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CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS
International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking – Observed on June 26
- The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is a United Nations International Day against drug abuse and the illegal drug trade.
- It has been observed annually on 26 June, since 1989.
- In 1987, the United Nations General Assembly decided to observe 26th June as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking as an expression of its determination to strengthen action and cooperation to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse.
- This year, the themeof International Day Against Drug Abuse is ‘Share Facts On Drugs, Save Lives’.
- Facts about health risks posed by drug abuse and solutions to tackle the problem will help us move towards a society free of drug abuse.
International Day in Support of Victims of Torture – Observed on June 26
- The United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture – 26 June is an international observance held annually to speak out against the crime of torture and to honour and support victims and survivors throughout the world.
- The day was first observed by United Nations General Assembly in 1997 to raise awareness about the suffering of people who undergo torture.
- Torture is a vile act of punishing someone and making them suffer.
- According to Human Rights Court, torture is a ‘deliberate inhuman treatment causing very serious and cruel suffering’.
- The UN strictly condemned such acts and considered them as a crime against humanity.
- The main motto of this day is to prevent all citizens from torture.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS
Gujarat govt initiates the policy for electric vehicles for next four years
- The Gujarat government announced ‘Gujarat Electric Vehicle Policy 2021’ to promote use of electric vehicles in the state.
- Chief Minister Vijay Rupani stated it aims to bring at least 2 lakh electric vehicles on the state roads in the next four years.
About the policy:
- The policy aims to make Gujarat a hub for EVs and related components, encourage investments in electric mobility and reduce vehicular pollution.
- It is estimated that around 10 lakh electric two-wheel vehicles, 70,000 three-wheelers and 20,000 four-wheelers will be used in the state in the next four years following the implementation of this policy, Rupani said.
- The state government will provide a subsidy up to Rs 20,000 on purchase of an electric two-wheeler, Rs 50,000 for three-wheeler and Rs 1,50,000 on purchase of a four-wheeler.
- The subsidy will be transferred directly to the bank accounts of owners through direct benefit transfer.
About Gujarat:
- Gujarat is a state on the western coast of India with a coastline of 1,600 km – most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula.
- It is the fifth-largest Indian state by area and the ninth-largest state by population. Wikipedia
- Capital: Gandhinagar
- Governor: Acharya Devvrat
- Chief minister: Vijay Rupani
Delhi initiates new scheme named Covid-19 Pariwar Aarthik Sahayata Yojana
- The Delhi government has developed a portal through which families of COVID19 victims will apply for Mukhyamantri COVID19 Pariwar Aarthik Sahayata Yojana to avail financial assistance.
- Under the scheme, an ex gratia of Rs 50,000 will be provided to those who have lost a family member to coronavirus.
- The government’s Social Welfare Department notified the scheme earlier this week under which 50, 000 ex-gratia will be given to every family that lost a member to COVID-19 and an additional Rs.2, 500 pension per month if the deceased was the sole breadwinner.
About the scheme:
- “Each family in which death has occurred due to Covid, an ex-gratia of 50, 000 will be provided.”
- Children who lost their both parents or single parent to COVID-19 will also be provided 2, 500 per month till they achieve 25 years of age.
- The Delhi government will also provide free education to them.
About New Delhi:
- Delhi, India’s capital territory, is a massive metropolitan area in the country’s north.
- In Old Delhi, a neighborhood dating to the 1600s, stands the imposing Mughal-era Red Fort, a symbol of India, and the sprawling Jama Masjid mosque, whose courtyard accommodates 25,000 people.
- Nearby is Chandni Chowk, a vibrant bazaar filled with food carts, sweets shops and spice stalls.
- Chief minister: Arvind Kejriwal
- Lieutenant Governor: Anil Baijal
Odisha Govt make Partnership with UN WEP to Empower Women SHGs
- The government of Odisha and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has joined hands to improve household food and nutritional security by strengthening livelihood initiatives, reaching thousands of state-supported Women’s Self-Help Groups (WSHGs).
