Excellence by Saikat Sir: Current Affairs 27th and 28th June 2021| Current Affairs News

Current Affairs 27th and 28th June 2021| Current Affairs News

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day: Observed on June 27

Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day: Observed on June 27
The COVID-19 crisis has taught us that the pandemic and containment measures do not impact everyone in the same way.
Among the private sector, Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs), especially those led by women, youth, ethnic minorities and migrants, suffered the most.
In 2021, the theme is “MSME 2021: key to an inclusive and sustainable recovery”.
That is why the UN will be hosting a series of events to explore how MSMEs – the backbone of our economies – can be equipped to ensure an equitable and sustainable post-COVID-19 recovery.
An International Trade Centre survey on COVID-19 impact among businesses in 136 countries has shown that nearly 62% of women-led small businesses have been strongly affected by the crisis, compared to just over half of firms led by men, and women-owned are 27% more likely not to survive the pandemic.

About India’s MSME:

MSME stands for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise.
It was introduced by the Government of India in agreement with the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act of 2006.
As per this act, MSMEs are the enterprises involved in the production, processing or preservation of goods and commodities.
The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, a branch of the Government of India, is the apex executive body for the formulation and administration of rules, regulations and laws relating to micro, small and medium enterprises in India.

National Insurance Awareness Day – Observed on June 28

National Insurance Awareness Day is celebrated every year on June 28.
Insurance is one of those things we forget about until we need it, kind of like a spare tire.
National Insurance Awareness Day is celebrated every year on June 28.
While the origin of this day is a mystery, what’s widely known is how important insurance is in many aspects of our lives.
From car insurance, to life insurance, to home insurance and more, these policies offer a layer of protection to guard us from feeling the harshest of blows by unfortunate events.
Insurance Awareness Day has been created in order to encourage people to go over their insurance plan on this day.
Insurance offers security in many different situations.
It can recover losses and protect loved ones in the event of death, illness, or damage.
While it offers protection, the value of the items and properties we have can appreciate over time and our situations can change.
An insurance policy that offered you excellent protection years ago may not offer such great protection.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Law Minister Launches ‘itat e-dwar’ E-Filing Portal of ITAT

Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister for Law & Justice, Communications and Electronics & IT, formally launched the e-filing portal of Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), ‘itat e-dwar’.
Launching the Portal, the Minister explained the power of Digital India.
He mentioned Digital India means empowering an ordinary Indian with the power of technology – To bridge the digital divide between the digital haves and the digital have nots leading to digital inclusion achieved by technology, which is low cost, home grown and developmental.
Digital India means a framework for transforming India with the power of technology.
He highlighted that nearly 129 crore of the Indian population are enrolled for Aadhar which is the digital identity to supplement one’s physical identity.
Nearly 40 crore bank accounts have been opened for the poor and linked to Aadhar.
Using the power of Digital India about Rs.16.7 lakh crore has been transferred to the account of the poor as Direct Benefit Transfer, saving Rs.1.78 lakh crores which was, otherwise, being siphoned off by middlemen.
Digital India has positioned our country as a world leader in digital payments.

About ‘itat e-dwar’:

The newly developed e-Filing Portal would enable the parties to file their Appeals, Miscellaneous Applications, documents, paper books, etc., electronically.
Portal will enable online filing of Appeals, Applications, documents etc. by various parties
It will enhance the accessibility, accountability and transparency in the day to day working of the ITAT.
It would not only result in economization of the use of paper, savings in costs but also rationalization of the fixation of cases leading to quicker disposal of cases.

PM virtually interacts with Toycathon 2021 participants

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with participants of Toycathon 2021 via video conference.
Around 1.2 lakh participants from across India registered and submitted more than 17,000 ideas for the Toycathon 2021, out of which 1,567 ideas have been shortlisted for the three-day online Toycathon Grand Finale, being held from June 22 to June 24.
For this purpose, the Ministry of Education Innovation Cell has engaged 645 mentors and evaluators for 1567 participating teams.
85 Nodal centres have been selected to support the Ministry of Educations Innovation Cell and the All India Council for Technical Education, which are the organizing agencies for this Inter-ministerial Toycathon.

