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Current Affairs 1

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NATIONAL NEWS

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Current Affairs 2


INDEX

NATIONAL NEWS 03

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 12

ECONOMY NEWS 14

PEOPLE IN NEWS 19

BOOKS & AUTHOR 21

IMPORTANT DAYS 21

AWARDS 23

RENKINGS & INDEX 24

SPORTS NEWS 25


Current Affairs 3


NATIONAL NEWS

1. India-China Galwan faceoff

• At least 20 soldiers including a Commanding Officer lost their lives on a single day in Galwan.

• The last real military engagement between the two armies was at Nathu La in Sikkim in 1967, in which 88

Indian soldiers lost their lives, and more than 300 Chinese soldiers were killed.

• Tensions had been running high in the area for

the past few weeks. Negotiations had been

conducted between local military commanders of

both the armies for a mutually agreed

disengagement process.

• As part of that process, a buffer zone had been

agreed to be created between the LAC and the

junction of the Shyok and Galwan rivers to avoid

any faceoff between the two armies.

• The two armies were to move back by a kilometre

each in that area as a first step.

• When Colonel B Santosh Babu, who was monitoring this process, noticed that a Chinese camp was still

existing in the area, he went to get it removed. This soon led to fisticuffs and blows being exchanged, resulting

in deaths and injuries.

2. India elected to the UNSC for the eighth time

• India has been elected as a non-permanent member to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the

eighth-time.

India was the only country from the Asia-Pacific Group and won the election unopposed and

• India got 184 out of the 192 valid votes polled. The UNSC term will begin in January 2021.

The UN General Assembly annually elects five non-permanent members (out of 10 in total) for a two-year

term.

• The 10 non-permanent seats are distributed on a regional basis -- five for African and Asian States; one for

Eastern European States; two for Latin American and Caribbean States; and two for Western European and

other States.

3. Dr Harsh Vardhan Launches DBT – AMTZ Mobile Diagnostic Unit

• The Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan

flagged off India’s first I-Lab (Infectious disease diagnostic lab) for Covid testing in rural and inaccessible areas

of India.


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• The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science & Technology along with Andhra Pradesh Med-

tech Zone (AMTZ) has initiated the DBT-AMTZ COMManD [COVID Medtech Manufacturing Development]

Consortia to address the shortage of critical healthcare technologies in India and move progressively towards

a stage of self-sufficiency.

• Under this Consortia, India’s first I- lab (infectious disease diagnostic lab) has been built at AMTZ in record

time of 8 days from the date of receipt of Automotive Chassis, from Bharat Benz. This is a mobile diagnostic

unit with a biosafety facility.

• The I- lab is a BSL-2 facility with on-site ELISA, RT-PCR, Biochemistry

analysers. It can run 50 RT-PCR reactions and about 200 ELISA in a day.Double set of

Machines can help increase the capacity to about 500 per day in 8 hours shift

4. Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar launches Sahakar Mitra

• In keeping with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s clarion call for AtmaNirbhar Bharat(Self Reliant India)

emphasizing the importance of local for vocal, Sahakar Mitra: Scheme on Internship Programme (SIP) was

launched by Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar.

• It is an initiative by the National Cooperative

Development Corporation.

• Under the scheme, professional graduates in

disciplines such as Agriculture and allied areas,IT etc.

will be eligible for internship.

• Professionals who are pursuing or have completed

their MBA degrees in Agri-business, Cooperation,

Finance, International Trade, Forestry, Rural

Development, Project Management etc. will also be

eligible.

• NCDC has earmarked funds for Sahakar Mitra paid

internship program under which each intern will get financial support over a 4 months internship period.

• It will assist cooperative institutions to access the new and innovative ideas of young professionals while in

return the interns will gain experience of working in the field and will be provided with the confidence to be

self-reliant.

• It will also provide an opportunity for professionals from academic institutions to develop entrepreneurial

roles and leadership through cooperatives as Farmers Producers organizations (FPO).

5. Three Member high-level committee set up by the Petroleum Ministry to inquire the Assam oil well

• The Petroleum Ministry has constituted a three-member high-level committee to inquire into the blowout at

an Oil India Ltd well in Assam and the subsequent fire that killed two firefighters and injured at least one.

• The panel will be headed by SCL Das, Director General of Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH). It also

includes former ONGC chairman B C Bora and former ONGC director T K Sengupta


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• The committee will also recommend short and long-term measures to prevent the recurrence of such

incidents including identifying any gaps in laid down standard operating procedure.

• Natural gas mixed with condensate started flowing uncontrollably from one of the wells of Oil India Ltd (OIL)

in Baghjan fields in Tinsukia district of Assam on May 27, 2020 leading to a blowout. The well caught fire on

June 8, 2020.

6. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launches ‘Bal Shramik Vidya Yojana’ through video conference

• UP Chief Minister(CM) Yogi Adityanath launched ‘Bal Shramik Vidya Yojana’ for child labourers who are 8-18

years old, through video conference on the ‘World Day Against Child Labour’(June 12, 2020).

• The scheme aims to educate

orphans and worker’s children or child

labourers & ensure their healthy life.

• It provides financial assistance of Rs

1000 per month(pm) to boys, Rs 1200

pm to girls & children studying 8th,

9th and 10th will be given Rs 6000 per

annum along with a monthly

incentive.

• The beneficiaries & children of

registered workers will also get

education in 18 Atal residential

schools(with free facilities).

• The identification of working children will be done by the Labor Department among others. The list of Socio

Economic Caste Census 2011 will be used for selecting landless families and women headed families.

7. Hyderabad City Security Council along with Hyderabad City Police launches a programme ‘STREE’ for

women

• In a bid to support and empower women against domestic violence and abuse, the Hyderabad City Security

Council (HCSC) in association with Hyderabad City Police has launched the 'STREE' programme.

• The name reflects the vision - "She Triumphs through Respect, Equality, and Empowerment" (STREE).

• The program is in line with this year's International Women's Day (8 March) theme i.e. 'Each for Equal',

• It has been ideated on the lines of women's empowerment to bring about a sustainable and impactful

change by involving women in the community.

8. Odisha become the 1st state in India to receive ISO certification for tribal hostels

• Odisha has become the first state in the country to receive ISO certification for hostels meant for tribal

students.


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• The ST & SC Welfare Department had earlier launched the 'Mission Suvidya' project to provide all the tribal

hostels of the state uniform standards of infrastructure, amenities and human resources.

• The certification is an example of the transformation targets set under the state’s 5T(Technology,

Transparency, Teamwork, Time and Transformation) framework that aims to bring in transformational, and

institutional-level changes in state governance.

9. Karnataka government cancels online classes for students till Class 5

• The Karnataka government said there would be no online classes for students till Class 5.

• It also said that collecting fees for online classes should also be stopped.

10. Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah chairs meeting to review COVID-19 situation in Delhi

• The Central Government has constituted a Committee

has been constituted under the chairmanship of Dr. VK

Paul, Member NITI Aayog to ensure the availability of

60% of their Corona beds by private hospitals at lower

rates and fix the rate of Corona testing and treatment.

• It has been decided to immediately provide 500

converted rail coaches to the Delhi Government. With

this, 8,000 more beds will be available in Delhi and these

will be equipped with all facilities in the treatment of

COVID-19 patients.

11. First population estimation exercise of the Indian Gaur

• The first population estimation exercise of the Indian Gaur (Bison) was carried out in the Nilgiris Forest

Division, Tamil Nadu.

• It was conducted by the World Wide Fund for Nature India.

• It highlighted that there are estimated 2,000 Indian gaurs across the division.

• The Indian Gaur or Bison (Bos gaurus) is the largest and the tallest in the family of wild cattle and is a grazing

animal.

• It is a vulnerable animal under the IUCN Red List

12. India's first infectious disease diagnostic lab now ready

• India's first infectious disease diagnostic lab is now ready. This rapid response mobile laboratory is part of

government Atma Nirbhar Bharat. This laboratory was built in a record time of eight days from the date of

receipt of Automotive Chassis, from Bharat Benz.

• It is built with the support of the Department of Biotechnology.

• The lab is a BSL-2 facility with on site Elisa, real-time reverse tranion polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR)

test and Biochemistry analysers.


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• This lab can test Elisa about 200 per day and RTPCR about 50 per day.

13. Lonar lake water in Maharashtra turns red

• The water of Lonar crater lake in Maharashtra's Buldhana district has changed its colour in the past few

days.

• The lake is located around 500 km from Mumbai and is a popular tourist

hub and also attracts scientists from all over the world. It is a notified

national geo-heritage monument.

• The change happens due to the microorganisms in the water and the

colour substances created by them.

• The micro-organisms like Dunaliella Salina, Halobacteriaceae and

Salinibacterium create special types of colour substances due to which

water colour turns red. There is a possibility of alkalinity of lake water

rising due to receding water levels in summer, which might have led to an

increase in the number of bacteria resulting in water colour turning red.

14. Telangana launches a handbook on COVID-19 ‘policing’

• Disaster management has become a big part of the Telangana police’s responsibilities in the backdrop of the

spread of COVID-19.

• Besides standard operating procedures, the police department has come out with a ‘Reference Handbook

for COVID-19 Policing’.