- A statement quoted WFP Country Director in India, Bishow Parajuli mentioned that the partnership for achieving nutritional security in Odisha focused on empowerment, livelihood and incomes of women.
- The partnership, effective till December 2023, will also be focusing on improving the linkage of women’s groups with government procurement systems, increasing awareness on entitlements, building capacity of women’s groups, and developing monitoring tools and undertaking evaluations to improve functioning of the groups.
About UN WFP:
- The World Food Programme is the food-assistance branch of the United Nations.
- It is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, the largest one focused on hunger and food security, and the largest provider of school meals.
- Founded in 1961, it is headquartered in Rome and has offices in 80 countries.
- Headquarters: Rome, Italy
- Chairman: David Beasley
World Food Program mission statement:
- To supportfood security and nutrition and (re)build livelihoods in fragile settings and following emergencies.
- Reduce risk and enable people, communities and countries to meet their own food and nutrition needs.
About Odisha:
- Odisha (formerly Orissa), an eastern Indian state on the Bay of Bengal, is known for its tribal cultures and its many ancient Hindu temples.
- The capital, Bhubaneswar, is home to hundreds of temples, notably the intricately-carved Mukteshvara.
- The Lingaraj Temple complex, dating to the 11th century, is set around sacred Bindusagar Lake.
- The Odisha State Museum is focused on the area’s history and environment.
- Capital: Bhubaneswar
- Governor: Ganeshi Lal
- Chief minister:Naveen Patnaik
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS
Microsoft unveiled its ‘Windows 11’ version
- Microsofthas officially unveiled Windows 11, a new iteration of Windows that promises a host of visual upgrades, as well as new behaviours to the basic OS experience.
- The new Windows 11will be released as a build for Windows Insiders next week.
- Microsoft is also introducing Snap layouts to help users with multitasking on Windows 11.
- The new generation of Windows will also be more touch-friendly.
- Team integration is coming directly to Windows 11.
- Users will be able to video call anyone; it will not matter if the other user is on a different device, even a Mac.
- Android apps will also be coming to Windows 11.
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
About Windows 11:
- Windows 11 is a major release of the Windows NT operating system, announced on June 24, 2021, and developed by Microsoft.
- Expected to be released in late 2021, it is the successor to Windows 10, released six years earlier.
- OS family: Microsoft Windows
- Developer: Microsoft Corporation
- Programming languages: C, C++, C#, Assembly language
NSDC tie-up with WhatsApp to launch Digital Skill Champions programme
- The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), apex body to manage Central backed Skill India or the National Skills Development Mission of India campaign has announced a tie-up with global digital platform, WhatsApp, to launch the ‘Digital Skill Champions Program’ to train youth on digital skills, and make them employment ready.
About the programme:
- Under this programme, school and university students would be coached to imbibe digital and online skills that would culminate with WhatsApp and NSDC awarding a ‘Digital Skill Champions’ certification to these students.
- “It aims to empower youth with new-age skills to make them employable and more productive in their work environment”.
- Under the programme to be conducted digitally, WhatsApp will conduct sessions for Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendratrainers about the WhatsApp Business
- The training will cover modules on leveraging the WhatsApp Business app and to make small business entrepreneurship ‘aspirational’.
About NSDC:
- National Skill Development Corporation is a not-for-profit public limited company incorporated on July 31, 2008 under section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956.
- NSDC was set up by the Ministry of Finance as a Public Private Partnership model.
- After the training programme a STAR (Standard Training Assessment & Reward) certificatewill be given by GoI, NSDC, RASCI/GJSCI which is valid all over India.
- CEO: Manish Kumar
- Headquarters: New Delhi
About WhatsApp:
- WhatsApp Messenger, or simply WhatsApp, is an American freeware, cross-platform centralized messaging and voice-over-IP service owned by Facebook, Inc.
- It allows users to send text messages and voice messages, make voice and video calls, and share images, documents, user locations, and other content.