About Toycathon:

India, despite being a home of many globally popular games like Chess, Ludo, Snakes and Ladders, is not among leading developers and manufacturers of toys.
Under the ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ initiated by our Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri. Narendra Modi, Toycathon-2021 is conceived to challenge India’s innovative minds to conceptualize novel Toy and Games based on Bharatiya civilization, history, culture, mythology and ethos.
Toycathon 2021 is a unique opportunity for Students, Teachers, Start-ups and Toy experts/professionals in India to submit their innovative toys/games concepts and win a large number of prizes worth Rs. 50 lakhs.
Winning Teams efforts will be made to commercialize the exceptional toy concepts with support from Industry and investors.

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar launches LiDAR Survey of Forest Areas for 10 States

Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar in a virtual event released the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of LiDAR based survey of forest areas in ten states namely Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Nagaland, and Tripura.
Shri Javadekar informed that the project which was awarded to WAPCOS, a PSU under the aegis of Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India is a first of its kind and a unique experiment using LiDAR technology which will help augment water and fodder in jungles areas thereby reducing human-animal conflict, help in groundwater recharge, help local communities and also asked state forest departments to use CAMPA funds towards implementation of these projects in right earnest and in accordance with the ‘Ridge to Valley’ approach of watershed management.

About LiDAR survey:

Lidar — Light Detection and Ranging — is a remote sensing method used to examine the surface of the Earth.
Topographic lidar typically uses a near-infrared laser to map the land, while bathymetric lidar uses water-penetrating green light to also measure seafloor and riverbed elevations.
The surface reflects the light back to the LIDAR equipment, and the sensor records the reflected light to measure the distance traveled.

About WAPCO:

WAPCOS has prepared these DPR’s using LiDAR technology in which the 3-D(three dimensional) DEM (Digital Elevation Model), imagery and layers of the project areas are used for recommending different types of Soil & Water conservation structures such as Anicut, Gabion, Gully Plug, Mini percolation tank, Percolation Tank, Field bund, Sunken pond, Farm pond etc.
These structures will help in catching the rain water and prevent stream run off, which will help in recharging of Groundwater.
WAPCOS with the participation of State Forest Departments identified one major ridge inside a forest block in these states with an average area of 10,000 has been selected in each State for preparation of Detailed Project Reports.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India-Bhutan introduced joint initiative: Tax Inspectors without Borders

Tax Inspectors without Borders (TIWB), a joint initiative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), launched its programme in Bhutan.
India was chosen as the Partner Jurisdiction and has provided the Tax Expert for this programme.
This programme is expected to be of about 24 months’ duration through which India in collaboration with the UNDP and the TIWB Secretariat aims to aid Bhutan in strengthening its tax administration by transferring technical know-how and skills to its tax auditors, and through sharing of best audit practices.
The focus of the programme will be in the area of International Taxation and Transfer Pricing.

About Bhutan:

Bhutan, a Buddhist kingdom on the Himalayas’ eastern edge, is known for its monasteries, fortresses (or dzongs) and dramatic landscapes that range from subtropical plains to steep mountains and valleys.
In the High Himalayas, peaks such as 7,326m Jomolhari are popular trekking destinations.
Paro Taktsang monastery (also known as Tiger’s Nest) clings to cliffs above the forested Paro Valley.
Capital: Thimphu
Prime minister: Lotay Tshering
Currency: Bhutan Ngultrum

UNODC Report: 275mn People used Drugs Worldwide in 2020

The World Drug Report released on June 24 by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime in Vienna Around 275 million people used drugs worldwide last year, while over 36 million people suffered from drug use disorders.
The report also stated many countries saw a rise in the use of cannabis during the coronavirus pandemic.
In surveys of health professionals across 77 countries, 42% mentioned cannabis use had increased.
A rise in the non-medical use of pharmaceutical drugs was also observed in the same period.
The report further noted that in the last 24 years, cannabis potency had increased as much as four times in some parts, even as the percentage of adolescents who perceived the drug as harmful fell by as much as 40%.