• The reference book stresses the need for an inter-departmental COVID-19 committee or task force in each

district to perform executive functions regarding virus management and containment to handle a likely

‘second wave’ of infection.

15. HIL India Ltd. supplies insecticides to Iran

• HIL (India) Limited has supplied 25MT Malathion 95% ULV to Iran under Government-to-Government

initiative for Locust Control Programme

• India had recently approached Iran and Pakistan for coordinated response to counter desert locust menace

in the region and Iran has expressed its willingness.

• The Ministry of External Affairs placed an order with HIL (India) Limited, to manufacture and supply 25 MT of

Malathion 95% ULV to Iran.

• As per the reports of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the hopper stage population of locust is

building up in Sistan-Baluchistan Region of Iran, which shall migrate to India in coming months leading to

further crop devastation.

• The Government of India has taken an initiative to counter the locust menace at its breeding ground itself

and approached Iran for coordinated efforts.


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• Desert Locust after severe crop devastation in Horn of Africa, East Africa and Arabian Peninsula has entered

into India in March/April 2020 and it has affected the field crop, horticulture crops and other plantations in

the State of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.

• The country is experiencing the worst locust invasion, which was last observed more than 25 years back.

• HIL (India) Limited is also supplying Malathion 95% ULV to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare

Locust Control Programme in the country. From 2019 till date Company has supplied more than 600 MT of

Malathion 95% ULV for this programme .

16. India joins Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) as a founding member

• India joined the league of leading economies including USA, UK, EU, Australia, Canada, France, Germany,

Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore to launch the Global Partnership on Artificial

Intelligence (GPAI or Gee-Pay).

• GPAI is an international and multi-stakeholder initiative to guide

the responsible development and use of AI, grounded in human

rights, inclusion, diversity, innovation, and economic growth.

• India has recently launched National AI Strategy and National AI

Portal and have also started leveraging AI across various sectors

such as education, agriculture, healthcare, e-commerce, finance,

telecommunications, etc. with inclusion and empowerment of

human being approach by supplementing growth and

development.

• By joining GPAI as a founding member, India will actively

participate in the global development of Artificial Intelligence, leveraging upon its experience around use of

digital technologies for inclusive growth.

• GPAI will be supported by a Secretariat, to be hosted by Organization for Econom ic Cooperation and

Development (OECD) in Paris, as well as by two Centers of Expertise- one each in Montreal and Paris.

17. Dr. Jitendra Singh launches “Feedback Call Centres on COVID -19

• Union Minister of State for Personnel, PG and Pensions Dr. Jitendra Singh launched the “Feedback Call

Centres on Public Grievances” and interacted live with citizens whose grievances have been successfully

redressed on the COVID-19 National Monitor for Public Grievances.

• This is the first time that a Senior Minister of Government has interacted live with Citizens who had filed

grievances during COVID-19.

• The DARPG has in collaboration with BSNL operationalized Feedback Call.

18. ADIP scheme: First Distribution of Assistive aids to Divyangjan

• On June 15, 2020, Government of India organized the first ever ADIP camp. The camp was conducted at

Talwandi Bhai Block of Firozpur District in Punjab to distribute free assistive aids to Divyangjans.


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• The Camp was organized by Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO), Kanpur working

under the aegis of Department of Empowerment of Person with Disability (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice

and Empowerment (MoSJ&E), Government of India in close association with District Administration, Firozpur.

• During the ADIP camps held in the country, so far 10 Guiness Book of World Records have been created.

• Around 95 beneficiaries were provided with assistive appliances in more than 166 categories. This included

motorized tricycles, walking sticks, crutches.

• Under the ADIP scheme, a person should be an Indian citizen of any age, have a 40% Disability Certificate

and the monthly income from all sources should not be exceeding Rs. 20,000/- per month.

19. Jammu and Kashmir UT Rolls Out Poultry Policy 2020

• The Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has prepared

a J&K Poultry Policy, 2020/Operational Guidelines for the first time to

boost poultry production in the region.

• The government will give a subsidy of 50 crore annually for

broiler/layer farms and related activities.

• This subsidy will be for the existing poultry industry and new

industry. Under the industrial policy in the poultry policy, all central

and state schemes will be given benefits.

20. Robot GermiBAN launched in Telangana

• Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy launched ‘GermiBAN’ — a robot that kills viruses & other

germs by sterilising, sanitising & disinfecting in large areas and also acts as an Air Purifier effective against

viruses like COVID-19 which will stop the spread of it.

• It can kill 99.9% of surface and air microbes

• The robot was developed by Atal Incubation Centre & Association of Lady Entrepreneurs of India-Women

Entrepreneurs HUB.

• ALEAP WE-HUB has been set up with the support of Central Government Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI

AAYOG to nurture women startups, scaling up incubation facilities .

