Current Affairs 24th June 2021| Current Affairs News

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Union Govt introduces ‘green tariff’ policy

• The union government is working on a ‘green tariff’ policy that will help electricity distribution companies (discoms) supply electricity generated from clean energy projects at a cheaper rate as compared to power from conventional fuel sources such as coal.
• This was announced by power and new and renewable energy minister Raj Kumar Singh who said the government was in the process of formulating a set of rules and guidelines to enable such a mechanism.
• Once the mechanism is in place, discoms can exclusively buy green electricity and supply it at ‘green tariff’, which will be the weighted average tariff of green energy that the consumer will pay.
• This comes in the backdrop of India’s solar and wind power tariffs hitting an all-time low of 1.99 per unit and Rs.2.43 per unit respectively. 
• India is running the world’s largest clean energy programme to achieve 175 gigawatt(GW) of renewable capacity, including 100GW of solar power by 2022.

Union Cabinet approved merger of Central Railside Warehouse Company Ltd with Central Warehousing Corporation

• Taking another step towards implementing the direction of “Minimum Government Maximum Governance” given by Prime Minister, promoting ease of doing business and bringing private sector efficiencies in Public Sector Undertakings, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved to merge and transfer all assets, liabilities, rights and obligations of ‘Central Rail side Warehouse Company Limited’ (CRWC), a Mini-Ratna Category-II Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSE) incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 in 2007 with its holding enterprise ‘Central Warehousing Corporation’ (CWC). 
• The merger will unify similar functions of both the companies (i.e., warehousing, handling, transportation) through a single administration to promote efficiency, optimum capacity utilization, transparency, accountability, ensure financial savings and leverage railway siding for new warehousing capacities.

About CWC:

• CWC is a Mini-Ratna Category-I CPSE set up in 1957 to provide for incorporation and regulation of Warehousing Corporations for the purpose of warehousing of agricultural produce and certain other commodities notified by the Central Government and for matters connected therewith.
• CWC is a profit making Public Sector Enterprise (PSE) with authorized capital of Rs.100 crore and paid up capital of Rs. 68.02 crore. 
• CWC formed a separate subsidiary company named ‘Central Railside Warehouse Company Ltd’.

About CRWC:

• CRWC is a lean organization with 50 employees and a staff of 48 outsourced personnel.
• Presently, it is operating 20 Railside Warehouses across the country.
• As on 31st March 2020, the net worth (paid up capital plus free reserves) of the company is 137.94 crore.
• CRWC developed specialization, expertise and goodwill in development and operation of RWCs but due to shortage of capital and also due to some of the restrictive clauses in its MoU with the Ministry of Railways, its pace of growth was not as expected.
• (CRWC) on 10th July 2007 to plan, develop, promote, acquire and operate Railside Warehousing Complexes / Terminals / Multimodal Logistics Hubs on land leased from Railways or acquired otherwise.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

World’s 1st GM rubber sapling planted in Assam 

• World’s First GM Rupper Developed at the Kerala-based Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII), the sapling was planted by Rubber Board chairman and executive director KN Raghavan at the board’s farm in Sarutari near Guwahati.
• The GM rubber plant, the first of its kind developed exclusively for the northeast, is expected to thrive in the climatic conditions of the region.
• The plant, which has additional copies of gene MnSOD (manganese containing superoxide dismutase) in it, is expected to revolutionize natural rubber production in India.
• The plant was developed at the Kerala-based Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII) after years of research at its biotechnology laboratory and is expected to grow under the climatic condition of the northeast.
• KN Raghavan, Chairman and Executive Director of the Rubber Board stated that the genetically modified rubber plant, the first of its kind developed exclusively for this region, is expected to grow well under the climatic conditions of the mountainous northeastern region.

