Current Affair of June 2020

National

1. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on 30^th June 2020 for setting up of a Waste to Energy Plant. The Waste to Energy Plant will be set up at Delhi’s Okhla. The MoU was signed between South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) and two Maharatna Public Sector Undertaking’s (PSUs) Indian Oil and NTPC Limited.

2. On 30^th June 2020, a Bell 206-B3 Helicopter was flagged off with spray equipment for Air Force Station in Rajasthan’s Barmer from the helipad facility in Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddh Nagar. Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar flagged off the Helicopter.

3. To popularize the use of Statistics in everyday life, every year 29^th June is celebrated as the National Statistics Day. The day 29^th June was chosen to acknowledge the invaluable contributions made by Prof. Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis in establishing the National Statistical System. 29^th June is the birth anniversary of Prof. P.C Mahalanobis.

4. The World’s largest Convalescent Plasma Therapy Trial project was launched on 29^th June 2020 by the Maharashtra State Government. The name of the project is Platina. The project was virtually launched by the Chief Minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray.

5. The State Government of Andhra Pradesh will take up the construction of 3 Million (30 lakh) houses under the YSR Jagananna Colonies project after distributing the house sites to the beneficiaries on 8^th July 2020. Jagananna Colonies is part of the State Government’s Navratnalu- Pedalandariki Illu (houses for all the poor) Program.

6. To control the spread of COVID-19 in the state, the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan has informed that the State Government will launch a campaign called ‘Kill Corona’ from 1^st July 2020 under which door-to-door Survey will be conducted. During the campaign, the highlight will be the number of tests conducted. The campaign will double the COVID-19 testing capacity from 4000 per 10 lakh people to 8000 per 10 lakh people in the state.

7. On 29^th June 2020, a concession agreement was signed between the Kholongchhu Hydro Energy Limited and the Royal Government of Bhutan. The Concession Agreement provides the right to Kholongchhu Hydro Energy Limited to operate the Kholongchhu Hydroelectric Project within the jurisdictions of the Bhutanese Government.

8. To treat COVID-19 patients, on 29^th June 2020 Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced that a ‘Plasma Bank’ will be set up at the National Capital in the next two days. The Plasma Bank will be set up at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS).

9. The United Nations on 6^th April 2017 has adopted a resolution as per which 27^th June to be observed every year as the day of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME). The day was first observed in 2017, this year marks the 4^th MSME Day.

10. For 12,247 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and bigger industrial units (including the textile industry) in the state, the Gujarat Government on 26^th June 2020 has launched an online cash aid initiative. The initiative is named as ‘At One Click’. The initiative was launched by the Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani.

11. As per a 2016 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the State Government of Andhra Pradesh and Gurugram headquartered Apollo Tyres Limited, the company will set up its new manufacturing unit at Chittoor district of the state. The foundation stone of the manufacturing plant was laid on 9^th January 2018 by the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.

12. As a part of one of the five aspects of the revised COVID-19 response plan of New Delhi, the Delhi Government jointly with National Centre for Disease Control will conduct the Sero Survey across the National Capital from 27^th June 2020.

13. In order to make societies across the world free of drug abuse, on 7^th December 1987, by adopting resolution 42/112, the United Nations General Assembly declared 26^th June to be observed as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

14. On 25^th June 2020, a Tripartite Power Purchase Agreement (TPPA) was signed for the construction of the 1124 MW Kohala Hydro Power Project. The agreement was signed in between the Government of Pakistan, Chinese Company- China Three Gorges Corporation (State-owned company of Chinese Government), and Government of Azad Kashmir (Part of Pakistan occupied Kashmir).

15. On 27^th June 2020, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has released an updated Clinical Management Protocol under Dexamethasone was advised as an alternative to Methylprednisolone.

16. By planting a sapling of a Black Plum at Medak districts Narsapur forest is on 25^th June 2020, the Chief Minister of Telangana K Chandrashekhar Rao has launched the sixth phase of the Haritha Haram Programme. The Chief Minister also inaugurated a 636 acre Urban Forest Park at Narsapur.

17. Tripura's Social Welfare and Social Education Minister has announced on 24^th June 2020 that the State Government will launch an ambitious scheme named Mukhyamantri Matru Pushti Uphaar under which nutrition Kits will be provided to pregnant and lactating women.

18. On 25^th June 2020, Under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister of Karnataka BS Yediyurappa the State Cabinet of the Karnataka state government has made amendments to sections of ‘The Karnataka Industries (Facilitation) Act, 2002’. An ordinance will be issued by the state government soon for the amendments to come into effect.

19. As the COVID-19 pandemic has restricted activities and movement of people across the globe, one challenge that has emerged for all the States and as well as Central Government of India is in ensuring safe blood for the citizens who require regular blood donation for blood or bleeding disorders such as hemophilia, etc.

20. On 23^rd June 1894, the International Olympic Committee was founded in Paris. The day 23^rd June was chosen to be celebrated as International Olympic Day to commemorate the foundation day of the International Olympic Committee.

21. On 23^rd June 2020, the Education Minister of Haryana has announced that the Haryana State Government has signed an agreement under the Chief Minister’s Distance Learning Programme with Reliance Industries Limited’s subsidiary company Jio. The agreement signed is to provide education to school children in the rural areas of the state.

22. A virtual inter-sessional ministerial meeting of the proposed free trade agreement of a group of 15 countries from the Indo Pacific region- Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) was conducted on 23^rd June 2020. Apart from the 10 ASEAN countries, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia and China are the 15 countries that are negotiating for the free trade agreement.

23. On 23^rd June 2020, within the next 7 days, the External Affairs Ministry of India has decided to reduce the staff strength of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad by 50% and has also directed the Pakistan Government to implement the same by reducing 50% of its staff from its Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.

24. The Foreign Ministerial level meeting of the Russia-India-China (RIC) was conducted on 23^rd June 2020. The trilateral virtual meeting was hosted by the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The RIC meeting was to commemorate the 75^th foundation anniversary of the United Nations following the conclusion of the Second World War.

25. The world’s first Yoga University outside India was launched on 23^rd June 2020 at United State’s Los Angeles city. The Yoga University has been named after Swami Vivekananda. The university will be known by the name- Vivekananda Yoga University.  The University was launched as a part of the commemorations for the 6^th International Yoga Day.

26. Through the virtual platform, Jitendra Singh (Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region I/C) had inaugurated Border Roads Organisation (BRO) constructed bridges- Devika and Puneja on 24^th June 2020.

27. On 23^rd June 2020, the foundation stone for the first Hindu Temple in Pakistan’s capital city Islamabad was laid. The temple is the first to be constructed in Islamabad since the Independence of Pakistan.

28. To provide pure and nutritious food to the economically weaker sections of the society, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot on 22^nd June 2020 announced 'Indira Rasoi Yojna' (Indira Kitchen Scheme).

29. The Government of India on its way to create an AtmaNirbhar Bharat had allocated Rs 2000 crore for 50,000 Made-in-India ventilators. The entire sum of Rs 2000 crore was allocated from PM CARES Fund Trust.

30. At the centuries-old historic Kamakhya Temple at Guwahati, for the first time in six centuries of record available from 1565, the 5 days Ambubachi Mela will not be organized due by keeping in mind the possibility of spreading the COVID-19 virus.

31. By adopting resolution 57/277 on 20^th December 2002, the United Nations General Assembly designated 23^rd June to be observed as ‘United Nations Public Service Day’ in order to highlight the value and virtue of public service to the community.

32. Organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), the five-day Virtual Healthcare & Hygiene Expo was e-inaugurated on 22^nd June 2020 by Mansukh Mandaviya (Union Minister of State for Chemicals & Fertilizers).

33. The Reserve Bank of India recently announced that the Government of India has discontinued 7.75% savings bonds.

34. To steal personal data (such as bank account details- debit/ credit card information) of Individuals and Businesses across the country, from 21^st June 2020, a large scale phishing attack has been planned by malicious actors. This information asking the citizens to be cautious was issued by the nodal agency responsible to deal with cyber-attack threats in the country- The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In).

