Daily GK Update- 6th Jun, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. PM Modi announces Rs 10 Lakh PM CARES Fund for kids orphaned due to COVID: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a number of welfare measures for children who lost their parents to COVID-19. All children who have lost either both parents or surviving parents or legal guardians or adoptive parents due to COVID-19 will be supported under PM-CARES for Children scheme. The welfare measures have been listed below:

Fixed Deposit in the name of the child:

(1) The government has announced the “PM-CARES for Children” scheme under which fixed deposits will be opened in the names of such children from the PM-CARES fund.

(2) The total corpus of the fund will be Rs 10 lakh for each child.

(3) This corpus will be used to give a monthly financial support/ stipend when the child reaches 18 years of age, for the next five years to take care of his or her personal requirements.

(4) Upon reaching the age of 23 years, the child will get the corpus amount as one lump sum for personal and professional use.

Education:

(1) Children under 10 years will be given admission to the nearest KendriyaVidyalaya or in a private school as a day scholar.

(2) Children between 11-18 years of age will be given admission to any central government residential school such as Sainik School and NavodayaVidyalaya.

(3) For higher education, children will be assisted in obtaining education loan for professional courses or higher education in India according to existing norms. The interest on this loan will be paid from the PM-CARES fund.

Health Insurance:

(1) Each child will be enrolled as a beneficiary under Ayushman Bharat Scheme (PM-JAY) with a health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh.

(2) The premium amount for these children will be paid by PM CARES, till they attain the age of 18 years.

 

2. Madhya Pradesh Government launches ‘Ankur’ scheme: In Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan government has launched a scheme named ‘Ankur’ under which citizens will be awarded for planting trees during monsoon. Citizens taking part in this initiative will be given the Pranvayu Award, to ensure public participation in the programme.

Under the scheme:

(1) A sapling plantation campaign will be carried out during the monsoon.

(2) Participants will have to upload a picture while planting the sapling and then upload another photograph after taking care of the sapling for 30 days.

(3) The winners will then be selected from each district, following a verification, to get the Pranvayu Award.

(4) Citizens can participate in the tree plantation drive by registering themselves on the Vayudoot app, which has been launched by the state for managing the activities of the “Ankur” program.

Note: Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj Singh Chouhan; Governor: Anandiben Patel.

 

3. IFFCO introduces world’s first ‘Nano Urea’ for farmers across world: Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) has introduced the world’s first Nano Urea Liquid for farmers across the world. According to an official statement issued by IFFCO, the world’s first Nano Urea Liquid was introduced in its 50th annual general body meeting held in the online-offline mode in India.

About the Nano Urea Liquid:

(1) The Nano Urea Liquid has been indigenously developed after many years of research by its scientists and engineers through a proprietary technology developed at Nano Biotechnology Research Centre, Kalol, in line with ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘AtmanirbharKrishi’.

(2) The Nano Urea Liquid has been found effective and efficient for plant nutrition which increases the production with improved nutritional quality.

(3) It will also have a huge positive impact on the quality of underground water, very significant reduction in global warming with an impact on climate change and sustainable development.

Note: IFFCO Headquarters: New Delhi; IFFCO Founded: 3 November 1967, New Delhi; IFFCO Chairman: B.S Nakai; IFFCO MD & CEO: Dr U.S Awasthi.

 

4. A book title ‘Savarkar: A contested Legacy (1924-1966) authored by VikramSampath: Decorated historian and author VikramSampath has come out with the second and concluding volume of the book on the life and works of Veer Savarkar titled “Savarkar: A contested Legacy (1924-1966)”. The book will hit the stands on July 26, 2021, under the publication of Penguin Random House India. The first volume, “Savarkar: Echoes from a Forgotten Past” was released in 2019 and covered Savarkar”s life from his birth in 1883 to his conditional release from prison in 1924. The second volume will bring to light the life and works of VinayakDamodarSavarkar, from 1924 to 1966, the year he died.

             

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. Isaac Herzog Elected as President of Israel: Veteran Israeli politician, Isaac Herzog, has been elected as the President of the country on June 01, 2021, during the 120 members parliamentary election for 2021. The 60-year-old Herzog will be the 11th President of Israel, assuming office with effect from July 09, 2021. He will succeed Reuven Rivlin, who is set to complete his tenure in July 2021 after seven years in office.

