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Virgin Atlantic partners with TCS
- Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has expanded its strategic partnership with Virgin Atlantic help the UK’s leading airline embark on a new phase of recovery and growth.
- The partnership will enhance technology operations where TCS will enable Virgin Atlantic to leverage the best of Microsoft Azure through a series of technology and business transformation initiatives.
Kenya receives 750 M loan from World Bank
- Kenya has received a 750-million US Dollar loan from the World Bank to support its budget and help the East African economy recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The disbursement is part of World Bank’s Development Policy Operations DPO, which lends cash for budget support instead of financing specific projects.
- The World Bank forecasts Kenya’s economy will grow 4.5% in 2021.
Appointments:
- The US Senate has approved the historic nomination of Pakistani-American Zahid Quraishi to the District Court in New Jersey, making him the first Muslim federal judge in the country’s history.
- Mahindra Group has announced the appointment of Pratap Bose as the Executive Vice President and Chief Design Officer to lead its newly formed Global Design organization.
Assam launches schemes for Covid orphans
- Assam govt on 10 June 2021 introduced welfare schemes for children orphaned by Covid and those who have lost their spouses to the virus.
- Children will receive a fixed deposit of ₹7.81 lakh with a monthly interest of ₹3,500 till they attain the age of 24.
- Women will receive a one-time grant of ₹2.5 lakh and ₹300/month widow pension.
Iran regains voting rights in UN
- Iran regained its voting rights in the United Nations General Assembly on 11 June 2021 after making the minimum payment on its UN dues.
- Iran lost its voting rights in the 193-member General Assembly in January 2021 because it was more than two years in arrears.
- It owed a total of more than $65 million to the world body.
Nagaland introduces PCV for below 5-yrs age
- Nagaland has introduced the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine, PCV for children below five years of age in the state under the Universal Immunization program.
- With this, Nagaland has become the 8th state in the North East to introduced the PCV for children.
- The new vaccine PCV is to prevent deaths among children under five years of age against Pneumococcal disease.
Mango Promotion Programme begins in Bahrain
- A week-long Indian Mango Promotion Programme began in Bahrain on 11 June 2021.
- Total 16 varieties of the Mango including three Geographical Indications certified are on display.
- The mangoes were sourced from farmers in Bengal and Bihar by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) registered exporter.
Dr. Harsh Vardhan inaugurates Public Library
- Union Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan on 11 June 2021 inaugurated the newly revamped Hardayal Municipal Heritage Public Library at Chandni Chowk in Delhi.
- The library consists of rare collections such as the Persian Mahabharata, translated by Abul Fazl and composed in the court of Emperor Akbar.
- It has also archived copies of the Delhi Gazette from 1917 till 1988.
Obituaries:
- Prominent neurologist Dr Ashok Panagariya died of post-Covid complications in June 2021. He was awarded the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2014.
- Renowned Kannada Dalit poet and activist Siddalingaiah has passed away. He was a Member of Legislative Assembly in 1988, and in 2006, he became the chairperson of the Kannada Development Authority.
Education Ministry releases AISHE report
- The Ministry of Education has released the All Indian Survey of Higher Education (AISHE) report 2019-20.
- The report revealed that the number of Institutes of National Importance has increased from 75 in 2015 to 135 in 2020.
- The number of PhDs has also increased by 60 percent in the last five years.
- As per the AISHE report 2018-19, BTech and MTech programmes had seen a dramatic fall.
1st international maritime services cluster
- Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) will be setting up India’s first international maritime services cluster at GIFT City in Gujarat.
- The Maritime Cluster will be developed as a dedicated ecosystem comprising of ports, shipping, logistics services providers, and pertinent government regulators.
- GIFT City is India’s first operational smart city and International Financial Services Centre (IFSC).
SBI unveils Kavach Personal Loan scheme
- The State Bank of India (SBI) has introduced a collateral-free loan called ‘Kavach Personal Loan’ for its customers facing financial stress due to COVID treatment-related expenditures.
- SBI, under the scheme, is providing collateral-free personal loans of up to Rs 5 lakh at an 8.5% annual interest rate.
- It is aimed at helping customers meet medical expenses for COVID-19 treatment.
Guidelines for development of e-content
- The Minister of Education has released the guidelines for the development of e-content for children with disabilities (CwDs).
- According to the guidelines, e-content for CwDs should be developed based on the four principles namely: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.
- It should comply with accessibility standards: national standards (GIGW 2.0) and international standards.
New rules for restaurants announced
- Starting October 2021, all restaurants and food businesses will have to declare their 14-digit FSSAI license or registration number on cash receipts and purchase invoices.