35. The 45^th annual meeting of the United States India Business Council (USIBC) will be marked with the 2020 India Ideas Summit. This year’s summit will be held virtually on 21^st and 22^nd July. During the Summit, different sessions are organized, with each session focusing on a particular issue related to India. In every session leaders, diplomats, scholars, senior executives of business companies, think tanks are invited to share their thoughts and opinions.

36. One of the eight subsidiaries of Coal India Limited, Sambalpur headquartered Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) on 20^th June 2020 has informed that the company has prepared a Rs 60,000 crore investment plan for the state of Odisha. At present, about 30 coal mines are operated by MCL in Odisha. In the next few years, the company had set a target to enhance coal production to 300 million tonnes per annum for which it will develop and operate three new MDO (mine, develop and operate) projects in the state.

37. The state government of Jharkhand is likely to become the second state after Kerala in the country to launch a job guarantee scheme that will be on the lines of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA). The scheme unlike MNREGA (which focuses on providing a 100-day job for the Rural poor), will focus on providing 100-day work for the unskilled workers living in the urban areas of the state.

38. Until yesterday, COVID-19 patients who were pre-symptomatic or had mild symptoms were advised to self-quarantine themselves at their homes by staying in a separate room and using a separate toilet. This was as per a notice issued last month.

39. On 11^th December 2014, International Yoga Day was adopted under its Resolution by the United Nations General Assembly following the proposal given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his speech at the General Assembly of the United Nations on 27^th September 2014.

40. To honor refugees across the globe, the United Nations designated 20^th June to be observed as World Refugee Day in its Resolution 55/76 on  4^th December 2000. The first World Refugee Day was observed on 20^th June 2001.

41. In association with the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) and RR Animal Healthcare Limited, at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, kits for diagnosing Covid-19 has been developed by using material that is available in the local market. 3 different types of diagnosis low-cost kits have been developed, they are Ribonucleic acid (RNA) isolation kits, Viral Transport Media (VTM) kits, Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test kits. The materials used for manufacturing the kits are as per the recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

42. Since the outbreak of Covid-19 in India, the testing fees charged has been a point of discussion. On 19^th June 19, 2020, during a hearing at the Supreme Court, it was observed by the bench comprising of Justice S.K Paul, M.R Shah, and Ashok Bhushan that the fee for Covid-19 testing must be uniform or same across the country and has asked the Central Government to fix an upper price cap. As per reports, in some states, people have charged as high up to Rs 4500 while in some other states the charges are as low as Rs 2200.

43. Every year, the United Nations observes World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought on June 17. This year, the day is observed under the theme

44. The Delhi Government is to convert the Radha Soami Spiritua Centre into a COVID-19 care facility. The centre is as large as 22 football fields.

45. After securing 184 out of the total 192 votes on 17^th June 2020, India became a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for a period of 2 years. India’s term will begin on 1^st January 2021. Apart from India, Norway, Kenya, Ireland, and Mexico were also elected for a period of 2 years as non-permanent members.

46. The Khadi and Village Industries Commission is to roll out a project to produce Palamgur and Neera. The initiative is to generate huge employment.

47. A new fish species called Schizothorax sikusirumensis has been discovered in Arunachal Pradesh. The name of the species has been derived from the names of the rivers where the fish was found. They are River Sirum and River Siku.

48. The Railway Board recently informed that the Indian Railways has carried 4,450 Shramik trains so far carrying 6 million migrant workers generating revenue of Rs 360 crores.

49. The Ministry of Earth Science recently released its report “Assessment of Climate Change over Indian Region”. According to the report, the average surface temperature of India could increase up to 4.4 degree Celsius by the end of 2100 as compared to the temperature between 1976 and 2005.

50. On June 16, 2020, the Supreme Court of India issued notice to the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority (IRDA) and the Union Government on providing Health Insurance for mental illness.

51. Every year, the International Day of Family Remittances is observed on June 16 by the United Nations. The day is observed all over the world. This year the day is celebrated under the Theme: Remittances are a lifeline.

52. On June 15, 2020, India joined the Global Partnership of Artificial Intelligence as a founding member.

53. On June 15, 2020, the Indian Council of Medical Research recommended the use of Rapid Antigen test kits along with RT-PCR in containment zones.

54. On June 15, 2020, the Indian Energy Exchange launched the first gas trading platform. The platform was inaugurated by the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan.

55. The Institute of Management Development recently released the World Competitive Index. India ranked 43^rd in the ranking.

56. On June 16, 2020, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development released its World Investment Report, 2020. According to the report, India is the 9^th largest recipient of FDI in 2019.

57. Every year, the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is celebrated on June 15 by the United Nations. The day is celebrated to raise awareness about the neglect and abuse of older persons. It also raises awareness of social, cultural, economic and demographic processes that has impacts on elder neglect and abuse.

58. The first disease diagnostic laboratory is ready to be launched. The mobile laboratory was constructed under the scheme Atma Nirmar Bharat Abhiyan launched by PM Modi.

59. The Government of India recently reconstituted the advisory panel on corporate insolvency resolution and liquidation process.

60. The Union Health Ministry has recently included Remdesivir as a part of investigational therapy and updated Clinical Management Protocol of COVID-19 patients. The ministry has also added loss of taste and loss of smell as two key symptoms of COVID-19 infection.

61. The recent massive fire at the Baghjan Oil field, Assam had caused serious environmental damages and led to migration of 1000s of people in the region. More than 1,610 families are now lodged in 4 relief camps.

62. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research National Health Supply Chain portal called “Arogya Path” was launched to provide real-time availability of health care supplies.

63. The Ministry of Human Resources and Development recently released the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). IIT Madras had topped the list. The NIPER (National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research) institutes this year have shown great improvements in the ranking.

64. The Archaeological Survey team has recently claimed that a 500 year old temple that submerged in the waters of Mahanadi resurfaced.

65. Every year, World Blood Donor Day is celebrated on June 14. The day is celebrated to thank voluntary blood donors and also raise awareness about the need for regular blood donations. This year the World Blood Donor Day is celebrated under the Theme: Safe Blood Saves Lives.

66. The Government of Jammu and Kashmir recently launched the Poultry Policy, 2020. The Government has provided operational guidelines under the policy to promote establishment of poultry units.

67. On June 12, 2020, the Punjab Government has launched “Ghar Ghar Nigrani” mobile application to undertake house to house surveillance to eliminate COVID-19 pandemic.

68. The Uttar Pradesh Government is to make the TrueNat Machines available in all 75 districts to test COVID-19. The ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) had approved the machines to conduct COVID-19 tests earlier.

69. The CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) is to classify railway stations based on the quantity of waste water generated by them and also based on the disposal of untreated water that are drained into the municipal drain systems.

70. iFLOWS is a flood warning system that alerts flood prone areas. The warning is provided 6 to 72 hours in advance. It was launched in Mumbai.

71. The International Labour Organization and the UNICEF have released a report on Child Labour. The report has been released under the Title: COVID-19 and Child Labour: A Time of Crisis, A Time to Act.

72. The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal has formed an Expert Advisory Committee to advise the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA).

73. The Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur recently launched the Panchvati Yojana for senior citizens in the rural areas of the state. Around 100 parks are to be developed in the state under the scheme. The scheme aims to help the senior citizens spend their leisure time in these gardens and parks.

74. The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy recently launched “Jagananna Chedodu” scheme. The scheme is to provide financial assistance to barbers, tailors and washer men.

75. The third phase of Saurashtra Narmada Avtaran Irrigation (SAUNI) scheme was launched by the Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. The scheme is to fill 115 dams with Narmada water by August 15, 2020 and March, 2021.

76. The Nature Research, a division of the popular Springer Nature recently released Nature Index. India secured 12^th rank in the index.

77. The US Government recently released the International Religious Freedom Report, 2019. India has raised its concerns over the report. This was because the report alleged India with discrimination and attacks against religious minorities in the country.

