Important Days
International Albinism Awareness Day: 13 June
The International Albinism Awareness Day (IAAD) is celebrated annually on June 13 to celebrate the human rights of persons with albinism worldwide.
Each year events are held to educate people and celebrate people with albinism who continue to suffer all types of human rights violations.
“Strength Beyond All Odds” is the theme for this year’s International Albinism Awareness Day.
World Blood Donor Day: 14th June
World blood donor day is observed globally on June 14th every year. The aim is to raise global awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products for transfusion and of the critical contribution voluntary, unpaid blood donors make to national health systems.
The day also provides an opportunity to call to action to governments and national health authorities to provide adequate resources and put into place systems and infrastructures to increase the collection of blood from voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors.
For 2021, the World Blood Donor Day slogan will be “Give blood and keep the world-beating”. The host country for World Blood Donor Day 2021 is Rome, Italy.
National News
Ministry of Ayush Launches ‘Namaste Yoga’ App
The Ministry of Ayush organized a curtain raiser event for the 7th International Day of Yoga. The event was organized by the Ministry of Ayush in association with Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY).
The event brought together several Yoga Gurus and experienced Yoga exponents on the virtual platform, to appeal to the world community to adopt Yoga in their daily life for the betterment of both the individual self and mankind.
The event underlined the importance of the central theme of IDY 2021 “Be With Yoga, Be At Home”. As a part of the event, a mobile application devoted to Yoga named “Namaste Yoga”, was also launched.
The Namaste Yoga” app has been designed as an information platform for the public, with the aim to raise awareness about yoga and make it accessible for the larger community.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- Minister of State (IC) of the Ministry of Ayush: Shripad Yesso Naik.
International
Israel will become the World’s First Mask-Free Country from June 15
Israel will become the world’s first mask-free country in the Corona period. Here the rule of applying masks in closed places will end from June 15. This was announced by Israel’s Health Minister Yuli Edelstein. The rule of applying masks outside has already been abolished in the country.
However, most restrictions related to foreign travel have not yet been lifted. For example, travel to nine countries is still banned. There is a rule of quarantine for travelers coming from these countries. His corona test is also being done.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- Israel Prime minister: Benjamin Netanyahu;
- Israel Capital: Jerusalem; Currency: Israeli Shekel.
Appointments
Biotechnology company MyLab appoints Akshay Kumar as brand ambassador
Bollywood superstar, Akshay Kumar has been appointed as the new brand ambassador of biotechnology company Mylab Discovery Solutions.
This announcement comes days after the Pune-based firm launched the country’s first COVID-19 self-test kit “CoviSelf”.
The partnership with Akshay is aimed at creating awareness for Mylab’s products and kits such as CoviSelf.
Rebeca Grynspan appointed as Secretary-General of UNCTAD
The U.N. General Assembly has approved the appointment of Costa Rican economist Rebecca Grynspan, as the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
She will serve a four-year term of office. She is the first woman and Central American to head UNCTAD. She was nominated as Secretary-General by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Grynspan would replace Isabelle Durant, who is serving as acting Secretary-General since 15 February 2021. Prior to this, Grynspan served as UNDP’s regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean and second vice president of Costa Rica from 1994 to 1998.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- UNCTAD Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
- UNCTAD Founded: 30 December 1964.
Economy
India ties with Russia as 4th largest forex reserves holder
As per Reserve Bank of India’s data, the foreign exchange reserves of India has crossed $600 billion marks for the first time.
The Forex reserve of India increased by USD 6.842 billion to $605.008 billion in the week ended June 04, 2021.
This is the lifetime high of India’s foreign asset. With this, India has tied with Russia as the fourth largest reserve holder in the world. The forex reserve of Russia is calculated to be $605.2 billion.
Banking
IDFC FIRST Bank launches Customer COVID relief Ghar Ghar Ration Program
IDFC FIRST Bank has announced the launch of ‘Ghar Ghar Ration’ Program, an employee-funded program for its low-income customers whose livelihoods are affected by COVID-19.
The bank has also announced a comprehensive program for the families of employees who unfortunately lost their lives due to COVID-19, and a number of other social responsibility initiatives.
“Ghar Ghar Ration” is a unique program where employees have contributed from their personal income to set up a Customer COVID Care Fund to provide relief to 50,000 COVID affected low-income IDFC FIRST Bank customers.
Employees of the Bank contributed one day to one month’s salary for the purpose.
Employees are procuring ration kits comprising 10 kg rice/flour, 2 kg dal (lentils), 1 kg sugar and salt, 1 kg cooking oil, 5 packets of assorted spices, tea and biscuits and other essentials needed to support a small family for about a month.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- IDFC FIRST Bank CEO: V. Vaidyanathan;
- IDFC FIRST Bank Headquarters: Mumbai;
- IDFC FIRST Bank Founded: October 2015.