21. India and Nepal signed a MOU for Pashupatinath temple

• India has pledged to construct a ₹2.33 crore sanitation facility at the iconic Pashupatinath Temple complex

to improve the infrastructure in the holy shrine for the pilgrims.

• The project would be constructed under the Nepal-Bharat Maitri: Development Partnership as a high impact

community development scheme by India.

• Pashupatinath Temple is listed under the UNESCO World Heritage site. It is the largest temple complex in

Nepal and stretches on both sides of the Bagmati River and sees thousands of worshippers from Nepal and

India every day.


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22. 500 Year Old Temple Found Submerged in Mahanadi River of Odisha

• A 500-year-old temple, which was submerged in river Mahanadi long ago, has been found in Odisha’s

Nayagarh district. The ancient temple is believed to be dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

• A team of archaeologists of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural

Heritage (INTACH) claimed that they

have discovered an ancient

submerged

temple in the Mahanadi upstream

from Cuttack.

• The ancient temple was built using

the Mastaka style of construction.

• The place

where the temple was found was

regarded as ‘Satapatana’. Padmabati

village was part of Satapatana which

is a combination of seven villages.

23. Uttar Pradesh govt decides to adopt scheme of Flatted Factory Model

• The Uttar Pradesh Government has decided to adopt the scheme of Flatted Factory Model which will ensure

easy availability of land for industries, and in turn, generate employment also.

• Flatted factories that means multi-storeyed buildings in which multiple non- polluting units can operate. It

will allow the owner of an industrial land of at least five acres to develop one-fourth of it as flatted factory.

• The model can be adopted only for non-polluting manufacturing units permitted by industrial development

authority like manufacturing of readymade garments, handicrafts.

24. West Bengal govt. launches Karmo Bhumi

• West Bengal launched Karmo Bhumi, a job portal for IT professionals who have returned to the state amid

the COVID-19 pandemic. The portal acts as a medium between the professionals and IT companies in Bengal.

It will do away with the need of middlemen who waste the money of job seekers.

25. Bengaluru Covid count is least among big cities

• Bengaluru has among the lowest Covid burden among cities with a population of 10 million or more and has

827 cases and 43 deaths as on 17 June 2020.

• Mumbai has 60,228 positive cases and 3,167 deaths; Delhi 44,688 cases and 1,837 deaths; and Chennai

34,245 cases and 422 deaths as on 17 June 2020.

• City’s Covid-19 control programme has been its continuing practice of quarantining positive cases and

identifying contacts within 24 hours of a positive test result — a practice many of the other metros have

struggled to keep up with as numbers started swelling.


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26. Karnataka to Observe 'Mask Day' on June 18 to Spread Awareness About Covid-19

• Karnataka will observe 18 June as 'Mask Day' to create awareness in the masses about the importance of

wearing one amid the Covid pandemic.

• Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is already raising awareness about the infection through

announcements and pamphlets.

• It is also penalizing people for not wearing a mask by fining them


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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

1. Nepal fast-tracks map Bill, brings it to Upper House amid calls for talks

• Nepal fast-tracked the passage of a constitution amendment Bill to approve the country’s new map that

includes Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura which figure in Indian maps.

• The passage of the Bill appears to be a formality given that 50 of the 59 members of the Upper House are

from the ruling Nepal Communist Party.

• Under the procedure for discussion and voting on the Bill, 72 hours is required for its maturity after

introduction. But given the fast-tracking of the Bill, there is speculation that it may be sent to President Bidhya

Devi Bhandari for assent.

2. Dexamethasone becomes first life-saving coronavirus drug

• In a study of the University of Oxford dexamethasone has been found to save the lives of people seriously

afflicted by coronavirus. It cuts the death risk by a third for

those on ventilators, and by a fifth for those on oxygen.

• The outcomes were found under the RECOVERY (Randomised

Evaluation of COVid-19 thERapY).

• Dexamethasone is a cheap and easily available anti-

inflammatory steroid. It is used to treat a range of diseases

including rheumatism, asthma, allergies and even to help cancer

patients better handle the nausea triggered by chemotherapy.

3. WHO says hydroxychloroquine won't stop Covid-19 deaths

• The World Health Organisation's top scientist says it's now been definitively proven that the cheap malaria

drug hydroxychloroquine — the drug favoured by President Donald Trump — doesn't work in stopping deaths

among people hospitalized with the new coronavirus.

• However, there could still be a role for the drug in preventing people from catching COVID-19 in the first

place and noted that clinical trials testing hydroxychloroquine's role in this are ongoing.

4. Trump signs Uighur bill

• The Trump administration in the USA signed a legislation that allows the American Government to hold

Chinese officials responsible for China’s persecution of Uighur and other Muslim minority groups.