- CEO: Will Cathcart
- Headquarters: Menlo Park, California, United States
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING NEWS
SBI introduces Aarogyam healthcare business loan
- State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender, launched a new healthcare business loan ‘Aarogyam’ on June 24, in order to provide greater support to the healthcare sector amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
- The new loan product is specially designed to support the healthcare ecosystem of the country.
- Under this scheme, the new loans can be availed by way of term loan, cash credit, bank guarantee, or letter of credit.
- The loan amount under Aarogyam ranges from a minimum sum of Rs 10 lakh to a maximum of Rs.100 crore – both for the expansion and the setting up of the new facility, and is repayable in 10 years.
About SBI:
- State Bank of India is an Indian multinational, public sector banking and financial services statutory body headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
- Chairperson: Dinesh Kumar Khara
- Headquarters: Mumbai
Afthonia Lab & YES Bank make partnership to support Fintech Companies
- 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.
- The tie-up will allow the incubator’s portfolio companies to develop APIs in a sandbox environment and let them experiment with radical ideas to test solutions real time.
- The partnership will also support the efforts to Innovate and inject new ideas to transform the financial sector of India.
About the partnership:
- Under this partnership, the Afthonia Lab’s portfolio startups will develop APls in a sandbox environment, enabling the startups to experiment with innovative ideas and test their solutions in real time.
- This will also provide a safe and secure environment for the Afthonia Lab entrepreneurs to test their ideas and provide an opportunity for Yes Bank to transform the Indian Banking Industry.
- This collaboration will ensure that business has access to mentors from both the global network of Afthonia and Yes Bank.
About Afthonia Lab:
- “Afthonia as an incubator creates an insight-forward ecosystem to address gaps most startup founders face while navigating blindly through the traditional Indian financial industry.
- Afthonia creates a safe-to-experiment environment for innovators, complete with insights and interventions from seasoned thought leaders, so that you can ideate, experiment, evolve and eventually succeed.”
About YES Bank:
- Yes Bank Limited is an Indian private sector bank headquartered in Mumbai, India and was founded by Rana Kapoor and Ashok Kapur in 2004.
- It offers a wide range of banking and financial products for corporate and retail customers through retail banking and asset management services.
- CEO: Prashant Kumar
- Headquarters: Mumbai
- Tagline: Experience our expertise
CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENT AND RESIGNATION NEWS
NDDB’s ED Meenesh Shah now take additional charge as Chairman
- Executive Director of the National Dairy Development Committee (NDDB) Meenesh Shah has been assigned additional responsibilities for the position of chairman of the dairy body for six months
- The Shah took on an additional charge as chairman of the NDDB in force on June 1, 2021 after the term of Warsaw of Joshi ended on May 31, 2021.
- Shah is also on the boards of directors of NDDB Weapons – NDDB Dairy Services (NDS), IDMC Limited, National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India (NCDFI) Ltd, Mother Dairy Fruit & Vegetable Pvt Ltd (MDFVPL), etc.
About NDDB:
- The National Dairy Development Board is an institution of national importance set up by an Act of Parliament of India.
- The main office is in Anand, Gujarat with regional offices throughout the country.
- Founder: Verghese Kurien
- Founded: 16 July 1965
- Headquarters: Anand
CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS
Centre unveiled full list of Smart Cities Awards 2020 winners
- The Central government declared Smart City awards 2020 in which Indore (Madhya Pradesh) and Surat (Gujarat) won the award jointly for their overall development.
- Whereas Uttar Pradesh emerged on the top among all states, followed by Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu under the Smart City award, 2020.
- The Smart City awards were given across the themes of Social Aspects, Governance, Culture, Urban Environment, Sanitation, Economy, Built Environment, Water, Urban Mobility, the Ministry of Housing Affairs said.
- Surat, Indore, Ahmedabad, Pune, Vijayawada, Rajkot, Visakhapatnam, Pimpri-Chinchwad, and Vadodara were awarded 4 star rating under Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework.
