Current Affairs 01st July 2021| Current Affairs News

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CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

Foundation Day of State Bank of India – Observed on July 01

• An act was accordingly passed in Parliament in May 1955 and the State Bank of India was constituted on 1 July 1955.
• State Bank of India is an Indian multinational, public sector banking and financial services statutory body headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• SBI maintains thousands of branches throughout India and offices in dozens of countries throughout the world.
• Old name of SBI bank is Imperial Bank of India.
• History: 2 June 1806 Bank of Calcutta, 15 April 1840Bank of Bombay, 1 July 1843 Bank of Madras, 27 January 1921 Imperial Bank of India ,1 July 1955 State Bank of India.
• Chairperson: Dinesh Kumar Khara
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Tagline: Pure banking nothing else ; With you all the way; The Nation banks on us; A Bank to the common man; A banker to every Indian.

National Chartered Accountants Day – Observed on July 01

• National Chartered Accountant Dayis observed in order to celebrate the formation of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) on July 1st, 1949.
• This year 73rdChartered Accountants’ Day is celebrated.
• ICAI is the sole licensing and regulatory body for the financial audit and accounting profession in India.
• Chaturvedi family is credited to be the only family in India to be Chartered Accountants in five generations.
• P. Kapadia was the first person to get a membership certificate by the ICAI.
• Uday kotak Chairman of kotak Mahindra Bank is richest CA in the worldhaving the net worth of 14.70 billion USD, He has featured in Forbes as India’s top 10 richest man.

National Doctors’ Day – Observed on July 01

• Every year, July1 is celebrated as National Doctors‘ Day by the Indian Medical Association (IMA).
• The dayis observed to commemorate the birth and death anniversary of former Bengal’s Chief Minister Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy.
• In India, the National Doctors‘ Dayis celebrated on July 1 all across India to honour the legendary physician and the second Chief Minister of West Bengal, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy.
• He was bornon July 1, 1882 and died on the same date in 1962, aged 80 years.
• The first National Doctors’ Day was celebrated in the year 1991.
• He was instrumental in establishing institutions like Chittaranjan Cancer Hospital, Chittaranjan Seva Sadan, among others.
• He was awarded with the Bharat Ratna on February 4, 1961.

National Postal Worker Day – Observed on July 01

• July 1 was declared National Postal Worker Day in 1997 by a Seattle-area postal carrier to honour fellow employees and since then it is celebrated every year on this day.
• National Postal Workers Day is celebrated annually on July 1 to show appreciation for the postal workers’ hard work that they put in to deliver our mail and deliveries on time.
• Postal workers walk or travel miles a day to deliver letters and packages to our doorsteps.
• They work consistently and diligently to deliver all of our mail.
• Even in the harshest working conditions, they continue to persevere six days a week, to help us send and receive our emails.
• The day is observed to encourage us to show our appreciation to those who work tirelessly even during COVID-19 pandemic.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Centre unveiled Asia’s longest and world’s fifth-longest High Speed Track

• Asia’s longest and the world’s fifth high speed test track was inaugurated at National Automotive Test Tracks (NATRAX) in Pithampur.
• The 3 km facility is likely to attract global players for automotive testing and reduce dependence of Indian OEMs on foreign testing tracks.
• This one of its kind facility has two semi-circular curves that can test vehiclesat a maximum neutral speed of 250 kmph without touching the steering, while with control on steering, vehicles can be driven up to 375 kmph on curves.

About high-speed track:

• It is used to measure the speeding capabilities of high-end cars like BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Tesla among others, which cannot be measured on any of the test tracksin India yet.
• Currently, foreign OEMs go to their respective high–speed tracksabroad to test the speeding requirements.

