Workers.
• The amount will be debited from the state’s Cess Fund.
• The State Department of Labour stated, owing to the present pandemic situation and the continuing lockdown, there has been a huge displacement of daily wage workers taking place all over the country, especially the construction workers.
• Therefore, in order to assist such workers and their families, and as per the instructions of the Central Government to provide adequate financial assistance to such identified categories of workers, the State Government will be depositing an amount of 2,000 rupees each to the beneficiaries registered under the State Labour Department.

About Nagaland:

• Nagaland is a mountainous state in northeast India, bordering Myanmar.
• It’s home to diverse indigenous tribes, with festivals and markets celebrating the different tribes’ culture.
• Its capital city of Kohima suffered heavy fighting in World War II, commemorated by memorials at the Kohima War Cemetery.
• The Nagaland State Museum exhibits ancient weaponry, a ceremonial drum and other traditional Naga cultural artifacts.
• Capital: Kohima
• Governor: RN Ravi
• Chief minister: Neiphiu Rio

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

PAN will be in ‘INOPERATIVE’ status if not linked before June 30, 2021

• Under the new Income Tax Rules, it is mandatory to link PAN with your Aadhaar number before June 30, 2021. 
• The PAN cards which are not linked to Aadhaar would become useless and declared “inoperative” and the KYC status will also become invalid.
• The deadline to link the Permanent Account Number with your Aadhaar number is nearing.
• According to Clause 41 of Section 139AA of the Income Tax Act, “If a person fails to intimate the Aadhaar number, the permanent account number allotted to such person shall be made inoperative after the notified date in the manner as may be provided by rules.”

About Income Tax Department:

• The Income Tax Department is a government agency undertaking direct tax collection of the Government of India.
• It functions under the Department of Revenue of the Ministry of Finance.
• The Income Tax Department is headed by the apex body Central Board of Direct Taxes.

Airtel partnership with Tata Group for ‘Made in India’ 5G network solutions 

• Bharti Airtel and Tata Group announced a strategic partnership for implementing 5G network solutions for India.
• The announcement underscores a push for indigenous 5G solutions in India, as the world’s second-largest telecom market gears up for fifth-generation mobile networks that would enable connecting virtually everything together including machines, objects, and devices at ultra-high speeds.
• Tata Group has developed “O-RAN (Open Radio Access Network) based Radio and NSA/SA (Non-Standalone/standalone) Core and has integrated a totally indigenous telecom stack, leveraging the Group capabilities and that of its partners”.
• This will be available for commercial development starting January 2022.
• These ‘Made in India’ 5G products and solutions are aligned to global standards and interoperate with other products based on standard open interfaces and those defined by the O-RAN Alliance.

About Bharti Airtel:

• Bharti Airtel Limited, also known as Airtel, is an Indian multinational telecommunications services company in India.
• It operates in 18 countries across South Asia and Africa, as well as the Channel Islands.
• CEO: Gopal Vittal
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Founder: Sunil Bharti Mittal

About Tata Group:

• Tata Group is an Indian public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, airplanes and other products, headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
• Founded in 1868 by Jamshedji Tata, the company gained international recognition after purchasing several global companies.
• Chairman: Ratan Tata
• Founder: Jamsetji Tata
• Headquarters: Mumbai

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING NEWS

ICICI Bank introduces cardless EMI facility

• Private lender ICICI Banklaunched a Cardless EMI facility for its customers to use at retail stores.
• The lender stated the facility enabled pre-approved customers to buy gadgets or home appliances, by using one’s mobile phone and PAN card, in the absence of cards.
• “Customers can convert the high-value transactions into easy, no-cost monthly installments by simply putting their registered mobile number, PAN and OTP (received on mobile number) on the PoS machine at the retail outlets”.
• ICICI Bank stated the facility, launched in a tie-up with Pine Labs, would be available across the pan-India outlets of Croma, Reliance Digital, My Jio Storesand Sangeetha Mobiles.
• Through the Cardless EMIfacility, ICICI Bank’s pre-approved customers would be able to purchase electronics from brands such as Carrier, Daikin, Dell, Godrej, Haier, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia, Oppo, Panasonic, Toshiba, Vivo, Whirlpool and MI.