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• The bill, formally named the “Uighur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020,” was approved by the House and

Senate in May.

• The legislation gives the American

government the power to identify and

sanction individuals responsible for the abuse

of minority groups.

• The Chinese administration has been under

fire for its treatment of Uighur Muslims and

other Muslim minorities in China. In 2019,

Muslims had called for a boycott of Chinese

products against Chinese policies and ban on

Ramzan in China. However, China has used its

power to suppress the voice of leaders on the

international platform.


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ECONOMY, BUSINESS AND DEFENCE NEWS

1. S&P retains India's sovereign rating and outlook at BBB

• Global agency Standard and Poor's retained India's sovereign ratings at 'BBB-' with stable outlook, saying the

country's GDP is likely to gradually recover towards longer-term trend rates over the next two to three years.

• 'BBB' rating refers to adequate capacity to the rated entity to meet its financial commitments.

• India's economic growth is estimated to slow down to 5 per cent during 2019-20 and the government

expects the GDP to rebound to over 6 per cent in the next financial year.

2. Measures to be taken by States/ UT’s/ Cities/Metro Rail Companies in view of COVID-19 for providing

urban transport services

• The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in

an advisory issued to the States, Union

Territories, Cities, and Metro Rail Companies has

suggested a three-pronged strategy which may

be adopted in a phased manner [Short (within 6

months), Medium (within 1 year) & Long term

(1-3 years)].

• It aims to encourage & Revive Non-Motorised

Transport (NMT), recommence Public Transport

with greater confidence of Commuters.

• Active utilization of technology to curb the

spread of virus- Enabling technologies such as

Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), indigenous cashless and touch less system like BHIM, PhonePe, Google

Pay, PayTM etc.and National Common Mobility Card (NCMC)will reduce human interaction, in operations of

public transit systems.

3. NHAI becomes first construction sector organisation to go ‘Fully Digital’

• The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has

gone ‘Fully Digital’, with the launch of unique cloud based and Artificial Intelligence powered Big Data

Analytics platform – Data Lake and Project Management Software.

• The entire project management work flow of NHAI is transformed from manual to online portal based,

wherein the complete project execution operations including ‘workflow with time lines’ and ‘alert mechanism’

have been configured.

• All project documentation, contractual decisions and approvals are now being done through portal only.

• It will forecast the delays, likely disputes and will give advance alerts.


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4. Enhanced Import Duty on Bamboo Sticks

• The Central Government has increased import duty on bamboo sticks from 10 per cent to 25 percent.

• This will open up new avenues of self-employment in the country.

• India is the 2nd largest producer of bamboo in the world but ironically, it is also the 2nd largest importer of

bamboo and its products.

• It will curb heavy import from China and encourage local manufacture in Agarbatti and bamboo industries.

• India produces 14.6 million tonnes of bamboo every year with nearly 70 thousand farmers engaged in

bamboo plantation.

5. Railways sets world record by running first Double Stack Container Train in electrified territory

• Railways created a new world benchmark by successfully running the first Double Stack Container Train in

high rise Over Head Equipment (OHE) electrified sections.

• It is a first of its kind in the entire world and will also

boost the ambitious mission of Green India as a latest

green initiative by Indian Railways.

• With this development, Indian Railways has proudly

become the first Railway to run Double Stack Container

train with high reach pantograph in high rise OHE

territory, the Operations of which successfully

commenced on 10th June, 2020 from Palanpur and

Botad stations in Gujarat.The thrust of such kind of

initiatives is on innovation, speed and customisation in

freight operations.

• The Railway department further informed that from

1st April 2020 to 10th June 2020 Indian Railways has transported 178.68 million tonnes of commodities

through its uninterrupted 24X7 freight trains operations across the country.

• Inspite of time that was lost under COVID Lockdown Ministry is focussing to surpass the last years freight

figures.

6. Railways Protection Force launches a Robot called “Captain Arjun”

• The Railway Protection Force recently launched a Robot called “Captain Arjun”. ARJUN is Always be

Responsible and Just Use to be Nice.

• The robot has been deployed to screen patients and also enhance security surveillance at the Pune station.

• It keeps an electronic eye on to screen passengers and a watch on anti-social elements during boarding time.

• It is equipped with motion sensors, one pan-tilt-zoom camera and a dome camera which use Artificial

Intelligence to track suspicious or anti-social activities.

7. TPG to invest Rs 4547 crores in Jio platform for 0.9% stake


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• Global investment firm TPG will invest Rs 4547 crore in Jio Platforms for a 0.93 percent stake, marking the

ninth deal in the Reliance Industries technology.

