Current Affairs 17th June 2021| Current Affairs News

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CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought – Observed on June 17

• The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is a United Nations observance celebrated each year on 17 June.
• The themeof World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2021 is “Restoration. Land. Recovery”.
• The restoration of land brings for us various benefits including economic resilience, jobs, income growth, and food security, slows down climate change and recharges biodiversity.
• Its purpose is to raise awareness of the presence of desertification and drought, highlighting methods of preventing desertification and recovering from drought.
• Droughtis natural phenomenon when one area receives no water and becomes barren with no vegetation.
• Desertification is a process of turning out a productive fertile land to a non-productive land and in severe cases the dry lands are termed as desertification.

Preventive actions include:

• Integrating land and water management to protect soils from erosion, salinization, and other forms of degradation.
• Protecting the vegetative cover, this can be a major instrument for soil conservation against wind and water erosion.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

PM Modi addresses Europe’s largest digital and start-up event, VivaTech

• PM Narendra Modi invited the world to invest in India while addressing the 5th edition of global tech event VivaTech via video conferencing. 
• He stated, “India offers what innovators and investors need.
• He invites the world to invest in India based on the five pillars of: Talent, Market, Capital, Eco-system, And, culture of openness”.
• PM talked about how technology and digital have become the emerging areas of cooperation among the wide range of subjects that India and France have been working together for.
• VivaTech is one of the largest digital and startup events in Europe, held in Paris every year since 2016.
• India is committed to digital partnerships including collaborations within startup ecosystems and quantum technology with France and other European countries.

Union Tribal Affairs Minister launches ‘Sankalp Se Siddhi-Mission Van Dhan’ & several other initiatives

• Shri Arjun Munda, Minister for Tribal Affairs launches the tribal livelihoods initiative “Sankalp Se Siddhi – Mission Van Dhan”Seven new Tribes India Outlets inaugurated virtually at Jagdalpur, Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Sarnath Immunity boosting hampers, Tribes India Coffee table book, new TRIFED Head Office among other highlights of the mega-launch event ‘Sankalp Se Siddhi’ – Mission Van Dhan, was launched by Shri Arjun Munda, Minister for Tribal Affairs at the new premises of TRIFED Head Office in New Delhi.

Main Objective:

• The Minister stated ”The goal of TRIFED is to connect the entire tribal community of the country with the employment-oriented program and surely we will achieve success in this program.
• For this, we have to bring our products on the e-commerce platform.
• Without digitization we cannot move forward in the market.
• In this era we cannot ignore technology.
• If we move forward with technology, then our market potential will increase even more.
• TRIFED should market natural products by natural means.
• The biggest strength of TRIFED is the natural products”.
• The other initiatives launched include the Van Dhan Software Application.
• Designed to receive and process the Van Dhan proposals online, the software application has GIS integration, can monitor Van Dhan Project implementation activities and can generate related reports.
• A Digital Connect programme under which a two way communication process is proposed to be established was also launched.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

UAE, Brazil, Albania, Gabon, Ghana elected as non permanent members of UN Security Council

• Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana and the United Arab Emirates were elected unopposed to the powerful UN Security Council as non-permanent members for the 2022-23 term.
• The 193-member UN General Assembly held elections to elect five non-permanent members who will take their seats on the 15-nation Council for a two-year term beginning January 1, 2022.
• All the five countries won the elections unopposed as they were the only candidates from their respective regional groups vying for the allotted seats on the Council.

United Nations Security Council:

• The United Nations Security Council is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, and approving any changes to the UN Charter.
• President: Volkan Bozkır
• Headquarters: New York, United States
• Now it has 15 countries are members.
• Permanent members: China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States ‍
• Non-permanent members: Estonia, India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, Niger, Norway, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Tunisia Vietnam

UK and Australia agreed on historic free trade agreement

• A new free trade agreement with the UK will deliver more Australian jobs and business opportunities for exporters, bringing both countries closer together in a changing strategic environment.
• Prime Ministers Scott Morrison and Boris Johnson have agreed on the broad outlines of an Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
• The FTA is the right deal for Australia and the United Kingdom, with greater access to a range of high-quality products made in both countries as well as greater access for businesses and workers, all of which will drive economic growth and job creation in both countries.
• Australian producers and farmers will receive a significant boost by getting greater access to the UK market.

