Weekly Current Affairs 1st June- 8th June 2021

FINANCE AND BANKING

• RBI keeps rates unchanged, cuts growth forecast
  • RBI has kept its policy rates unchanged, scaled down the growth projections for the current financial year by a full percentage point.

• RBI announces second round of G-SAP to keep yields in check
  • RBI recently said that there would be a second round of the Government Securities Acquisition Programme (G-SAP) in the second quarter of the financial year 2021-22.

• RBI cancels licence of Pune-based Shivajirao Bhosale Sahakari Bank
  • RBI has cancelled the licence of Shivajirao Bhosale Sahakari Bank, Pune as the lender does not have adequate capital and earning prospects.

ECONOMY

• WazirX launches NFT marketplace for Indian artists to sell their work
  • Binance-owned crypto exchange WazirX recently launched South Asia’s first non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace with 15 creators hailing from multiple categories including digital artists, muralist photographers, canvas artists, space 3D artists, street artists, and visual artists to sell their work.

• Cabinet gives nod to India-Japan MoC on urban development
  • The Union Cabinet has approved a memorandum of cooperation with Japan in the field of sustainable urban development which is expected to create employment opportunities.

• RDSO becomes the FIRST Institution to be declared SDO under one "One Nation One Standard" mission on BIS
  • RDSO (Research Design & Standards Organization) of Indian Railways has become the FIRST Institution to be declared Standard Developing Organization (SDO) under “One Nation One Standard" mission on BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) which is Institution under Department of Consumer Affairs.

NATIONAL

• SAGE (Seniorcare Ageing Growth Engine) initiative and SAGE portal launched
  • The Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Thaawarchand Gehlot virtually launched the SAGE (Seniorcare Aging Growth Engine) initiative and SAGE portal for elderly persons.

• Sustainable Development Goals India Index 2020-21
  • NITI Aayog in collaboration with the United Nations in India released third rendition of SDG India Index 2020-21. The Index for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) evaluates progress of states and union territories on social, economic and environmental parameters.

• NMMS app and Area officer monitoring App launched
  • Union Minister of Rural Development, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Panchayati Raj and Food Processing Industries, Narendra Singh Tomar launched National Mobile Monitoring Software (NMMS) app and Area officer monitoring App through video-conferencing.

INTERNATIONAL

• Isaac Herzog elected 11th president of Israel
  • Veteran politician Isaac Herzog has been elected Israel’s 11th president in a secret ballot in the Knesset (parliament).

• HeidelbergCement plans world's first CO2 neutral cement plant in Sweden
  • HeidelbergCement, the world’s second-largest cement maker, plans to turn its Swedish factory in Slite into the world’s first CO2-neutral cement plant by 2030 via carbon capture technology.

• Mali's president, prime minister resigned under detention
  • Mali’s President Bah N'Daw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane of Mali’s transitional government, who are under detention at a military camp, announced their resignations.

STATES

• Haryana makes Covid-19 treatment free for BPL patients in private hospitals
  • Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced that the state government will bear all expenses of COVID-19 patients belonging to below poverty line (BPL) category undergoing treatment in private hospitals.

• Ladakh Lt Governor launches YounTab scheme for students to encourage digital learning
  • Ladakh Lt Governor RK Mathur has launched the YounTab scheme for students in the Union Territory.

REPORTS AND INDEXES

• Centre for World University Rankings 2021-22
  • The Centre for World University Ranking (CWUR) released World University Rankings 2021/22.
  • 19,788 institutions were ranked, and those that placed at the top made the global 2000 list.

• AIRINC Global 150 Cities Index
  • AIRINC’s Global 150 Cities Index is a ranking of 150 of the top global locations according to the financial and lifestyle benefits they offer. It combines local salary levels, tax rates, living costs, and living conditions to assess how appealing each location is to live in.