- Chandigarh bagged the award for union territories, while Indore won the “Innovative Idea Award”.
- Ahmedabad bagged the ‘Smart Cities Leadership Award’, followed by Varanasi and Ranchi in the second and third spots respectively.
- On Governance aspect-Vadodara, Thane and Bhubaneswar stood as the top-3 cities in the country.
List of winning Smart Cities under the different categories:
Social Aspects
- Tirupati: Health Benchmark for Municipal Schools
- Bhubaneshwar: Socially Smart Bhubaneswar
- Tumakuru: Digital Library Solution
Governance
- Vadodara: GIS
- Thane: Digi Thane
- Bhubaneswar: ME app
Culture
- Indore: Conservation of Heritage
- Chandigarh: Capitol Complex, Heritage Project
- Gwalior: Digital Museum
Urban Environment:
- Bhopal: Clean energy
- Chennai: Restoration of water bodies
- Tirupati: Renewable Energy Generation
Sanitation:
- Tirupati: Bioremediation & Bio-Mining
- Indore: Municipal Waste Management System
- Surat: Conservation through Treated Wastewater
Economy:
- Indore: Carbon Credit Financing Mechanism
- Tirupati: Boost Local Identity & Economy through Design Studio
- Agra: Micro Skill Development Centre
Built Environment:
- Indore: Chappan Dukan
- Surat: Canal Corridor
Water:
- Dehradun: Smart Water Metering Water ATM
- Varanasi: Eco-Restoration of Assi River
- Surat: Integrated and Sustainable Water Supply System
Urban Mobility:
- Aurangabad: Majhi Smart Buses
- Surat: Dynamic Scheduling Buses
- Ahmedabad: Manless parking system and automatic ticket dispensing machines AMDA Park
Innovative Idea Award:
- Indore: Carbon Credit Financing Mechanism
Covid Innovation Award:
- Kalyan-Dombivali and Varanasi
About Smart City:
- A smart city is an urban area that uses different types of electronic methods and sensors to collect data.
- Insights gained from that data are used to manage assets, resources and services efficiently; in return, that data is used to improve the operations across the city.
About Smart Cities Mission:
- National Smart Cities Mission is an urban renewal and retrofitting program by the Government of India with the mission to develop smart cities across the country, making them citizen friendly and sustainable.
- Launch year: 2015
- Sector: Urban planning
- Ministry: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
Cochin International Airport bags honour in airport service quality
- The Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) won the Airport Council International’s (ACI) Director General’s Roll of Excellence honour for Airport Service Quality.
- The ACI, a global body of airport operators established the Roll of Excellence recognition to those airports which, in the opinion of the passengers, have consistently delivered excellent services in the Airport Service Quality Survey.
- The Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) has won a global award for quality of service.
- Airport Council International (ACI) Director-General Luis Felipe de Oliveira stated the CIAL consistently delivered excellence in customer service by winning multiple ASQ awards over five years during the past 10 years.
About Cochin International Airport Ltd:
- Cochin International Airport is an international airport serving the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, India.
- Located at Nedumbassery, about 25 kilometres northeast of the city, Cochin International Airport is the first of its kind which is developed under a public-private partnership model in India.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOU’s AND AGREEMENTS
IFFCO, INAES and Cooperar jointly signed MOU to setup Nano Urea Plant in Argentina
- Leading fertilizer cooperative IFFCO stated it will set up a nano urea liquid manufacturing plant in Argentina in partnership with two agencies — Instituto Nacional de Asociativismo Y Economia Social (INAES) and Cooperative Confederation of Argentina ‘Cooperar’.
- IFFCO, INAES and Cooperar — entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the same.
- According to IFFCO, the three will together analyze the feasibility of setting up a nano urea fertiliser manufacturing plant in Argentina with mutual collaboration.
- The scope of MoU will be offering opportunities to exchange ideas and develop business relationships, to carry out joint research and training activities along with educational visits for better understanding and opportunities.