78. On June 11, 2020, the Haryana Government announced that, it will construct 1,000 water recharge bores in the state. The water bores are to be constructed in the water deficient areas of the state.

79. On June 11, 2020, the Ministry of Human Resource Development released National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) for the educational institutions in the country.

80. Every year, the World Day against Child Labour is celebrated on June 12. It was launched by the International Labour Organization, a United Nations body. The World Day against Child Labour was launched in 2002.

81. Every year the Coral Triangle Day is observed on June 9. The Day is observed by the Coral Triangle Initiative.

82. Every year, the World Accreditation Day is celebrated on June 9. The initiative of celebrating the day was launched by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC).

83. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India recently launched food safety index of the year 2019-20. The states of Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra have topped the ranking.

84. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has released the Annual Report 2019-20. The report says that around 11,467 hectares of forest lands have been diverted in 22 states in 2019. The diversion has been made under Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. The diversion was made for 932 non-forestry projects.

85. According to the Mercer’s 2020 Cost of Living Survey, Mumbai is the 60^th most expensive city in the world. Also, it is the 19^th most expensive in Asia.

86. Saffron and Heeng are the most precious and valuable spices in the world. The Institute of Himalyan Bioresource Technology has partnered with the Department of Agriculture, Himachal Pradesh will join hands to boost the production of Heeng and Saffron in India.

87. The National Statistical Office recently released the Periodic Labour force Survey. According to the survey, the percentage of self-employed households in rural India declined from 52.2% to 51.7% in the year 2019.

88. The World Bank in its latest Global Economic Prospect downgraded its projection of growth of India by -9%. However, the World Bank believes that Indian growth is to bounce back in 2021.

89. India is to set up Coal Exchange trading platform soon. According to the proposal to set up the India Coal Exchange platform, the entire coal mined in the country is to be traded on a common platform called “Coal Exchange”.

90. On June 8, 2020, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued distinct colour band for the number plate sticker of BS VI vehicles.

91. The Government of India recently inaugurated the 18^th Bench of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) for the Union territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.

92. On June 8, 2020, the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Anil Bajlal has over ruled the Delhi Government order of reserving government and private hospitals in the Nation Capital only for Delhiites and allow COVID-19 test only for symptomatic patients.

93. On June 8, 2020, the Uttarakhand Governor Baby Rani Maurya assented to declare Gairsain as new summer capital. The Gairsain is also called Bhararisen.

94. The Government of India recently modified public procurement norms. Under the new norms maximum preference is to be given to those goods and services that have 50% or more local content. This has been done to promote “Make in India”.

95. The Government of India has constituted Jaya Jaitly Task Force that will work on the issues of women and child development.

96. Every year, World Oceans Day is celebrated by the United Nations on June 8. The Day is celebrated to remind people all over the world about the importance of oceans in everyday life. This year, the World Oceans Day is celebrated under the Theme: Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean

97. The Chhattisgarh Government recently launched Spandan Campaign. The campaign aimed to contain fratricide and suicide involving police personnel.

98. On June 5, 2020, the Ministry of Urban Affairs released series of advisories on Effective waste management. The advisories were issued as a part of World Environment Day celebration.

99. Every year, on June 7, the World Food Safety Day is celebrated. This World Food Safety Day being celebrated on June 7, 2020 is the second World Food Safety Day.

100. The Supreme Court of India recently ordered to change a plea that requested to change India’s name into Bharat into a representation. The apex court also ordered to forward it to the Union Government, especially the Ministry of Home Affairs.

101. Every year, on June 6, the United Nations celebrated Russian Language Day. This was established by the UNESCO in 2010.

102. On June 5, 2020, the Ministry of Power launched the ‘#iCommit’ initiative on the occasion of World Environment Day.

103. The Government of India recently agreed to convert the Delhi-Amristar-Katra Expressway into a green field project. The highway will connect five historic towns in the state of Punjab. They include Goindwal Sahib, Sultanpur Lodhi, Khadoor Sahib and Tarn Taran.

104. On June 5, 2020, the Union minister of Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari launched the United Nations Development Programme campaign called “Prevention of Human and Animal Mortality on highways”.

105. Ministry of AYUSH has recommended the Arsenicum album, a homeopathic drug. The drug has been recommended for preventive use of COVID-19.

106. On June 4, 2020, the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi approved the Pharmacopoeia commission. The cabinet has approved to re-establish the commission for Indian Medicine and Homeopathy under Ministry of AYUSH.

107. On June 3, the National Statistical Office launched the Annual Report of Periodic Labour Force Survey.

108. On June 3, 2020, the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi approved to set up “Empowered Group of Secretaries”. The group will also have Project Development Cells to attract investments in India.

109. The Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) recently revised Public Procurement Order in order to provide preference to Make in India initiative.

110. Every year the World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5. This year the day is being celebrated under the Theme: Celebrate Biodiversity

111. Every year, International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression is celebrated on June 4. The day was established in 1982 and is marked by the United Nations.

112. The World Bank recently launched the Global Economic Prospects Report, 2020. The report highlighted the impact of COVID-19 on countries.

113. On June 3, 2020, the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi has made historic amendments to Essential Commodities Act. Under the amendment, the regulatory environment has been liberalized for farmers.

114. Every year, World Bicycle Day is celebrated on June 3. The day is celebrated by the United Nations to lay emphasis about the benefits of cycling.

115. Every year, International Sex Workers Day is observed on June 2. The day is being marked to spread awareness on rights of sex workers so that they can lead a life of respect.

116. On June 2, 2020, the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched Delhi Corona App. The application is to provide all required information that are related to ventilators and hospital beds in the city.

117. On June 2, 2020, the Bimal Julka Committee on Rationalization of Film Media operating under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting submitted its report to the ministry.

118. The Department of Science and Technology along with the office of Principal Scientific Adviser to GoI are to jointly formulate National Science Technology and Innovation Policy 2020. The policy is to be formulated in bottom-up, decentralized process.

119. The State of Telangana was formed on June 2, 2014. To commemorate the formation of the state, every year Telangana Statehood Day is celebrated on June 2.

120. Every year World Milk Day is celebrated on June 1 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The day is celebrated to bring awareness and attention to the activities associated with the diary sector.

121. On June 1, 2020, the Union Cabinet approved the changes made to the definition of MSMEs. The Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman had announced about the changes being made to MSMEs while she announced the economic package allocated to Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

122. On June 1, 2020, Indian Energy Exchange launched Real Time Electricity Market (RTM). The main aim of the launch is to help discoms plan their power requirements.

123. On June 1, 2020, the Union Cabinet approved hike of Minimum Support Price of 14 Kharif crops.

124. The think tank of India, NITI Aayog organized convention on agreological and natural farming approaches in the country. The convention was attended by international experts, policy makers.

125. On June 1, 2020, the Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Kendra achieved sales up to Rs 100.40 crores in the first two months of the financial year 2020-21. The sales were high as compared to the sales in the same two months period of 2019-20.

International

1. An investigation conducted by the United States-based news agency Associated Press (AP) has found that the Chinese Government has been running a number of in-human campaigns to slash the birth rates among the minority Muslim population in its country. Experts have labeled this Campaign of China as ‘Demographic Genocide’. Among the Muslim minorities in China, most belong to Uyghurs ethnic groups.

2. A new virus has been discovered by scientists in China that is quite similar to the 2009 Swine Flu that caused a global pandemic. The new strain of the virus is named as ‘G4 EA H1N1 (commonly called G4 virus)’, it has human pandemic potential.

3. The National People’s Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) has unanimously passed the National Security Law for Hong Kong on 30^th June 2020. The three-day meeting of the Standing Committee began on 28^th June, on the first day itself the controversial Bill was fast-tracked for approval, on the last day of the meet all 162 members of the Standing Committee approved the Bill.

4. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on 26^th June 2020 has stated that amid the COVID-19 global pandemic, around 2.4 million (24 lakh) children who are below the age of 5 are facing hunger and malnutrition in Yemen. The global pandemic has further added to a shortage of humanitarian aid in the war-torn nation that is has been struggling with a widespread shortage of essential services, medicines, etc since the beginning of the civil war back in 2015.