About Assam:

• Assam is a state in northeastern India known for its wildlife, archeological sites and tea plantations.
• In the west, Guwahati, Assam’s largest city features silk bazaars and the hilltop Kamakhya Temple.
• Umananda Temple sits on Peacock Island in the Brahmaputra river.
• The state capital, Dispur, is a suburb of Guwahati.
• The ancient pilgrimage site of Hajo and Madan Kamdev, the ruins of a temple complex, lie nearby.
• Capital: Dispur
• Chief minister: Himanta Biswa Sarma
• Governor: Jagdish Mukhi

Maharashtra cabinet gave nod to Amendments for Protection of “Heritage Trees”           

• An amendment to the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act, 1975 to bring in the concept of “heritage trees” was approved in a meeting of the Maharashtra Cabinet.
• It is expected to come into force by way of ordinance.
• The Cabinet also green-lighted the formation of the Maharashtra Tree Authority, which will take all decisions regarding protection of trees.
• It will have responsibility related to protection and conservation of trees, including “heritage trees”.
• “The Act will focus on increasing tree cover in urban areas.
• Protecting existing trees along with preserving those having cultural importance is the need of the hour.
• Principal Secretary (Environment) Manisha Mhaiskar stated, It is critical that development is carried out in a sustainable manner ensuring conservation of nature’’.

About Maharashtra:

• Maharashtra is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau.
• Maharashtra is the second-most populous state in India as well as the third-most populous country subdivision in the world.
• Capital: Mumbai
• Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari
• Chief minister: Uddhav Thackeray

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

CII-IGBC jointly launches Green High-Speed Rail Rating System

• The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)-Indian Green Building Council has launched the IGBC Green High-Speed Rail Rating System during an exclusive session with the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL). 
• IGBC appreciates and acknowledges the excellent leadership of Achal Khare, Managing Director, NHSRCL in opening new perspectives on how Indian High-Speed Rail project can become a green role model.
• The rating system was launched online by Khare and V Suresh, Chairman, IGBC.
• The session was attended by officials of NHSRCL, IGBC and industry leaders & experts of the transit sector.
• Suresh mentioned, “The IGBC Green HSR rating system is a first- of- its- kind in the world and exclusively developed to address the sustainability aspects of High-Speed Rail (HSR) projects.
• The rating system is developed aligning the requirements with the UN Sustainable Development Goals“.

About CII:

• The Confederation of Indian Industry is a non-governmental trade association and advocacy group based in New Delhi, India founded in 1895.
• CII engages business, political, academic, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas.
• It is a membership-based organisation.
• President: Uday Kotak
• Headquarters: New Delhi, India

About IGBC:

• Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) Green Homes is the first rating programme developed in India, exclusively for the residential sector.
• It is based on accepted energy and environmental principles and strikes a balance between known established practices and emerging concepts.
• The objective of IGBC Green New Buildings rating system is to facilitate a holistic approach to create environment friendly buildings, through architectural design, water efficiency, effective handling of waste, energy efficiency, sustainable buildings, and focus on occupant comfort & well-being.

India’s Largest solar carport inaugurated by Tata Power at Pune

• Indian utility Tata Power has partnered with sister company and automobile manufacturing firm Tata Motors to develop India’s largest behind-the-meter solar energy carport.
• The 2MWp solar carport in Chikhali, Pune, is located at a car plant owned by Tata Motors and will produce above 86,000KWh of energy and reduce 7,000 tons of carbon emissions per annum.
• The solar plant covers 30,000 square meters of land and has been constructed under efforts by Tata Motors to promote the use of clean energy in car manufacturing.

About Tata Power:

• Tata Power Limited is an Indian electric utility company based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India and is part of the Tata Group.
• The core business of the company is to generate, transmit and distribute electricity.
• CEO: Praveer Sinha
• Headquarters: Mumbai

Moody’s predicts India’s Growth Forecast for 2021 to 9.6%, 2022 at 7%

• Moody’s Investors Service slashed India’s growth projection to 9.6 per cent for 2021 calendar year, from its earlier estimate of 13.9 per cent, and said faster vaccination progress will be paramount in restricting economic losses to June quarter.
• Moody’s mentioned in the report that, “the virus resurgence adds uncertainty to India’s growth forecast for 2021; however, it is likely that the economic damage will remain restricted to the April-June quarter.
• We currently expect India’s real GDP to grow at 9.6% in 2021 and 7% in 2022.
• “Indian economy contracted by 7.3 per cent in fiscal 2020-21 as the country battled the first wave of COVID, as against a 4 per cent growth in 2019-20”.