About IFFCO:
- Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited, also known as IFFCO is a Multi-state cooperative society engaged in the business of manufacturing and marketing of fertilizers headquartered in New Delhi, India.
- Headquarters: New Delhi
About Argentina:
- Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America.
- It shares the bulk of the Southern Conewith Chile to the west, and is also bordered by Bolivia and Paraguay to the north, Brazil to the northeast, Uruguay and the South Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Drake Passage to the south.
- Argentina covers an area of 2,780,400 km2 and is the largest Spanish-speaking nation in the world.
- Capital: Buenos Aires
- President: Alberto Fernández
- Currency: Argentine peso
Denmark signed Framework Agreement in ISA with India
- Denmark signed the framework agreement of the International Solar Alliance Framework Agreement (ISA FA) and Instrument of Ratification with India, informed Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.
- “On 22 June, Freddy Svane, Ambassador, Royal Danish Embassy, deposited signed copies of the ISA Framework Agreement and Instrument of Ratification with MEAIndia.
- Signed copies of ISA FA were handed over to the Additional Secretary (ER)”.
- Meanwhile, Denmark became the first country to ratify International Solar Alliance Framework Agreement (ISA FA) after amendments to it entered into force on January 8.
- “Kingdom of Denmark becomes 1st country to ratify International Solar Alliance Framework Agreement (ISA FA) after amendments to it entered into force on 8 January this year, opening its Membership to all Member States of the United Nations.
- ISA is an alliance of over 120 countries initiated by India, most of them being sunshine countries which lie either completely or partly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
About Denmark:
- Denmark is a Scandinavian country comprising the Jutland Peninsula and numerous islands.
- It’s linked to nearby Sweden via the Öresund bridge.
- Copenhagen, its capital, is home to royal palaces and colorful Nyhavn harbor, plus the Tivoli amusement park and the iconic “Little Mermaid” statue.
- Odense is writer Hans Christian Andersen’s hometown, with a medieval core of cobbled streets and half-timbered houses.
- Capital: Copenhagen
- Currency: Danish krone
- Prime Minister: Mette Frederiksen
About International Solar Alliance:
- The International Solar Alliance is an alliance of 121 countries initiated by India, most of them being sunshine countries, which lie either completely or partly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
- Headquarters: Gurugram
- Founded at: Paris, France
CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS
Ministry of Defence, DRDO Successfully Test fires Subsonic Cruise Missile ‘Nirbhay’
- On June 24, 2021, The subsonic cruise missile ‘Nirbhay’ was successfully test-fired off the Odisha coast.
- Nirbhay is a subsonic cruise missile designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the Ministry of Defence.
- The missile having a range of 1500 KM, it was fired from launchpad no.3 of the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur of Balasore district.
- The missile is capable of carrying nuclear warheads upto 200 kg.
Note :
- The first test flight of Nirbhay was held on 12 March 2013.
- This was the eighth test flight of the missile.
About the Missile ‘Nirbhay’ :
- Nirbhay is a long-range, all-weather, subsonic cruise missile.
- The missile can be launched from multiple platforms and is capable of carrying conventional and nuclear warheads.
- The missile has a length of 6 metres, a width of 0.52 metres, a wingspan of 2.7 metres and weighs about 1500 kg.
- The missile can reach speeds of 0.6-0.7 Mach.
About DRDO :
- Founded: 1958
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Chairman : Dr G Satheesh Reddy
About Odisha :
- Governor: Ganeshi Lal
- Capital: Bhubaneswar
- Chief minister: Naveen Patnaik
CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
China plans to launch its first crewed mission to Mars in 2033
- China plans to send its first crewed mission to Mars in 2033.
- It is a long-term plan to build a permanently inhabited base on the Red Planet and extract its resources.
- It will intensify a race with the United States to plant humans on Mars.
- Crewed launches to Mars are planned for 2033, 2035, 2037, 2041.