About UNODC:

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is a United Nations office that was established in 1997 as the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention by combining the United Nations International.
Headquarters : Vienna, Austria
Head: Ghada Waly

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

Ladakh Celebrates Two days Hemis Festival

Marking the birth of Guru Padmasambhava, Hemis Festival is not only one of the most important Buddhist celebrations in Ladakh but is also the most popular festival amongst tourists.
Held in one of the most-visited monasteries in Ladakh, Hemis Gompa, the festival is a two-day event that is celebrated on the 10th day of the fifth month of Tibetan Calendar, which is the month of June/July in Gregorian calendar.
On this popular festival in Ladakh, Cham Dance and other traditional dances are performed in Hemis Monastery on the beats of drums and cymbal and on the tunes of long pipe like Tibetan music instrument.
On both days, giant thangkas (Buddhist paintings) are unfurled for the public.
In fact, every 12th year, the largest thangka in Ladakh is unfurled in Hemis on the first day of the festival for the public to see.

Highlights of Hemis Festival:

Cham Dance
Unfurling of Thangkas (Buddhist paintings)

About Ladakh:

Ladakh is a region administered by India as a union territory, and constitutes a part of the larger Kashmir region, which has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947.
It was established on 31 October 2019, following the passage of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act.
Capital: Leh, Kargil
Lieutenant governor: Radha Krishna Mathur

Goa becomes First Rabies-Free state in India

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced that the state has not had a single case of rabies in Goa in the past three years.
Goa AM mentioned that the state has achieved 5.40.593 vaccination against rabies in dogs.
The government has also educated nearly one lakh people in preventing dog bite and has set up 24-hour rabies surveillance.
Along with an emergency hotline and rapid response team for the dog-bite victims.
The campaign in Goa has now vaccinated around 90,000 dogs per year and has been beneficial to both humans and dogs.
However, through effective campaigns, dogs are not only protected against the disease but also are not seen as a threat.

Mission Rabies Project:

Sawant stated that the Mission Rabies organization has been working with all the political leaders, panchayats to create awareness.
Following which, Goa has now become the first state in India to become rabies-free.
Project Mission Rabies started back in 2013 of its sister charity Worldwide Veterinary Service and became a registered charity in 2015.
The aim is to eliminate human-canine mediate rabies death by 2030.

About Rabies:

A deadly virus spread to people from the saliva of infected animals.
Rabies is usually transmitted through an animal bite, for example, from stray dogs.
Symptoms include fever, headache, excess salivation, muscle spasms, paralysis and mental confusion.
Seek immediate medical attention after a bite or suspected bite.
There is no specific treatment for rabies.
A vaccine can prevent infection.

About Goa:

Goa is a state in western India with coastlines stretching along the Arabian Sea.
Its long history as a Portuguese colony prior to 1961 is evident in its preserved 17th-century churches and the area’s tropical spice plantations.
Goa is also known for its beaches, ranging from popular stretches at Baga and Palolem to those in laid-back fishing villages such as Agonda.
Capital: Panaji
Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari
Chief minister: Pramod Sawant

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

Jio and Google Cloud to make long term strategic relationship for implementing 5G Technology

Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (Jio), a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), and Google Cloud are embarking on a comprehensive, long-term strategic relationship with a goal of powering 5G in enterprise and consumer segments nationwide.
In addition, Reliance will also take advantage of Google Cloud’s scalable infrastructure, thereby enabling its retail business to achieve better operational efficiency, modernization and scale for growth, and deliver better performance and experiences to the customers.
To further Jio’s mission to digitise India with faster and better connectivity, Google Cloud will provide a complete end-to-end Cloud offering for fully-automated lifecycle management of Jio’s 5G network and services.
Jio and Google Cloud will collaborate to bring a portfolio of 5G edge computing solutions to help industries address real business challenges.
Jio will explore building new services across gaming, healthcare, education, and video entertainment sectors.

About Jio:

Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, doing business as Jio, is an Indian telecommunications company and a subsidiary of Jio Platforms, headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
It operates a national LTE network with coverage across all 22 telecom circles.
Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Founder: Mukesh Ambani

About Google Cloud Platform:

Google Cloud Platform, offered by Google, is a suite of cloud computing services that runs on the same infrastructure that Google uses internally for its end-user products, such as Google Search, Gmail, file storage, and YouTube.