About UK:

• Capital: London
• Prime minister: Boris Johnson
• Currency: Pound sterling

About Australia:

• Capital: Canberra
• Currency: Australian dollar
• Prime minister: Scott Morrison

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

Rajasthan govt will set Vedic Education and Sanskar Board

• The Rajasthan government will soon set up a Vedic Education and Sanskar Board to revive the knowledge of Sanskrit scriptures and Vedas.
• The board is likely to be formed in the next four to five months.
• A committee, formed to define aims, objectives and functioning of the board, has submitted its report to the state government, Minister of State (MoS) for Sanskrit Education Subhash Garg mentioned, adding modules will be presented before the board based on the report.
• He stated the Vedic board would come into function after approval from Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

About Rajasthan:

• Capital: Jaipur
• Governor: Kalraj Mishra
• Chief Minister: Ashok Gehlot

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

TRAI introduced TV channel selector portal for DTH and cable TV subscribers

• The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) launched a TV Channel Selector web portal for consumers who could not access its mobile phone app of the same name due to lack of a smartphone.
• The TV Channel Selector App for Smartphone was launched on June 25 last year that enabled users to check their subscription, modify it, view all channels provided by their cable operators and choose channels of interest under a regulatory framework notified in December 2018.
• The portal will help subscribers “get optimized solutions and the best combination of user selected channels/bouquets at the same or less price”.

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India:

• The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is a statutory body set up by the Government of India under section 3 of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997.
• It is the regulator of the telecommunications sector in India.
• Founded: 20 February 1997
• Headquarters: New Delhi

Facebook initiates ‘Report it, don’t share it!’ campaign

• Facebook has kicked off a new initiative to keep children safe on the internet.
• Given that more and more kids are using the internet for both online classes and entertainment, protecting them is the first and the most important thing.
• The ‘Report it, don’t share it’ campaign is being helmed by the social media giant in collaboration with Aarambh India Initiative, Cyber Peace Foundation, and Arpan. 
• The main idea behind the initiative, as the name suggests, is to encourage people to report abusive or harmful content, and not share it.

The Trade Desk started its operations in India and appointed Tejinder Gill as General Manager

• Global advertising technology major, The Trade Desk announced the launch of operations in India and stated it has appointed Tejinder Gill as the Country General Manager.
• The company, which offers a self-service cloud-based platform that allows ad buyers to create, manage, and optimize digital advertising campaigns across formats and devices, is targeting digital marketers in India and helping them capture fast-growing opportunities.

The Trade Desk:

• ‘As an omnichannel platform, The Trade Desk enables marketers to reach relevant audiences across different devices, including computers, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TV, and engage with them meaningfully along their entire digital journey’.
• Through the company’s data-driven capabilities, marketers can access a marketplace of premium advertising inventory across a wide range of websites, apps, podcasts, and streaming OTT platforms.
• Gill stated ‘The Trade Desk is here to bring the much-needed data-driven decisioning and transparency to India’s digital advertising ecosystem, offering marketers a credible choice where they can tap into the immense opportunities of the open internet’.

Wipro Partnership with World Economic Forum for New Work Standards initiative

• Wipro announced that it has joined the World Economic Forum’s Partnership for New Work Standards initiative to establish a healthy, resilient and equitable future of work.
• This initiative aims to co-create new frameworks, shape forward-thinking people policies and utilize tools and technologies to collectively build human-first work standards, with people at the heart of business.
• Wipro has invested in its workforce, developed new ways of working, and created a more relevant and inclusive post-pandemic work environment to seamlessly transition to a sustainable future of work.
• The company is also undertaking initiatives to support and equip its people with dedicated programs for physical, social, financial and mental well-being.