Dept of Justice inaugurates Enforcing Contracts Portal

• On 28^thJune, 2021 an exclusive “Enforcing Contracts Portal” was inaugurated by Shri Barun Mitra, Secretary (Justice) at the Department of Justice, Delhi in the presence of senior officers of the Department of Justice.
• Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, as the nodal department has been monitoring an array of legislative and policy reforms to strengthen the “Enforcing Contracts” regime for Ease of Doing Business in India in coordination with e-Committee, Supreme Court of India and the High Courts of Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta and Karnataka. 
• In close collaboration with all of them, the Department of Justice has been aggressively pursuing various reform measures to create an effective, efficient, transparent and robust ‘Contract Enforcement Regime’.
• The portal is envisioned to be a comprehensive source of information pertaining to the legislative and policy reforms being undertaken on the “Enforcing Contracts”
• It includes the latest data related to the functioning and disposal of commercial cases in the Dedicated Commercial Court Of Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata.

About EoDB:

• The Doing Business Reportof World Bank Group benchmarks business regulations across 191 economies of the world.
• Within this, the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) index is a ranking system which is an indication of an economy’s position relative to that of other economies across 11 areas of business regulation.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

FATF grey list – Philippines included in the list

• The Philippines has been included in a global dirty money watchdog’s “grey list” of countries that will be subjected to increased monitoring to prove its progress against money-laundering and terrorist financing.
• The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) released its grey list of jurisdictions that will be under increased monitoring and actively working to “address strategic deficiencies in their regimes to counter money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing.”
• In addition to the Philippines, the FATF added Haiti, Malta, and South Sudan to the grey list.
• This comes 16 years after the Philippines was removed from the FATF’s blacklist in February 2005.
• The Philippines was previously included in the FATF’s blacklist in 2000.

About FATF:

• The Financial Action Task Force, also known by its French name, Groupe d’action financière, is an intergovernmental organization founded in 1989 on the initiative of the G7 to develop policies to combat money laundering. 
• In 2001, its mandate was expanded to include terrorism financing.
• The FATF Recommendations are the internationally endorsed global standards against money laundering and terrorist financing: they increase transparency and enable countries to successfully take action against illicit use of their financial system.
• Indiabecame an Observer at FATF in 2006.
• Since then, it had been working towards full-fledged membership.
• On June 25, 2010 Indiawas taken in as the 34th country member of FATF.
• Headquarters: Paris, France
• President: Marcus Pleyer

About Philippines:

• The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia.
• It is situated in the western Pacific Ocean, and consists of about 7,640 islands that are broadly categorized under three main geographical divisions from north to south: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
• The Philippines is known forhaving an abundance of beautiful beaches and delicious fruit.
• The collection of islands is located in Southeast Asia and was named after King Philip II of Spain.
• Capital: Manila
• Currency: Philippine peso
• President: Rodrigo Duterte

World’s 2^nd biggest hydropower dam in China

• The first two generating units of the world’s second-biggest hydroelectric dam were officially turned in southwestern China, the government announced.
• The Baihetan Dam on the Jinsha River, a tributary of the Yangtze, is part of Chinese efforts to curb surging fossil fuel demand by building more hydropower capacity at a time when dams have fallen out of favor in other countries due to environmental complaints.
• The announcement comes ahead of the ruling Communist Party’s celebration this week of the official 100th anniversary of its 1921 founding.

About hydropower dam:

• The most common type of hydroelectric power plant is an impoundment facility.
• An impoundment facility, typically a large hydropower system, uses a dam to store river water in a reservoir.
• Water released from the reservoir flows through a turbine, spinning it, which in turn activates a generator to produce electricity.
• A conventional damholds water in a man-made lake, or reservoir, behind it.
• When water is released through the dam, it spins a turbine connected to a generator that produces electricity.
• The water returns to the river on the downstream side of the dam.
• Hydropowerplants can generate power to the grid immediately; they provide essential back-up power during major electricity outages or disruptions.
• In addition to a sustainable fuel source, hydropowerefforts produce a number of benefits, such as flood control, irrigation, and water supply.

