Daily GK Update- 5th Jun, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Government launches YUVA PM Scheme for Mentoring Young Authors: The Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education has launched a new initiative called ‘YUVA- Prime Minister’s Scheme For Mentoring Young Authors’. YUVA stands for Young, Upcoming and Versatile Authors. It is an Author Mentorship programme to train young and budding authors, below 30 years of age to promote reading, writing and book culture in the country, and project India and Indian writings globally.

About the scheme:

(1) The National Book Trust, India under the Ministry of Education will be the Implementing Agency for the scheme.

(2) A total of 75 authors will be selected through an All India Contest, that will be conducted through https://www.mygov.in/ from 1 June – 31 July 2021.

(3) The young winning authors will be trained by eminent authors/mentors.

(4) A consolidated scholarship of Rs.50,000 per month for a period of six months per author will be paid under the Mentorship Scheme.

Note: Chairman of National Book Trust, India: Govind Prasad Sharma.

 

2. Govt announces scheme to provide pension for dependents of Covid victims: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Government of India has announced two major measures for those families who have lost the earning member due to Covid, to mitigate financial difficulties that may be faced by them. Firstly, the government have decided to provide family pension to such families and secondly, provide them with enhanced &liberalised insurance compensation.

Key Facts relating to the schemes:

(1) Family Pension under Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC): Dependent family members of such persons will be entitled to get the benefit of a pension equivalent to 90% of the average daily wage drawn by the worker as per the existing norms. This benefit will be applicable with effect from 24 March 2020 till 24 March 2022.

(2) Employees Provident Fund Organization- Employees’ Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme (EDLI): The insurance benefits under the EDLI scheme have been enhanced and liberalized, particularly to help the families of employees who have lost their lives due to COVID. The amount of maximum insurance benefit has been increased from Rs 6 lakh to Rs. 7 lakh. The provision of minimum insurance benefit has been retained at Rs. 2.5 lakh. This benefit will apply retrospectively from 15 February 2020 for the next three years, that is 15 February 2022.

 

3. IIT Guwahati researchers design “smart windows” to cut carbon emissions: IIT Guwahati researchers have developed a “Smart Window” material that can effectively control the amount of heat and light passing through it in response to an applied voltage. This material can help in developing automatic climate control systems in buildings. Such materials can help develop efficient automatic climate control systems in buildings, the scientists claimed. This study was recently published in the journal- ‘Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells. However, achieving such a target is made easier by innovation by DebabrataSikdar, an assistant professor at IIT’s Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, and his research student Ashish Kumar Chowdhary.

 

4. Ravi Shahtri’s Debut Book Titled ‘Stargazing: The Players in My Life’: Cricket all-rounder, commentator and coach, Ravi Shastri is now making his publishing debut, as he has penned a book titled ‘Stargazing: The Players in My Life’. The book is being published by HarperCollins India. It is been co-authored by AyazMemon. It is expected to be released on June 25, 2021. In the book, Shastri has written about some 60 extraordinary talents he has met from across the world who have inspired him.

 

5. Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt receives UAE’s Golden Visa: The UAE government awarded Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt with its Golden Visa. The Golden Visa system essentially offers long-term residency to people with outstanding talents. In 2019, UAE implemented a new system for long-term residence visas enabling foreigners to live, work & study there without the need of a national sponsor & with 100% ownership of their business. As per reports, Sanjay Dutt is the first mainstream to receive the Golden Visa. The visas have a validity of either 5 or 10 years and are renewed automatically.

Note: UAE Capital: Abu Dhabi; UAE Currency: United Arab Emirates dirham; UAE President: Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. WHO names Covid-19 variants first found in India as ‘Kappa’ and ‘Delta’: The UN health agency, World Health Organisation (WHO), has given easy-to-say labels to two variants of the Covid-19, first found in India. The two variants are B.1.617.1 and B.1.617.2. The B.1.617.1 variant of the Covid 19 has been named as ‘Kappa’ while the B1.617.2 variant is named as ‘Delta.’ The naming of these variants do not aim at replacing the existing scientific names of these #SARSCoV2 Variants of Concern (VOCs) & Interest (VOIs), but is aimed at helping the public discussion about VOI/VOC.

Note: WHO was established on 7 April, 1948; WHO is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland; WHO current President is DrTedrosAdhanom Ghebreyesus.

 

2. World Environment Day: 5th June: World Environment Day is observed globally on 5th June every year. This day is observed to raise awareness about protecting the environment and to remind people not to take nature for granted. The day provides an opportunity to broaden the “basis for an enlightened opinion and responsible conduct by individuals, enterprises, and communities in preserving and enhancing the environment.” The theme of this year’s World Environment Day is ‘Reimagine. Recreate. Restore.’ as this year marks the beginning of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Pakistan is the global host for the day to highlight the importance of ecosystem restoration this year.

World Environment Day History:The first time World Environment Day was celebrated in 1974 with the slogan “Only one Earth”. In 1972 the conference was held on Human Environment which began from 5th to 16th June at United Nations.

 

3. International Day for the Fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing: 5th June: International Day for the Fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing is organized every year on 5th June. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities are responsible for the loss of 11–26 million tonnes of fish each year, which is estimated to have an economic value of US$10–23 billion.

History of the day: In 2015, the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean of the FAO proposed that an initiative be launched to declare an International Day for the Fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing. Following extensive consultations, a proposal was submitted to the attention of the thirty-second session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries. In December 2017 the UN General Assembly in its annual resolution on sustainable fisheries proclaimed 5 June as the “International Day for the Fight Against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing.”