About 5G Technology:

In telecommunications, 5G is the fifth generation technology standard for broadband cellular networks, which cellular phone companies began deploying worldwide in 2019, and is the planned successor to the 4G networks which provide connectivity to most current cell phones.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING NEWS

Clovia makes Partnership with Alliance Insurance Launched– “Women’s Cancer Shield” Insurance Policy

Women’s personal care brand, Clovia in partnership with Alliance Insurance launched a tailor-made insurance policy, “Women’s cancer shield” for breast cancer female patients.
The partnership involves Clovia as the medium of making insurance reach out to consumers through its platform while Alliance Insurance as the insurance partner to facilitate the breast cancer insurance policy.
In India, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every four minutes.
With breast cancer accounting for 14 percent of cancers in Indian women, this initiative aims to reinforce awareness for the ailment.

About the Policy:

The company will provide insurance policy cover of INR 25,000 to female customers in the age group of 18-65 years on a purchase of a certain value from Clovia’s website.
The insurance policy comes with lifelong renewals and can be claimed in case of being diagnosed with breast cancer; however, this is not applicable for pre-existing treatments.
The policy tenure covers a time of one year with a mandatory waiting period of 90 days for the policy to be used.
This cover will be eligible for both minor stages of breast cancer and also major stages of breast cancer, the company added.

About Clovia:

Clovia is a manufacturer and marketer of women’s lingerie, shapewear, sleepwear, and swimwear.
The company is backed by Ivy Cap Ventures and Zurich-based Mountain Partners AG.
As per a report in CB insights, Clovia is one of the top 10 early stage e-commerce startups to look out for.

About Alliance Insurance:

Alliance Insurance Brokers is a company that is one of India’s leading insurance service providers, risk managers and reinsurance brokers.
The company is dedicated to assisting you find the best possible solutions in protecting your exposure to risk in your line of businesses.
One of the country’s fastest growing broking houses, Alliance prides itself on being a one-stop solution for a wide range of services like Best Tailor Made Insurance Solutions, Claims Management, Insurance Audit and Renewal Reviews.

World Bank sanctioned USD125 million financial support for Kerala

Two years after sanctioning an assistance of USD 250 million for the first phase of the Rebuild Kerala Initiative (RKI), the World Bank approved USD 125million assistance for the second phase.
A meeting of directors of the Bank held in Washington approved the project proposal from the state government and sanctioned USD 125 million (approximately Rs 925 crore).
The loan will be under the Programme-for-Results financing scheme, which means the amount will be sanctioned for specific development projects approved by independent evaluators.
With the World Bank clearance for the project, the route is also clear for the USD 125 million loan from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
The aim of the Rebuild Kerala Initiative is to incorporate disaster risk planning in the master plans of urban and local self-governments and to help make the health, water resources management, agriculture, and works departments more resilient to calamities.

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

About Kerala:

Kerala, a state on India’s tropical Malabar Coast, has nearly 600km of Arabian Sea shoreline.
It’s known for its palm-lined beaches and backwaters, a network of canals.
Inland are the Western Ghats, mountains whose slopes support tea, coffee and spice plantations as well as wildlife.
National parks like Eravikulam and Periyar, plus Wayanad and other sanctuaries, are home to elephants, langur monkeys and tigers.
Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan
Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
Chief minister: Pinarayi Vijayan

LIC Launches Technology Platform ‘e-PGS’

Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) has launched a centralized web-based workflow-based IT platform, “e-PGS”.
The new technology platform, e-PGS, is designed to provide a centralized collection and payment accounting with a high level of bank integration.
It is designed to provide very innovative features of seamless and integrated banking with automatic matching.
The system is capable of providing comprehensive self-service capability through the customer portal.
On this portal, corporate customers will be able to view their data, initiate actionable processes and register and track claims.

About LIC:

Life Insurance Corporation of India is an Indian government owned insurance and Investment Corporation.
It is under the ownership of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
Chairperson: M R Kumar
Headquarters: Mumbai

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENT AND RESIGNATION NEWS

Vigilance Commissioner Suresh N Patel named as acting CVC

Vigilance Commissioner Suresh N Patel will act as the central vigilance commissioner (CVC) in the Central Vigilance Commission.
The appointment was necessitated after Sanjay Kothari completed his term as the chief of the probity watchdog.
The President is pleased to authorize Suresh N Patel, vigilance commissioner, Central Vigilance Commission, to act as the central vigilance commissioner, with effect from the date of occurrence of vacancy that is June 24, 2021, until the appointment of the central vigilance commissioner.
Kothari had joined the commission in April last year.