About China:

• China, officially the People’s Republic of China, is a country in East Asia.
• It is the world’s most populous country, with a population of more than 1.4 billion.
• It borders 14 countries, the second most of any country in the world, after Russia.
• Chinais known for its architectural wonders such as the Great Wall and Forbidden City, its staggering variety of delicious food, its martial arts, and its long history of invention.
• More than just tea and temples, Chinais a fast-changing mix of the ultra-modern and the very ancient.
• President: Xi Jinping
• Capital: Beijing
• Currency: Renminbi

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

J&K LG unveiled ‘Special Assistance Scheme for COVID Mortalities’

• In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha rolled out ‘Special Assistance Scheme for COVID Mortalities – SASCM’, by handing over the grant of Scholarship and Pension certificates to the children and the members of the families affected due to COVID-19.
• Mr Sinha remarked that the J & K government is committed to support children who lost their parents in this pandemic and the administration as guardian will take all necessary steps for their well-being and education so that they can have a bright future.

About the scheme:

• Under the ‘SASCM’ scheme, cash assistance of Rs 1,000 per month shall be provided to the spouse and the eldest member of the family.
• Apart from this, the scheme provides for a scholarship of Rs 20,000 per annum for school going students and Rs 40,000 per annum for college going students.
• A family in distress shall be eligible for scholarship for two children, if they are not getting any other scholarship.
• Besides, the benefits of all the other social welfare schemes including pensions etc. will be extended to the families.

About J&K:

• Jammu and Kashmir was a state of India from 1954 to 2019, constituting the southern and southeastern portion of the larger Kashmir region, which has been the subject of a dispute between India, Pakistan and China since the mid-20th century. 
• The state of Jammu and Kashmir was accorded special status by Article 370 of the Constitution of India.
• At the same time, a reorganization act was also passed, which would reconstitute the state into two union territories, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. 
• The reorganization took effect from 31 October 2019.
• Capital: Jammu(winter), Srinagar(Summer)
• Lieutenant Governor: Manoj Sinha
• National Parks: DachigamNational Park, Salim Ali National Park, Kazinag National Park, Kishtwar High Altitude National Park,

J&K govt via JKTPO introduces a initiative called “HAUSLA” 

• Government of Jammu and Kashmir took a proactive measure, via Jammu & Kashmir Trade Promotion Organization (JKTPO) under the aegis of Department of Industries of Commerce, with the initiative called “HAUSLA” for women entrepreneurs of Jammu & Kashmir.
• The initiative was launched by Governor, Shri Manoj Sinha at Srinagar.

About the Initiative:

• The initiative is a 5-month training program for women entrepreneurs of J&K organized by JKTPO and partnered with India’s homegrown e-commerce marketplace Flipkart to give an extra-mile outreach and marketing support for the products of these women Entrepreneurs.
• Flipkart will provide them with time-bound incubation support that includes e-profiling, e-listing of products and their seamless onboarding on its marketplace as sellers.

West Bengal govt launches ‘Students Credit Card’ 

• West Bengal launched its ‘Student Credit Card’ on June 30.
• Under the scheme, a student will be eligible for a soft loan of up to Rs 10 lakh for higher studies.
• This was one of the schemes promised by the Trinamool Congress in the run-up to the elections.
• The scheme will cover various institutional or non-institutional expenses to ensure no student from West Bengal is deprived of education due to lack of monetary support.

About the scheme:

• Any Indian citizen who has been living in West Bengal for the last 10 years is eligible to apply.
• The soft loan will be available for students pursuing undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral, and post-doctoral study in India or abroad.
• The student can apply for a credit limit of up to Rs 10 lakh.
• An interest rate of 4 percent will be levied on the loan.
• The loan will have easy repayment options.
• This will ensure that students need not depend on their parents for pursuing higher education.
• The upper age limit for eligibility is 40 years.
• Students will have 15 years to repay the loan after getting a job.
• The education loan can also be extended to those studying in various coaching institutes.
• Any student preparing for national level competitive exams such as IIT, IIM, NLU, IAS, IPS, WBPS among others, can apply.