- Before the crewed mission, China will send robots to Mars to study possible sites for the base and to build systems to extract resources there.
- Meanwhile, China is also studying Sky Ladder, a new space transportation system for the Mars missions.
About China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology :
- The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) is a major state-owned civilian and military space launch vehicle manufacturer in China.
- Founded: 16 November 1957
- Headquarters: Beijing, China
- Established by : Dr. Xue-Sen Qian
- Head : Wang Xiaojun
About China :
- President: Xi Jinping Trending
- Capital: Beijing
- Currency: Renminbi
CURRENT AFFAIRS : RANKING & INDEX
NTPC bags recognition of India’s best employers among Nation-Builders 2021
- “NTPC is the only PSU to consistently feature in India’s Top 50 Best Workplaces.
- This year NTPC ranked 38th up from 47th position last year.
- It also won its first-ever recognition of India’s Best Employers among Nation-Builders 2021”.
- The Maharatna Community and Public Sector Unit (CPSU) have once again featured in India’s top 50 ‘Best Workplaces’.
About NTPC:
- NTPC Limited, formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited, is an Indian government electricity board engaged in the business of generation of electricity and allied activities.
- Headquarters: New Delhi, India
- Chairman and Managing Director: Gurdeep Singh
CURRENT AFFAIRS : ENVIRONMENT
New Species of Skittering frog : Euphlyctis Kerala discovered from surroundings of Thattekkad bird sanctuary
- A new species of skittering frog Euphlyctis Kerala has been identified from the surroundings of the Thattekkad bird sanctuary.
About Researchers Team :
- A team of researchers from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Mount Carmel Faculty (MCC), Bengaluru, and Nationwide Institute of Science Training and Analysis (NISER), Bhubaneswar.
- The new species is named in honour of the exceptional biodiversity of the State.
- The new species Published in the Worldwide Journal Zootaxa printed from New Zealand.
- The research is a part of an “Integrative Taxonomic Strategy (ITA)” whereby scientists utilise morphological characters, genetic research and different parameters to substantiate their findings of latest species.
- This discovery was part of the Zoological Survey of India’s (WGRC, Kozhikode) faunal exploratory and documentation programme within the Thattekad hen sanctuary.
About Euphlyctis Kerala :
- New species Euphlyctis Kerala to be discovered within the contemporary water bodies of the foothills of the Western Ghats, south of the Palakkad Hole.
- These frogs live in freshwater bodies, conservation of these freshwater systems plays a crucial role in conservation.
- Members of the genus Euphlyctis (skittering frogs) have their distribution vary from Arabian Peninsula, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Thailand.
CURRENT AFFAIRS : SPORTS NEWS
ISSF World Cup : Olympic-bound shooter Saurabh Chaudhary Wins bronze medal
- On June 24, 2021, Tokyo-bound shooter Saurabh Chaudhary won a bronze medal at the 10m air pistol event at the ISSF World Cup in Osijek.
- Saurabh is 19 year old, he scored 220 in the final after qualifying with a score of 581.
- The event is the Indian shooting team”s final competitive outing before the Olympics in Tokyo.
- Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar finished seventh in the men’s 10m air rifle final.
- Manu Bhakrer finished seventh in the women’s 10m air pistol event with a score of 137.3.
About Saurabh Chaudhary :
- Saurabh Chaudhary was the youngest Indian gold medalist at the Asian Games.
- He won the gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games in 10 m Air Pistol.
- He set a new junior world record in the ISSF Junior World Cup in Suhl, Germany.
- He is the only Indian shooter to win a gold medal in ISSF World Championship, ISSF World Cup.
- In 2019, Choudhary won the gold medal at ISSF World Cup in Delhi.
- He also won gold in Mixed Team 10m pistol with Manu Bhaker ISSF World Cup in Beijing.
- Later, he broke the world and junior records in the 10m pistol ISSF World Cup in Munich.