Note: Prime Minister of Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu; Israel Capital: Jerusalem; Israel Currency: Israeli Shekel.

 

2. UN Russian Language Day: 06 June: The UN Russian Language Day is observed annually on 06 June. It is one of the six official languages used by the United Nations throughout the Organization. The day was established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2010.

6 June is chosen as UN Russian Language Day as it coincides with the birthday of Aleksandr Pushkin, a Russian poet who is considered the father of the modern Russian language. Each of the six official languages has been assigned a day of celebration by the UN’s Department of Public Information in 2010 to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity as well as to promote equal use of all six official languages throughout the Organization.

Note: Russia President: Vladimir Putin; Russia Capital: Moscow; Russia Currency: Russian Ruble.

 

3. World Pest Day: 06th June: Every year, World Pest Day (also sometimes called World Pest Awareness Day) is observed on 06 June. The main purpose of the day is to increase public, government, and media awareness of the important role pest management organization plays in protecting public health, project the professional image of the pest management industry, promote the use of professional pest management in a scientific and socially responsible way and call attention to the big threats caused by small pests.

The first World Pest Day was marked in 2017. World Pest Day was initiated by the Chinese Pest Control Association, and co-sponsored by the Federation of Asian and Oceania Pest Managers’ Association (FAOPMA), the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), and the Confederation of European Pest Management Associations (CEPA).

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. European Shooting Ch’ship: TejaswiniSawant tops MQS section of 50-m rifle prone event: In the European Shooting Championship in Croatia, former world champion TejaswiniSawant topped the Minimum Qualification Score section of the 50-m rifle prone event. The 40-year-old Tejaswini shot 622.7 to finish ahead of three other compatriots and six Iranians. She will represent India in the 50-m rifle 3 positions event at the Olympic Games — her maiden Olympics — in July-August. AishwaryPratap Singh Tomar shot 620.3 to finish second in the field of nine shooters while Sanjeev Rajput scored 619.7.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. TCS opens its first European innovation centre in Amsterdam, Netherland: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) will bring universities, businesses, startups and government together at its latest innovation hub in Amsterdam to help use digital technology to solve sustainability challenges. It will focus on sustainability challenges faced by organisations and becomes the first in a network of hubs, known as TCS Pace Ports, in Europe. About 70 universities globally, more than 2,000 startups, large tech companies such as Amazon and Microsoft, enterprise customers and governments are engaged with the TCS Pace Port network.

Note: TCS CEO: Rajesh Gopinathan; TCS Founded: 1 April 1968; TCS Headquarters: Mumbai.

Netherland capital: Amsterdam; Netherland currency: Euro.

 

2. Tata Steel’s T.V. Narendran takes over as CII president: Tata Steel Ltd chief executive officer and managing director, T.V. Narendran has taken over as president of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for 2021-22. He takes over the leadership of the industry body from Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd managing director and chief executive officer Uday Kotak, who has completed his term. Narendran, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, has been associated with the CII for many years. He was the chairman of CII eastern region during 2016-17 and has led the industry body’s national committees on leadership and human resources, besides being chairman of CII Jharkhand.

Note: Confederation of Indian Industry Founded: 1895.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. WHO honoursDr Harsh Vardhan for efforts in tobacco control: World Health Organisation (WHO) has awarded Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan with `WHO Director-General Special Recognition Award` for his accomplishments in the area of tobacco control. Every year, WHO recognises individuals or organisations in each of the six WHO Regions for their accomplishments in the area of tobacco control. This recognition takes the form of the WHO Director-General Special Recognition Award and World No Tobacco Day Awards. Dr Harsh Vardhan leadership was instrumental in the 2019 national legislation to ban E-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. NATO Conduct Steadfast Defender 21 war Games: North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is organising “Steadfast Defender 21 war games” military exercises in Europe as tensions with Russia increases. These war games are being organised with the aim of simulating the response of a 30-nation military organisation for the attack on any one of its members. It seeks to test the ability of NATO to deploy troops from America. Top NATO brass insists that the military exercises, involving some 9,000 troops from 20 nations, are not aimed at Russia specifically, but they focus on the Black Sea region, where Russia stands accused of blocking the free navigation of ships.

Note: NATO Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium; NATO Chairman of the NATO Military Committee: Air Chief Marshal Stuart Peach; Member countries of NATO: 30; Founded:  4 April 1949.