About West Bengal:

• West Bengal is a state in eastern India, between the Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal.
• Its capital, Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), retains architectural and cultural remnants of its past as an East India Company trading post and capital of the British Raj.
• The city’s colonial landmarks include the government buildings around B.B.D. Bagh Square, and the iconic Victoria Memorial, dedicated to Britain’s queen.
• National parks: Sundarban National Park, Gorumara National Park, Neora Valley National Park, Buxa Tiger Reserve, Jaldapara National Park.
• Governor: Jagdeep Dhankhar
• Capital: Kolkata
• Chief minister: Mamata Banerjee

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

Flipkart launches grocery service in Coimbatore

• Homegrown e-commerce marketplace Flipkart stated it has launched grocery services in Coimbatore with the opening of its first fulfillment center in the city to meet growing demand.
• Spread across an area of over 2 lakh sq ft, the newly built facility will generate direct employment for nearly 1,200 people.
• This will be Flipkart’s second grocery facility in Tamil Nadu, after Chennai, and ninth in the south.
• The Coimbatore fulfillment center is in line with Flipkart’s plans to strengthen its grocery supply chain infrastructure across the country and add over 800,000 sq. ft of space through five new fulfillment centres this year.

About Flipkart:

• Flipkart is an Indian e-commerce company, headquartered in Bangalore, Karnataka, India, and incorporated in Singapore as a private limited company.
• Flipkart’s groceryoffering is called Flipkart Supermarket Select, which has already been launched in Bengaluru.
• The Supermarket Select has its own supply chain that is being used extensively for handling its grocery business.
• CEO: Kalyan Krishnamurthy
• Parent organization: Walmart

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENT AND RESIGNATION NEWS

Anil Kant take oath as Kerala’s new police chief

• Senior IPS officer Anil Kant, who is presently serving as the Road Safety Commissioner in Kerala will be the new chief of the state police.
• Kant will succeed incumbent DGP Loknath Behera, who retired.

About Anil Kant:

• He is reported to be the first Dalit officer on the chief post in the police department of the southern state.
• Kant is a 1988 batch officer and was picked by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan for the top post from the list of officers recommended by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

US named Indian-American Atul Keshap as interim envoy to India

• The US has appointed Indian-American career diplomat Atul Keshap, an old India-hand at the state department, as the country’s Charge’d Affairs in Delhi.
• “Ambassador Keshap’s appointment will reinforce the close US partnership with the Government and people of India, demonstrated by our collaboration to overcome global challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic”.

About Atul Keshap:

• Keshap, 50, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, will be departing for New Delhi to serve as Charge d’Affaires, ad interim, following the retirement of Ambassador Daniel Smith.
• He most recently served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs and as the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives.

NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant gets one year extension 

• Niti Aayog Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Amitabh Kant has been given one-year extension till June 2022.
• In 2019, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) had approved the extension of tenure of Amitabh Kant as CEO, NITI Aayog for a further period of two years beyond June 30, 2019 up to June 30, 2021.

About Amitabh Kant:

• Amitabh Kant is an IAS officer of the 1980 batch.
• As of June 2019, he is the chief executive officer of NITI Aayog.
• NITI is a government institution for catalysing economic development.
• He was a key driver of the “Make in India”, Start-up India, “Incredible India” and “God’s Own Country” initiatives.

About NITI Aayog:

• The NITI Aayog is a public policy think tank of the Government of India, established with the aim to achieve sustainable development goals with cooperative federalism by fostering the involvement of State Governments of India in the economic policy-making process using a bottom-up approach.
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Chairperson: Narendra Modi
• Objectives: Foster involvement and participation in the economic policy-making process by the State Governments of India

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

Youngster from Anantapur District bags Diana Award

• Bisat hi Bharath has been awarded a Diana Prize for his contributions to youth development from a village in the District of Anantapur.
• The recipients of the award are selected once every two years by a panel of former UK Prime Ministers.
• He provided career assistance to young people through the Pragathi Patham Youth Association; he also participated in activities such as the donation of blood and voting.