About Moody’s Investors Service:

• Moody’s Investors Service, often referred to as Moody’s, is the bond credit rating business of Moody’s Corporation, representing the company’s traditional line of business and its historical name.
• Moody’s Investors Service provides international financial research on bonds issued by commercial and government entities.
• CEO: Raymond W. McDaniel Jr.
• Headquarters: New York, United States
• Parent organization:Moody’s Corporation
• Founder: John Moody

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING NEWS

SBM Bank and Paisabazaar jointly Launched – Step Up Credit Card

• com, India’s largest lending marketplace and Credit Score platform, and SBM Bank India, the youngest universal Bank, announced the launch of Step Up Credit Card – a credit builder product designed for consumers with limited access to formal credit, due to ineligible credit score.
• A key part of Paisabazaar’s long-term growth strategy is building neo-lending products with partners, to meet specific consumer need gaps.
• These innovative products would drive inclusiveness, by enabling underserved segments to access credit and over the long-term, strengthen the lending ecosystem.
• The Step Up Credit Card, built in partnership with SBM Bank India, is the first product to be launched under Paisabazaar’s neo-lending strategy.

About SBM Bank (Mauritius):

• State Bank of Mauritius is a bank in Mauritius that the Bank of Mauritius, the national banking regulator, has licensed as a commercial bank.
• It is Commercial banking company.
• SBM is the second-largest bank in Mauritius with a market share of about 25% of domestic banking assets.
• Headquarters: Port Louis, Mauritius.

RBI Imposes Rs.23 Lakh penalty on 3 cooperative banks

• The RBI imposed penalties of Rs 23 lakh on three cooperative banks, including Mogaveera Co-operative Bank Limited, Mumbai, for contravention of various norms.
• A penalty of Rs 12 lakh has been imposed on Mogaveera Co-operative Bank Limited, Rs 10 lakh on Indapur Urban Cooperative Bank, and Rs 1 lakh on The BaramatiSahakari Bank Limited, Baramati.
• Regarding Mogaveera Co-operative Bank, the RBI stated the inspection reportof the bank, based on its financial position as on March 31, 2019, revealed that it had not fully transferred unclaimed deposits to Depositor Education and Awareness (DEA) Fund and had not conducted annual review of inoperative accounts.
• On Indapur Urban Cooperative Bank, the RBI stated inspection report of the bank, based on its financial position as on March 31, 2019, revealed that it had not adhered to the aggregate ceiling on unsecured advances, and did not have process for periodical review of risk categorization of accounts.
• Inspection report of Baramati Sahakari Bank revealed the bank had exceeded prudential inter-bank (single bank) exposure limit.
• In each case, the RBI added that the penalty was imposed due to deficiencies in regulatory compliance, and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENT AND RESIGNATION NEWS

Airtel appointed Amrita Padda as Chief People Officer

• Bharti Airtel has appointed Amrita Padda as Chief People Officer to lead the company’s people strategy as the company transforms into a digital services provider according to a company announcement.
• Padda joins the company from October 1 this year and will report to Gopal VIttal, managing director and CEO, Bharti Airtel.
• Padda has work experience of over two decades with Hindustan Unilever, where she has handled the entire spectrum of Human Resources roles.

About Bharti Airtel:

• Bharti Airtel Limited, also known as Airtel, is an Indian multinational telecommunications services company based in New Delhi, 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

Tata Motors CEO and Managing Director Guenter Butschek to step down 

• Tata Motors, in a regulatory filing made after trading hours, stated that Guenter Butschek would be stepping down from his role as CEO & MD from 30 June 2021.
• Butschek had informed the company about his desire to relocate to Germany at the end of the contract for personal reasons.
• Pursuant to this, Girish Wagh is being appointed as the executive director to the board of Tata Motors from 1 July 2021.
• Girish Wagh as an additional director shall hold office upto the date of the ensuing annual general meeting (AGM) of the company and a proposal for his appointment as an executive director of the company would be placed for the approval of the members at the ensuing AGM of the company.
• The company’s 76th AGM is scheduled to be held, 30 July 2021.