5. On 26^th June 2020, Ethiopia’s Water Minister has stated that a consensus had been reached between the three countries(Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt) over the USD 4.5 billion worth Giant Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and the dam will not be filled unilaterally by Ethiopia. Three countries have been involved in continuous negotiations over the years to reach an agreement.

6. On 25^th June 2020, Voting for Constitutional Reforms in Russia had begun amid the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The voting was originally scheduled to be conducted on 22^nd April 2020 had to be rescheduled to 1^st July 2020 following the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Russia. In order to maintain social distancing and prevent any sort of overcrowding, the polling stations were opened a week earlier.

7. On 26^th June 2020, the lower house of the United States Congress the House of Representatives has voted 232-180 in favour of the Bill that would grant the United States capital Washington D.C statehood for the first time since it was created 230 years ago.

8. A coalition led by the World Health Organization (WHO) to combat the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has informed on 26^th June 2020 that it would require USD 31.3 billion in the next 12 months for continuing its fight against the pandemic.

9. A report prepared by Nepal’s Agricultural Ministry’s Survey Department has indicated that China has diverted the flow of rivers in certain areas of the Nepal-China border. These rivers act as a natural boundary between the two countries.

10. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has announced that it will set up its permanent military base in the Indian ocean by March next year. The announcement was made by Alireza Tangsiri on 23^rd June 2020. Alireza Tangsiri is the Navy Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

11. On 21^st June 2019, the mobile internet services were shut down by the Myanmar Government in eight townships of the conflict-hit Rakhine State and in one township in Chin State. Between September 2019 to February 2020 the restrictions were lifted in 5 states but were again reinstated. In Maungdaw township of Rakhine State, the restrictions were lifted on 2^nd May 2020. The internet services for the remaining townships will remain shut down till the 1^st of August 2020, this was announced by the Ministry of Transportation and Communication of the Myanmar Government.

12. During the 3^rd and the last Plenary and Working Groups Meeting of the Global anti-money laundering watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) for the current FATF plenary year on 24^th June 2020, Pakistan again managed to escape from entering the ‘Blacklist’ despite its continuing failure to act against terrorist organizations. The FATF plenary and Working Groups meeting was originally scheduled to be held in Beijing, China, but due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, it was conducted virtually through video conferencing.

13. In the midst of a global pandemic, the Elections Department of Singapore had announced on 23^rd June 2020 that the 2020 General Election will be held on the 10^th of July 2020. This announcement came after President of Singapore, Halimah Yacob had dissolved the ongoing 13^th Parliament of Singapore earlier on the same day.

14. The people’s Republic of China will join the multilateral Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), this was decided during a three-day meeting from 18^th June to 20^th June of the top lawmaking committee in China- Legislative Affairs Committee. China was one of the 23 countries back in 2013 when it abstained from the vote to adopt the treaty at the United Nations.

15. Since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in March 2020, Serbia on 21^st June 2020 became the first country to conduct National Elections in Europe. The Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) coalition, under the leadership of the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic registered one of the largest parliamentary majorities in Europe by winning 191 of the total 250 seats in the Parliament.

16. Delegations from the United States led by Marshall Billingslea and the Russian Delegation under their Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov begin their 2-day talks on 22^nd June 2020 at the capital city of Austria, Vienna.  The talks for extending the nuclear disarmament treaty were in doubt over the last few months as the United States President Donald Trump continued the call for the addition of China in the treaty. The treaty is commonly known by the name ‘START’ treaty.

17. In an effort to compete with the United States Government’s NAVSTAR Global Positioning System (GPS), Russia’s GLONASS, and the Galileo Systems of the European Union, China completed the launch of its final satellite on 23^rd June 2020. The satellite was launched as a carrier with Long March 3 rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre. BeiDou means ‘Big Dipper’ in Mandarin.

18. A group of Islands without inhabitants located at the South China Sea has been a point of disagreement between Japan and China since 1972. The island is known by the name Senkakus in Japan, while in the People’s Republic of China the Islands are known by the name Diaoyu.

19. Following a global economic crisis since the COVID-19 was declared a pandemic back in March 2020, the United States Government has decided to suspend ‘Green Cards and Non-Migrant Work Visas’ till the 31^st December 2020 in an effort to protect jobs for the citizens of the United States.

20. On 28^th May 2020, Beijing passed legislation that empowered the Chinese Parliament to draft security laws for Hong Kong. Now China continues to tighten its grip on Honk Kong by planning to establish a ‘Special Bureau- National Security Office’ in Hong Kong that will have the rights to deal with criminal cases and analyze intelligence that is related to the national security.

21. Following reports of relaxation in lockdown by various major economies around the world, on 19^th June 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that this could lead to a new and dangerous phase of the Covid-19 pandemic. As people and governments across the world are tired of lockdowns, the WHO reminded that the Covid-19 virus spread has accelerated.

22. Within 10 days of the Galwan Valley Clash, the Armed Forces of India and China are set to take part in the 75^th Victory Anniversary of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany at the Red Square in Moscow, Russia on 24^th June 2020. A contingent of 75 all rank personnel from the Tri-service of the Indian Armed Forces will participate in the Parade. The contingent will be lead by a Colonel rank officer of the Sikh Light Infantry Regiment.

23. A violent clash broke out between the Indian and Chinese soldiers recently in the Galwan Valley of Ladakh region. Around 20 Indian soldiers were killed in the face-off.

24. The Pune based Serum Institute of India is to supply Pneumonia vaccine to low-income countries. The Institute is one of the leading manufacturers of vaccines and immunobiological drugs.

25. On June 17, 2020, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) approved 750 million USD loan to India. The fund granted is to be used by the GoI to strengthen battle against the impact of COVID-19 on the poor and vulnerable.

26. On June 15, 2020 India and Nepal signed a Memorandum of Understanding to improve infrastructure of the Pashupatinath temple complex.

27. On June 15, 2020, the Swedish think-tank launched the SIPRI Yearbook, 2020.According to the yearbook, India and China have increased their nuclear arsenal as compared to 2019.

28. The External Affairs Minister of India Shri S Jai Shankar is to hold a joint virtual conference with his Russian and Chinese Counterparts on June 22, 2020.

29. The Astronaut and Oceanographer Kathy Sullivan recently reached the deepest point in the ocean, Challenger Deep. With this she has become the first woman to reach the deepest point in the earth.

30. The third India-ASEAN Youth Dialogue was held between June 8, 2020 and June 10, 2020. The dialogue was held in virtual mode.

31. The Forex Reserves of India are increasing and are to hit 500 billion USD soon. In May 2020, the Indian Forex Reserves touched an all time high of 493 billion USD.

32. An Unmanned submersible, Haidou 1 of China dived deep down to 10,907 metres to the world’s deepest point Mariana Trench. A team of scientists left for an expedition on April 23, 2020. The researchers tested acoustic detection, video transmission, high precision depth detection during the deep-sea diving operation.

33. The Ministry of Power, India and Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Climate, Denmark signed Memorandum of Understanding on Energy Cooperation.

34. The Indian Naval Ship Kesari reached Port Victoria in Seychelles to provide COVID-19 related medicines under Mission Sagar. The Mission Sagar was launched by the Indian Navy to provide COVID-19 related essential medicines. The Government of India under the mission is providing assistance to foreign countries in dealing with COVID-19.

35. The Private secretary of Prime Minister Modi Rajeev Topno was recently appointed as the Senior Advisor to the Executive Director of World Bank. Also, a joint secretary at the Prime Minister Office (PMO) was appointed to the World Trade Organization as an ambassador.

36. A group of eight democracies have launched Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China. It is an international cross-party group of legislators that are working towards reforms on democratic countries approach towards China.

37. On June 6, 2020, the G20 countries pledged over 21 billion USD to fight against COVID-19. The countries have so far injected 5 trillion USD in March 2020 to help fight global economic crisis. The 21 billion USD commitment was made only by the invited members.