About Wipro:

• Wipro Limited is an Indian multinational corporation that provides information technology, consulting and business process services.
• In 2013, Wipro separated its non-IT businesses and formed the privately owned Wipro Enterprises.
• CEO: Thierry Delaporte
• Founder: H. Hasham Premji
• Headquarters: Bengaluru

About World Economic Forum:

• The World Economic Forum, based in Cologny, Geneva Canton, Switzerland, is an international NGO, founded on 24 January 1971.
• Headquarters: Cologny, Switzerland
• Founder: Klaus Schwab
• CEO: Saadia Zahidi

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING NEWS

ICICI Bank launches digital banking solutions “ICICI STACK” for Corporates

• ICICI Bank launched ‘ICICI STACK for Corporates’, a comprehensive set of digital banking solutions for corporates and their entire ecosystem including promoters, group companies, employees, dealers, vendors and all other stakeholders.
• It provides customized digital bankingservices to companies in over 15 leading industries- such as financial services, IT/ITES, pharmaceuticals, steel to name a few – and their entire ecosystem.
• These services can further be tailor-made for companies within an industry.
• ICICI Bank has opened eight ecosystem branches- five in Mumbaiand three in Delhi NCR.
• It plans to launch another four in this financial year.
• The bank has its own web-based platform, which facilitates instant approval and disbursement of loans for channel partners.

About ICICI bank:

• ICICI Bank Limited is a privately owned Indian development finance institution with its registered office in Vadodara, Gujarat, and corporate office in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi(15 Oct 2018–)
• Headquarters: Vadodara

Godrej Housing Finance introduces ‘design your EMI’ home loan product

• Godrej Housing Finance (GHF) has released a ‘design your EMI’ home personal loan product to enable consumers to customize their equated monthly installments (EMIs).
• This is aimed at optimising their cash flows and brings down the price tag of dwelling ownership.
• Manish Shah, MD & CEO, Godrej Housing Finance explained EMIs can be customized to go well with customers’ requirements a buyer might want to get started with a smaller sized EMI and little by little boost it or start off with a larger EMI (given that charges are down in Covid-19 instances) and normalize it.

Google Pay support debit cards tokenization with SBI, IndusInd, HSBC and Federal Bank

• Google Pay app will now support debit card payments by SBI, IndusInd Bank and Federal Bank and credit cards by IndusInd Bank and HSBC. 
• Prior to this, tokenization was available with Kotak Mahindra Bank, SBI Cards and Axis Bank in India.
• Online merchants like Myntra, Yatra, Dunzo and many others can also make use of this feature.
• To use this feature, the user’s phone must be Near-field communication (NFC) capable. 
• To enable this tap and pay feature, users will have to do a one-time setup by entering their card details and generating an OTP.
• After registration, users can use this feature to make payments at any NFC-enabled terminal.

About Google Pay

• Google Pay is a digital wallet platform and online payment system developed by Google to power in-app, online, and in-person contactless purchases on mobile devices, enabling users to make payments with Android phones, tablets, or watches

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENT AND RESIGNATION NEWS

Nivea India appointed Ajay Simha as its marketing director

• Nivea India announced the appointment of Ajay Simha as the marketing director. 
• With over a decade of experience across various categories such as personal care, male grooming, face, lip and sun care, Simha has championed leading various brand portfolios both in India as well as globally.
• Before taking over as marketing director, Nivea India, Simha was responsible for the Nivea body care and cleansing and baby care portfolio across the Middle East and North Africa.

About Nivea:

• Nivea India Private Limited is a Subsidiary of Foreign Company, incorporated on 26 May, 2005.
• It’s a private unlisted company and is classified as ‘company limited by shares’.
• Company’s authorized capital stands at Rs 60000.0 lakhs and has 99.52998% paid-up capital which is Rs 59717.99 lakhs.
• Headquarters: Mumbai

SonyLIV appointed Sreedhar Reddy Komalla as head of Telugu content

• Streaming platform SonyLIV has appointed Sreedhar Reddy Komalla as head, Telugu content, digital business.
• Komalla will primarily focus on leading the expansion plans of the Telugu vertical of SonyLIV for users across markets.
• The announcement comes days after the company appointed G Dhananjayan as head of Tamil content.
• The key appointment is in line with Sony’s aim to strengthen the regional content portfolio.
• Sreedhar Reddy Komalla also known as Madhura Sreedhar Reddy in Telugu Film Industry is known for his exemplary contribution to Telugu cinema.
• He started his film career by establishing a music label Madhura Audio and shaped it as one of the top music labels in Telugu cinema.