About ICICI Bank:

• ICICI Bank Limited is a privately owned Indian development finance institution with its registered office in Vadodara, Gujarat, and corporate office in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• ICICI Bank is the largest private bank in India.
• The bank clocked the consolidated assets worth Rs. 12.50 trillion as on June 30, 2019.
• CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi
• Headquarters: Vadodara
• Founder: Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENT AND RESIGNATION NEWS

TN Govt Constituted Economic Advisory Council

• The Tamil Nadu government stated it constituted an Economic Advisory Council to the chief minister, which includes Nobel laureate Esther Duflo, former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan, former chief economic advisor to the Union government Arvind Subramanian, development economist Prof Jean Dreze, and former Union finance Secretary S Narayan.
• This was revealed by Governor Banwarilal Purohit during his address to the 16th Assembly.
• The five-member team was put together by finance minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, who was an investment banker in the US and Singapore before he entered politics.
• Minister stated that, “The chief minister was keen that we must get the best minds in the world to help us and our priority is that growth should be inclusive”.

About TamilNadu:

• Tamil Nadu, a South Indian state, is famed for its Dravidian-style Hindu temples.
• In Madurai, Meenakshi Amman Temple has high ‘gopuram’ towers ornamented with colourful figures.
• On Pamban Island, Ramanathaswamy Temple is a pilgrimage site.
• The town of Kanyakumari, at India’s southernmost tip, is the site of ritual sunrises.
• Capital: Chennai
• Governor: Banwarilal Purohit
• Chief minister: M. K. Stalin

Nippon MF appointed Rupesh Patel and Hideaki Masago for key positions

• Nippon India Mutual Fund has announced the appointment of Rupesh Patel as Senior Fund Manager in Equity Investments and Hideaki Masago as Deputy Chief Risk Officer.

About Rupesh Patel:

• Rupesh Patel was earlier associated with Tata Mutual Fund as a senior fund manager.
• In his last role, Rupesh Patel managed some of the flagship equity funds such as Midcap Growth, Large Cap, Tax Savings, and Infrastructure Funds since 2008.
• Rupesh brings 19 years of diverse experience across equity investments, equity re-investments, credit risk assessment, and evaluation of infrastructure projects.

About Hideaki Masago:

• Hideaki Masago has recently joined NAM India as Deputy Chief Risk Officer.
• He has been working with Nippon Life Group, Japan for around 25 years & has rich and diversified experience across various areas such as Risk Management, Capital Markets & Treasury, Overseas Business Planning and Operation, at Nippon Life Insurance & Nissay Asset Management, Japan. He has a Bachelors’ Degree in Economics from Osaka University, Japan.

SEBI extended the term of Ananta Barua as WTM

• The Centre has extended the tenure of appointment of Ananta Barua as Whole-time Member (WTM) of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for a period of two years beyond July 31.
• His tenure has been extended till July 31, 2023, according to an executive order issued by the Financial Markets division of the Department of Economic Affairs in the Finance Ministry.
• It may be recalled that Barua was appointed as SEBI WTM in June 2018 for a period of three years.
• Barua, who was an Executive Director with SEBI prior to his elevation as WTM, has been associated with SEBI since 1992 and was involved in framing of new regulations for the securities market.
• Prior to joining SEBI, Barua had worked with IFCI from 1990.
• He was also advisor at the Bahrain Monetary Agency and Central Bank of Bahrain between 2004 and 2006.

SEBI extended the term of SK Mohanty for two years

• The Centre has extended the tenure of appointment of Santosh Kumar Mohantyas SEBI Whole-time Member by two more years.
• His tenure now stands extended upto June 24, 2023, according to an executive order issued by the Financial Markets Division in the Finance Ministry.
• Mohanty has been working with SEBI for over six years and his present time period ends in June.
• Mohanty, a former earnings tax official, had joined SEBI from the erstwhile commodity market regulator FMC.
• In FMC, Mohanty oversaw the probe into the NSEL rip-off under the tutelage of the then commodity market regulator Ramesh Abhishek.
• In SEBI, he was first made a govt director after which turned the WTM.

About SEBI:

• The Securities and Exchange Board of India is the regulatory body for securities and commodity markets in India under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
• It was established on 12 April 1988 and given Statutory Powers on 30 January 1992 through the SEBI Act, 1992.
• It monitors and regulates the Indian capital and securities market while ensuring to protect the interests of the investors, formulating regulations and guidelines.
• Chairman: Ajay Tyagi

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

KK Shailaja bags CEU open society prize 2021

• Kerala’s early initiatives in battling the COVID-19 pandemic, especially the highly effective public health strategies it adopted that helped keep death rates very low for several months, came in once again for international commendation recently when former State Health Minister K.K. Shailaja was awarded the prestigious 2021 Central European University (CEU) Open Society Prize.
• The award, the university’s highest honour, was presented to her in recognition of “her determined leadership and community-based public health work, saving lives during the pandemic” at a virtual convocation, with students joining from all over the world for the university’s 30th Graduation Ceremony held from Vienna on June 17.