About CVC:

Central Vigilance Commission is an apex Indian governmental body created in 1964 to address governmental corruption.
In 2003, the Parliament enacted a law conferring statutory status on the CVC.
Headquarters: New Delhi

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

R K Sabharwal bags Mongolia’s ‘The Order of Polar Star’

Shri RK Sabharwal, C&MD, Engineers India Ltd. (EIL) has been honoured with the highest civilian award of Mongolia “The Order of Polar Star” by His Excellency, the President of Mongolia to recognize the outstanding contribution made by him towards the establishment of the first ever oil Refinery in Mongolia.
This award was presented, on behalf of the Government of Mongolia, by His Excellency, the Ambassador of Mongolia to India, Mr. Gonching Ganbold, at a ceremony organized at the Embassy of Mongolia, India on 24th June, 2021.

About the Award:

The Royal Order of the Polar Star is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim.
The Order of Polar Star is the most desirable and prestigious state award bestowed by the President of Mongolia which is highly valuable and distinguished and recognizes individuals who have made invaluable contribution with their outstanding hard work, intelligence and sincerity to the prosperity of Mongolia and its friendship with other nations, as well for outstanding contributions in the fields of arts, culture, science and humanity.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU’s AND AGREEMENTS

Maharashtra signed MOU with UK Government

Maharashtra signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the British government under their ‘ACT4Green’ programme, which aims to enable the Indian and UK start-ups to expand internationally through market entry support in their respective cross-border markets of interest.
The MoU was signed during a virtual ceremony organized by the Maharashtra State Innovation Society (MSInS), a nodal agency setup under the aegis of Skill Development, Employment and Entrepreneurship of the Maharashtra government.
The society is responsible for the execution of the state’s innovative start-up policy.
Through this partnership, the two organizations aim to strengthen the existing tech start-up ecosystem in Maharashtra by accelerating technological innovations that address urgent climate change challenges and leverage the potential of emerging technologies to drive sustainable economic growth in both the countries.

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

About UK:

The United Kingdom, made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, is an island nation in northwestern Europe.
England – birthplace of Shakespeare and The Beatles – is home to the capital, London, a globally influential centre of finance and culture.
England is also the site of Neolithic Stonehenge, Bath’s Roman spa and centuries-old universities at Oxford and Cambridge.
Prime minister: Boris Johnson
Capital: London
Currency: Pound sterling

About Startup ecosystem:

A startup ecosystem is formed by people, startups in their various stages and various types of organizations in a location, interacting as a system to create and scale new startup companies.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SUMMITS & CONFERENCES

Andhra Pradesh Governor inaugurates International Education e-Conference

On June 26, 2021, Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan inaugurated the two-day International Education e-Conference.
The two-day conference was held in virtual mode.
The Conference held on the theme of Holistic Education for Excellence in Life.
It has been organised by Prajapita Brahma Kumari Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya.

Purpose :

Through holistic development children will be equipped with intellectual, mental, physical, emotional and spiritual capabilities to face the demands and challenges of everyday life and real-world education helps every child find his or her unique place in the world in alignment with their innate values.

Note :

Governor of Chattisgarh Anasuiya Uikey also presented this event.

About AP :

Governor: Biswabhusan Harichandan
Chief minister: YS Jagan Mohan Reddy
Ap is the seventh-largest state by area & tenth-most populous state.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

DRDO successfully test fires enhanced Pinaka Rocket in Odisha

On June 25, 2021, The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully test fired an extended range version of indigenously developed “Pinaka”.
It was carried at Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.
The 122 mm Caliber rockets were launched from a Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL).
25 enhanced Pinaka Rockets were launched in quick succession against targets at different ranges.
The enhanced range version of Pinaka Rocket System can destroy targets at distances up to 45 kms.
The rocket system has been developed jointly by Pune based Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL).
The development of the Enhanced Pinaka system was taken up to achieve longer range performance.