About ISSF :
- ISSF : International Shooting Sport Federation
- Headquarters: Munich, Germany
- Founded: 1907
- President: Vladimir Lisin
Kaylee McKeown breaks 100-meter backstroke world record
- Australian Swimmer Kaylee McKeown broke the 100-meter backstroke world record at the Australian Olympic trials.
- The 19-year-old McKeown had a time of 57.45 seconds at the South Australian Aquatic Centre.
- Emily Seebohm came second to qualify for her fourth Olympic Games.
- McKeown beat the previous world record held by the United States swimmer Regan Smith who made the record within a time of 57:57.
CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES
John McAfee, Software Pioneer, Passes away
- On June 23, 2021, the founder of the antivirus software, John McAfee Passed away.
- He was 75.
About John McAfee :
- McAfee became a prominent booster of cryptocurrencies.
- He was a British-American computer programmer, businessman, and two-time presidential candidate.
- In 1987, he wrote the first commercial anti-virus software.
Daily CA On June 25 :
- 25 June of each year is the “Day of the Seafarer”, recognizing the invaluable contribution seafarers make to international trade and the world economy, often at great personal cost to themselves and their families. The theme for 2021 Day of the Seafarer “Seafarers: at the core of shipping’s future”.
- The World Vitiligo Day, observed on June 25, is an initiative aimed to build global awareness about vitiligo. The theme for 2021 is Embracing Life with Vitiligo.
- With an aim to help central government employees who want to construct their own house, the center is offering House Building Advance (HBA) benefits to all central government servants (CGS). The basic interest rate charged on this HBA is 9 percent and the benefit will remain available till 31st March 2022.
- MoTA and NCERT join hands for NISHTHA Capacity Building Programme. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) and the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), recently collaborated on a joint mission for the NISHTHA capacity-building programme for Eklavya school teachers and principals.
- Union minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated and laid foundation stones of road projects worth Rs 6,155 crore in Himachal Pradesh through video conferencing from Manali in Kullu district. The projects included the 39-km-long Parwanoo-Solan section of the NH-22, constructed at a cost of Rs 1,303 crore.
- Karnataka CM announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would lay the foundation stone for the Bengaluru Suburban Rail project within the next three months.
- S&P Global Ratings cut India’s growth forecast for the current fiscal to 5 percent, from 11 percent earlier, and warned of risk to the outlook from further waves of COVID pandemic.
- SBI Card has joined hands with lifestyle retail chain Fabindia by launching contactless co-branded credit cards to cater to the premium segment customers.
- Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMBL)has announced the launch of ‘Pay Your Contact’ an innovative feature on KMBL’s mobile banking app that uses the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platform and allows customers to send money or make payments to any of their contacts across all payment apps simply by entering the beneficiary’s mobile number.
- The State government appointed 41 Honorary Wildlife Wardens (HWWs) across all the districts as per the provision of Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. They have been appointed for a period of two years till June 2023.
- Global payments technology major Mastercard announced the appointment of Nikhil Sahni as the new Division President, South Asia and Country Corporate Officer, India.
- On June 23, 2021, Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Navy commenced two-day Passage exercise. The exercise will be held two days, June 23, 2021 and June 24, 2021. It is the joint operational passage exercise with the US Navy Carrier Strike Group in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
- On June 22, 2021, the International Energy Forum (IEF) informed India that it has agreed to host the 9th Asian Ministerial Energy Roundtable (AMER9) in 2022.
- Under the Ministry of Power, NTPC Limited, organised a two-day workshop on Green Hydrogen. The event will be anchored by India’s state-run power major NTPC. The online event will be held through a video conference from June 22, 2021 to 23, 2021.
- The Indian Institute of Technology Madras, has launched a ‘Centre for Research on Start-Ups and Risk Financing’ (CREST).
- Out of 46 countries, India ranked 31 in the Reuters Institute Digital News Report, 2021. Finland had the highest levels of overall trust in news (65%) while the US had the lowest levels of trust (29%).