Note: Food and Agriculture Organization Head: Qu Dongyu; Food and Agriculture Organization Headquarters: Rome, Italy; Food and Agriculture Organization Established: 16 October 1945.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Pooja Rani Wins 75kg Gold for India in 2021 Asian Amateur Boxing Championships: India’s Pooja Rani won the gold medal in the 75kg Women’s Middle category final at the 2021 Asian Amateur Boxing Championships, in Dubai. She was the lone Indian woman boxer to strike gold at the 2021 Asian Championships. Indian women secured overall ten medals, including one gold, three silver and six bronze.

Silver Medal Winners:

Mary Kom – 51 kg Flyweight

Lal BuatSaihi – 64 kg Light welterweight

AnupamaKundu – 81+ kg Heavyweight

Bronze Medal Winners:

Monika – 48 kg Light flyweight

Sakshi Chaudhary – 54 kg Bantamweight

Jasmine – 57 kg Featherweight

Simranjit Kaur – 60 kg Lightweight

LovlinaBorgohain – 69 kg Welterweight

Saweety Boora – 81 kg Light heavyweight

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI cancels licence of ShivajiraoBhosaleSahakari Bank: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled the licence of Pune-based ShivajiraoBhosaleSahakari Bank. The bank ceases to carry on banking business, with effect from the close of business on May 31. The bank does not have adequate capital and earning prospects. As such, it does not comply with the provision of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. The RBI observed that the bank with its present financial position would be unable to pay its present depositors in full. The bank was placed under RBI Directions from the close of business on May 4, 2019.

With the cancellation of licence and commencement of liquidation proceedings, the process of paying the depositors of the bank as per the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC). Act, 1961, will be set in motion. As per the data submitted by the bank, more than 98 per cent of the depositors will receive full amounts of their deposits from DICGC.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Pharmeasy acquires Medlife to create India’s largest online pharmacy: Pharmeasy has announced the acquisition of rival Medlife, thereby creating India’s largest online pharmacy. The deal will make PharmEasy the largest player in the domestic online pharmacy sector, with the combined entity set to serve 2 million customers a month. The deal values the stake of Medlife shareholders at $250 million. Medlife customers need to log in to the PharmEasy app to start using their Medlife account via the same mobile number. All their digitised prescriptions and saved addresses dating back to a year will be available on the PharmEasy app.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Utah Jazz’s Jordan Clarkson wins 2021 Sixth Man of the Year: Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson has won the 2020-21 Kia NBA Sixth Man Award for his contributions in a reserve role. This is the first Sixth Man honour for Clarkson, who becomes the first player to win the annual award with the Jazz. Clarkson becomes the first player in Jazz franchise history to win the award and was presented the trophy by his teammate and fellow Sixth Man of the Year Finalist Joe Ingles. Clarkson received 65 first-place votes and earned 407 total points from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former Danish Prime Minister PoulSchlueter Passes Away: Former Denmark’s prime ministerPoulSchlueter, who negotiated exemptions for his country to a key European Union(EU) treaty has passed away. He was born on 3 April 1929 in Tonder, Denmark. Schlueter served as the prime minister of the country from 1982-1993. 

Daily GK Update- 4th Jun, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Government reconstitutes empowered group on Covid-19: Centre has reconstituted the six Empowered Groups into ten groups to tackle the COVID situation in the country. Highlights:

(1) The decision is aimed at further improving the efforts in catering the current need of COVID management. NITI Aayog Member (Health) Dr VK Paul will head the Emergency Management Plan Group and the ten-member panel on Vaccination.

(2) Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan will be the convener of the Empowered Group on Emergency Response Capabilities. It will look into the issues related to hospitals, equipment and medicines. A separate Empowered Group has been formed under the chairmanship of Road and Transport Secretary, GiridharAramane on oxygen production, import and other related issues.

(3) Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Balram Bhargava has been made the convener of the panel on COVID testing, while NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant will head the group which will take care of work of private sector, NGOs and international organisations.

(4) Economic and Welfare Measures group which has been tasked with emerging issues related to growth and employment, will be headed by Department of Economic Affairs Secretary Ajay Seth.

(5) Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla will be the convenor of 12 member Empowered Group on Pandemic Response and Coordination.

(6) An 11 member group headed by Information and Broadcasting Secretary Amit Khare will look after the steps on information, communication and public engagement.

 

2. CRPF DG Kuldiep Singh gets additional charge of NIA: Director-General of Central Reserve Police Force, Kuldiep Singh has been given additional charge of Director General of National Investigation Agency, NIA. He will hold the additional post after 31st or this month after the superannuation of Y C Modi. The Ministry of Home Affairs assigned the additional charge to Singh, a 1986-batch West Bengal cadre officer, who has been handling the post of CRPF Director General since March 16 this year. He has been appointed as DG, CRPF up to September 30, 2022–the date of his superannuation.

Note: National Investigation Agency Headquarters: New Delhi; National Investigation Agency Founder: Radha Vinod Raju; National Investigation Agency Founded: 2009.

 

3. CBSE launches Young Warrior movement to combat Covid-19: CBSE launched a nationwide Young Warrior movement to engage 5 million young people to fight against Covid-19. This movement is expected to impact 50 million people. The Board has launched the movement together with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, YuWaah-UNICEF, and a multi-stakeholder consortium of over 950 partners.

About the programme:

(1) Students and teachers between the ages of 10 and 30 years can join this movement to safeguard themselves, their families, their communities, and the country!.

(2) The movement will comprise a series of easy and real-life tasks with the Young Warriors earning a UNICEF certificate for their participation and completion of tasks.

(3) The tasks include promoting access to verified health and essential services, vaccine registration, Covid appropriate behaviours, myth-busting etc.

(4) These tasks will be hosted in 10 regional languages to protect themselves, their families and their neighbourhood against Covid-19.

