Current Affairs - June 21, 2020 Current Affairs

Veteran economist & member of the 10th Finance Commission,IAS B.P.R. Vithal Baru passed away at 93 in Hyderabad due to old age-related ailments. He was born in 1926. B.P.R. Vithal Baru served as a Secretary, Finance and Planning, government of Andhra Pradesh, from 1972 to 1982. He was a Deputy Chairman, State Planning Board.

India will serve as the president of the United Nation security Council (15-Member) for the month of August 2021, which has been elected as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for two years(2021-22). Following the English alphabetical order of the member states' names,the presidency of the Council is held by each of the members in turn for one month.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has set up a Project Development Cell under its joint secretary Amitesh Kumar Sinha to attract investment in clean energy, especially in the solar sector. This cell will offer for investment those renewable energy projects where all the necessary works like detailed project report, land availability etc. have been completed.

19th June 2020 marks the 6th international day for the elimination of sexual violence in conflict which is observed every year to create awareness about the conflict related sexual violence. The day was established by the United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) in 2015.

Following reports of relaxation in lockdown by various major economies around the world, on 19th 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.

On 18th June 2020, Manipur observes the 19th Great June Uprising Day in memory of the 18 people who lost their lives on 18th June 2001 in the June uprising to protect the territorial integrity of Manipur.

The Reserve Bank of India on 19th 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 21st, 2020, the regulatory restrictions were up to 22nd June 2020, which now has been extended up to 22nd December 2020.

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. Over the last couple of weeks, the COVID-19 cases are notable on the rise in the National Capital, following this development the Lieutenant Governor of New Delhi, Anil Baijal on 19th June 2020 had made 5 days institutional quarantine mandatory for all positive patients of Covid-19.

JSW Cement, a part of JSW Group, signed former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly the current president of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Sunil Chhetri, captain of India's National Football Team & Bengaluru FC as their brand ambassadors for their marketing campaign Leaders Choice in West Bengal, Bihar and Odisha.

Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai has launched a mobile application "Air-Venti" to help residents in the city to know about the availability of the ICU beds and Ventilators in both government and private hospitals.

Reliance Industries Limited's Jio Platforms stepped into 11th deal with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund(PIF), who bought 2.32% stake in Jio Platforms for Rs 11,367 crores. With this investment, Jio Platforms has raised Rs 115,693.95 crores(1.15 lakh crores) from leading global investors since April 22, which is the largest continuous fund raised by a company in the world.

Every year on June 19 the World Sickle Cell Awareness Day is observed to increase public knowledge & understanding about sickle cell disease. The day also aims to put forth the challenges faced by these patients, their families and caregivers. World Sickle Cell Day was 1st organised by the United Nation General Assembly in the year 2008 to recognise sickle cell disease as a public health problem.

Astronomers at the US (United Sates) based space agency NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) have discovered the youngest known magnetar (a type of neutron star) named "Swift J1818.0-1607" about 16,000 light years away from Earth.

On 19th June 2020, India released its first national report on the state of the climate crisis titled "Assessment of climate change over the Indian region" prepared with the support of the Ministry of Earth Science(MoES) and edited by the scientists of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology(IITM), Pune. This report is published as an open access book by Spring Nature.

In accordance with the official government data, on June 15, 2020, Uttar Pradesh has provided employment to 57 lakh 12975 workers in 56,981 village panchayats of the state under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, making it the top Indian state to provide highest employment under MGNREGS. This employment is 18% of the total work generated under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in the country.

On the lines of the announcement made by the Central government under the 20 Lakh crore Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, on June 18, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the two stage electronic auction of 41 coal blocks for commercial mining through video-conference. The process of this e-auction was initiated by the Ministry of Coal in association with FICCI as an industry partner under the provisions of Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act and Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act. The government has set a target to gasify around 100 million tonnes of coal by 2030.

Veteran journalist and freedom fighter Dinu Ranadive passed away at 95 in his residency in Dadar,Maharashtra due to illness. He was born in 1925 in Dahanu tehsil of adjoining Palghar district, Maharashtra.

Uruguay's Pablo Albarenga named Photographer of the Year in professional category in 2020 Sony World Photography Awards.

The Competition Commission of India approved the acquisition of Metso Oyj's minerals business by Outotec Oyj under section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002. The proposed combination is subject to changes made by the parties, under Regulation 25 (1A) of the Competition Commission of India (procedure relating to business transactions related to combinations) Regulations, 2011.

Researchers of Indian Institute of Technology(IIT) Mandi have developed a herbal infusion technology, as a source of income for local marginal farmers in the mid-Himalayas. The Researchers from the institute's Botanical Garden and Medicinal Plant Lab have analysed a variety of herbs growing in the mid-Himalayan region in & around the villages around IIT Mandi, Kamand region to create value added products in the form of herbal infusions known for their health benefits (mainly rich in antioxidants).