• With this investment, Jio Platforms has raised Rs 102,432.15 crore from leading technology investors

including Facebook, Silver Lake Partners (two tranches) Vista Equity Partners, General Atlantic, KKR,

Mubadala, ADIA, andTPG.

• This is also the largest continuous fund raising by a company, globally.

8. IBBI reconstitutes advisory panel on corporate insolvency resolution process

• The insolvency regulator Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has reconstituted the Advisory

Committee on Corporate Insolvency Resolution and Liquidation process.

• This panel would be chaired by Uday

Kotak, Executive Vice Chairman and

Managing Director, Kotak Mahindra

Bank, and comprises 13 members

besides the Chairman.

• Most members will have a term of

three years—up to June 11, 2023.

• This Advisory Committee will advise and

provide professional support— on a

request from the IBBI or on its own

volition—on any matter relating to the Corporate Insolvency resolution and liquidation dealt with by the

Board under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016.

• The IBBI is a regulator that oversees insolvency proceedings in the country. It was established in 2016 under

the Insolvency and Bankruptcy code in order to speed up the resolution process of stressed assets.

9. Indian Railways installs first ATMA at Nagpur station

• In a first, Indian Railways’ Central Railway zone has installed a newly innovated ATMA – Automated Ticket

Checking & Managing Access machine at the Nagpur railway station.

• The ATMA machine has been introduced at the station under the New, Innovative Non-Fare Revenue Ideas

Scheme (NINFRIS) policy to prevent transmission of COVID-19. The ATMA machine will enable touch-free

scrutiny of passenger’s credentials while following boarding guidelines.

• Recently, Indian Railways also introduced a new automated face mask and hand sanitizer dispenser machine

at Patna Junction to facilitate those who forgot to carry their sanitizer or mask.

10. Two Indian firms, ZestMoney and Stellapps in WEF list of tech pioneers for 2020

• Two Indian firms — ZestMoney and Stellapps — figure in a new list of Tech Pioneers released by the World

Economic Forum (WEF) which described these 100 entities as future headline-makers addressing global issues

with cutting-edge technology.


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• ZestMoney is using its technology to transform the financial services industry, offering affordable credit to

those who are unable to access this through traditional finance paths.

• Stellapps is a data-led, internet of things-based, farm-to-consumer dairy supply chain digitisation service

provider.

11. AIIB approves USD 750 million loan to India

• Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has approved a USD 750 million (around Rs 5,714 crore) loan to

India to help the government strengthen its battle against the adverse impact of Covid-19 on poor and

vulnerable households.

• AIIB’s total sovereign loans to India that have already been

approved amount to USD 3.06 billion, including a recent USD

500 million Covid-19 emergency response.

• The current loan will be the second for India under AIIB’s

Covid-19 Crisis Recovery Facility (CRF).

12. HDFC ERGO to Launch On-demand ''Pay As You Fly''

• HDFC ERGO, the country’s third-largest non-life insurance provider in the private sector, and TropoGo, a

Deep Tech start-up, have partnered to offer commercial drone owners and operators Third Party Liability

claims cover for property damage and bodily injuries.

• This policy is the first-of-its-kind in the non-life insurance segment in India which will be offered on-demand

to customers on the ‘Pay as you Fly’ concept.

• In the current pandemic, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) or drones are being considered and also actively

used actively by State and Central Government in the fight against COVID-19.

13. KVIC to produce Neera and Palmgur

• The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has

rolled out a unique project to produce Neera and Palmgur

which has huge potential to create employment in the

country.

• The project aims at promoting Neera as a substitute to soft

drinks while also creating self-employment to Adivasis and

traditional trappers. Neera, extracted from the palm trees

before sunrise, is a nutrient-rich health drink consumed in

many Indian states.

• It was launched at Dahanu in Palghar district of Maharashtra, a state with more than 50 lakh palm trees. The

project has been rolled out on the initiative of the Union Minister of MSME.


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14. Saudi Arabia’s PIF is 11th investor in Jio

• Saudi Arabia’s PIF, one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds, will invest Rs 11,367 crore for 2.32

percent of Jio Platforms.

• The investment by PIF, estimated to own combined assets of nearly $400 billion, in Jio Platforms is at an

equity valuation of Rs 4.91 lakh crore and an enterprise valuation of Rs 5.16 lakh crore.


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PEOPLE IN NEWS

1. Pankaj Tripathi appointed brand ambassador

• Bollywood actor Pankaj Tripathi has been appointed as the brand ambassador of Bihar Khadi by the state

government.

• He is originally from Bihar. He will promote Bihar Khadi and

the country’s largest Khadi Mall in Patna.

• The Khadi Village Industries Board has directed to create new

designs of Khadi garments to increase production and sales of

all Khadi institutions.