About CEU Open Society Prize:

• The CEU Open Society Prize is awarded annually to an outstanding individual or organization whose achievements have contributed substantially to the creation of an open society.
• The prize was first awarded in 1994, to philosopher Sir Karl Popper, whose book The Open Society and Its Enemies (1945) presented a philosophy of tolerance, openness and democratic values.

About KK Shailaja:

• K. Shailaja is an Indian politician and former Health Minister of Kerala who hails from Kannur district.
• She currently serves as the Member of the Legislative Assembly representing Mattanur constituency in 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly. 
• She is a Central Committee member of Communist Party of India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU’s AND AGREEMENTS

Union Bank of India signed MOU with NSIC to support MSMEs

• Union Bank of India has entered into an MOU with The National Small Industries Corporation Ltd (NSIC) under “NSIC Bank Credit Facilitation Scheme” to support MSMEs with credit requirements.
• Under the arrangement the MSME Unit can approach directly to any of NSIC branch offices which are also operating as Finance Facilitation Centre (FFC) and submit their request for loan requirement from Union Bank of India.
• The official sitting at the NSIC Branch will provide hand holding support to the MSME unit by assisting them in completing all documentation as required for further submission to the Bank.

About Union Bank of India:

• Union Bank of India is one of the largest Indian government-owned banks.
• It is under the ownership of the Ministry of Finance with 120+ million customers and a total business of US$106 billion.
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• CEO: Rajkiran Rai G

About NSIC:

• National Small Industries Corporation Limited is a Mini Ratna government agency established by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India in 1955 It falls under the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises of India.
• Headquarters: NSIC Bhawan, Okhla Industrial Estate, New Delhi, India

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPS & SERVICES

International Yoga Day 2021: PM Modi launches mYoga App

• On June 21, 2021, International Day of Yoga, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the mYoga app.
• It has been developed In collaboration with WHO, and the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (Ministry of AYUSH), Government of India.

About the app :

• WHO mYoga is an app for the general public to use regularly, providing Yoga learning and practice sessions of varying durations. 
• The app was developed through review of scientific literature and extensive international expert consultation processes. 
• The app is safe and secure, collecting no data from users at all, and can be used as a daily yoga companion for persons aged 12-65 years.
• M-Yoga app, will have yoga training videos in different languages for people across the world.
• This will help us in our ‘One World, One Health’ motto.”
• The app available on the Google play store.
• M- Yoga app is currently available in English, Hindi and French. It will be available in other UN languages in the upcoming months.

 Note :

• The International Yoga Day 2021 will also be celebrated by the Ministry of Culture at 75 cultural heritage locations across India.
• The idea of International Yoga Day was proposed on September 27, 2014.
• The resolution to adopt June 21 as International Yoga Day was introduced in the UN by India’s Ambassador, Ashoke Kumar Mukerji.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : RANKING & INDEX

Ease of living Index 2020 : Bengaluru ranks as most liveable city in India       

• On June 16, 2021, The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), released the Ease of living index 2020.

Top 5 Livable Cities :

Rank	Country
1	Bengaluru
2	Chennai
3	Shimla
4	Bhubaneshwar
5	Mumbai

 

• In that Index, Bengaluru scored high on the parameter of economic ability (78.82), Chennai scored highest in the parameter quality of life (60.84).
• The city with the highest citizen perception score was Bhubaneshwar at 94.8.
• Meanwhile, Delhi was ranked the worst capital city, with a score of 69.4
• It focused on four parameters: quality of life, economic ability, sustainability and citizens’ perceptions.
• This is the second edition of the index, the first one was launched in 2018.

Note :

• Managing editor of Down To Earth : Richard Mahapatra

About Centre for Science and Environment :

• Founder: Anil Agarwal
• Founded: 1980
• Headquarters location: New Delhi
• Director General : Sunita Narain

India Obtains $64 bn FDI in 2020 : UN Report   

• According to the World Investment Report 2021 by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), India received $64 billion in Foreign Direct Investment in 2020.
• In that India was the fifth largest recipient of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows.
• The inflow was boosted by acquisitions in the information and communication technology (ICT) industry. 
• In India, FDI increased 27% to $64 billion in 2020 from $51 billion in 2019.
• The United States remained the largest recipient of FDI with $156 billion followed by China with USD 149 billion.
• In 2019, The global FDI flows decreased by 35 percent in 2020 to USD 1 trillion from USD 1.5 trillion.

About UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) :

• Head: Acting Secretary-General; Isabelle Durant
• Headquarters location: Geneva, Switzerland
• Founded: 30 December 1964

About Foreign direct investment:

• FDI stands for “Foreign Direct Investment”.
• FDI plays an important role in the economic development of a country.
• A foreign direct investment is an investment in the form of a controlling ownership in a business in one country by an entity based in another country.
• It is thus distinguished from a foreign portfolio investment by a notion of direct control.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BOOKS & AUTHORS 

Amitav Ghosh’s new book ‘The Nutmeg’s Curse’ 

• Jnanpith awardee and bestselling author Amitav Ghosh authored a new book titled The Nutmeg’s Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis is all set to release in October 2021.
• The Book has been Published by John Murray, and it will be out on October 14, 2021.

About the Book :

• In ‘The Nutmeg’s Curse’, Ghosh discusses that the nutmeg’s journey from its native Banda islands sheds light on a widespread colonial mindset of exploitation of human life and the environment, which is present even today.
• Some of Ghosh’s other notable works include the Ibis trilogy and ‘The Great Derangement’ among others.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SPORTS NEWS

French Grand Prix 2021 : F1 leader Max Verstappen wins

• On June 20, 2021, Formula One championship leader Max Verstappen won the 2021 French Grand Prix.
• Lewis Hamilton [Britain-Mercedes] stood second in the 2021 French Grand Prix and Sergio Perez [Mexico- Red Bull] stood third.
• Verstappen has 131 points to Hamilton’s 119 after seven races.
• This race is the seventh round of the 2021 FIA Formula One World Championship.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

DPIIT secretary Guruprasad Mohapatra Passes away

• On June 19, 2021, Department of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) secretary Dr Guruprasad Mohapatra Passed away.
• He was 59.

About Guruprasad Mohapatra :

• Guruprasad Mohapatra was a Gujarat cadre 1986-batch IAS officer.
• He is the first serving Secretary to the Government of India.
• He was appointed to the DPIIT in August 2019.
• Prior to joining DPIIT, Dr Mohapatra had served as the chairman of the Airport Authority of India (AAI).
• He had earlier been deputed as a Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• In Gujarat, he was the commissioner of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.

Daily CA On June 20 & 21 :

• World Sickle Cell Awareness Dayis observed every year on June 19 to increase awareness and understanding of the disease and the challenges faced by its patients and their families. The World Sickle Cell Day 2021 Theme is ‘Shine the Light on Sickle Cell’.
• World Sauntering Day is celebrated on June 19 every year. World Sauntering Day 2021 Themeis “The best remedy for a short temper is a long walk”.
• World Refugee Day is an international day organized every year on 20 June by the United Nations. The themeof World Refugee Day 2021 is “Together we heal, learn and shine”.
• Father’s Dayis commemorated in most parts of the world on the third Sunday of June. This year it is being observed on June 20.
• The International Day of Yoga has been celebrated annually on 21 June since 2015, following its inception in the United Nations General Assembly in 2014. 
• World Hydrography Dayis celebrated every year on 21 June. The World Hydrography Day theme for 2021 is “100 years of international cooperation in hydrography”.
• The Fête de la musique, also known in English as Music Day, Make Music Day or World Music Day, is an annual music celebration that takes place on 21 June.
• The summer solstice, Observed on June 21. It is also known as festival solstice or midsummer, occurs when one of the Earth’s poles has its maximum tilt toward the Sun.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a custom crash course programme that aims to skill and upskill over one lakh “Covid warriors” across the country.
• Chief Election Commissioner, Shri Sushil Chandra along with Election Commissioner Shri Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Shri Anup Chandra Pandey released ‘General Elections 2019 – An Atlas’ on June 15, 2021.
• Kerala will celebrate International Day of Yoga virtually by organizing various events. National Ayush Mission will organize a 12-hour virtual Yoga Session ‘Yogathon’ in the state. Quiz competitions and essay competitions on the theme Yoga will also be organized for school students.
• Tamilnadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin inaugurated Minnagam, a consumer grievance redressal centre in Chennai.
• Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar launched two ambitious schemes christened as the ‘Mukhya Mantri Yuva Udyaymi Yojna’ and the ‘Mukhya Mantri Mahila Udyami Yojna’ to promote entrepreneurship among youth and women of all sections under the state’s ‘Mukhaya Mantri Udyami Yojna’ scheme.
• IDFC FIRST Bank has announced the launch of “Ghar Ghar Ration” Program, an Employee-funded program for its low-income customers whose livelihoods are affected by COVID-19.
• IndusInd Bank announced the launch of ‘Indus Easy Credit’, a comprehensive digital lending platform that enables customers to meet their financial requirements from the comfort of their homes.
• Vijay Deshwal has joined Poonawalla group acquired Magma Fincorp Ltd, as its Group
• Dr Pratima Murthy, head of Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru has been appointed as Director of the Institute for a period of five years.
• ‘The Art of Life’ won “Outstanding Achievement Award” at Singapore film fest
• A documentary on Mahatma Gandhi produced by internationally-renowned South African filmmaker Anant Singh has won the Best Documentary Feature Award at the 21st New York Indian Film Festival. 
• Indian Navy organized the Fleet Award Function (FAF)at Visakhapatnam this year to mark the successful performance of the Operational Cycle of the Eastern Fleet.
• Larsen & Toubro Infotech a global technology consulting and digital solutions company has been recognized as the Global Innovation Partner of the Year by Snowflake, the Data Cloud Company. LTI received this prestigious recognition during Snowflake Virtual Partner Summit held on June 16, 2021.
• India and Bhutan inked an MoU for developing cooperation between two countries in the area of environment. 
• A workforce of Indo-French researchers has developed a brand new imaging technique to make clear images of objects in foggy weather conditions.
• India maintained 43rd rank on an annual World Competitiveness Index compiled by the Institute for Management Development (IMD).
• On June 17, 2021, Institute for Economics and Peace released the 15th edition of the Global Peace Index. Iceland remains the most peaceful country in the world & Afghanistan is the least peaceful country in the world for the fourth consecutive year.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was second in terms of reserves transferred to the government as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) for the fiscal year 2020-21. Turkey has been ranked first followed by India.
• On June 18, 2021, Indian sprint legend Milkha Singh passed away.