Note: CBSE Chairman: Manoj Ahuja; CBSE Head Office: Delhi; CBSE Founded: 3 November 1962.

 

4. A book title “Languages of Truth: Essays 2003-2020” by Salman Rushdie: A book titled “Languages of Truth: Essays 2003-2020” authored by Salman Rushdie. In his new book, Rushdie attempts to perform a defensive castling move. He suggests his work has been misunderstood and mistreated because the literary culture has turned from brio-filled imaginative writing toward the humbler delights of “autofiction,” as exemplified by the work of Elena Ferrante and Karl Ove Knausgaard.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. WHO, Switzerland to launch facility for sharing pathogen samples: The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Swiss Confederation will launch the first facility to share rapidly virus and pathogen samples between laboratories worldwide, as the WHO BioHub Facility was approved through a Memorandum of Understanding. The BioHub laboratory will store and analyse pathogens from across the globe and enhance the rapid sharing of information between labs around the world. The facility will be hosted at the Swiss defence ministry’s biological safety laboratories in the lakeside town of Spiez.

 

2. International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression: 4th June: International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression is observed globally on 4th June every year. This day affirms the UN’s commitment to guard the rights of children. This day is to acknowledge the pain suffered by children throughout the planet who are the victims of physical, mental and emotional abuse. The main aim of celebrating today is to spread the notice about the pain and sufferings faced by the victims as children.

History of International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression: On August 19, 1982, during an emergency session on the question of Palestine, the UN General Assembly, appalled at the amount of innocent Palestinian and Lebanese child victims of Israel’s acts of aggression, decided to commemorate 4 June of every year because of the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Chelsea wins 2020-21 UEFA Champions League Final: Chelsea defeated Manchester City 1–0 in the final, to lift the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League title, on May 29, 2021, played at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto, Portugal. German forward Kai Havertz scored the only goal of the football match. This is the second Champions League title for Chelsea, after winning the first won in 2012.

 

2. IPL 2021 to resume in the UAE in September-October: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed that the IPL 2021 Phase 2 will be held in the UAE during the September-October window. In a Special General Meeting chaired by BCCI president SouravGanguly, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed to the State units that the tournament will have to be shifted out of India on account of ‘monsoon.’

Note: Secretary of BCCI: Jay Shah; President of BCCI: SouravGanguly; Headquarters of BCCI: Mumbai, Maharashtra; Founded: December 1928.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI imposes Rs 10 crore penalty on HDFC Bank: The Reserve Bank of India has imposed a fine of Rs 10 crore on HDFC Bank for deficiencies in regulatory compliance found in the auto loan portfolio of the bank. As per the RBI, HDFC Bank has violated the provisions of section 6(2) and section 8 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

After receiving a complaint from a whistleblower, RBI conducted an examination in the marketing and sale of third-party non-financial products to the bank’s auto loan customers and found that the bank was in contravention of regulatory directions. RBI has imposed the monetary penalty in the exercise of powers vested by the central bank under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Section 46(4)(i) of the Banking Regulation Act.

Note: Headquarters of HDFC Bank: Mumbai, Maharashtra; MD and CEO of HDFC Bank: SashidharJagdishan; The tagline of HDFC Bank: We understand your world.

 

2. Paytm Plans to launch $3-Billion IPO; Biggest Ever in India: Digital payments giant Paytm is planning to come out with an initial public offer worth USD 3 billion later this year. The proposed Initial Public Offer (IPO), if successful, would be the largest such offer. Coal India’s Rs 15,200 crore-IPO in 2010 is the country’s largest one till date. The SoftBank and Alibaba-backed company is looking at raising about USD 3 billion (over Rs 21,700 crore) at a valuation of well over USD 25 billion.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. GST Council forms 8-member panel to examine tax exemption on Covid material: The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council has constituted a group of ministers (GoM) in order to decide on the rates of COVID-19 relief material. Currently, 5% GST is levied on domestically manufactured vaccines, while it is 12% for COVID drugs and oxygen concentrators. Alcohol-based sanitisers, hand wash, disinfectants and thermometers attract 18% GST. An eight-member ministerial panel under the Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma to consider Goods and Services Tax (GST) exemptions on a range of Covid-19 essentials such as vaccines, drugs, testing kits and ventilators. The other members of the group of ministers (GoM) are Gujarat deputy chief minister Nitinbhai Patel, Maharashtra deputy chief minister AjitPawar, Goa transport minister MauvinGodinho, Kerala finance minister KN Balagopal, Odisha finance minister Niranjan Pujari, Telangana finance minister T Harish Rao and UP finance minister Suresh Kumar Khanna.

In the 43rd meeting of the GST Council, the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said a ministerial panel will be constituted to decide on the rates on the vaccines and medical supplies. According to its terms of reference, the GoM will examine the need for GST concession or exemption on Covid vaccines, drugs and medicines for Covid treatment, testing kits for Covid detection, medical-grade oxygen, pulse oximeters, hand sanitisers, oxygen therapy instruments (concentrators, generators and ventilators), PPE kits, N95 masks, surgical masks, temperature checking thermometers and any other items required for Covid relief.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Robert Lewandowski wins Europe’s Golden Shoe award: For the first time in his career, Robert Lewandowski has won the European Golden Boot. The Bayern Munich striker scored an incredible 41 goals in 29 Bundesliga appearances to claim the top scorer spot in Europe. It’s truly been an incredible campaign from Lewandowski who was also able to break Gerd Muller’s 49-year single-season scoring record en route to becoming the European Golden Boot winner. In second place was Lionel Messi who registered 30 goals during Barcelona’s La Liga campaign. Right behind Messi in third place was Cristiano Ronaldo

 

DEFENCE

 

1. NSA Doval commissions Indian Coast Guard’s ship Sajag: National Security Advisor (NSA), AjitDoval has commissioned the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) Sajag, which has been constructed by Goa Shipyard Limited. Sajag is the third in a series of five offshore patrol vessels indigenously designed in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ vision. The indigenously-built ship is fitted with advanced technology equipment, weapon and sensors capable to carry a twin-engine helicopter and four high-speed boats.

