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Kyndryl names Lingraju as India President
- Kyndryl has appointed Lingraju Sawkar as President for its India operations.
- Kyndryl is the independent public company that will be created following the separation of IBM Corp.’s Managed Infrastructure Services business.
- Prior to this appointment, Sawkar had been the General Manager of IBM Global Technology Services for India/South Asia.
US hands Bagram Airfield to Afghans
- After nearly 20 years, the U.S. military left Bagram Airfield, the epicenter of its war to expel the Taliban and to find the al Qaida perpetrators of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America.
- The airfield was handed over to the Afghan National Security and Defense Force in its entirety.
- The U.S. will also have about 6,500 troops in Afghanistan to protect its sprawling embassy in the capital.
Additional carbon sequestration by 2030
- Environment and Forest Minister Prakash Javadekar informed on 1 July 2021 that India has taken a target of creating additional 2.5 billion tonnes carbon sequestration by 2030.
- In the last seven years, the tree cover within and outside the forest has grown by 15,000 square kilometres.
- He also flagged off Van Mahotsav on the same day.
- Van Mahotsav was turned into a national activity in 1950.
Capacity building workshop organised
- The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in partnership with UNICEF held a capacity building workshop on 1 July 2021.
- It was organised for media professionals and health correspondents of northeastern and southern states on the current COVID situation in India.
- Professionals from Assam, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Meghalaya, Telangana, Karnataka, etc. participated in the workshop virtually.
U’khand govt cancels Kanwar Yatra for 2nd year
- The Uttarakhand government has decided to cancel the annual Kanwar Yatra yet again.
- This is the second year in a row that the pilgrimage will stay cancelled.
- During the yatra, Kanwariyas or Shiva devotees fetch the holy waters of Ganga from Haridwar to offer at the Shiva temples in their respective areas.
- The state cabinet has also decided to partially open the Char Dham yatra for locals.
World Bank increases Covid-19 vaccine fund
- The World Bank has increased its Covid-19 vaccine fund for developing countries by $8 billion to $20 billion.
- In addition, the bank’s private financing arm has secured a 600 million euro package for a South African vaccine manufacturer to ramp up production.
- The $20 billion will be available by 2022 to finance vaccine distribution as well as cold chains and training health workers.
Ujjivan SFB partners with LoanTap
- Ujjivan Small Finance Bank has partnered with LoanTap to provide personal loans to salaried professionals.
- This is part of Ujjivan SFB’s API banking initiative, through which over 150 APIs (Application Programming Interface) are available offering fast and secure tie-ups.
- This collaboration aims to extend the bank’s services to its customers via LoanTap’s fast and convenient platform.
Indian Navy athlete qualifies for Olympics
- Indian Navy’s ace athlete MP Jabir qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in 400m hurdles on 1 July 2021 after he clocked 49.78s to win gold at the recently concluded Inter-State Athletics Championships in Patiala.
- Jabir qualified through the World ranking quota where there are 14 spots available.
- He would be the first Indian male athlete to participate in the 400m hurdles in Olympics.
Finance Ministry, Microsoft join hands
- Finance Ministry and software major Microsoft have entered into a strategic partnership.
- They will build an AI and emerging technologies Centre of Excellence at Arun Jaitley National Institute of Financial Management (AJNIFM).
- The proposed centre of excellence will serve as a central body for research, AI scenario envisioning and technology-led innovation.
Pakistan Army inducts VT-4 battle tanks
- The Pakistan Army has formally inducted the first batch of the China-made VT-4 battle tanks into its armory.
- Produced by Chinese state-owned armored vehicle manufacturer, Norinco, the delivery of VT-4 tanks from the manufacturer began in April 2020.
- Pakistan is the third country to have bought these tanks from China after Thailand and Nigeria.
Railways opens freshwater tunnel aquarium
- In a first, an aquatic kingdom has been set up at a Bengaluru Railway station.
- It is based on the Amazon River concept.
- From rare species of fish to exotic marine plants, the facility can be visited with an entry fee of just ₹25.
- The one-of-its-kind aquatic park has been developed by Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation Ltd (IRSDC) in collaboration with HNi Aquatic Kingdom.
Shalina D Kumar nominated as Federal Judge
- US President Joe Biden has nominated Indian-American Circuit Court Chief Judge Shalina D Kumar as a Federal Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan.
- Shalina would be the first federal judge of South Asian descent in Michigan.
- She was appointed Chief Judge of the Circuit Court by the Michigan Supreme Court in January of 2018.
Report on UDISE 2019-20 released
- Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ has released the report on United Information System for Education Plus (UDISE) 2019-20 for School Education in India.
- As per the report, Gross Enrolment Ratio at all levels of school education has improved in 2019-20 compared to 2018-19.
- Enrolment of girls from primary to higher secondary has increased substantially by over 14 lakh in 2019-20.
India jumps 3 spots up in start-up ranking
- India has jumped three spots up in the global start-up ranking for 2021.
- India stands at the 20th spot among the top 100 countries that have been ranked in the Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2021 by Startup Blink.