- This was announced by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on June 10, 2021.
- This would help customers file complaints against eateries easily in case of any irregularities.
Delhi Police inks MoU with RRU
- The Delhi Police has inked an MoU with the Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU).
- It has been signed for mutual cooperation and sharing of resources and expertise in the area of academics, research, and training.
- Both will assess and focus on specific requirements of Delhi Police and the RRU regarding training, research, and extension programs including other areas of mutual interest.
Uganda scraps controversial social media tax
- Uganda has scrapped the controversial social media tax in the 2021/2022 financial year budget.
- Amos Lugoloobi, Designate Minister of state for finance in charge of planning, has repealed the 200 shillings (0.05 U.S. dollars) excise duty imposed on the use of social media.
- The govt has instead introduced a direct tax of 12% on airtime and mobile internet data in the East African country.
Assistance of ₹5000 for artists in Rajasthan
- Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot has announced to provide one-time assistance of ₹5,000 to the artists in the state who are facing financial problems due to the pandemic.
- With this decision, about 2,000 artists who are financially weak and needy will get relief.
- The assistance amount will be provided through the Artists Welfare Fund.
India and Kuwait sign MoU
- India and Kuwait have signed an MoU.
- The MoU brings the Indian domestic workers in Kuwait within the scope of a legal framework that streamlines their recruitment and provides them with the protection of the law.
- It seeks to establish a mechanism for 24-hour assistance to domestic workers.
- It also provides for the establishment of a joint committee for periodic review and assessment.
1st edition of ‘MSME Honours’ announced
- Tally Solutions has announced the launch of ‘MSME Honours’.
- It is an initiative to celebrate the diversity of change-makers driving real impact in society and the economy.
- These honors will be given out once a year on the occasion of International MSME Day (27th June) and are applicable to all types of businesses with a turnover of fewer than 250 crores and valid GST registration.
BRO sets up 2 centres of excellence
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has inaugurated two centres of excellence of the Border Roads Organisation in Delhi.
- These have been set up to foster growth in the construction of roads, bridges, airfields, and tunnels and ensure road safety.
- One of the centres will institutionalise the knowledge gained by the BRO over the years in the development of almost 60,000 km of roads.
Vivi Nagar gets D.Litt from Khairagarh Univ.
- Dr. Vidhi Nagar, a Kathak dance teacher from BHU’s Faculty of Music and Stage Arts, has been given a D.Litt degree from Indira Gandhi Sangeet University, Khairagarh.
- She is the first woman to get D.Lit in the field of Kathak dance.
- In the year 2013, she won the Academy Award.
- She has also written a novel ‘Kathakputli’ program which shows the closeness of two styles of dance.
Child labour rises to 160 million
- The number of children in child labor has risen to 160 million worldwide.
- The data was given in a new report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNICEF.
- The report warns that progress to end child labour has stalled for the first time in 20 years, reversing the previous downward trend that saw child labour fall by 94 million between 2000 and 2016.
World Day Against Child Labour: 12 June
- World Day Against Child Labor is commemorated every year on June 12 to raise awareness about the social evil of promoting and hiring children for labor.
- Act now: end child labor – is the theme of World Day Against Child Labour 2021.
- New global estimates and trends on child labour (2016-2020) will be released on the occasion, under the aegis of Alliance 8.7.
Mylab signs Akshay Kumar as brand ambassador
- Biotechnology company Mylab Discovery Solutions has appointed actor Akshay Kumar as its brand ambassador.
- The Pune-based firm, which has a presence across many verticals like diagnostics, food safety, agriculture, veterinary medicine, has recently launched the country’s first COVID-19 self-test kit, CoviSelf.
- Kumar will play a vital role in educating people about the use of it.
Swami Shivamayanandaji passes away
- Vice-President of Ramakrishna Math and Mission Swami Shivamayanandaji passed away in June 2021.
- Swamiji joined the order in Belur Math in 1959 and received ”Sanyas Diksha” from Swami Vireshwaranandaji Maharaj in 1969.
- Born in Bihar on December 20, 1934, Swamiji was a disciple of Swami Vishuddhanandaji Maharaj.
3-D seismic data used by scientists
- Deep down in the ocean, marine sediments move over the base of the ocean, shaping the probability of geohazards.
- Scientists have now used 3D seismic data to understand the interaction between the bottom surface of marine sediments and the seafloor in the northern Taranaki basin offshore New Zealand.
- This can help apprehend the precursors of marine geohazards.
Aerosol particles formed frequently
- Scientists tracing the concentration, size, and evolution of aerosol particles smaller than 3 nanometres at an urban location in India have found the frequent formation of sub-3nm aerosol particles in the atmosphere.