About Guenter Butschek:

• Guenter Karl Butschek is the current CEO and Managing Director of Tata Motors Worldwide.
• Apart from managing Tata Motors’ India business, Butschek is also responsible for all other domestic and overseas subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates of Tata Motors.

About TATA Motors:

• Tata Motors Limited is an Indian multinational automotive manufacturing company, headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, and part of Tata Group.
• The company produces passenger cars, trucks, vans, coaches, buses, sports cars, construction equipment and military vehicles.
• Parent organization: Tata Group
• Headquarters: Mumbai

Karnam Malleswari to be appointed as first Vice-Chancellor of Delhi Sports University

• The Delhi government appointed former Olympic medalist weightlifter Karnam Malleswari as the first Vice Chancellor of Sports University stated by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
• Kejriwal mentioned he met Malleswari and had a detailed discussion with her regarding the same.
• “Delhi Sports University is starting. Our very huge dream has come true.
• He noted that he was extremely proud to say that Olympic medalist Karnam Malleswari will be the first Vice Chancellor. 
• “The Lt Governor, who is also Chancellor of Delhi Sports University, is pleased to appoint the Padmashri awardee as first Vice Chancellor of the university”.

About Karnam Malleswari:

• Karnam Malleswari is a retired Indian weightlifter.
• She is the first Indian woman to win a medal at the Olympics.
• In 1995, she received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India’s highest sporting honour, and in 1999, the civilian Padma Shri award.
• Medal: Weightlifting at the 2000 Summer Olympics – Women’s 69 kg
• Awards: Padma Shri, Arjuna Award for Weightlifting
• Parents: Karnam Manohar, Shyamala

Former West Indies captain Darren Sammy appointed as member of CWI Board of Directors

• Two-time T20 World Cup-winning former West Indies captain Darren Sammy has been appointed as an independent non-member director of the CWI board.
• The decision was taken by the Cricket West Indies Board during a meeting held on June 17.
• Sammy, who led West Indies to two back-to-back T20 titles in 2012 and 2016, is one of the three appointments of Independent Directors approved at the meeting to serve for the next two-years.
• He joins Trinidadian Attorney Debra Coryat-Patton and Jamaican Surgeon and University Administrator, Akshai Mansingh, who were both re-appointed to serve a second term.

About Daren Sammy:

• Daren Julius Garvey Sammy is a Saint Lucian cricketer who played international cricket for the West Indies.
• Daren Sammy was born in Micoud, St Lucia to Wilson Sammy and Clara Sammy.
• He is a two time T20 World Cup winning captain.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU’s AND AGREEMENTS

NSG signed MOU with RRU 

• With focus on a dual mission, the National Security Guard (NSG) and the Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation and collaboration aimed at strengthening the core competencies of the NSG, which are counter-terrorism, counter-IEDs, and anti-hijacking.
• DG NSG M A Ganapathy and Prof (Dr) Bimal N Patel, Vice-Chancellor RRU signed the MoU at the Manesar campus of NSG.
• The MoU also aims to contribute to capacity-building and providing assistance to Indian start-ups focused on security by helping them to understand the specific requirements and the problem statements formulated by NSG for design and research projects.
• The aim of the MoU is to synergise the expertise of NSG & RRU to embolden innovation, incubation, training, research, and distance education in the field of security through the ‘Security and Scientific-Technical Research Association’ (SASTRA) and RRU’s Integrated Space for e-Education (RISE) platform and tie-ups with Indian start-ups dealing with security-related products.

About NSG:

• The National Security Guard is an elite counter-terrorism unit under the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs.
• Headquarters: New Delhi

About RRU:

• Rashtriya Raksha University, formerly Raksha Shakti University is an internal security educational university located in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India.
• It is the first internal security institute of India, established by the Government of Gujarat, India in 2009.
• Director: (Dr.)Bimal N. Patel

CURRENT AFFAIRS : ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

HDFC Bank to buy stake worth over ₹1,906 cr in ERGO General Insurance & Borderless Softtech

• HDFC Bank has given its approval to 3,55,67,724 crore shares in group firm HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company for over ₹1,906 crore from the parent company Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC).
• The board of directors of HDFC Bank has approved equity shares of ₹10 each.
• The aggregate consideration for purchase of 3,55,67,724 shares of HDFC ERGO is ₹1,906.43 crore, i.e. ₹536 per share.