Awards News
IIT Roorkee prof bags NSG award for ‘blast-resistant’ helmet
Shailesh Govind Ganpule, an assistant professor at the mechanical and industrial engineering department (MIED), was conferred the award with the ‘NSG Counter-IED and Counter-Terrorism Innovator Award 2021′ for developing a “blast-resistant” helmet.
This was the second edition of the annual award by NSG. Ceremony held at the National Security Guard (NSG) campus in Maneswar, near Gurgaon.
The ‘Blast-Resistant Helmet’ designed by Prof. Shailesh Ganpule is an advanced version of conventional helmets to protect military personnel from IED-induced blast waves with a technology readiness of 4.
The ‘NSG Counter-IED & Counter-Terrorism Innovator Award’ is instituted by National Security Guard for deserving innovators who have made an outstanding contribution towards innovation in Counter IED and Counter-Terrorism fields to safeguard national security.
Ranks and Reports news
India ranks 67th in Coursera’s Global Skills Report 2021
As per the ‘Global Skills Report 2021’ released by Coursera, India has been ranked 67th overall globally.
The report reveals that, overall, India ranks 67th globally, with 38 per cent proficiency, with mid-rankings in each domain, 55th in business and 66th in both technology and data science.
The report is based on performance data of about 77 million learners (from across 100 countries) on the platform collected since the onset of the pandemic. It benchmarks skills proficiency across 3 categories – Business, Technology and data science.
Rank:
Rank 1: Switzerland
Rank 2: Luxembourg
Rank 3: Austria
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- Coursera CEO: Jeff Maggioncalda;
- Coursera Headquarters: California, USA.
Science and Technology News
European Space Agency to Launch ‘EnVision’ Mission to Venus in 2030
European Space Agency (ESA), is now developing its own probe to study Venus, for a holistic view of the planet from its inner core to the upper atmosphere.
The mission dubbed as “EnVision” will probably be launched to the planet in early 2030.
EnVision probe of ESA will determine how and why Venus and Earth evolved so differently, even while being in the habitable zone to the Sun. ESA will undertake this mission with contributions from NASA.
EnVision spacecraft will carry a range of instruments to study the planet’s atmosphere and surface, monitor trace gases in the atmosphere and analyze its surface composition. NASA would provide a radar to image and map the surface.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- European Space Agency Headquarters: Paris, France;
- European Space Agency Founded: 30 May 1975, Europe;
- European Space Agency CEO: Johann-Dietrich Worner.
Sports News
Novak Djokovic wins French Open Tennis Title 2021
Novak Djokovic defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas to lift the French Open title for the second time in his career. Djokovic, with his 19th Grand Slam title, has closed in on Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on the all-time Grand Slam titles list. Both the players have won 20 Grand Slams each.
Djokovic has also become the first man in the Open Era to complete the career Grand Slam twice.
(He has won the Australian Open nine times, Wimbledon five times, and the US Open three times.) He has become the first man in 52 years, after Rod Laver, to win all the four Grand Slams twice. Overall, he is the third male tennis player to achieve this unique feat. The third being Roy Emerson.
Winners of French Open Tennis Tournament 2021
- Men’s Singles: Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
- Women’s Singles: Barbora Krejčíková (Czech Republic)
- Men’s Doubles: Pierre-Hugues Herbert (France) and Nicolas Mahut (France)
- Women’s Doubles: Barbora Krejčíková (Czech Republic) and Kateřina Siniaková (Czech Republic)
- Mixed Doubles- Desirae Krawczyk (United States) and Joe Salisbury (United Kingdom).
Books and Authors
‘Home in the World’ Book: by Amartya Sen’s memoir
One of the world’s leading public intellectuals of our time, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen has penned his memoir ‘Home in the World’.
The book will be published in July by Penguin Random House. In this book, Sen shares how it was Rabindranath Tagore who gave him his name Amartya.
He also reminisces the conversations at Calcutta’s famous Coffee House and at Cambridge, and Marx’s, Keynes’ and Arrow’s ideas all of which shaped his views.
Obituaries
Mahavir Chakra recipient Brigadier Raghubir Singh passes away
Mahavir Chakra recipient legendary veteran, Brigadier Raghubir Singh has passed away. He was commissioned on 18 Apr 1943 into the Sawaiman Guards as a Second Lieutenant and fought a number of wars including the second world war.
For this gallant act, the then President of India, Dr S Radhakrishnan, honoured Lieutenant Colonel (later Brigadier) Raghubir Singh with Maha Vir Chakra, the second-highest gallantry award in the country.
- Daily Current Affairs in English 11 Sep 2022 – Useful for all Competitive Exams
- Hindu Editorial with Vocabulary: Sep Month – Day 10
- 11 Sep 2022 Daily Current Affairs in Hindi – सभी प्रतियोगी परीक्षाओं के लिए महत्वपूर्ण
- 10 Sep 2022 Daily Current Affairs in Hindi – सभी प्रतियोगी परीक्षाओं के लिए महत्वपूर्ण
- Hindu Editorial with Vocabulary: Sep Month – Day 9
- Daily Current Affairs in English 10 Sep 2022 – Useful for all Competitive Exams