38. The current eye-to-eye confrontation between China and India is at the Pangong Tso site. The countries have ramped up their troops in the region since May.

39. India is expected to be elected as member of United Nations Security Council for an eighth term. In order to secure the elected seat, India has launched a brochure that lists the priorities of India at the UNSC.

40. On June 4, 2020, PM Modi participated at the Global Vaccine Summit that was led by the United Kingdom. At the summit, the prime minster announced that India will pledge 15 million USD to GAVI Alliance.

41. Every year, on June 5, the International Day for the fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing is observed by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

42. Russia declared state of emergency after oil spilled into Ambarnaya river. The surface of the river turned crimson red. The Ambarnaya river slows into environmentally sensitive Arctic Ocean. The Thermoelectric power plant located at Norilsk has been built on a permafrost. The permafrost has weakened due to climate change and increase in temperature.

43. On June 4, 2020, Indian PM Modi and the Australian PM Scott Morrison held India’s first virtual bilateral summit. The leaders signed several agreements during their meet and also discussed about the COVID-19 measures being implemented in their respective countries.

44. On June 3, 2020, the World Economic Forum announced that it is to host its next summit in Davos under the theme “The Great Reset”. The forum has named the summit as “A Unique Twin Summit”.

45. India is to join the UK-led virtual Global Vaccine Summit. India will be one among the 50 countries participating at the summit. The summit is being held to raise at least 7.4 billion USD of funds for GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance. The UK is currently playing a larger role. The country had set a Vaccine Task Force to support the COVID-19 Vaccine discovery.

46. On June 4, 2020, the World Health Organization resumed its clinical trials on exploring whether the Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) drug is effective in treating COVID-19. The clinical trial on Malaria Drug HCQ was earlier put on hold by the World Health Organization raising concerns of its efficacy.

47. An agreement has been signed between China and Pakistan to implement Kohala Hydroelectric Power project in the region of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. The project is being implemented under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor.

48. On June 4, 2020, PM Modi will hold a virtual bilateral summit with the Australian PM Scott Morrison. This is the first ever virtual bilateral summit to be held by India.

49. On June 3, 2020, the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi approved the Memorandum of Understanding signed between India and Bhutan. The agreement between the countries was signed to improve cooperation in the field of environment.

50. The US President Donald Trump recently announced that the USA is postponing the G7 summit to September 2020. Also, President Trump intends to expand the G7 group to G10 or G11. On June 2, 2020, US President Trump invited Indian PM Modi to the G7 summit through telephonic conversation. The Leaders discussed India-China recent Stand Off at the Line of Actual control.

51. The Costa Rica and World Health Organization have launched C-TAP. C-TAP is COVID-19 Technology Access Pool. The C-TAP will act as an one-stop shop for information, scientific knowledge and intellectual property for global community. Around 30 countries, institutions and international partners have signed to support C-TAP. It is an initiative that aims to make vaccines, tests, health technologies and treatments.

52. The United States is facing nation wide protests over the death of an African American George Floyd. George Floyd, an African American man of age 46 died after the police arrested him near a shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This has created the current unrest in the country.

53. THAAD is Terminal High Altitude Area Defense. It is a transportable and ground-based missile defense system. China believes that US is exerting its influence over South Korea and Japan. This may interfere China’s long term diplomatic, military and economic interests in the region. China has been reiterating its long-standing objections about the presence of US THAAD missile defence system in South Korea.

Defence

1. The Indian Navy has inducted an Indigenously developed Maareech capable Advanced Torpedo Decoy System on 26^th June 2020. The induction has provided a huge boost to the Indian Navy’s Anti-Submarine Warfare Capabilities.

2. Following the violent Galwan valley clash on 15^th June 2020 and a six-week-long border standoff with the Chinese army, under emergency requirement procurement Rs 500 crore of funds was granted by the Government for the Armed Forces.

3. The House of Representatives in Nepal on 18^th June 2020 had made a constitutional amendment under which the map of Nepal was revised. The revised map surprisingly included three Indian territories as part of Nepal. The 3 areas are- Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura.

4. Earlier during the Indian Air Force Day on the 8^th of October 2019, Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhaduria (Chief- India Air Force) stated about the plans for procuring additional aircraft. Now, following the clashes and intense faceoff along the Line of Actual Control over the last couple of months the proposal for procurement is likely to get its final approval next week. As per media reports, a fast track purchase of 21 additional MiG 29 and 12 Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighter jets with an estimated cost of around Rs 6,000 crore is likely to be made, though the delivery of the fighter jets may take a couple of years from the date of purchase. Since the 2017 Rafael deal, this combined 33 fighter jets will be first to be ordered for the Indian Air Force. India has purchased a total of 36 Rafael fighter jets from French company Dassault Aviation at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore.

5. India is to send its tri-services contingent of all three services namely army, navy and air force to Russia. The contingents are to take part in Victory Day parade to be held in Moscow. Around 75 to 80 personnel are to reach Moscow to take part in the Victory Day parade. This is the first time all the three services of India are participating. Earlier, in 2015 the Indian Army alone took part in the parade.

6. The Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) was inaugurated at the Vishakhapatnam Complex. The DSRV has been designed in such a way that the system can be quickly be mobilized in road or air. This is being done to facilitate submarine rescue operations even in far away locations.

7. The Rajasthan Police recently arrested two civil defence employees in Jaipur based on Military Intelligence inputs. They were arrested upon the input that they were passing sensitive information to Pakistan spy agency ISI (Inter Service Intelligence). The information was passed under Operation Desert Chase.

8. The Indian Air Force recently developed Airborne Rescue Pod for Isolated Transportation (ARPIT). The pod is to be used to evacuate critical patients that are suffering from COVID-19.

9. The roads near the border areas are of great importance in the current situation when Indian and Chinese armies are confronting each other in the eastern Ladakh region.

10. On June 5, 2020, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police launced twin commands in Guwahati and Chandigarh ti supervise its deployment of troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

11. On June 2, 2020, the Ministry of Defence placed indents on OFB (Ordnance Factory Board). This has been done to boost Make in India initiative. The indents have been placed for the supply of 156 BMP Infantry Combat Vehicles to be used for mechanized forces of Indian Army. The ICVs are to be manufactured by the Ordnance Factory located in Medak in Telangana at a cost of Rs 1,094 crores.

Business, Economy & Banking

1. On 29^th June 2020, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced that it will be conducting a special Open Market Operations (OMOs) on 2^nd July 2020. The Open Market Operations was announced after reviewing the market conditions and evolving liquidity situations in banks. Through this special Open Market Operations, the aim will be to pump up liquidity in the financial system of the country.

2. On 29^th June 2020, an agreement was signed between the World Bank Group and the Government of India for providing urban poor in the state of Tamil Nadu access to affordable housing. The agreement signed has two projects under it- (i) Tamil Nadu Housing Sector Strengthening Program and (ii) Tamil Nadu Housing and Habitat Development Project.

3. On 28^th June 2020, the World Bank Group has announced that a loan of USD 500 million (approx Rs 3700 crore) was approved by its Board of Executives on 24^th June 2020 for improving the quality and governance of school education system in India. The loan approved will benefit 10 million teachers and 250 million school students across 1.5 million schools in 6 states of India. The loan was approved as a part of the STARS Program. The 6 Indian States are Rajasthan, Odisha, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Maharashtra.

4. World Bank has approved a loan amount of USD 500 million to Bangladesh on 23^rd June 2020. The amount was approved for improving road connectivity along the Jashore-Jhenaidah corridor that will benefit 4 western districts of Bangladesh. This will be Phase I of the overall USD 1.4 billion multi-phase projects of the World Bank for improving road connectivity in Bangladesh.

5. In order to boost Infrastructure projects across all the sectors at a time of a global pandemic, several decisions were taken by the Union Cabinet under the chairmanship of Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on 24^th June 2020.

6. The decision to bring Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) and Multi-State Cooperative Banks (MSCBs) under the supervision of India’s Central Bank- the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was taken on 24^th June 2020 during a meeting of the Union Cabinet. The ordinance will immediately come into effect from the date of signature of the President of India.