About HDFC Bank :

• CEO: Sashidhar Jagdishan
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Founded: August 1994

CURRENT AFFAIRS : RANKING & INDEX

Founder of the Tata Group Jamsetji Tata tops inaugural list of Top Philanthropists of the Century 

• Founder of the Tata Group, Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata ($102.4 billion) has topped the EdelGive Hurun Philanthropists of the Century. 
• The list prepared by EdelGive Foundation and Hurun Report.
• Tata is the only Indian in the top 10 list.
• The other Indian among the top 50 is Azim Premji, former chairman of Wipro, he is ranked 12th.
• Bill Gates & Melinda French Gates ($74.6 billion) ranked second position followed by Henry Wellcome ($56.7 billion), Howard Hughes ($38.6 billion) and Warren Buffett ($37.4 billion).
• The ranking is based on Total Philanthropic Value, calculated as the value of the assets adjusted for inflation, together with the sum of gifts or distributions to date.
• According to the EdelGive Hurun report, The world’s 50 most generous individuals came from five countries, led by the US with 39, followed by 5 from the UK, China (3), India (2) and Portugal & Switzerland (1 each).

About Jamsetji Tata:

• Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata was an Indian pioneer industrialist, who founded the Tata Group, India’s biggest conglomerate company. 
• He established the city of Jamshedpur.
• He founded what would later become the Tata Group of companies.
• Jamsetji Tata is regarded as the legendary “Father of Indian Industry”.
• Organizations founded:Tata Group, Tata Steel Ltd, Jamshedpur, Tata Sons, Taj Hotels, Indian Hotels Company Limited.

About Tata Group :

• Founder: Jamsetji Tata
• Founded: 1868, Mumbai

About Hurun Report :

• Chairman and Chief Researcher : Rupert Hoogewerf
• Headquarters location: Shanghai, China
• Founded: 1999

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS

MoD & Goa Shipyard Ltd signs contract for construction of two Pollution Control Vessels for Indian Coast Guard

• On June 22, 2021, The Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) for the construction of two Pollution Control Vessels (PCVs) for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) at a cost of about Rs 583 crore.
• These Special Role ships will be indigenously designed and will be developed & built by GSL.
• The acquisition is under ‘Buy Indian Indigenously Designed Developed & Manufactured (Buy Indian-IDDM)’, the highest priority category for defence capital procurements.
• The acquisition will augment the capability of ICG to respond to oil spill disasters at sea and also will enhance Pollution Response (PR) efficiency.
• Both vessels are scheduled for delivery by November 2024 and May 2025 respectively.
• The new PCVs planned are for pollution response requirements in Eastern and the ecologically sensitive Andaman & Nicobar Regions.

About Indian Coast Guard :

• Comes Under Ministry of Defence
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Director General: Krishnaswamy Natarajan
• Additional Director General: D. Chafekar
• Founded: 1 February 1977

About Ministry of Defence :

• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Founded: 15 August 1947
• Minister of State : Shripad Naik
• Defence Minister of India : Rajnath Singh

About Goa Shipyard Ltd :

• Headquarters : Goa
• Founded : 1957

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BOOKS & AUTHORS

 A New Book Titled It’s a Wonderful Life Authored by Ruskin Bond

• Ruskin Bond authored a new book titled It’s a Wonderful Life.
• The Book is Published by Aleph Book Company.

About the Book :

• The Book is Perceptive, Uplifting & deeply Moving manners.
• The Book talks about Joys & Positive truths to be found in the smallest of incidents that occur in our lives, the good news and sources of happiness.

About the Author :

• Ruskin Bond is the author of several bestselling novels and collections of short stories, essays and poems. 
• It titles The Room on the Roof (winner of the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize), A Flight of Pigeons, The Night Train at Deoli, Time Stops at Shamli, Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra (winner of the Sahitya Akademi Award), Angry River, The Blue Umbrella, Rain in the Mountains, Roads to Mussoorie, A Little Night Music, Tigers for Dinner, Tales of Fosterganj, and A Gathering of Friends.