Daily CA On June 22 :

• Minister of State for Education Shri Sanjay Dhotre launched NIOS Diploma course in Yogic Science on the occasion of International Day of Yoga.
• Ebrahim Raisi, a hardline judge who is under U.S. sanctions for human rights abuses, secured victory as expected in Iran’s presidential election, Appointed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
• The diamond firm Debswana has announced the discovery in Botswanaof a 1,098-carat stone that it described as the third largest of its kind in the world.
• Odisha CM inaugurated scheme for COVID-19 Orphan Children – ‘Ashirbad’
• Nagaland Government has announced the approval for transfer of 2,000 rupees each to the bank accounts of all the Building and Other Construction Workers.
• Under the new Income Tax Rules, it is mandatory to link PAN with your Aadhaar number before June 30, 2021. The PAN cards which are not linked to Aadhaar would become useless and declared “inoperative” and the KYC status will also become invalid.
• Bharti Airtel and Tata Group announced a strategic partnership for implementing 5G network solutions for India.
• Private lender ICICI Banklaunched a Cardless EMI facility for its customers to use at retail stores. The lender stated the facility enabled pre-approved customers to buy gadgets or home appliances, by using one’s mobile phone and PAN card, in the absence of cards.
• The Tamil Nadu government stated it constituted an Economic Advisory Council to the chief minister, which includes Nobel laureate Esther Duflo, former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan, former chief economic advisor to the Union government Arvind Subramanian, development economist Prof Jean Dreze, and former Union finance Secretary S Narayan.
• Nippon India Mutual Fund has announced the appointment of Rupesh Patel as Senior Fund Manager in Equity Investments and Hideaki Masago as Deputy Chief Risk Officer.
• The Centre has extended the tenure of appointment of Ananta Barua as Whole-time Member (WTM) of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for a period of two years beyond July 31.
• The Centre has extended the tenure of appointment of Santosh Kumar Mohantyas SEBI Whole-time Member by two more years.
• Former State Health Minister K.K. Shailaja was awarded the prestigious 2021 Central European University (CEU) Open Society Prize.
• Union Bank of India has entered into an MOU with The National Small Industries Corporation Ltd (NSIC) under “NSIC Bank Credit Facilitation Scheme” to support MSMEs with credit requirements.
• On June 21, 2021, International Day of Yoga, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the mYoga app. It has been developed In collaboration with WHO, and the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (Ministry of AYUSH), Government of India.
• On June 16, 2021, The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), released the Ease of living index 2020.
• According to the World Investment Report 2021 by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), India received $64 billion in Foreign Direct Investment in 2020. In that India was the fifth largest recipient of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows.
• Jnanpith awardee and bestselling author Amitav Ghosh authored a new book titled The Nutmeg’s Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis is all set to release in October 2021.
• On June 20, 2021, Formula One championship leader Max Verstappen won the 2021 French Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton [Britain-Mercedes] stood second in the 2021 French Grand Prix and Sergio Perez [Mexico- Red Bull] stood third.
• On June 19, 2021, Department of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) secretary Dr Guruprasad Mohapatra Passed away.