7. Despite low returns, the Treasury Securities (are of four types- Bills, Notes, Bonds, Inflation-Protected Securities) backed by the United States Treasury Department is one of the safest assets for any Central Bank around the world. With USD 157.4 billion at the end of April 2020, India has become the 12^th largest holder of United States Government Securities.

8. As per the data provided by the Union Finance Ministry on 20^th June 2020,  through Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP), a total of 42 crore citizens across the country have received financial aid of Rs 65,454 crore to date. The amount was distributed in the 3 forms, :(i) Through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to beneficiaries such as women Jhan Dhan account holders, senior citizens/differently-abled/widows registered under Below Poverty Line (BPL), farmers (PM-KISAN), etc (ii) Providing free foodgrains to all families registered as BPL cardholders, and (iii) by providing free LPG cylinder to women registered under Ujjwala Yojana.

9. The World Bank has announced on 19^th June 2020 that it had approved a USD 1.05 billion for helping the economy of Bangladesh to bounce back by creating more and better jobs. Bangladesh to date has received financial aid of more than USD 13 billion of loans from the International Development Association (IDA, a part of the World Bank Group). With this grant, the total loan provided by the World Bank Group to Bangladesh since its independence in 1971 has crossed USD 31 billion. The financial aid for the 3 projects is provided by the IDA on behalf of the World Bank Group.

10. The Reserve Bank of India on 19^th June 2020 has extended the regulatory restrictions imposed on the multi-state urban Cooperative Bank, Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank Limited (PMC Bank) by another 6 months. As per the earlier notice dated March 21^st, 2020, the regulatory restrictions were up to 22^nd June 2020, which now has been extended up to 22^nd December 2020.

11. For the Financial Year (FY) 2020-21, the Fifteenth Finance Commission had earlier submitted its report for the Rural Local Bodies (RLB), the recommendations in the report were accepted by the Government. Based on it, the highest ever grants in a single year was allocated to the RLBs for the FY 2020-21 of Rs 60,750 Crore.

12. In rupee term, Mumbai based Indian Multinational conglomerate company, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) on 19^th June 2020 was valued at USD 150 billion following a rise in the share market, this also made RIL the first-ever Indian company to achieve a market value of above Rs 11 lakh crore. The positive growth in the shares of the company was registered after it announced that the company has become net debt-free well ahead of its target of March 2021.

13. The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Lucknow based financial institution SIDBI- Small Industries Development Bank of India on 19^th June 2020. The MoU will provide a boost in building Atmanirbhar Bharat by providing credit or loans to the street vendors across the country for resuming their livelihood activities.

14. The Ministry of Labour is to fast track the National Employment Policy. The main idea of framing the National Employment Policy is to lay out a roadmap that will provide incentives for employment generation.

15. Since Independence in 1947, India has faced four recessions. According to Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the recessions occurred in 1958, 1966, 1973 and 1980. Recession is defined as the fall in economic activities of the country along with decline in sales, income and employment. India has so far seen four such negative GDP growth. In 1958, the GDP growth was -1.2%, in 1966 it was -3.6%, in 1973 it was -0.32% and in 1980 the GDP growth was -5.2%.

16. On June 12, 2020, the Reserve Bank of India has constituted an internal working group. The working group is to review guidelines of ownership of private sector banks.

17. The National Highway Authority of India became the first construction sector to become digital completely. The project management workflow of NHAI has been transformed from manual to online portal. The platform Artificial Intelligence and cloud-based big data analytics have been used to bring in the transform. With social distancing being one of the key methods to prevent COVID-19 infection, the online platform will help NHAI employees to continue their works without physical contact.

18. On June 12, 2020, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman chaired the 40^th GST Council Meet. The minister at the meet announced that no late fee will be charged from the taxpayers (small taxpayers) that had filed GST returns between July 2017 and January 2020. This is being done as there is lot of GST return filing that is pending in the period.

19. On June 11, 2020, the E-Commerce giant Amazon banned the use of its software “Rekognition” by the police. The software used to quickly compare a picture with the police data bases that holds hundreds of 1000s of photos.

20. The Government of India had recently announced that the import duty on bamboo sticks is to be increased from 10% to 25%. This is to have great impact on Agarbatti industry creating at least 1 lakh new jobs according to KVIC (Khadi and Village Industries Commission).

21. The Reserve Bank of India recently released draft framework for “Sale of Loan Exposures” and “Securitization of Standard Assets”.

22. The Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts hosted a four day virtual fair for around 200 Indian Exporters. The exporters were mainly from the industries of fashion jewelry and accessories.

23. The Government of India has allowed taxpayers to fill their NIL GST monthly return form through SMS. This will improve ease of GST compliance to more than 22 lakh taxpayers.

24. On June 5, 2020, the Reserve Bank of India created Payment Infrastructure Development Fund of Rs 500 crores. The apex bank has made an initial contribution of Rs 250 crores towards the funds. The rest of the fund is to come through the card issuing banks. The fund has been created to increase point of sale infrastructure and other digital payment infrastructure in the country. The funds are being allocated in line with the measures proposed in the vision document on payment and settlement systems in India 2019-21.

Science & Technology

1. The World’s first-ever Online B.Sc. Degree in Programming and Data Science is prepared and to be offered by the Indian Institute of Technology(IIT) Madras. The Online Course was launched through a virtual event by the Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal on 30^th June 2020.

2. The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has given approval for Phase I and Phase II human clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccine ‘COVAXIN’. In association with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV), COVAXIN is developed by Hyderabad based vaccine & bio-therapeutics manufacturer-Bharat Biotech. At NIV Pune, the strain of SARS-CoV-2 was isolated before being transferred to Bharat Biotech.

3. On 25^th June 2020, Russian Company- S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia (also known as RSC Energia) has announced that it will take the first tourist for a spacewalk in 2023. The announcement came after RSC Energia has signed a deal with Space Adventures (space tourism company in the United States). RSC Energia is a part of the Roscosmos (Russia’s space agency).

4. The move to leapfrog India’s space activities into the next stage by transforming the Indian Space Sector for the future challenges was made during a meeting of the Union Cabinet on 24^th June 2020.

5. In its June 13^th, 2020 guidelines for Clinical Management Protocol for COVID-19, the Union Health Ministry as a part of investigational therapy added ‘Remdesivir’ only for restricted emergency use. A week after, on 21^st June 2020, Hetero and Cipla Pharmaceuticals were granted approval by the Drug Controller General of India for the production and marketing of the antiviral drug under its respective generic names.

6. For the treatment of COVID-19 positive cases, on 21^st June 2020, Hyderabad based pharmaceutical company -Hetero Drugs has received approval from the Drug Controller General of India (a department under- CDSCO: Central Drugs Standard Control Organization) for manufacturing and marketing of antiviral drug Remdesivir.

7. For the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 positive patients across the country, on 19^th June 2020, for manufacturing and marketing of oral antiviral drug ‘Favipiravir (Fabiflu)’ was approved by the National Regulatory Authority for Indian pharmaceuticals -Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) to Mumbai based Glenmark Pharmaceuticals.

8. In 2011, on the Seymour Island of Antarctica, a group of scientists from South American Nation Chile discovered a fossil 200 meters away from the spot where the fossil of a 10-meter long Mosasaur (an ancient reptile) was unearthed.

9. Over decades, a number of richest fossil records in South Asia have been found at the Dhok Pathan Formation of the Sivalik range. This time, the researchers found a fossil of an extinct ancestor of Elephant, that is estimated to be around between 5 to 8 million old. The fossil was discovered in the state of Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur District’s Badshahi Bagh area.

10. Within a month, user-friendly Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Kit known by the name ‘NavRakshak’ are expected to be available in the Indian market as the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has approved it earlier this week for mass production and use in the country. One of the nine authorized NABL accredited laboratories for PPE prototype sample testing, the Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences (a DRDO laboratory) has also certified the PPE Kit after testing.