Achievements :

• Ruskin Bond was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1999.
• In 2012, he also awarded, Lifetime Achievement Award by the Delhi government 
• In 2014, he received, Padma Bhushan award.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SPORTS NEWS

2021 Tokyo Olympics : Manpreet Singh & Rani Rampal named captains of Indian hockey teams

• India’s men’s and women’s hockey teams will be captained by Manpreet Singh and Indian forward Rani Rampal respectively at next month’s Tokyo Olympics.
• 2021 Tokyo Olympics will begin in July 2021.
• For Both teams, two vice-captains were also appointed namely Deep Grace Ekka and Savita.
• Both teams are composed of 16 members each.

About Rani Rampal :

• Under Rani’s captaincy, the Indian team has achieved winning the Asia Cup in 2017, a silver medal at the Asian Games in 2018, silver at the 2018 Asian Champions Trophy as well as winning the FIH Series Final in 2019.

About Manpreet Singh :

• 2021 Tokyo Olympics will be Manpreet’s third Olympics.
• Under Manpreet’s captaincy, the Indian team won the Asia Cup in 2017, the Asian Champions Trophy in 2018 and the FIH Series Final in 2019.
• The team led by Manpreet also made it to the quarterfinals of the FIH Men’s World Cup 2018 in Bhubaneswar.

Men’s Hockey Team :

• Captain – Manpreet Singh
• Vice-President 1 – Birendra Lakra
• Vice-President 2 – Harmanpreet Singh

Women’s Hockey Team :

• Captain – Rani Rampal
• Vice-President 1 – Deep Grace Ekka
• Vice-President 2 – Savita Punia

About FIH :

• President: Leandro Negre
• Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
• CEO: Thierry Weil
• Founder: Paul Léautey
• Founded: 7 January 1924, Paris, France

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

Pritzker Prize Laureate Gottfried Bohm Passes Away 

• Gottfried Böhm, the first German architect to be awarded the Pritzker Prize, has passed away.
• He was 101.

About Gottfried Böhm :

• Born in 1920 near Frankfurt, Germany.
• Böhm, was the eighth winner of the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize, was widely known for his concrete churches that were largely built in Germany.

About  Pritzker Architecture Prize :

• The Pritzker Architecture Prize is awarded annually to honor living architect
• Established: 1979
• First awarded: 1979
• The Pritzker Architecture Prize was the highest award for an Architect.

About Germany :

• Capital: Berlin
• Currency: Euro

 Daily CA On June 23 :

• International Olympic Dayis celebrated on June 23 to encourage more people to participate in the Olympic Games and raise awareness about the number of sports held during this event. The theme of International Olympic Day 2021: Stay healthy, stay strong, stay active with the #OlympicDay workout on 23 June.
• The United Nations Public Service Day is celebrated on June 23 of every year. This year, the United Nations Public Service Day will be celebrated under the themeof “Innovating the Future Public Service: New Government Models for a New Era to Reach the SDGs”.
• The Minority Affairs Minister Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi launched a nationwide “JaanHaiToJahaanHai” awareness campaign to create awareness on Corona vaccination in rural and remote areas of the country and also to “Crush and Curb” the rumours and apprehensions, being spread by some vested interests regarding the on-going vaccination drive.
• Nikol Pashinyan, the acting prime minister of Armenia, has claimed victory in a snap parliamentary election he had called in an effort to defuse a political crisis following a disastrous war with Azerbaijan.
• The India Business Process Outsourcing Promotion Scheme (IBPS) launched by the Centre has facilitated expansion of several IT and BPO companies in tier-II and III cities across the country.
• Gujarat Chief Minister Mr. Vijay Rupani e-launched the Agricultural Diversification Scheme-2021 for benefitting vanbandhu-farmers in the tribal areas of the state.
• Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan has released a Special Postal Cover brought out by India Post on the occasion of International Yoga Day at a programme held in Raj Bhavan.
• WWF Indiahas inducted Upasana Kamineni, Director, Apollo Hospitals, as “Ambassador of Forest Frontline Heroes” with the aim to appreciate the efforts of frontline workers in hospitals and in the wildlife protection space.
• Arunachal Pradesh woman Tadang Minu, becomes the first in the state and the second Indian woman in the country to be appointed as a member of the Coaches Committee of the International Boxing Association.
• Symphony Limited announces the appointment of Amit Kumar as Executive Director (ED) and Group CEO of the Company, effective August 2, 2021.
• Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar and Fiji’s Minister of Agriculture, Waterways & Environment, Dr. Mahendra Reddy signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the field of Agriculture and allied sectors between India and Fiji in a virtual meeting.
• Mawya Sudan, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir, has become the first woman fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF) from Rajouri district.
• State-of-the-art CSS has been developed ab-initio at Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune in association with High Energy Material Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Pune, for the indigenously developed LCA Tejas and Trainer Aircraft, HJT-36 Aircraft and HTT-40 Aircraft.
• On June 18, 2021, The maiden Indian Navy and European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) exercise began in the Gulf of Aden.
• On June 14, 2021, Swedish think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released the SIPRI Yearbook 2021. The SIPRI Yearbook assesses the current state of armaments, disarmament and international security.
• Ireland all-rounder Kevin O’Brien has announced his retirement from one-day internationals Cricket.