About Bharath:

• Bharath is from a farming family and comes from the hamlet of Kandikapula in Putluru Mandal.
• Adinarayana’s father is a farmer.
• Sharada Devi’s mother and Mounica’s sister are looking for a job.
• He holds a Masters in Political Science at the University of Sri Krishnadevaraya and a Masters of Sociology and Economics at IGNOU. 
• In 2017 he was awarded the 2017 NSS National Award by President Ram Nath Kovind and in 2014 he was awarded the Youth Champion of India Award by I Volunteer, an international group.
• Now, with the Rs 2 lakh financial award, Bharath, who won the contest Speak for India, prepares civilians in New Delhi.

About Diana Award:

• The Diana Award honors young people who work to improve the lives of others.
• The Award is the most prestigious accolade a young person aged 9-25 can receive for their social action or humanitarian work. 
• Named after Diana, Princess of Wales, the award was established in 1999 by a board chaired by Gordon Brown.
• Key people: Tessy Ojo CBE (CEO); Wayne Bullpit CBE (Chair); David Cameron (Patron)

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU’s AND AGREEMENTS

Cabinet approves MoU between India, Gambia 

• The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Government of India and the Public Service Commission, Office of the President, Republic of The Gambia on Refurbishing Personnel Administration and Governance Reforms.
• The main objective of the MoU is to strengthen and promote bilateral cooperation between the two countries in Personnel Administration and Governance Reforms, as this will facilitate a dialogue between Indian Government agencies and the agencies of the Republic of the Gambia.
• The MoU will help in understanding the personnel administration of both the countries and enable in improving the system of governance through replicating, adapting and innovating some of the best practices and processes.

The areas of cooperation under this MoU would include, but shall not be limited to:

• Improving Performance Management System in Government.
• Implementation of contributory Pension Scheme
• E-recruitment in Government

About Gambia:

• The Gambia is a small West African country, bounded by Senegal, with a narrow Atlantic coastline.
• It’s known for its diverse ecosystems around the central Gambia River.
• Abundant wildlife in its Kiang West National Park and Bao Bolong Wetland Reserve includes monkeys, leopards, hippos, hyenas and rare birds.
• Capital: Banjul
• President: Adama Barrow
• Currency: Gambian dalasi

CURRENT AFFAIRS : RANKING & INDEX

ITU’s Global Cybersecurity Index 2020 : US Ranks Tops & India ranked at 10th position

• On June 29, 2021, India was ranked as the 10th best country in the world in the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2020, released by International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
• The United States has topped with a score of 100 in the GCI 2020
• The UK and Saudi Arabia tied on the second position with a score of 99.54, while Estonia was ranked third in the index.
• As per the ranking, India has moved up by 37 places to rank as the tenth best country in the world in the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2020.
• India scored 97.5 points out of 100 points.

About Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2020 :

• The GCI 2020 is the fourth edition of the annual index and ranked 194 countries. 
• The GCI measures the commitment of countries to cybersecurity at a global level.
• GCI assessment is done on the basis of performance on five parameters of cybersecurity including legal measures, technical measures, organisational measures, capacity development, and cooperation.

About International Telecommunication Union (ITU) :

• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
• Founded: 17 May 1865
• Head: Secretary-General; Houlin Zhao

CURRENT AFFAIRS : ENVIRONMENT

New plant subspecies – Rungia longifolia subsp. keralensis identified in Western Ghats

• Researchers from the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI) and the University of Kerala have discovered a New Plant Subspecies Rungia longifolia subsp. keralensis in Western Ghats.
• It was initially found in the Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary in Kollam district in February 2016.
• It has been Published in the International Journal of Plant Sciences, Abrahamia published by Department of Botany, Kerala University.

About Rungia longifolia subsp. keralensis :

• The sub-species belongs to the Rungia longifolia herb species, endemic to Sri Lanka. 
• It is classified under the Acanthaceae plant family.
• The new subspecies, known to have pinkish white flowers, usually flower and bear fruit between August and February.