11. On 18^th June 2020, the Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan has launched the I-Lab (Infectious disease diagnostic laboratory) in New Delhi. This is the first-ever I-Lab in India that was launched. The I-Lab will help in scaling up the testing for Covid-19 across the country. It will be deployed by the Department of Biotechnology in one of its COVID testing hubs. At present there are more than 20 such hubs in the country operating on a daily basis, these hubs have 100 testing laboratories that have conducted above 2 lakh 60 thousand tests to date.

12. The Earth is to witness an annular solar eclipse on June 21, 2020. The eclipse is to be the deepest as the moon is to cover 98.8% of the sun.

13. The NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) scientists in the International Space Station unveiled the first results of Bose-Einstein condensate experiments under which the particles can be manipulated free from Earthly constraints.

14. The Railway Protection Force recently launched a Robot called “Captain Arjun”. ARJUN is Always be Responsible and Just Use to be Nice. The robot Captain Arjun was launched to intensify screening and surveillance at the railway stations. It was launched by the Railway Protection Force operating under Central Railways.

15. The Researchers of IIT Kharagpur have developed an Artificial Intelligence based cyber-physical system to monitor social distancing in public places.

16. The Defence Research and Development Organization has developed ‘GermiKlean’. GermiKlean is a sanitising chamber that can be used to sanitise uniforms of security and police personnel.

17. The moon of Saturn, Titan is drifting away faster than before. This has been identified by the researchers in NASA and also scientists in Italian Space Agency.

18. The Pune based Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT) has developed Nano-Technology based disinfectant spray to fight against COVID-19. The spray has been named ANANYA.

19. The Union Minister of India Shri Jitendra Singh recently launched COVID BEEP, the first physiological parameter monitoring system for COVID-19 patients.

20. The Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy along with the Mekins Industries have developed UVC based Cabinet to disinfect COVID-19 patients.

21. The Indian Space Research Organization recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Aryabhata Research Institute of Observational Science (ARIES), Nainital.

22. An engineer from Thane has developed an internet-controlled robot. The bot is first of its kind. The robot addresses the needs of the hospitals treating COVID-19 patients.

23. The scientists from the Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), have recently developed earth based magneto caloric material to treat cancer.

24. The scientists and researchers at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences operating under Department of Science and Technology have invented a low cost effective way to generate hydrogen from water using Molybdenum dioxide.

25. The researchers in the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy have studied the interplanetary space of the sun called solar corona.

26. The Defence Research Development Organization has developed the SUMERU PACS, that helps to reduce sweating of Personal Protective Equipment wearers.

27. The Defence Research Development Organization (DRDO) developed a disinfection unit called Ultra Swachh. The unit is used to disinfect articles such as electronic items, Personal Protective Equipment, fabrics, etc.

28. Astronauts have recently discovered a rare space object. The object looks like both asteroid and comet. The new space object is called Active Asteroid.

29. The SpaceX has become the first private rocket company to send astronauts to space. The company sent Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to space initiating a new business model for NASA.

Government Schemes

1. On 30^th June 2020, the first edition of Fisheries and Aquaculture Newsletter was launched. The name of the newsletter is ‘Matsya Sampada’. The newsletter was launched by the Union Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, Giriraj Singh.

2. As a part of Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, the Prime Minister Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM FME) scheme was launched on 29^th June 2020. The scheme was launched by Harsimrat Kaur Badal (Union Food Processing Industries Minister). Earlier on 20^th May 2020, the scheme was approved by the Union Cabinet.

3. On 25^th June 2020, a webinar was conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to mark the 5 years of successful completion of the 3 Schemes. The Progress, Achievements, and Outcomes from the 3 schemes in the 5 years are:

4. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a 125-day campaign on 26^th June 2020 that will provide employment migrant and daily wage workers in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The campaign is called Atma Nirbhar Uttar Pradesh Rojgar Abhiyan. The campaign was launched through video conferencing in the presence of Yogi Adityanath (Chief Minister Uttar Pradesh).

5. A behaviour change campaign named ‘Navigating the New Normal’ was launched on 25^th June 2020 by NITI Aayog. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is a partner for the behavior change campaign.

6. With a focus on eliminating Tuberculosis(TB) from the country by 2025, in January 2020 the Government of India renamed the ‘National Tuberculosis Control Program’ to the ‘National Tuberculosis Elimination Program’. In a virtual event, the Annual TB Report 2020 was released on 24^th June 2020. The Report was released by Dr. Harsh Vardhan (Union Health Minister).

7. The Central Government has allocated Rs 1,832 crores to Bihar and Rs 1,407 crores to Assam under Jal Jeevan Mission. In Assam, the Jal Jeevan mission aims to provide tap connections to over 13 lakh rural households by 2020-21. The state aims weaker and marginalized sections on priority basis. Village Action Plans have been framed with active participation of the rural community.

8. Scheme with Guarantee Cover worth Rs. 20,000 Crore launched for MSMEs was announced as a part of the AtmaNirbhar Bharat Package by Finance Minister back on 13^th May 2020. On 24^th June 2020, the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Sub-ordinate Debt (CGSSD) was launched. The scheme is also called as Distressed Assets Fund- Sub- Ordinate Debt for MSMEs.

9. On 23^rd June 2020, Ramesh Pokhriyal (Union Human Resource Development Minister) launched YUKTI 2.0. The YUKTI 2.0 web portal initiative is a logical extension of the earlier version of ‘YUKTI (launched on 11^th April 2020)’ and is in line with the mission of making AtmaNirbhar Bharat.

10. In order to help the Building & Construction workers to overcome the financial impacts of COVID-19 lockdown, on 24^th March 2020, the Chief Minister of all States and Union Territories were advised by the Union Minister of Labour and Employment to create a framework with bank account details of building & construction workers of their respective state so that they can be provided with financial support through direct benefit transfer (DBT)mode.

11. On 19^th June 2020, a Statement of Intent (SOI) was signed and exchanged during a virtual e-summit according to which Coal India Limited (CIL) has partnered with Atal Innovation Mission (AIM). The strategic partnership is to provide support to various entrepreneurship initiatives and innovation programs of AIM.

12. A portal named ‘Science and Technology Yojana for AtmaNirbhar Bharat in Mining Advancement (SATYABHAMA)’ was launched by Union Ministry of Mines and Coal, Pralhad Joshi.

13. Via video conference on Saturday 20^th, June 2020 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the massive rural public works scheme- Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan. Under the scheme, the aim will be to reduce the economic impact faced by the rural parts of the country due to nationwide lockdown by providing livelihood support to the rural citizens, especially for the migrant workers.

14. On June 15, 2020, a webinar was organized by the TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India). The webinar was titled “Van Dhan: Tribal Startups Bloom in India”. During the webinar, it was informed that current coverage Van Dhan scheme is to be increased from 18,000 SHGs to 50,000 SHGs. This is to be achieved through Van Dhan Start-up programme.

15. On June 15, 2020, Government of India organized the first ever ADIP camp. The camp was conducted to distribute free assistive aids to Divyangjans under the ADIP scheme.

16. On June 12, 2020, the Ministry of Finance announced that the public sector banks have so far disbursed Rs 14,690 crores for the MSMEs under the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS).

17. On June 12, 2020, the Union Agriculture Minister shri Narendra Singh Tomar launched Shahakar Mitra scheme. The scheme has been launched to assist the cooperative institutions to access innovative ideas of young professionals. In return the young interns will gain confidence to become self-reliant in the field.

18. The Bharatmala Pariyojana that was scheduled to be completed in 2021-22 is to be completed by 2025-26. The announcement of delay was announced by the rating agency ICRA (Investment Information and credit Rating Agency).

19. The Government of India is to rationalize the coal linkages in the country. This is to be done in order to reduce the load on transportation infrastructure and also to ease evacuation constraints.

20. The Government of India has allocated Rs 4,000 crores under Per Drop More Crop component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana for the year 2020-21.

21. The Government of India has extended its flagship programme, Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (Ayushman Bharat) to the migrant workers. Earlier, GoI had announced that the Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries will receive free COVID-19 testing.