HSBC appoints Raghu Narula as Head, Wealth and Personal Banking, India

• Foreign lender HSBC appointed bank veteran Raghu Narula as the head of wealth and retail banking for the country from August 1.
• Narula succeeds Ramakrishnan S, who is headed to another position within the organization.
• The company stated in the next phase, it will be conducting the drive for school staff and teachers as well.
• Afthonia Lab ties up with Yes Bank Startup incubator Afthonia Lab announced a tie-up with private sector lender Yes Bank to empower fintech companies.

About HSBC:

• HSBC Holdings plc is a British multinational investment bank and financial services holding company.
• It is the second largest bank in Europe, with total assets of US$2.984 trillion.
• Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
• CEO: Noel Quinn

Microsoft appointed CEO Satya Nadella as chairman

• Microsoft named its chief executive officer Satya Nadella as board chairman, an additional role in which he will lead the work to set the agenda for the board.
• Microsoft Corp announced that the board’s independent directors unanimously elected Nadella to the role of board chair, and unanimously elected John W Thompson as the lead independent director, a role he held previously from 2012 to 2014.
• Nadella will lead the work to set the agenda for the board, leveraging his deep understanding of the business to elevate the right strategic opportunities and identify key risks and mitigation approaches for the board’s review.

About Microsoft:

• Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology company which produces computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services.
• CEO: Satya Nadella
• Headquarters: Redmond, Washington, United States
• Founders: Bill Gates, Paul Allen

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU’s AND AGREEMENTS

MoU signed between two ministries for development of National Maritime Heritage Complex at Lothal in Gujarat

• An MoU has been signed between the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Ministry of Culture and Tourism for Cooperation in Development of National Maritime Heritage Complex at Lothal in Gujarat.
• Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Mansukh Mandaviya mentioned that this complex would be dedicated to the legacy of maritime heritage to showcase India’s rich and diverse maritime glory.
• He stated, MoU would help in exhibiting the robust maritime history as well as the vibrant coastal tradition of our country.
• He noted, this would uplift the image of India’s Maritime Heritage in the international forum.

SJVN signed an inks pact with National Institute of Wind Energy for energy projects

• State-owned SJVN Ltdhas signed a pact with National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) to develop solar and wind energy projects. 
• SJVN has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Institute for ‘technical consultancy services’ for development of solar, wind, hybrid (wind and solar) and hybrid (wind, solar and battery storage) energy projects of SJVN.
• NIWE will support SJVN to assess the feasibility and techno-commercial aspects of the projects and preparation of detailed project reports, estimates and bid documents covering all relevant aspects from the concept to the commissioning of these projects.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

World’s first wooden satellite WISA Woodsat to be launched from New Zealand

• The European Space Agency (ESA) has planned to launch the world’s first wooden satellite, WISA Woodsat, on Earth’s orbit by the end of 2021.
• It will be launched with a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from the Mahia Peninsula launch complex in New Zealand.
• According to ESA, the mission was initiated by Jari Makinen.

About WISA Woodsat :

• The satellite, designed and built in Finland.
• It will orbit at around 500-600 km altitude in a roughly polar Sun-synchronous orbit.
• It is built up from standardised boxes and surface panels made from plywood.

About ESA :

• Headquarters: Paris, France
• Founded: 30 May 1975, Europe
• CEO: Johann-Dietrich Wörner (1 Jul 2015–)
• Director General : Josef Aschbacher

China launches first human spaceflight Since 2016

• On June 17, 2021, The Shenzhou 12 mission launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.
• China successfully launched the first three men crew to its new space station in its first crewed mission in five years.
• A Chinese spacecraft will blast off from the Gobi Desert on a Long March rocket in the coming days, ferrying three men onboard.
• Shenzhou-12, meaning ‘Divine Vessel’.
• It will be the third of 11 missions needed to complete China’s space station by 2022. Among them, four will be missions with people on board, potentially propelling up to 12 Chinese astronauts into space.

Note :

• The launch is a gift to the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party.
• China, aims to become a major spacefaring power by 2030, in May became the second country to put a rover on Mars.