Note: Director-General of Indian Coast Guard: Krishnaswamy Natarajan; Indian Coast Guard Headquarters: New Delhi. 

Daily GK Update- 3rd Jun, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. B.V.R. Subrahmanyam to be Commerce Secretary: The appointments committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, Chief Secretary Jammu & Kashmir as an officer on special duty in the Department of Commerce. An order issued by the Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. MrSubrahmanyam is a 1987 batch IAS officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre and was sent on deputation to Jammu and Kashmir in June 2018. He served as Chief Secretary when the State was bifurcated into two Union Territories in 2019. He is a widely experienced bureaucrat having worked in Manmohan Singh Prime Minister’s Office as Joint Secretary.

 

2. Manipur CM launches MHIM Mobile App for home isolation patients: Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh launched Manipur Home Isolation Management (MHIM) Mobile Application for home isolation patients. The Mobile App can be downloaded from mhim.in from the midnight will also be available on Google Play Store soon. The Mobile App has been developed with a mission to avail real time health data and information of Home Isolation COVID-19 patients at monitoring level. With this App, patients can upload their health status including Pulse rate, SPo2, Body Temperature and Blood Pressure among others using fixed parameters at fixed intervals as set by the Health Department from time to time.

 

3. J&K LG launches Scheme ‘SASCM’ for families lost bread earner: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha, launched a special financial scheme for families who lost their sole earning members due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Under the scheme, called ‘सक्षम’ or ‘Special Assistance Scheme for Covid Mortalities (SASCM)’, cash assistance of Rs 1,000 per month shall be provided to the spouse and the eldest member of the family. Apart from this, the scheme provides for a scholarship of Rs 20,000 per annum for school-going students and Rs 40,000 per annum for college-going students. A family in distress shall be eligible for scholarship for two children, if they are not getting any other scholarship. The assistance is not limited to above.

 

4. Centre to provide monetary assistance to students through DBT under Mid-Day Meal Scheme: The Union Government has decided to provide monetary assistance to students through Direct Benefit Transfer under the Mid-Day Meal Scheme. The Union Education Minister Ramesh PokhriyalNishank has approved the proposal to provide monetary assistance to Rs. 11.80 crore to students as a special welfare measure. This measure of the Union Government will benefit children studying in Class one to eight in the Government and Government aided schools across the country.

 

5. Tamil Nadu govt announces ₹5 lakh fixed deposit for children who lost parents to Covid: The Tamil Nadu Government has announced that an amount of Rs. 5 lakh would be deposited on the account of each orphaned child and would be given to the child with interest when the child attains 18 years of age. The Government stated that the orphaned children would be given priority in Government homes and hostels. The Government would take care of their education fees. The statement also said that families who have been left with single parents due to Covid will also be given an immediate benefit of Rs. 3 lakh to enable them to take care of their children.  The Government also plans to pay Rs 3000 per month to the relatives who have the custody of the orphaned.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. Louvre gets its first female leader in 228 years: Historian Laurence des Cars becomes the first female president of Musée du Louvre, the world’s largest museum in Paris, France in 228 years. She was appointed as the first female president of Musée du Louvre by the President of France, Emmanuel Macron.

Laurence des Cars, 54, is currently heading the Musée d’Orsay, the Paris landmark museum which is dedicated to 19th-century art. On September 1, 2021, she will replace the current president, Jean-Luc Martinez, who had been heading the Orsay museum for the past eight years.

Note: France Capital: Paris; France President: Emmanuel Macron; France Prime minister: Jean Castex; France Currency: Euro.

 

2. Dr Harsh Vardhan chairs 33rd Conference of Health Ministers of Commonwealth Countries: Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan chaired the opening session of the 33rd meeting of Health Ministers of Commonwealth countries through video conferencing. The theme of the conference was “Commonwealth Response to COVID-19: Ensuring Equitable Access to Vaccines and Building Resilience for Health Systems and Emergencies”. Speaking on the pandemic, the Minister said, it has already run into hundreds of billions of dollars leading to a significant contraction in the global economy. The road to recovery may be hard and shall only pick up pace once the entire world is able to put the pandemic behind together. DrVardhan said, COVAX, the vaccine pillar of ACT Accelerator, aims to deliver at least two billion vaccines by the end of 2021, covering 20 per cent of the most vulnerable population in about 92 Low and Middle-Income countries.

 

3. Samoa swears in its first female PM: Samoa’s first female prime minister took office in an unconventional ceremony outside a locked Parliament, underlining the pacific island’s ongoing constitutional crisis. Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, 64, had to be sworn in with her FAST Party inside a makeshift tent because the doors of Parliament were locked to keep lawmakers from entering. While Fiame emerged from the country’s April 9 election with a narrow margin of support, outgoing Prime Minister TuilaepaSaileleMalielegaoi of the HRP Party has refused to accept the results and step down from his position, which he has held for 22 years.

 

4. World Bicycle Day: 3rd June: United Nations celebrates World Bicycle Day every year on 3rd June to advance the use of the bicycle as a means of fostering sustainable development. The day aims to strengthen education for children and young people, preventing disease, promoting health, promoting tolerance, mutual understanding and respect and facilitating social inclusion and a culture of peace.