About DRDO :

Founded: 1958
Headquarters: New Delhi
Chairman : Dr G Satheesh Reddy

About Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) :

Headquarters location: Pune
Established: 1958
Director: Dr V Venkateswara Rao

About High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) :

Director: K P S Murthy
Founded: 1960
Located at : Pune, Maharashtra

About Odisha :

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

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BOOKS & AUTHORS

The startup wife Authored by tahmima anam

The award winning author Tahmima Anam Authored a novel titled The startup wife.
It has been Published by Penguin Random House India.

About the Book :

The Book explores the dynamics of a modern day in a highly competitive world.

About Tahmima Anam :

Tahmima Anam is a Bangladeshi-born British writer, novelist and columnist.
Her first novel, A Golden Age (2007), was the Best First Book winner of the 2008 Commonwealth Writers’ Prizes.
Her follow-up novel, The Good Muslim, was nominated for the 2011 Man Asian Literary Prize.
Some of her books include, A Golden Age. John Murray. 2007, The Good Muslim. HarperCollins. 2011. The Bones of Grace. HarperCollins. 2016.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SPORTS NEWS

Kuortane Games : Neeraj Chopra wins bronze medal

On June 26, 2021, Tokyo-bound javelin thrower from India, Neeraj Chopra won the bronze medal at the Kuortane Games in Finland.
Neeraj Chopra threw his javelin at the 86.79m mark.
This was Chopra’s third best performance this season.
He finished third behind world no. 1 Johannes Vetter of Germany and former Olympic gold medallist Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago.
Johannes Vetter clinched gold with a massive 93.59m throw, while Walcott’s silver-winning effort measured 89.12m.

Tokyo Olympics : Sajan Prakash becomes first ever Indian swimmer to qualify

Sajan Prakash became the first Indian swimmer to qualify for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.
This is the first time an Indian swimmer managed to breach the Olympic qualification mark.
Sajan achieved the feat as he clocked 1:56:38 in the men’s 200m butterfly at the Sette Colli Trophy in Rome.
The 27-year-old swimmer from Kerala clocked a time of 1:56.96s
Tokyo Olympics 2021 will begin on July 23 and the Games will run up to August 8 2021.

About Sajan Prakash :

Sajan Prakash is a police officer from Kerala.
He is the Only Indian male swimmer to participate at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
He is the First Indian swimmer to qualify for finals at the 2018 Asian Games in 200m Butterfly in 32 years.
He is the First Indian swimmer to breach the FINA “A” Olympic qualification time.

Achievements :

At the 35th National Games, Sajan Prakash Bagged 6 Gold medals and 3 Silver medals, held in Kerala India
He also won the Best Athlete award of 2015.
He Holds 10 National, 3 South Asian and 1 Asian records in various categories.
He roped in a Silver medal in the 100m Butterfly category at the 2017 Asian Indoor Games, held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

Carnatic musician Parassala Ponnammal passes away

On June 22, 2021,Carnatic musician Parassala Ponnammal passed away.
She was 96.

About Parassala Ponnammal :

Parassala Ponnammal was born in 1924 in Thiruvananthapuram.
She became a music teacher at the Government Cotton Hill Girls School at the age of 18.
She worked in Swathi Thirunal Sangeetha Academy.
Ponnammal became the first female student to enroll in the Swathi Thirunal College of Music in Thiruvananthapuram with first rank in “Gunabushanam” and “Gana Praveena” courses.
Ponnammal was also the first woman principal to head RLV College of Music and Fine Arts in Tripunithura.
She was the first woman to perform at the Navarathri Mandapam in Thiruvananthapuram as a part of the Navaratri Celebrations of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple in Kerala.
In 2006, Parassala B Ponnammal became the first woman in 300 years of tradition to sing at the famed Navaratri Celebrations of the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple.
Some of her performances included the Guruvayur Puresa Suprabhatham, Trisivapuresa Suprabhatham, Utsava Prabandham, Navarathri Kriti, Meenambika Sthothram, in addition to compositions of Irayamman Thampi and K. C. Kesava Pillai.