About China :

• Currency: Renminbi
• President: Xi Jinping
• Capital: Beijing

IIT & YIC Developed a new technique to detect cyclones earlier than satellites

• Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur and Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research in China have developed a technique that can detect the formation of cyclones in the North Indian Ocean region.
• The research team for this study included Jia Albert, Bishnupriya Sahu and Prasad K Bhaskaran from IIT Kharagpur.
• It is published in the journal Atmospheric Research.
• The study was conducted under the Climate Change Program with support from the Centre’s Department of Science and Technology.
• The research team analysed four post-monsoon severe cyclones that developed over the North Indian Ocean, came out with a threshold value of a parameter called Okubo-Weiss Zeta Parameter.
• When the parameter crossed the threshold value, it resulted in the formation of a cyclone.

About Indian Institute of Technology :

• Founder: Jawaharlal Nehru
• Founded: 1951

Daily CA On June 15 & 16 :

• World Wind Dayalso known as Global Wind Day is observed every year on 15 June It is organised by WindEurope and GWEC.
• World Elder Abuse Awareness Dayis observed on June 15 every year to raise awareness about abuse and neglect of older persons and raising awareness of the cultural, social, economic, and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect. The current theme of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is ‘Access to Justice’.
• June 16th marks the annual International Day of Family Remittances (IDFR), which recognizes the financial contributions made by 250 million migrant workers to sustainable international development.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated two centers of excellence established by the Border Roads Organization (BRO) at Seema Sadak Bhawan in New Delhi.
• Centre has launched ‘Project O2 for India’ to step up production of medical oxygen to meet the potential increase in demand due to further waves of the pandemic.‘Project O2 for India’, an initiative of the Office of Principal Scientific Adviser, Government of India (GoI).
• Telangana government had launched the Telangana AI Mission (T-AIM) powered by Nasscom and as part of the T-AIM an accelerator programme called Revv Up has been launched to enable and empower AI startups.
• Raja Parba, a 3-day festival celebrating womanhood is being celebrated across Odisha.
• India exportedthe first commercial consignment of Geographical Indications (GI) certified ‘Jardalu‘ mangoes from Bhagalpur, Bihar, to the United Kingdom giving a possible boost to the potential of farm exports from the eastern region.
• India’s retail inflation raced to 3% in May, breaching the upper limit of the central bank’s inflation target for the first time in six months and bringing further pressure on an economy whipped by the second wave of covid-19 infections. 
• Ambuja Cement Foundation has joined hands with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for implementation of its employability through skill initiative project’s second phase.
• Ujjivan Small Finance Bank stated it has collaborated with customer engagement platform MoEngage to drive digital banking experiences in the unserved and underserved regions of the country.
• Bengaluru-based Navi General Insurance has introduced a monthly subscription (EMI) based insurance product instead of paying the annual premium upfront to make health insurance affordable.
• The Reserve Bank of India stated the scope of Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) will be expanded by August 31 this year by adding ‘mobile prepaid recharges’ as a biller category, a move likely to help millions of prepaid phone subscribers in the country. 
• E-commerce platform Snapdeal announced the appointment of Girish Koppad as Vice President and Head of Technology. 
• The committee of Amara Raja Batteries Ltd. (ARBL) has decided to reign in the institution committee and has announced ‘Energy and Mobility’ arsenic, the strategic absorption for the institution going forward.
• Sterling and Wilson Solar Ltd announced the appointment of Amit Jain as Global CEO.
• COAI stated Ajai Puri, Chief Operating Officer of Bharti Airtel, has been re-elected as Chairman of the industryassociation for 2021-22.
• On June 11, 2021, The United Nations appointed Rebeca Grynspan from Costa Rica as the new secretary general of its trade and development body, of  the United Nations Conference on Trade & Development.
• Indian peacekeepers in Sudan honoured with UN medals for outstanding performance
• The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced a special edition intake of 10 cricket icons including former India cricketer Vinoo Mankad into the ICC Hall of Fame to celebrate the prestigious history of Test cricket, coinciding with this month’s maiden World Test Championship (WTC) final between India and New Zealand. 
• The Assam government will present its own versions of the Bharat Ratna and the Padma awards from next year.
• A MoU for Bihar’s mega Dagmara hydroelectric project, initiated with an aim to a new era of growth in the power sector, was signed between the Bihar State Power Holding Corporation and the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited (NHPC).
• The Emirates Group Security (EGS) and the GMR Aviation Academy (GMRAA) signed a MoU to promote cooperation for development and exchange of information, technical expertise, and experiences in aviation security.
• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar has developed a device called ‘Jivan Vayu.
• To Study Venus the European Space Agency (ESA) has announced the launching of its probe EnVision.
• On June 12, 2021, The Indian Coast Guard inducted the first three of 16 Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) Mk-III designed and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
• A new 15-meter-tall tree Pyrostria laljii, that belongs to the genus of the coffee family has recently been discovered.
• India’s Mirabai Chanu, the 2017 world champion in weightlifting, has qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in the women’s 49-kg category announced by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF).
• Scotland’s Kathryn Bryce and Mushfiqur Rahim of Bangladesh have been named the International Cricket Council (ICC) Players of the Month for May.
• On June 14, 2021, Noted Kannada Actor Sanchari Vijay Passed Away.