The day was declared by the United Nations General Assembly in April 2018. World Bicycle Day is being observed every year to encourage member nations to give particular attention to the bicycle in cross-cutting development strategies and to improve road safety and integrate it into sustainable mobility and transport infrastructure planning and design. It also aims to promote the bicycle among all members of society.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. AIFF Extends Igor Stimac’s Tenure till September, SavioMedeira Named Interim TD: National football team coach Igor Stimac‘s tenure was extended till September by All India Football Federation‘s technical committee, which appointed SavioMedeira as interim technical director in place of the outgoing IsacDoru. While Croatian World Cupper Stimac got extension, Doru did not get one after his contract expired around the same time as the Indian senior team head coach.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. ICICI Bank has collaborated with NPCI to link its ‘Pockets’ digital wallet to the UPI: ICICI Bank has announced the launch of a unique facility of linking a UPI (Unified Payments Interface) ID to its digital wallet ’Pockets’, marking a departure from the current practice that demands such IDs be linked with a savings bank account. This initiative enables users to undertake small value everyday transactions directly from their ‘Pockets’ wallet. Further, customers who already have a UPI ID, will get a new ID when they log on to the ‘Pockets’ app.

This initiative enables users to undertake small value everyday transactions directly from their ‘Pockets’ wallet using UPI in a safe and secure manner. It helps them to streamline the number of transactions being undertaken daily from their savings account and thus de-clutter their savings account statement of multiple entries. Further, it expands the convenient usage of UPI to young adults like college students, who may not have a savings account.

Note: ICICI Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; ICICI Bank MD & CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi; ICICI Bank Tagline: Hum Hai Na, KhayalApka.

 

2. RBI Imposes Rs 10 Cr Penalty on HDFC Bank over Irregularities in Auto Loan Portfolio: The Reserve Bank has imposed a penalty of Rs 10 crore on HDFC Bank for deficiencies in regulatory compliances with regard to its auto loan portfolio. The penalty has been slapped after examining a complaint by a whistleblower regarding irregularities in the auto loan portfolio of the lender.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Tata Digital buys 64% stake in BigBasket: Tata Digital has acquired a majority stake in online grocery BigBasket, a deal that pits the country’s largest conglomerate against entrenched e-commerce players. The digital unit of the salt-to-software group didn’t disclose the financial details of the deal. Regulatory filings showed that it has acquired around 64% stake in Supermarket Grocery Supplies that owns BigBasket. BigBasket board had approved the deal earlier this week and Tata Digital has infused primary capital of $200 million in the egrocer at a post-money valuation of $2 billion.

 

2. FlexiLoans ties-up with Vivriti Capital to disburse Rs 300 crore to MSMEs: Fintech startup FlexiLoans has partnered with Vivriti Capital to disburse working capital loans of more than Rs 300 crores to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Businesses will be able to apply for these loans online and receive in-principal approval within 24- 48 hours digitally without any manual intervention. FlexiLoans said that the partnership has targeted reaching out to over 10,000 MSMEs in the next 12-18 months.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. 3 Indian peacekeepers to be honoured with UN’s prestigious medal: Corporal Yuvraj Singh, civilian peacekeeper Ivan Michael Picardo, and Moolchand Yadav are among those to be honoured with the UN’s prestigious medal. Corporal Yuvraj Singh was serving at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) while civilian peacekeeper Ivan Michael Picardo was associated with UNAMISS as a civil peacekeeper. Moolchand Yadav was associated with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI).

Three Indian peacekeepers, who laid down their lives while serving in United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions last year, are among 129 military, police and civilian personnel honoured with a prestigious UN medal awarded posthumously for courage and sacrifice in the line of duty.India is the fifth-largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN peacekeeping with more than 5,500 military and police serving in peace operations in Abyei, Cyprus, Congo, Lebanon, the Middle East, Somalia, South Sudan and Western Sahara, according to the UN.Daily GK Update- 3rd Jun 2021 

Daily GK Update- 2nd Jun, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Rajnath Singh launches SeHAT OPD portal: RakshaMantri Shri Rajnath Singh has launched the ‘Services e-Health Assistance & Tele-consultation (SeHAT) OPD portal, through video conferencing. The main motive of the portal is to provide telemedicine services to the serving Armed Forces personnel, veterans and their families.

About the Portal: The portal can be accessed at https://sehatopd.in/, to avail the telemedicine services. SeHAT OPD portal is the final version with advanced safety features. The trial version was launched in August 2020 and more than 6,500 medical consultations have already been carried on the beta version.

 

2. Assam CM HimantaBiswaSarma Appoints ‘Guardian Ministers’: Assam Chief Minister HimantaBiswaSarma has appointed ‘Guardian Ministers’ to oversee the implementation of government policy decisions, administrative reforms, and other welfare schemes in all the 34 districts of the state. 13 ‘Guardian Ministers’ have been appointed for all 34 districts in Assam, for balanced, speedy and sustainable developments of these districts. The assigned ministers will be responsible for the implementation of all centrally-sponsored schemes as well as the state’s own priority programmes.

Note: Assam Governor: JagdishMukhi.

 

3. One-year extension for RAW chief SamantGoel, IB head Arvind Kumar: Research and Analysis Wing chief, Samant Kumar Goel and Intelligence Bureau head Arvind Kumar were given a one-year extension in their services. Goel, a 1984-batch IPS officer from Punjab cadre, would continue to be the Secretary of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) for a period one year beyond the presence tenure which ends on June 30. Similarly, Kumar, an IPS officer of Assam and Meghalaya cadre, will continue to head the Intelligence Bureau for a period of one year after June 30.