• Madhubani Khadi of the state is being promoted all over the

country.

2. Veteran Poet 93 year old Gulzar Dehlvi passed away after recovering from COVID-19

• Five days after 93-year-old Urdu poet Anand Mohan Zutshi Gulzar Dehlvi returned home after recovering

from Covid-19 passed away.

• He was the editor of ‘Science ki Duniya’, the only science magazine published in Urdu by the government,

and launched in 1975. He is also credited with opening Urdu schools across India.

• He was a follower of “Ganga-Jamani Tehzeeb”, a term used to define syncretic Hindu-Muslim culture.

• He is a Padmashree awardee.

3. India’s oldest first-class cricketer Vasant Raiji passed away at 100

• India’s oldest first-class cricketer Vasant Raiji passed away at his

residence in Mumbai.

• Raiji was 100 years old and is survived by his wife and two daughters.

• He is a right-handed batsman, played nine first-class matches for

Mumbai and Baroda in the 1940s, scoring 277 runs with 68 being his

highest score in his decade-long career.

4. Sushant Singh Rajput passed away at the age of 34

• Actor Sushant Singh Rajput has died at 34 after committing suicide. Bollywood celebrities and Sushant’s

friends mourned his demise.

• Sushant had dropped out of engineering to pursue acting as a career and honed his acting skills at Barry John

Acting School.

• He rose to fame with television show Pavitra Rishta and he had found his break in Bollywood with the movie

Kai Po Che! Later, he acted in MS Dhoni: An Untold Story- a biographical film on the former Indian cricket

captain.

5. Former New Zealand cricketer Matt Poore passes away at 90


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• Former New Zealand Test cricketer Matt Poore passed away at the age of 90.

• He is remembered for catching a stray dog during a match in Bangalore in 1955 and subsequently taking 12

anti-rabies injections.

• He had a short but colourful 14-Test career between 1953 and 1956 alongside two greats Bert Sutcliffe and

John Reid.

6. Philippine journalist Maria Ressa convicted of libel, given 6-year term

• Maria Ressa, a journalist critical of the Philippine president was convicted of libel and sentenced to jail.

• The court found Maria Ressa of the online news site Rappler Inc and former reporter Reynaldo Santos Jr

guilty of libeling a wealthy businessman, Wilfredo Keng.

• The Rappler's story on May 29, 2012, cited an unspecified

intelligence report linking him to a murder, drug dealing, human

trafficking and smuggling. The site's lawyers disputed any malice and

said the time limit for filing the libel complaint had passed.

7. Anmol Narang-First Sikh woman graduates from US Military

Academy.

• Anmol Narang has made history by becoming the first observant

Sikh to graduate from the prestigious United States Military Academy.

• She is hopeful that her efforts to represent her religion and community will encourage Americans to learn

more about Sikhism.

8. Volkan Bozkir Becomes the 1st Turkish to be Elected as the President of 75th UNGA

• Volkan Bozkir from Turkey was elected as the president of the 75th United Nations(UN) General Assembly.

• He is the first turkish to hold this post and will hold the post for one year.

• He will succeed Tijjani Muhammad-Bande when the annual session opens on September 15, 2020.

• His candidacy was declared last year by Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his address to the

UN General Assembly on September 17.


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BOOKS AND AUTHORS

1. "The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir” by John Bolton

• The book ‘the room where it happened:

A white House memoir’ has been written

by John Bolton.

• John Bolton was the former National

Security Advisor to the US President

Donald Trump and was fired in September

2019 over policy differences.

• The book has created a lot of

controversies with Mr. Bolton accusing

Donald Trump of sweeping misdeeds that

included explicitly seeking Chinese

President Xi Jinping's help to win re-election.

IMPORTANT DAYS

1. 13 June-International Albinism Awareness Day

• Albinism is a rare, non-contagious, genetically inherited difference present at birth.

• It results in a lack of pigmentation (melanin) in the hair, skin and eyes, causing

vulnerability to the sun and bright light.

• As a result, almost all people with albinism are visually impaired and are prone to

developing skin cancer. There is no cure for the absence of melanin that is central to

albinism.

• The United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution in 2013 calling for

the prevention of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism.

• 2020 Theme - "Made to Shine"

• The theme was chosen to celebrate the achievements and successes of persons with albinism worldwide.

• It is also a call to stand in solidarity with people with albinism through their challenges.

2. 14 June-World Blood Donor Day

• On 14 June 2020 WHO and all countries will celebrate World Blood Donor Day.

• The campaign theme for this year’s World Blood Donor Day is “Safe blood saves lives” with the slogan “Give

blood and make the world a healthier place”.


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• The idea is to focus on the contribution an individual giver can make to improve health for others in the

community.