Daily CA On June 17 :

• The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is a United Nations observance celebrated each year on 17 June. The themeof World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2021 is “Restoration. Land. Recovery”.
• PM Narendra Modi invited the world to invest in India while addressing the 5th edition of global tech event VivaTech via video conferencing. 
• Union Tribal Affairs Minister launches ‘Sankalp Se Siddhi-Mission Van Dhan’ & several other initiatives
• Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana and the United Arab Emirates were elected unopposed to the powerful UN Security Council as non-permanent members for the 2022-23 term.
• A new free trade agreement with the UK will deliver more Australian jobs and business opportunities for exporters, bringing both countries closer together in a changing strategic environment.
• The Rajasthan government will soon set up a Vedic Education and Sanskar Board to revive the knowledge of Sanskrit scriptures and Vedas.
• The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) launched a TV Channel Selector web portal for consumers who could not access its mobile phone app of the same name due to lack of a smartphone.
• Facebook has kicked off a new initiative to keep children safe on the internet. The ‘Report it, don’t share it’ campaign is being helmed by the social media giant in collaboration with Aarambh India Initiative, Cyber Peace Foundation, and Arpan. 
• Global advertising technology major, The Trade Desk announced the launch of operations in India and stated it has appointed Tejinder Gill as the Country General Manager.
• Wipro announced that it has joined the World Economic Forum’s Partnership for New Work Standards initiative to establish a healthy, resilient and equitable future of work.
• ICICI Banklaunched ‘ICICI STACK for Corporates’, a comprehensive set of digital banking solutions for corporates and their entire ecosystem including promoters, group companies, employees, dealers, vendors and all other stakeholders.
• Godrej Housing Finance (GHF) has released a ‘design your EMI’ home personal loan product to enable consumers to customize their equated monthly installments (EMIs).
• Google Pay app will now support debit card payments by SBI, IndusInd Bank and Federal Bank and credit cards by IndusInd Bank and HSBC. 
• Nivea India announced the appointment of Ajay Simha as the marketing director. 
• Streaming platform SonyLIV has appointed Sreedhar Reddy Komalla as head, Telugu content, digital business.
• Foreign lender HSBC appointed bank veteran Raghu Narula as the head of wealth and retail banking for the country from August 1.
• Microsoft named its chief executive officer Satya Nadella as board chairman, an additional role in which he will lead the work to set the agenda for the board.
• An MoU has been signed between the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Ministry of Culture and Tourism for Cooperation in Development of National Maritime Heritage Complex at Lothal in Gujarat.
• State-owned SJVN Ltdhas signed a pact with National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) to develop solar and wind energy projects. 
• The European Space Agency (ESA) has planned to launch the world’s first wooden satellite, WISA Woodsat, on Earth’s orbit by the end of 2021.
• On June 17, 2021, The Shenzhou 12 mission launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. China successfully launched the first three men crew to its new space station in its first crewed mission in five years.
• Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur and Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research in China have developed a technique that can detect the formation of cyclones in the North Indian Ocean region.