About the Team :

• A team comprising S Santhosh Kumar and Sam P Mathew of the JNTBRI, R Jagadeesan of the Department of Botany at Kerala University and A Gangaprasad, Director of the department’s Centre for Biodiversity Conservation.

About JNTBGRI :

• Director : Dr R Prakash Kumar
• Founded : 1979
• Located at : Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SPORTS NEWS

First transgender Woman Athelete Laurel Hubbard to compete at Olympics               

• On June 21, the National Olympic Committee of New Zealand (NZOC) nominated the weightlifter Laurel Hubbard for the New Zealand Olympic team to compete in the women’s 87-kilogram category.
• New Zealand’s Laurel Hubbard has become the first ever transgender athlete picked to compete at an Olympics.

About Hubbard :

• Hubbard competed in international weightlifting for the first time in 2017.

 Achievements : 

• At the 2017 Australian International & Australian Open in Melbourne, she competed at the heaviest 90 kg+ category, winning the gold medal.
• Hubbard won two gold medals at the 2019 Pacific Games in Samoa.
• In 2020 she won the gold medal in the women’s +87 kg event at the Roma 2020 World Cup in Rome, Italy.

Note :

• The International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2015 changed its rules allowing transgender athletes to compete as a woman if their testosterone levels are below a certain threshold.

About National Olympic Committee of New Zealand (NZOC) :

• Headquarters : Auckland, New Zealand
• President : Mike Stanely
• Secretary General : Kereyn Smith
• Founded in 1911 and recognised by the IOC in 1919.

Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Anshula Rao becomes first Indian woman cricketer to get banned for doping

• Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Anshula Rao became the first women cricketer to be handed a four-year ban after failing the dope test.
• On June 28, 2021, She was banned by the National Anti-Doping Agency for faking a dope test which dates back to July 2020. 
• Rao thus becomes the first woman cricketer to have been punished for doping.
• She was found guilty of consuming a banned anabolic steroid ’19- Norandrosterone, on March 14 at Baroda in 2020.
• She was last seen playing cricket in the under-23 T20 tournament hosted by BCCI.

About National Anti-Doping Agency :

• The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) is the national organisation responsible for promoting, coordinating, and monitoring the doping control program in sports in all its forms in India.
• CEO: Navin Agarwal
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Founded: 24 November 2005

Note :

• Anti Doping Disciplinary Panel headed by Gaurang Kanth

ICC T20 World Cup moved away from India to UAE and Oman 

• On June 29, 2021, International Cricket Council (ICC) announced, the venue for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 has been shifted to the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
• The tournament is scheduled to be held from October 17 to November 14.
• The tournament was originally set to be staged in India, but had to be shifted, given the consequences of the second wave of Covid-19 on the country.
• The BCCI will remain the hosts of the event, which will now be held across four venues – Dubai International Stadium, the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the Sharjah Stadium and the Oman Cricket Academy Ground.

About International Cricket Council (ICC) :

• Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Founded: 15 June 1909
• Chairman : Greg Barclay
• Deputy Chairman: Imran Khwaja
• CEO : Manu Sawhney
• Chief executive : Geoff Allardice
• The ICC has instituted the ICC Awards to recognize and honor the best international cricket players of the previous 12 months. 

About BCCI :

• President: Sourav Ganguly
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Founded: December 1928

About UAE :

• Capital: Abu Dhabi
• Currency: United Arab Emirates dirham
• President: Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

About Oman :

• Capital: Muscat
• Currency: Omani rial

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

Sudharma Sanskrit Daily Editor K V Sampath Kumar Passes away               

• On June 30, 2021, K V Sampath Kumar, editor of ‘Sudharma’, the world’s only Sanskrit daily newspaper, passed away.
• He was 64.

About K V Sampath Kumar Achievements :

• For his contribution to the field of Literature & Education, In 2020, he along with his wife was selected for the Padma Shri honour from the Government of India.
• He has also received several awards like the Siddarudha award, the Shivaratri Deshikendra Media award, the Abdul Kalam award and others.