• State of Environment Report 2021
  • The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has recently released the State of Environment Report, 2021.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• IIT Ropar develops "AmbiTAG"- India's first indigenous temperature data logger for the cold chain management
  • Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar (IIT Ropar) in Punjab has developed a first-of-its-kind IoT device – AmbiTag that records real-time ambient temperature during the transportation of perishable products, vaccines and even body organs and blood.

• Reading X-ray via WhatsApp: AI-driven 'XraySetu' helps doctors detect Covid in rural population
  • A new AI-driven platform XraySetu will now help early intervention through rapid screening of COVID-19 with the help of Chest X-ray interpretation over WhatsApp for doctors who have access to X-ray machines.

• Microsoft to retire iconic Internet Explorer browser on June 15, 2022
  • Microsoft has announced to retire its iconic Internet Explorer (IE) browser in June 2022, as it envisions the future of Internet Explorer, which was launched in 1995, on Windows 10 in Microsoft Edge.

AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

• Marine products export dips nearly 11 pc to USD 5.96 bn in FY21
  • The country’s exports of marine products fell 10.88 per cent to USD 5.96 billion (Rs 43,717.26 crore) during 2020-21 due to the pandemic and sluggish overseas markets, the commerce ministry said.

• Van Dhan Yojana to be expanded to UTs of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu
  • Central Government’s Van Dhan Yojana will be extended to the Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

• Agri Ministry launches the Bamboo Market Page on Govt e-Marketplace (GeM) portal
  • The National Bamboo Mission and the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) have been working together for having a dedicated window on the GeM portal for marketing of the Bamboo Goods (Bamboo based products & Quality Planting Materials).

DEFENCE

• Indian Navy’s oldest hydrographic survey ship INS Sandhayak decommissioned
  • Indian Navy’s oldest hydrographic survey ship INS Sandhayak was decommissioned at Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam after serving the nation for 40 years.
  • The ship was commissioned to the Indian Navy on February 26, 1981.

EVENTS

• BRICS foreign ministers hold virtual meeting
  • India hosted the BRICS foreign ministers meeting in its capacity as the chair of BRICS —Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa.

• IIT Madras hosts Asia’s first workshop on International Memory Studies
  • Indian Institute of Technology, IIT Madras hosted Asia’s first workshop on International Memory Studies virtually.
  • The aim of this workshop was to precedes the launch the Indian Network for Memory Studies officially

• Italy hosts the Global G20 Health Summit
  • Global G20 Health Summit was co-hosted by Italy and European Union at Villa Pamphilj in Rome to discuss the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and pledge new commitments to help ensure COVID-19 vaccine doses reach the populations that need them most

AWARDS AND REWARDS

• Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2021
  • Canadian photographer Mr. Thomas Vijayan (native of Kerala), took home the grand prize of 1,500 pounds and the title of Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2021 for a photograph, titled 'The World is Going Upside Down' (in pic).

• International Booker Prize 2021
  • David Diop has become the first French novelist to win the International Booker prize for translated fiction with At Night All Blood Is Black, his first novel translated into English.
  • The novel was published in French in 2018.

• International Business Book of the Year Award 2021
  • Authors Nitin Rakesh and Jerry Wind made history by winning the prestigious International Business Book of the Year Award for 2021 for their book Transformation in Times of Crisis, published by Notion Press.

SPORTS

• ICC Expands Men's ODI World Cup to 14 Teams From 2027
  • ICC expands Men's ODI World Cup to 14 Teams from 2027. Earlier there were 10 teams.
  • T20 World Cup to 20 Teams from 2024.

• FIH world rankings: Indian men's team maintain 4th position, women’s team hold on to 9th
  • In Hockey, Indian men's team maintained their fourth position while women’s team held to ninth position in the latest International Hockey Federation world rankings.

• Djokovic Wins 83rd Career Title in Belgrade
  • World No. 1 Novak Djokovic captured the 83rd title of his career with victory in the Belgrade Open.