- Like 2020, the US, the UK, Israel, Canada, and Germany are in the top five spots for 2021 too, and continue their lead.
Crop Insurance Awareness Campaign launched
- The Crop Insurance Awareness Campaign for Fasal Bima Yojana was launched on 1 July’21.
- It was launched during the Crop Insurance Week as a part of the Government’s India@75 campaign ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, commemorating 75 years of India’s Independence.
- Fasal Bima Yojana aims to provide security cover to each farmer.
- From 1 to 7 July 2021, the government is celebrating Crop Insurance Week.
V.R. Chaudhari takes charge as IAF Vice Chief
- Air Marshal VR Chaudhari took over as the new Vice Chief of Air Staff (VCOAS) on July 1, 2021, with the retirement of Air Marshal HS Arora.
- Air Marshal Chaudhari was Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOCinC) of Western Air Command since August 1, 2020.
- He succeeds Air Marshal H.S. Arora, who retired on June 30, 2021, after over 39 years of service.
Anshula Rao given a 4-year ban
- Madhya Pradesh allrounder Anshula Rao has been handed a four-year ban by the National Anti-Doping Agency for failing a dope test, backdated to July 2020.
- Rao thus becomes the first woman cricketer to have been punished for doping.
- The U-23 cricketer took 19-Norandrosterone, a performance-enhancing steroid, knowingly and intentionally.
- She tested positive for the steroid in March 2020.
IRCTC to operate Bharat Darshan train
- The Indian Railways has decided to operate a special train in August 2021 covering several top tourist destinations, including seven Jyotirlingas.
- Under this, Bharat-Darshan special train will be operated by IRCTC from August 24 to September 5, 2021.
- Along with this, passengers will also get a chance to visit the Statue of Unity, Parli Vaijnath, Dwarkadhish Temple, and Sabarmati Ashram.
World’s tiniest technology developed
- Israeli researchers have engineered the world’s tiniest technology, with a thickness of only two atoms.
- The new technology enables the storage of information in the thinnest unit known to science in one of the most stable and inert materials in nature.
- It is expected to improve future electronic devices in terms of density, speed, energy consumption, and efficiency.
2nd edition of UDYAM 4.0 NAYI DISHA conference
- NASSCOM Centre of Excellence successfully organised the 2nd edition of the virtual conference on UDYAM 4.0 NAYI DISHA, on 30 June 2021.
- Disha stands for Digital Innovative Solutions for Helping Atmanirbharta.
- It was organised with support from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Gujarat Department of Science & Technology (DST), and the MSME Department.
Ram Van Gaman Marg’s draft ready
- The draft of the proposed ‘Ram Van Gaman Marg’ has been prepared by the Public Works Department in Uttar Pradesh.
- The project seeks to retrace the path believed to have been taken by Lord Ram on his way to exile with Sita and brother Lakshman.
- The route is to be developed till Chitrakoot via Sultanpur, Pratapgarh, Shringverpur Dham, Manjhanpur, and Rajapur.
Korean Air: 2021 Airline of the Year
- Korean Air has been selected as the “2021 Airline of the Year”, called the Oscar in the aviation industry by Air Transport World (ATW).
- The awards ceremony will be held in Boston on October 5, 2021.
- ATW forms global judges team consisting of editors and analysts to select the best airline every year by comprehensively evaluating various factors.
- It started in 1974 and 2021 is 47th.
China declared malaria-free by WHO
- China was officially certified ‘malaria-free’ by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 29 June 2021.
- It has become the second country in the Asia Pacific region to get the tag, after Sri Lanka in 2016.
- China has now maintained zero indigenous malaria cases for four consecutive years, down from an estimated 30 million cases and 300,000 deaths per year in the 1940s.
Reenat Sandhu: Secretary (West) in MEA
- Reenat Sandhu has assumed charge as Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
- Sandhu, a 1989-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, succeeded Vikas Swarup who retired on 30 June 2021 after 35 years of service.
- Prior to taking over the charge as Secretary, she was holding the post of Additional Secretary (Indo-Pacific, South and Oceania) at the headquarters of the MEA.
GroupM appoints Karthik Shankar as Head
- GroupM India, WPP’s media investment group, has announced the appointment of Karthik Shankar as Head of digital trading.
- Shankar will be responsible for leading digital trading and partnerships for GroupM India.
- GroupM India consists of six agencies including Wavemaker, MediaCom, Mindshare, mSix, Motivator, Essence, and speciality services.
National Postal Worker Day: 1 July
- National Postal Worker Day is celebrated every year on 1 July across the globe.
- The day is celebrated to recognize the efforts and hard work of postal employees that they put into their service.
- The day was first commemorated in the US in 1997.
- The day is also dedicated to creating awareness about the contributions of postal workers to keeping the lines of communication open.
World UFO Day: 2 July
- July 2 is observed as the World UFO Day every year.
- UFO stands for Unidentified Flying Objects.
- A common definition of UFO is something that is visible in the sky but not identifiable with any known object or natural phenomena.