 

4. IBF to be renamed as Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation: The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), the apex body of broadcasters, is being renamed as Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF), as it expands its purview to cover digital platforms to bring all digital (OTT) players under one roof. IBDF is in the process of forming a new wholly-owned subsidiary to handle all matters pertaining to digital media. IBDF will also form a Self-Regulatory Body (SRB), as per the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 as notified by the Government of India on 25th February 2021.

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. US Senate confirms Christine Wormuth as first female Army secretary: Christine Wormuth was confirmed unanimously by the Senate to be the first female secretary of the Army. Wormuth, who led President Joe Biden’s transition team at the Pentagon, got an overwhelmingly warm reception from members of the Senate Armed Services Committee during a hearing this month. Her confirmation sets her up as one of the more powerful officials in a defence establishment long dominated by men. She is the second woman named to a top Pentagon role by Biden. The deputy secretary of defence is Kathleen Hicks.

Note: President of United States: Joe Biden; Capital: Washington, D.C.

 

2. Bashar Al-Assad Re-Elected as Syrian President for 4th Term: Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad has been re-elected for the fourth straight 7-year term in a landslide victory, winning 95.1 per cent of the total votes cast. The 55-year-old Assad is serving as the 19th President of Syria since 17 July 2000. On the eve of the election, the United States, Britain, France, Germany and Italy said the poll was “neither free nor fair”, and Syria’s fragmented opposition has called it a “farce”.

Note: Syria Capital: Damascus; Currency: Syrian pound.

 

3. Hong Kong woman breaks record for fastest ascent of Everest: Tsang Yin-hung, a Hong Kong-based mountaineer, has created the record of the world’s fastest ascent of Everest by a woman, within the time of just under 26 hours. The 44-year-old Tsang, scaled the 8,848.86-metre (29,031 feet) Everest mountain in a record time of 25 hours and 50 minutes on May 23. It was her third attempt of scaling the Himalayan peak. In 2017, Tsang became the first Hong Kong woman to reach the top of the mountain peak. Before this, the record of fastest woman to conquer Everest was held by Nepali PhunjoJhangmu Lama, who had completed the climb in 39 hours 6 minutes in 2018.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Germany’s FIFA World Cup-winner Sami Khedira announces retirement: Germany’s World Cup-winning midfielder Sami Khedira said he will retire following his club Hertha Berlin’s final match of the Bundesliga season against Hoffenheim. Khedira, 34, began his career at VfB Stuttgart and helped them win the league title in the 2006-07 season before moving to Real Madrid, where he won the league and Champions League in a trophy-laden spell. Khedira went on to win five Serie A titles at Juventus after joining them in 2015 and he played 77 games for Germany scoring seven goals and helped them win the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI Annual Report 2021: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has published its annual report and highlights “asset quality of banks and their preparedness requires close monitoring for higher provisioning for upcoming quarters”. In its annual report, the central bank said the country’s growth prospects now essentially depend on how fast India can arrest the second wave of COVID-19 infections.

RBI Annual Report 2021:

(1) RBI in its semi-annual financial stability report earlier highlighted bad loan ratio of banks could rise to 13.5% under the baseline stress scenario by September 2021.

(2) The Provision Coverage Ratio (PCR) of banks improved from 66.6% in March 2020 to 75.5 % by December 2020, because of prudent provisioning by banks above regulatory prescriptions on accounts availing moratorium and undergoing restructuring.

(3) The capital to risk-weighted assets ratio (CRAR) of banks increased to 15.9% by December 2020, in March it was 14.8%.

(4) In its report, RBI cautioned “banks being lenders will have to provide a true picture of bad loans after Supreme Court lifted the interim stay on classifying non-performing assets (NPA) in March 2021.

(5) According to it, waiver of compound interest on all loan accounts opted for a moratorium during March-August 2020 would put stress on the financial health of banks.

(6) The Gross NPA ratio of banks decreased from 8.2% in March 2020 to 6.8% in December 2020.

(7) The Gross NPA ratio for non-banking financial institutions (NBFCs) increased from 6.8% in March to 5.7% in December 2020.

(8) The capital adequacy ratio of NBFCs increased from 24.8% in December 2020 to 23.7% in March.

(9) Frauds reported by banks fell by 25% in value terms in just one year to Rs 1.38 lakh crore at the end of fiscal year ended March 2021, data released by the RBI as part of it annual report showed.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. IFSCA constitutes an expert committee on Investment Funds: The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has constituted an expert committee on Investment Funds. The Committee has been formed under the Chairmanship of Nilesh Shah, Managing Director of Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Co. Ltd. It will holistically review the global best practices and make recommendations to IFSCA on the roadmap for the fund’s industry in the International Financial Service Centres (IFSCs). The other members of the Committee comprises of leaders from the entire Fund Management ecosystem including from areas such as technology, distribution, legal, compliance, and operations.

About the IFSCA: The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) is based in GIFT City, Gandhinagar in Gujarat. It is a unified regulator to develop and regulate financial products, financial services and financial institutions in the International Financial Service Centres (IFSCs) in India.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Veteran Indian Chemist C.N.R. Rao Receives 2020 International ENI Award: Noted Indian scientist and Bharat Ratna Professor, C.N.R. Rao has been felicitated with the International Eni Award 2020 (also called the Energy Frontier award). The International Eni Award is considered to be the Nobel Prize in Energy Research. He has been conferred the prize for his work on metal oxides, carbon nanotubes and other materials and two-dimensional systems. Professor Rao will be presented the Eni Awards 2020 on 14 October 2021, during an official ceremony held at the Quirinal Palace in Rome. The Eni Award is awarded annually by the Italian oil and gas company Eni to encourage better use of energy sources and increased environmental research.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. Aashritha V Olety is India’s 1st woman flight test engineer: Squadron Leader, Aashritha V Olety is the first and only woman in the IAF qualified for the role, and as a flight test engineer, she will be responsible for evaluating aircraft and airborne systems before their induction into the armed forces. Aashritha V Olety, a native of Karnataka, has graduated as part of the 43rd Flight Test Course.