• Blood donations are needed all over the world to ensure individuals and communities have access to safe

and quality-assured blood and blood products in both normal and emergency situations.

3. 16 June-International Day of Family Remittances (IDFR)

• The International Day of Family Remittances (IDFR) is a

universally-recognized observance adopted by the United

Nations General Assembly and celebrated every year on 16

June.

• The day recognizes the contribution of over 200 million

migrants to improve the lives of their 800 million family

members back home, and to create a future of hope for

their children.

• The IDFR was unanimously proclaimed by all 176

member states of the International Fund for Agricultural

Development (IFAD)’s Governing Council at its 38th

session. Later it was adopted by the United Nations

General Assembly (UNGA) in June 2018.

• The first IDFR was celebrated on 16 June 2015.

4. 17 June-World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought-17 June

• Desertification is the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas. It is caused primarily by

human activities and climatic variations.

• This day is observed every year to promote public awareness of international efforts to combat

desertification.

• 2020 Theme: Food. Feed.Fibre. - the links between consumption and land. This year’s observance is focused

on changing public attitudes to the leading driver of desertification and land degradation: humanity’s

relentless production and consumption.


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AWARDS

1. Dr Rattan Lal: Indian born American Scientist wins World Food Prize 2020

• Eminent Indian-American soil scientist Rattan Lal was named this year’s recipient of USD 250,000 World

Food Prize.

• He was awarded for developing and mainstreaming a soil-centric approach to increasing food production

that conserves natural resources and mitigates climate change.

• The World Food Prize is equivalent to the Nobel Prize in the field of Agriculture.

• It is presented by the World Food Prize Foundation, with various sponsor companies.

2. Indian Musician Shobha Sekhar receives “the Medal of the Order of Australia”

• Indian Musician Shobha Sekhar in Australia

received the Medal of the Order of Australia(OAM)

in the Queen’s Birthday 2020 for her service to

Indian music and dance.

• She is the founder of Kalakruthi-a music

organisation.

• The medal of the order of Australia is awarded to

the individuals contributing to their community or

to Australia globally or domestically.

3. Hyderabad’s NGO wins Monaco Foundation Award

• Hyderabad-based Deccan Development Society has won the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Award,

one of the most coveted environmental awards in the world for the year 2020.

• The award of 40,000 Euros (approximately Rs 35 lakhs) has been given to the society “in recognition of the

work of DDS women to rehabilitate degraded lands and promote biodiversity”.

• DDS has earlier won UNDP’s prestigious Equator Award followed by the Shining World Protection Award for

“its noble, gracious and loving efforts to improve our world”.


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INDEX AND RANKINGS

1. India ranks 43rd on the World Competitive Index

• India continues to remain ranked 43rd on an annual World Competitiveness Index compiled by Institute for

Management Development (IMD).

• Singapore has retained its top position on the 63-nation list. While its overall position has remained

unchanged in the 2020 list, it has

recorded improvements in areas like long-term employment growth, current account balance, high-tech

exports, foreign currency reserves, public expenditure on education, political stability and overall productivity.

• However, it has moved down in areas like exchange rate stability, real GDP growth, competition legislation

and taxes.

2. SIPRI’s Yearbook 2020-India ranked 6th as nuclear weapons

• The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)’s Yearbook 2020 states the number of nuclear

warheads in the Chinese arsenal at 320, while the nuclear forces of Pakistan and India are estimated to have

160 and 150 weapons, respectively.

• With 6,375 and 5,800 warheads, Russia and the United States together possess more than 90% of global

nuclear weapons.

• The nine nuclear-armed countries—the US, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel

and North Korea—together account for an estimated 13,400 nuclear weapons as of January 2020.


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SPORTS NEWS

1. FIFA Ranking: India retains 108th rank

• Indian football team has retained the 108th spot in the latest FIFA rankings issued as international football

has been suspended since March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

• Belgium remains on the top followed by France and Brazil.

• Indian football team is set to host Asian champions Qatar on October 8 in its next 2022 Fifa World Cup

qualifying round game, which would be India's first international fixture amid the coronavirus pandemic.

2. Sports Ministry to establish Khelo India State Centres of Excellence (KISCE)

• The Sports Ministry will establish Khelo India State Centres of Excellence (KISCE) under the ministry’s

flagship, Khelo India Scheme.

• One KISCE will be identified in each state and union territory, with an effort to create a robust sporting

ecosystem in the entire country.

• In the first leg, the Ministry has identified state-owned sports facilities in eight states of India, including,

Karnataka, Odisha, Kerala, Telangana and the north east states of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and

Nagaland which will be upgraded into Khelo India State Centre of Excellence (KISCE).


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