About Sudharma :

• Sudharma is the only Sanskrit Daily in the world, printed and published from Mysore.
• Headquarters: Mysore, Karnataka

Filmmaker Raj Kaushal Passes away

• On June 30, 2021, Bollywood film producer and Mandira Bedi’s husband Raj Kaushal Passed away.
• He was 50.

About Raj Kaushal :

• He directed three films such as Pyaar Mein Kabhie Kabhie (1999), Shaadi Ka Ladoo (2004) and Anthony Kaun Hai (2006).
• Apart from direction, Kaushal had also produced filmmaker Onir’s 2005 acclaimed drama My Brother Nikhil, starring Sanjay Suri and Juhi Chawla.
• Kaushal’s last directorial was the 2006 thriller, Anthony Kaun Hai?, starring Arshad Warsi and Sanjay Dutt.
• Raj Kaushal was currently working on a web-series titled ‘Akkad Bakkad’.

Daily CA On June 30 :

• The United Nations has proclaimed World Asteroid Day observed globally on June 30 every year in its resolution.
• June 30 is observed as the International Day of Parliamentarism every year. The Day was designated in 2018 by the United Nations General Assembly.
• The government extended the Atmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana, which was launched in October last year to encourage employment generation, by nine months till March 31, 2022.
• Sweden’s Prime Minister, Stefan Löfven, has stepped down a week after losing a no confidence vote, deciding to ask the speaker of the country’s deadlocked parliament to find a new government rather than call a snap election.
• Andhra Pradesh has started a programme to transform foundational learning in government schools for which the World Bank has approved a loan of 250 million dollars. The main objectives of the programme called Supporting Andhra’s Learning Transformation (SALT) are strengthening foundation schools and providing training and skill development to teachers.
• CM K Chandrasekhar Rao called for an all-party meeting, June 27 to discuss and finalize the guidelines of the CM Dalit Empowerment Programme that is being initiated by the state government.
• Technology giant Google India has emerged as the most ‘attractive employer brand’, followed by Amazon India and Microsoft India, says a survey.
• Private sector lender Axis Bank has selected Amazon Web Services (AWS) to accelerate its digital transformation program.
• Ujjivan, a Finance Bank has tied-up with LoanTap  a digital lender providing loan options to the salaried segment of customers.
• The State government appointed Dr C Sylendra Babu as Tamil Nadu’s new Director General of Police and head of police force with effect from July 1.
• Justice (Retd.) Shambhu Nath Srivastava, a former judge of Allahabad High Court and former chief Lokayukta of Chhattisgarh, has been appointed the chairman of IFUNA.
• Zoom Video Communications has appointed former Microsoft executive Ricky Kapur to lead its Asia-Pacific business.
• Private sector lender RBL Bank stated it has appointed Chandan Sinha, a career central banker, and Manjeev Singh Puri, a former senior Indian diplomat as independent directors on its board.
• Journalist Palagummi Sainathhas been awarded the Fukuoka Grand Prize for 2021. The award, established by Japan’s Fukuoka city and the Fukuoka City International Foundation, is given to individuals and organisations for their work in preserving Asian culture.
• On June 28, 2021, Turkey & Azerbaijan armies started joint military exercises Mustafa Kemal Ataturk – 2021 in Baku. The three day drill will run until June 30, 2021.
• A new Plant Species Sida keralensis found on the roadsides and wastelands in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala. Their findings have been revealed in the journal Phytotaxa.
• A New Book Titled “Policymaker’s Journal: From New Delhi to Washington D.C” Authored by Indian economist Kaushik Basu.
• On June 28, 2021, Indian shooter Rahi Sarnobat won a gold medal in the women’s 25M pistol event at the 2021 International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup being held in Osijek, Croatia.
• On June 27, 2021, India’s Deepika Kumari completed a hat-trick of gold medals at the Archery World Cup Stage 3 in Paris.
• On June 24, 2021, Veteran Malayalam Filmmaker & Cinematographer Sivan passed away.