Note: Air Chief Marshal: Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria; Indian Airforce founded: 8 October 1932; Indian Airforce Headquarters: New Delhi.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Former Union Minister BabagoudaPatil passes away: BabagoudaRudragoudaPatil, farmers leader and former union minister, died in Belagavi. He was 80. He had represented the BelagaviLok Sabha constituency in 1998 as a BJP nominee and served as the rural development minister in Atal Behari Vajpayee’s cabinet. Mr. Patil was at the forefront of the farmers agitation against the new farm laws. He gave a call to farmers to defeat the BJP that had passed `anti farmer laws’. 

Daily GK Update- 1st Jun, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India to launch mobile tech platform ‘UNITE AWARE’ for UN peacekeepers: India will launch ‘UNITE AWARE’, a mobile tech platform for the United Nations Peacekeepers to improve their safety and security in the line of duty. It will be launched during India’s United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Presidency term in August 2021 (Presidency of the UNSC Council is held by each of the members in turn for one month).

About the UNITED AWARE:

(1) UNITED AWARE will increase the situational awareness of the peacekeepers by providing terrain-related information.

(2) India has spent USD 1.64 million on the project and is developing it in partnership with the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations and Department of Operational Support.

(3) The information about the platform was shared by India’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador K Nagaraj Naidu during his virtual address to UNSC Open Debate ‘Peacekeeping Operations: Improving safety and security of peacekeepers.

Note: UN’s  Secretary-General for Peace Operations: Jean-Pierre Lacroix;  UN’s Department of Peacekeeping Operations Headquarters: New York, USA.

 

2. TRIFED and NITI AAYOG to partner to implement the Van Dhan Yojana: TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India), Ministry of Tribal Affairs is set to partner with NITI Aayog for implementation of Van DhanVikas Kendra (VDVK) initiative under Van DhanYojna in 39 Tribal Aspirational districts identified by NITI Aayog. These include districts in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Telangana and Tripura.About the initiative:

(1) Van Dhan tribal start-ups or VDVK is a programme for value addition, branding & marketing of Minor Forest Produces by establishing Van DhanKendras to facilitate the creation of sustainable livelihoods for the forest-based tribes.

(2) Special focus will be on these aspirational districts, where the tribal population is more than 50%.

(3) Through this partnership, NITI Aayog will support TRIFED in the concept of convergence (a collaboration between State & Central Governments, Development partners) for the VDVK Mission with Article 275 (1), DMF (District Mineral Foundations), and Scheduled Tribe Component (STC) of different ministries.

Van DhanYojna or Van Dhan Scheme:

(1) It was launched on 14th April 2018 and is implemented by TRIFED. Van Dhan startups help for the socio-economic development of the tribal population of the country to set up the Van Dhan Kendra.

(2) It is a component of the ‘Mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) through Minimum Support Price (MSP) & Development of Value Chain for MFP’.

(3) The idea is to set up tribal community-owned Van DhanVikas Kendra Clusters (VDVKCs) in predominantly forested tribal districts.

Note: Minister of Tribal Affairs: Arjun Munda.

NITI Aayog Formed: 1 January 2015; NITI Aayog Headquarters: New Delhi; NITI Aayog Chairperson: Narendra Modi.

 

3. Kerala’s new Smart Kitchen Scheme: Chief Minister of Kerala, PinarayiVijayan has announced a secretary-level committee will formulate guidelines and recommendations on implementation of the “Smart Kitchen Scheme” in state to fulfil commitments of the Left Democratic Front (LDF). It aims to account and reduce the workload of women’s domestic labour. Smart Kitchen Scheme will be launched by July 10, 2021. Under the scheme, women of state will be given loan to refurbish their kitchen. Loan will be provided with a low-interest rate in instalment schemes. Scheme seeks to reduce workload of women’s domestic labour.

Note: Kerala CM: PinarayiVijayan; Kerala Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan.

 

4. A new book to raise funds for child rights amid pandemic: Aditya Gupta, a Delhi-based entrepreneur and mountaineer aim to raise Rs 1 crore for COVID-19 relief from the sale proceeds of his recently released book “7 Lessons from Everest – Expedition Learnings from Life and Business”. The coffee-table book, with 350 stunning images spread over 250 pages, is written by Aditya Gupta. The book narrates the author’s experience of scaling Mt Everest at the age of 50 in 2019 and shares the virtues of “preparation, passion, perseverance, mental toughness, and resilience”. The proceeds from the book will be given to NGO Child Rights and You (CRY).

 

INTERNATIONALUPDATES:

 

1. JagjitPavadia elected as president of Vienna based INCB: JagjitPavadia, the former Narcotics Commissioner of India and a retired officer of the Indian Revenue Service (Customs), has been elected president of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB). She is the first Indian to be heading the Vienna-based organization and the second woman to hold this office. The Board will pay particular attention to the timely supply of and access to controlled drugs during emergency situations. It will also continue its work on the development of guidelines for the control and monitoring of cannabis and cannabis-related substances. INCB monitors the compliance of UN Member States with the three international drug control conventions and the functioning of the international drug control system.

Note: International Narcotics Control Board Headquarters: Vienna, Austria; International Narcotics Control Board President: Cornelis P. de Joncheere; International Narcotics Control Board Founded: 1968.

 

2. NASA to send its first mobile robot to search for water on the moon in 2023: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has announced its first mobile robot to the moon in late 2023. The rover will search for ice as well as other resources on and below the lunar surface. Data collected from the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER), as part of the Artemis Programme, will help the scientists in mapping the resources at the lunar south pole that can one day also be harvested for long-term human exploration on the moon. Throughout the Artemis Program, the US Space Agency will be sending humans and robots to explore more of the moon than ever before.