Daily CA On June 24 :

• The union government is working on a ‘green tariff’ policy that will help electricity distribution companies (discoms) supply electricity generated from clean energy projects at a cheaper rate as compared to power from conventional fuel sources such as coal.
• Union Cabinet approved merger of Central Railside Warehouse Company Ltd with Central Warehousing Corporation
• World’s First GM Rupper Developed at the Kerala-based Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII), the sapling was planted by Rubber Board chairman and executive director KN Raghavan at the board’s farm in Sarutari near Guwahati.
• An amendment to the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act, 1975 to bring in the concept of “heritage trees” was approved in a meeting of the Maharashtra Cabinet.
• The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)-Indian Green Building Council has launched the IGBC Green High-Speed Rail Rating System during an exclusive session with the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL). 
• Indian utility Tata Power has partnered with sister company and automobile manufacturing firm Tata Motors to develop India’s largest behind-the-meter solar energy carport.
• Moody’s Investors Service slashed India’s growth projection to 9.6 per cent for 2021 calendar year, from its earlier estimate of 13.9 per cent, and said faster vaccination progress will be paramount in restricting economic losses to June quarter.
• com, India’s largest lending marketplace and Credit Score platform, and SBM Bank India, the youngest universal Bank, announced the launch of Step Up Credit Card – a credit builder product designed for consumers with limited access to formal credit, due to ineligible credit score.
• The RBI imposed penalties of Rs 23 lakh on three cooperative banks, including Mogaveera Co-operative Bank Limited, Mumbai, for contravention of various norms.
• Bharti Airtel has appointed Amrita Padda as Chief People Officer to lead the company’s people strategy as the company transforms into a digital services provider according to a company announcement.
• Tata Motors, in a regulatory filing made after trading hours, stated that Guenter Butschek would be stepping down from his role as CEO & MD from 30 June 2021.
• The Delhi government appointed former Olympic medalist weightlifter Karnam Malleswari as the first Vice Chancellor of Sports University stated by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
• Two-time T20 World Cup-winning former West Indies captain Darren Sammy has been appointed as an independent non-member director of the CWI board.
• The National Security Guard (NSG) and the Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation and collaboration aimed at strengthening the core competencies of the NSG, which are counter-terrorism, counter-IEDs, and anti-hijacking.
• HDFC Bank has given its approval to 3,55,67,724 crore shares in group firm HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company for over ₹1,906 crore from the parent company Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC).
• Founder of the Tata Group, Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata ($102.4 billion) has topped the EdelGive Hurun Philanthropists of the Century.  The list prepared by EdelGive Foundation and Hurun Report.
• On June 22, 2021, The Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) for the construction of two Pollution Control Vessels (PCVs) for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) at a cost of about Rs 583 crore.
• Ruskin Bond authored a new book titled It’s a Wonderful Life. The Book is Published by Aleph Book Company.
• India’s men’s and women’s hockey teams will be captained by Manpreet Singh and Indian forward Rani Rampal respectively at next month’s Tokyo Olympics.
• Gottfried Böhm, the first German architect to be awarded the Pritzker Prize, has passed away.