- On June 23, 2021, Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju launched India’s Official Olympic Theme Song ‘Lakshya Tera Samne Hai‘ for the Summer Games in July-August. Mohit Chauhan has composed and sung the song. The event was organised by Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
- On June 24, 2021, Former Philippine President Benigno Aquino Passed away.
Daily CA On June 26 :
- The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is a United Nations International Day against drug abuse and the illegal drug trade. It has been observed annually on 26 June, since 1989.
- The United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture – 26 June is an international observance held annually to speak out against the crime of torture and to honour and support victims and survivors throughout the world.
- The Gujarat government announced ‘Gujarat Electric Vehicle Policy 2021’ to promote use of electric vehicles in the state. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani stated it aims to bring at least 2 lakh electric vehicles on the state roads in the next four years.
- The Delhi government has developed a portal through which families of COVID19 victims will apply for Mukhyamantri COVID19 Pariwar Aarthik Sahayata Yojana to avail financial assistance. Under the scheme, an ex gratia of Rs 50,000 will be provided to those who have lost a family member to coronavirus.
- The government of Odisha and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has joined hands to improve household food and nutritional security by strengthening livelihood initiatives, reaching thousands of state-supported Women’s Self-Help Groups (WSHGs).
- Microsofthas officially unveiled Windows 11, a new iteration of Windows that promises a host of visual upgrades, as well as new behaviours to the basic OS experience. The new Windows 11 will be released as a build for Windows Insiders next week.
- The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), apex body to manage Central backed Skill India or the National Skills Development Mission of India campaign has announced a tie-up with global digital platform, WhatsApp, to launch the ‘Digital Skill Champions Program’ to train youth on digital skills, and make them employment ready.
- State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender, launched a new healthcare business loan ‘Aarogyam’ on June 24, in order to provide greater support to the healthcare sector amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
- 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.
- Executive Director of the National Dairy Development Committee (NDDB) Meenesh Shah has been assigned additional responsibilities for the position of chairman of the dairy body for six months. The Shah took on an additional charge as chairman of the NDDB in force on June 1, 2021 after the term of Warsaw of Joshi ended on May 31, 2021.
- The Central government declared Smart City awards 2020 in which Indore (Madhya Pradesh) and Surat (Gujarat) won the award jointly for their overall development. Whereas Uttar Pradesh emerged on the top among all states, followed by Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu under the Smart City award, 2020.
- The Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) won the Airport Council International’s (ACI) Director General’s Roll of Excellence honour for Airport Service Quality.
- Leading fertilizer cooperative IFFCO stated it will set up a nano urea liquid manufacturing plant in Argentina in partnership with two agencies — Instituto Nacional de Asociativismo Y Economia Social (INAES) and Cooperative Confederation of Argentina ‘Cooperar’.
- Denmark signed the framework agreement of the International Solar Alliance Framework Agreement (ISA FA) and Instrument of Ratification with India, informed Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.
- On June 24, 2021, The subsonic cruise missile ‘Nirbhay’ was successfully test-fired off the Odisha coast. Nirbhay is a subsonic cruise missile designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the Ministry of Defence.
- China plans to send its first crewed mission to Mars in 2033. It is a long-term plan to build a permanently inhabited base on the Red Planet and extract its resources.
- “NTPC is the only PSU to consistently feature in India’s Top 50 Best Workplaces. This year NTPC ranked 38th up from 47th position last year. It also won its first-ever recognition of India’s Best Employers among Nation-Builders 2021”.
- A new species of skittering frog Euphlyctis Kerala has been identified from the surroundings of the Thattekkad bird sanctuary.
- On June 24, 2021, Tokyo-bound shooter Saurabh Chaudhary won a bronze medal at the 10m air pistol event at the ISSF World Cup in Osijek.
- Australian Swimmer Kaylee McKeown broke the 100-meter backstroke world record at the Australian Olympic trials.
- On June 23, 2021, the founder of the antivirus software, John McAfee Passed away.