22. The Government of India has allocated Rs 1,01,500 crores under the MGNREGA programme in the year 2020-21 so far. This is the highest provision of funds allocated for the scheme since its launch.

23. On June 5, 2020, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Atal Innovation Mission came together to promote culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in areas of mutual interest. The CSIR incubators will work under Atal Innovative Mission to support world class start ups in this new project. They will work together to bring up new models of innovation and set up CSIR innovation parks.

24. On June 5, 2020, the Government of India announced that no new schemes will be approved till March 31, 2021. Till then, the schemes under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana and Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan are to be implemented.

25. On June 4, 2020, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and the Ministry of HRD (Human Resource Development) launched an internship learning programme called “TULIP”.

26. On June 3, 2020, the Department of Promotion for Industry and Internal Trade identified 10 sectors where in the imports are to be cut. This includes textiles, jewelry, mobile, gems, pharmaceuticals, garments, electronics, machinery, etc.

27. The Government of India is to conduct SWADES initiative to map the skills of Indians returning from abroad. SWADES is Skilled Workers Arrival Database for Employment Support.

28. On June 2, 2020, the Union Minister of Rural Development Shri Narendra Singh Tomar chaired the 21^st meeting of the Central Employment Guarantee Council.

29. On June 2, 2020, the National Jal Jeevan Mission approved the Annual Action Plan of Arunachal Pradesh. Under the plan, the state is to provide tap connection to all the rural households in the state by 2023.

30. On June 2, 2020, the Government of India launched Kisan Credit Card campaign to help dairy farmers. The Kisan Credit cards are to be provided to around 1.5 crore dairy farmers.

31. On June 2, 2020, the Public Sector Banks sanctioned collateral free loans that were worth Rs 200 crores. The complete Rs 200 crore sanction was done in a single day.

32. On June 2, 2020, the Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad launched three new schemes to bbost electronics sector. They are Production linked incentive scheme, cluster scheme (EMC 2.0) and component manufacturing scheme (SPECS).

33. On June 1, 2020, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched technology platform called CHAMPIONS. CHAMPIONS Stand for Creation and Harmonious Application of Modern Processes for Increasing the Output and National Strength.

34. On June 1, 2020, Government of India launched the Pradhan Mantri SVANidhi Scheme for street vendors. The Union cabinet has cleared the credit amount for the scheme as well. The PM SVANidhi or PM Street Vendors Atmanirbhar Nidhi is a credit facility scheme that will help more than 50 lakh urban and rural street vendors. The scheme will help the street vendors restart their livelihoods.

35. On June 1, 2020, the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs and Food and Public distribution Shri Ram Vilas Paswan announced that three more states namely Sikkim, Odisha and Mizoram are being included in the Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (PDS).

Awards & Honours

1. The All India Football Federation recently recommended the former Indian Captain IM Vijayan for the fourth highest civilian award in India, the Padmashri. IM Vijayan has scored 40 goals in over 79 matches. He won the Arjuna award in 2003. Also, in 1993, 1997 and in 1999 he was awarded the best Indian “Player of the year”.

2. On June 11, the Indian American soil scientist Dr Rattan Lal has won the World Food Prize for mainstreaming and developing soil centric approach in order to increase food production. Dr Lal’s strategy of restoring soil health has been adopted by three United Nations Climate Change Conferences.

3. A Manila, Philippines based foundation that gives out Ramon Magsaysay Award announced that the awards are being cancelled due to COVID-19.

4. Javed Akhtar has become the first Indian to receive the Richard Dawkins award. Javed Akhtar is a renowned lyricist in the Indian film industry. He was awarded Padma Shri in 1999. He has also won the Sahitya Akademi award and Padma Bhushan.

5. On June 5, 2020, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw was named the EY World Entrepreneur of the year 2020. She was selected among 46 other entrepreneurs from 41 countries. Kiran is the second woman to win the award after Olivia Lum of Hyflux, Singapore. She is also the third Indian to win the award after Uday Kotak of Kotak Mahindra in 2014 and Narayana Murthy of Infosys in 2005.

Persons in News

1. On 29^th June 2020, the President of India has reappointed Senior Advocate K.K. Venugopal as the Attorney General for India. The current tenure of K.K. Venugopal was up to 30^th June 2020, his tenure was extended for a period of one year effective from 1^st July 2020 to 30^th June 2021.

2. On 23^rd June 2020, the Presidential Elections of Malawi was conducted after the annulment of the results of the 2019 Presidential Elections by the Constitutional Court of Malawi earlier in the month of February 2020.

3. NASA has named it’s headquarter building at Washington D.C after its first African American Female Engineer Mary W.Jackson. The announcement was made on 24^th June 2020 by the Administrator of NASA. The story of success of Mary W.Jackson was shown in the 2016 biographical drama Hidden Figures.

4. 1987 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) batch officer Vini Mahajan became the Chief Secretary of Punjab on 26^th June 2020. With this, she became the First Woman to hold the position of Chief Secretary in Punjab. She replaced Karan Avtar Singh who took over as Special Chief Secretary for Governance Reforms.

5. Secretary of Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF) has informed on 25^th June 2020 that K. Sanjita Chanu will receive the Arjuna Award for 2018. The two time Commonwealth Games Gold medalist was cleared of doping charges earlier this month by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF). The Secretary of IWF has also informed that the Sports Ministry has confirmed that K. Sanjita Chanu will be awarded Arjuna Award for 2018.

6. On June 14, 2020, actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead in his Mumbai apartment. According to Mumbai police, he had committed suicide.

7. The Veteran Urdu poet Anand Mohan Zutshi ‘Gulzar’ Dehlvi passed away after recovering from COVID-19 in less than a week. He was 93.

8. On June 3, 2020, the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi approved renaming of Kolkata Port Trust to Shyama Prasad Mukerjee port trust. The announcement of renaming of the port was given by PM Modi on January 11, 2020.

Sports

1. On 30^th June 2020, the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has launched its mobile application ‘NADA INDIA’ for creating a bridge with the athletes under which information on prohibited substances would be provided easily. The mobile application was launched by the Union Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju.

2. Following Manchester City’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea on 25^th June 2020, Liverpool clinched the 2019-20 English Premier League season with 7 games still left in the season. This is the first time that Liverpool has won the English Premier League title.

3. The Ministry of Sports has launched Khelo India State Centres of Excellence. The centre aims to create robust sporting ecosystem in the country. The Sports Ministry has identified state owned sports facilities in 8 states of India. The facilities are to be upgraded into Khelo India State Centres of Excellence. The funds for the sports centres are to be used for equipment, expert coaches, support staff and infrastructure through Khelo India Scheme.

4. The Asian Championship Gold medal winner Gomathi Marimuthu has been stripped off the medal and also banned from sport activities for 4 years. The 31-year old athlete had tested positive for anabolic steroid Nandrolene at the 2019 Asian Championship.

5. On June 12, 2020, the FIFA ranking was released. Indian team retained its 108^th position as the international football for the year 2020 has been suspended since March.

6. On June 5, 2020, the Asian Football Confederation confirmed that India will host 2022 Women’s Asian Cup. This is the first time India is hosting the cup since 1979.

7. On June 2, 2020, the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijju inaugurated the India Community Coach Development Programme. The India Community Coach Development Programme is a 25-day long programme for community coaches and PE teachers all over the country. The programme has been launched to give more importance to Physical Education in schools.

8. On June 2, 2020, the Hockey India recommended India Women Team Captain Rani Rampal for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awards. Monika, Vandana Kataria and Harmanpreet Singh were recommended for Arjuna Awards.

9. On May 31, 2020, the BCCI nominated Rohit Sharma for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awards. The Award is considered to be the highest sporting honour award in India. The period of consideration for a person to get nominated is from January 2016 to December 2019. Rohit has become the first T20 cricketer to score four centuries. Also, he holds record of 150 plus score in around 8 ODIs. He also holds the greatest number of centuries in ODI matches since 2017, that numbered to 18.

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References:
jagranjosh.com
gktoday.in
business-standard.com