 

3. Global Day of Parents: 1st June: United Nations celebrates Global Day of Parents on the 1st of June every year to honour all the parents throughout the world. The Global Day of Parents recognizes the primary responsibility of the family in nurturing and protecting their children. Hence, the day acknowledges the selfless commitment of all parents for their children including their lifelong sacrifice towards nurturing this relationship. The Global Day of Parents emphasizes the critical role of parents in the rearing of children. The day was designated by the General Assembly in 2012 to honour all the parents throughout the world.

 

4. World Milk Day: 01st June: The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations celebrates World Milk Day every year on 01st June to recognize the importance of milk as a global food, and to celebrate the dairy sector. It aims to encourage people to talk about the advantages of dairy with regards to health including nutrition, accessibility and affordability. This year, our theme will focus on Sustainability in the dairy sector with messages around the environment, nutrition and socio-economics. In doing so we will re-introduce dairy farming to the world.

History of the day: In 2001, World Milk Day was established by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations to recognize the importance of milk as a global food, and to celebrate the dairy sector. Each year since, the benefits of milk and dairy products have been actively promoted around the world, including how dairy supports the livelihoods of one billion people.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Australia’s Jack Miller wins rain hit French MotoGP: Ducati’s Jack Miller held his nerve in a crash-filled MotoGP race in rainy conditions to win the French Grand Prix at Le Mans, with the Australian finishing ahead of local hopes Johann Zarco and Fabio Quartararo. It was Miller’s second consecutive victory following his success in the Spanish Grand Prix earlier this month, making him the first Australian to seal back-to-back wins since Casey Stoner in 2012.

 

2. Sports Ministry gives approval to open 143 Khelo India Centres across 7 states in country: The Sports Ministry has given its approval to open 143 Khelo India Centres across seven states in the country with a total budget estimate of Rs 14.30 crore. The states include Maharashtra, Mizoram, Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur. These Khelo India Centres will be entrusted with one sports discipline each. The financial assistance will be used for remuneration of the past-champion athletes as coach, support staff, purchase of equipment, sports kits, consumables, participation.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. PFRDA crosses Rs 6 lakh crore AUM: The pension Assets Under Management (AUM), under Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority, PFRDA has crossed six lakh crore rupees. Subscribers’ contribution to National Pension Scheme and Atal Pension Yojana has built up six lakh crore rupees of pension assets after 13 years. The Assets under Management, AUM growth of last one trillion rupees has been achieved in just 7 months.

 

2. SEBI doubles overseas investment limit of AIF, VCF to $1,500 million: Markets regulator SEBI doubled the overseas investment limit of alternative investment funds and venture capital funds to USD 1,500 million. This move would allow greater Indian participation in global companies and would accelerate the growth of the Indian AIF industry overall. Currently, Sebi-registered alternative investment fund (AIF) or venture capital fund (VCF) are permitted to invest overseas, subject to an overall limit of USD 750 million.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Zeta becomes 14th Indian unicorn this year after SoftBank funding: Banking technology startup, Zeta has raised $250 million from Japanese investment major SoftBank at a valuation of $1.45 billion. Zeta has become the 14th Indian startup to cross the valuation of $1 billion in 2021. SoftBank’s Vision Fund II was the source of the investment. The company’s value has increased by more than threefold as a result of SoftBank’s investment.

The company operates in North America, Latin America, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia. At present Zeta works with 10 banks and 25 startups including HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, Yes Bank, Sodexo RBL Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, IndusInd Bank, and SBM Bank India, across eight countries. With Zeta, financial institutions can leverage a modern, cloud-native platform and improve speed to market, agility, cost to income ratio and user experience.

Note: Zeta Founded: April 2015; Zeta Headquarters: Bangalore, India; Zeta Founders: BhavinTurakhia, RamkiGaddipati.

 

2. Tata Communications launches ‘S.H.E’ to promote entrepreneurship, education and wellbeing of women: Tata Communications, a global digital ecosystem enabler has announced the launch of the ‘School of Hope and Empowerment’ (S.H.E.) at the 2021 UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development. S.H.E., a multi-media, multi-stakeholder impact communications initiative is designed in collaboration with The Better India, an impact driven Indian digital media platform, to support and educate women from small towns in India to overcome key barriers to entrepreneurship. S.H.E. includes a series of short films highlighting challenges faced by women in becoming entrepreneurs, such as gender stereotypes, family commitments, financial and societal constraints, and lack of self-belief.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen conferred with Spain’s top award: Indian economist and Nobel Laureate, Amartya Kumar Sen has been conferred with the ‘ 2021 Princess of Asturias Award’ by Spain in the social sciences category. Princess of Asturias Awards is annual prizes awarded by the Princess of Asturias Foundation in Spain to individuals, entities or organizations from around the world who make notable achievements in the sciences, humanities, and public affairs.

The 87-year-old Sen was selected from 41 candidates of 20 nationalities for “His research on famines and his theory of human development, welfare economics and the underlying mechanisms of poverty have contributed to the fight against injustice, inequality, disease and ignorance”. The award comprises a cash prize of 50,000 Euros along with a Joan Miro sculpture representing and symbolising the award, a diploma and insignia.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Author and Art Curator AlkaRaghuvanshi Passes Away: Author And Art Curator AlkaRaghuvanshi passed away. She was India’s first trained art curator, having trained at the Goldsmiths College, London and the Museum of Modern Art in Oxford. She has curated and designed over 25 major exhibitions many of which travelled to other parts of the country and the world.