- National UFO Reporting Centre (NUFORC) – a US-based UFO sighting and investing agency – reported over 1,800 instances of UFO sightings in Massachusetts recently.
National Horticulture Board Centre inaugurated
- The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has opened the National Horticulture Board (NHB) centre in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.
- NHB is mandated for integrated development of hi-tech commercial horticulture and post-harvest management/cold chain infrastructure in the country,
- It has centers/offices at various locations of the country and at least one centre is there almost in each state.
CMPDI and CCL ink MoA
- An MoA (Memorandum of Association) was signed between Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI) and Central Coalfields Ltd (CCL), Ranchi on 1 July 2021 for the development of Solar Power projects.
- This MoA will open a new path for CIL in becoming a Net Zero Energy company.
- CMPDI is a fully owned subsidiary of Coal India Limited.
Sanjeev Kumar: Deputy Chief of the Army Staff
- Lt Gen Sanjeev Kumar Sharma will be the new Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy).
- The post was created in 2020 to oversee the 1.3 million-strong Army’s operations and intelligence directorates.
- Lt Gen Sharma succeeds Lt Gen Paramjit Singh who became the first DCOAS(Strategy) earlier in 2021.
- Lt Gen Sharma is serving as the Director-General of Military Intelligence.
CCI approves merger of Tech Data Corporation
- The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the merger of Tech Data Corporation with SYNNEX Corporation (SYNNEX).
- SYNNEX, founded in 1980, is a corporation formed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, U.S.A.
- It provides technology products and solutions for information technology (IT) systems to resellers and retail customers.
CCI approves acquisition of SB Energy Holding
- The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the acquisition by Adani Green Energy Limited of SB Energy Holding Limited.
- Adani Green is engaged in the business of power generation through renewable energy.
- It is a part of the Adani group, which is an Indian multinational conglomerate comprising of six publicly traded companies.
7th Indian Ocean Naval Symposium held
- The 7th edition of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), a biennial event, was hosted by the French Navy at La Réunion from 28 June to 1 July 2021.
- IONS was conceived by the Indian Navy in 2008.
- The chairmanship of IONS has been held by India, UAE , South Africa, Australia, Bangladesh, and Islamic Republic of Iran.
- France has assumed the Chairmanship on 29 Jun 21 for a two-year tenure.
BR Krishna: AOC-in-C of Western Air Command
- Air Marshal BR Krishna has taken over as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) of Western Air Command on 1 July 2021.
- The Air Marshal was commissioned in the IAF in Dec 1983 as a Fighter Pilot.
- In recognition of a gallant act in the air, he was awarded Shaurya Chakra in 1986 and for the distinguished service rendered, the Air Marshal was awarded Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2017.
Titan Company onboards new CPO Swadesh Behera
- Swadesh Behera has taken charge as Chief People Officer, Titan Company, with effect from July 1, 2021.
- Prior to this, Behera was Senior Director–HR at Boston Scientific Corporation (BSC).
- His erstwhile experience includes spearheading the Human Resources function in large Multinational and Indian organizations like Boston Scientific Corporation, Merck, Ranbaxy, Coke, and Tata Steel.
Committee set upon directions of NCLT
- An executive team led by Jairam Sridharan of Piramal Retail Finance has been set up on the directions of the National Company Law Tribunal.
- It has been set up to transfer Dewan Housing Finance Ltd (DHFL) to its acquirer, Piramal Capital and Housing Finance Ltd (PCHFL).
- The committee is working on several aspects of the implementation of the Settlement Plan.
Boeing appoints Brian West as CFO
- Boeing Co has named former General Electric (GE) Executive Brian West as its Chief Financial Officer.
- West, who will take charge on Aug. 27, 2021, spent 16 years at GE, where he served as CFO of its aviation and engine services businesses.
- Boeing has named Senior Vice President Dave Dohnalek as interim Financial Chief until West takes over.
Edelweiss Services to sell its 70 pc stake
- Edelweiss Financial Services will exit the insurance broking business by selling its 70% stake in Edelweiss Gallagher Insurance Brokers Ltd for Rs 307.60 cr.
- Edelweiss Gallagher is a subsidiary, engaged in the business of insurance broking to Arthur J Gallagher & Co.
- Gallagher, who previously held 30% in the business, will now be acquiring all the remaining shares, taking its stake to 100%.
India, Pak exchange lists of prisoners
- India and Pakistan exchanged the lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in their custody, on 1 July 2021.
- The lists were exchanged through diplomatic channels simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad.
- India handed over lists of 271 Pakistani civilian prisoners and 74 fishermen in India’s custody.
- Pakistan has shared lists of 51 civilian prisoners and 558 fishermen in its custody.
LIC launches Saral pension plan
- The Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India on 1st July 2021 launched the Saral pension plan.
- It is a non-linked, non-participating, single premium, individual immediate annuity plan.
- This LIC Saral pension plan offers two annuity options to the policyholders after a one-time lump sum amount payment.
- It also offers a loan facility to the policyholder after six months of the plan purchase.