Daily CA On July 01

• Foundation Day of State Bank of India Observed on July 01. An act was accordingly passed in Parliament in May 1955 and the State Bank of India was constituted on 1 July 1955.
• National Chartered Accountant Dayis observed in order to celebrate the formation of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) on July 1st, 1949.  This year 73rd Chartered Accountants’ Day is celebrated.
• Every year, July1 is celebrated as National Doctors‘ Day by the Indian Medical Association (IMA). The day is observed to commemorate the birth and death anniversary of former Bengal’s Chief Minister Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy.
• July 1 was declared National Postal Worker Day in 1997 by a Seattle-area postal carrier to honour fellow employees and since then it is celebrated every year on this day.
• Asia’s longest and the world’s fifth high speed test track was inaugurated at National Automotive Test Tracks (NATRAX) in Pithampur.
• On 28^thJune, 2021 an exclusive “Enforcing Contracts Portal” was inaugurated by Shri Barun Mitra, Secretary (Justice) at the Department of Justice, Delhi in the presence of senior officers of the Department of Justice.
• The Philippines has been included in a global dirty money watchdog’s “grey list” of countries that will be subjected to increased monitoring to prove its progress against money-laundering and terrorist financing.
• The first two generating units of the world’s second-biggest hydroelectric dam were officially turned in southwestern China, the government announced.
• In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha rolled out ‘Special Assistance Scheme for COVID Mortalities – SASCM’, by handing over the grant of Scholarship and Pension certificates to the children and the members of the families affected due to COVID-19.
• Government of Jammu and Kashmir took a proactive measure, via Jammu & Kashmir Trade Promotion Organization (JKTPO) under the aegis of Department of Industries of Commerce, with the initiative called “HAUSLA” for women entrepreneurs of Jammu & Kashmir.
• West Bengal launched its ‘Student Credit Card’ on June 30. Under the scheme, a student will be eligible for a soft loan of up to Rs 10 lakh for higher studies.
• Homegrown e-commerce marketplace Flipkart stated it has launched grocery services in Coimbatore with the opening of its first fulfillment center in the city to meet growing demand.
• Senior IPS officer Anil Kant, who is presently serving as the Road Safety Commissioner in Kerala will be the new chief of the state police.
• The US has appointed Indian-American career diplomat Atul Keshap, an old India-hand at the state department, as the country’s Charge’d Affairs in Delhi.
• Niti Aayog Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Amitabh Kant has been given one-year extension till June 2022.
• Bisat hi Bharath has been awarded a Diana Prize for his contributions to youth development from a village in the District of Anantapur.
• The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Government of India and the Public Service Commission, Office of the President, Republic of The Gambia on Refurbishing Personnel Administration and Governance Reforms.
• On June 29, 2021, India was ranked as the 10th best country in the world in the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2020, released by International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The United States has topped with a score of 100 in the GCI 2020.
• Researchers from the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI) and the University of Kerala have discovered a New Plant Subspecies Rungia longifolia subsp. keralensis in Western Ghats.
• On June 21, the National Olympic Committee of New Zealand (NZOC) nominated the weightlifter Laurel Hubbard for the New Zealand Olympic team to compete in the women’s 87-kilogram category.
• Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Anshula Rao became the first women cricketer to be handed a four-year ban after failing the dope test. On June 28, 2021, She was banned by the National Anti-Doping Agency for faking a dope test which dates back to July 2020. 
• On June 29, 2021, International Cricket Council (ICC) announced, the venue for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 has been shifted to the United Arab Emirates and Oman. The tournament is scheduled to be held from October 17 to November 14.
• On June 30, 2021, K V Sampath Kumar, editor of ‘Sudharma’, the world’s only Sanskrit daily newspaper, passed away.
• On June 30, 2021, Bollywood film producer and Mandira Bedi’s husband Raj Kaushal Passed away.