- This has critical importance as a major fraction of these newly formed particles can reach sizes of cloud condensation nuclei where they have climatic impacts.
3 enterprises selected for joint R&D
- 3 Indian startups have been selected to undertake joint R&D and technology transfer projects under the India-Russia Joint Technology Assessment and Accelerated Commercialization Program.
- Two of the selected companies – Prantae Solutions and Jayon Implants are being funded under joint R&D Projects.
- The third company, Ananya Technologies, has been funded for technology adoption from Russia.
CSIR gets regulatory approval
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and Laxai Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., have been given regulatory approval from the Drugs Controller General of India.
- They will undertake a two-arm phase-II clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy of the drug Colchicine in the improvement of clinical outcomes during the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
Ajinkya Investment offloads 1% stake
- Ajinkya Investment & Trading Co. has sold a 1% equity stake in Bharat Forge Ltd, the automotive forgings maker, via an open market transaction.
- It sold 4.66 million equity shares or 1% of the total paid-up equity in Pune-based forgings giant at an average price ₹750.80 per share.
- The stake sold was worth ₹349.57 crore.
- Ajinkya Investment held 4.22% stake in the company as of March 2021.
Defence Minister approves a policy
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the policy on archiving, declassification and compilation/publication of war/operations histories by the Ministry of Defence.
- The policy envisages that each organisation under the Ministry of Defence will transfer the records to the History Division of the Ministry of Defence for proper upkeep, archival and writing the histories.
Flipkart partners with Telangana govt
- Flipkart has partnered with the Telangana government to lead a consortium tasked with the development and execution of the drone deliveries of medical supplies to remote areas under the ‘Medicines from the Sky’ project.
- Flipkart will deploy drones and enable deliveries of vaccines and medical supplies.
- These efforts will be complemented with technologies such as geo mapping.
ICMR to start 4th national serosurvey
- The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will start work on the next nationwide Covid-19 serosurvey in June 2021.
- Sero survey is used to determine the prevalence of coronavirus antibodies in the community.
- This will be the fourth serosurvey conducted by the ICMR in the country that would begin in 70 districts and will also include children aged six years and above.
Moody’s downgrades Delhi Airport ratings to B1
- Moody’s Investors Service has downgraded Delhi International Airport Ltd’s (DIAL’s) corporate family rating and senior secured ratings to B1 from Ba3.
- It has also downgraded DIAL’s baseline credit assessment to b1 from ba3.
- At the same time, Moody’s has downgraded Cliffton Ltd’s senior secured bond rating to B1 from Ba3.
- Cliffton Ltd is an orphan special-purpose vehicle.
Education Ministry develops an online module
- The Education Ministry has developed an online module for compiling out-of-school children’s data identified by each state and UT and map it with Special Training Centres on the PRABANDH portal.
- A quarterly progress report and a user manual had also been shared on the samagra siksha portal in order to assess the scheme on a timely basis.
Central Athlete Injury Management System
- Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has launched the Central Athlete Injury Management System for streamlining the sports medicine and rehabilitation support offered to the athletes.
- It aims to provide the best sports injury management support nearest to the athlete’s geographical location.
- It will start with support for athletes who are a part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme.
Children in Tigray at high risk of death
- About 33,000 severely malnourished children in the Tigray region of Ethiopia are at high risk of death, the UN children’s agency UNICEF has warned.
- Tigray has been devastated by fighting between government forces and rebels, with 1.7 million people displaced since the conflict began in Nov 2020.
- An UN-backed study found that 353,000 people in the region were living in severe crises.
44th GST Council meeting held
- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman chaired the 44th meeting of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council on 12 June 2021.
- At its meeting on May 28, the GST Council had recommended full exemption from IGST on a number of specified COVID-19 related goods such as medical oxygen, oxygen concentrators, COVID-19 vaccines, etc.
- The exemption is valid up to August 31, 2021.
Bdelloid rotifer survives 24,000 years
- A microscopic multi-celled organism has returned to life after being frozen for 24,000 years in Siberia, according to new research.
- Scientists dug up the animal known as a bdelloid rotifer from the Alayeza River in the Russian Arctic.
- The new study was published in Current Biology.
- Previous research said they could survive frozen for up to 10 years.
Virender Sehwag launches website ‘CRICURU’
- Former India opener Virender Sehwag has launched the cricket coaching website “CRICURU” with an aim to redefine the learning experience for budding players.
- The curriculum for each player has been developed by Sehwag along with former India batsman and coach Sanjay Bangar.
- It is the country’s 1st AI-enabled coaching website that aims to offer a personalized learning experience for the younger player.