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- GK Snapshots on 6 July 2021
GK Snapshots on 6 July 2021
International Fruit Day 2021 – July 1
The International Fruit Day is annually observed across the globe on 1st July to share fruits in sympathy and joy with family, friends or needy people. The day also addresses the people who create and preserve positive living conditions. The motto of the International Fruit Day was “Create Change Together” and the Fruit Of The Year 2021 is Watermelon. Watermelon won the Fruit of the Year vote with around 27%.
International Year of Fruits and Vegetables 2021:
i.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/74/244 on 19th December 2019 and proclaimed the year 2021 as the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables to create awareness about the nutritional and health benefits of the Fruits and Vegetables.
ii.The year also highlights the importance of fruits and vegetables in the food system approach from sustainable production and trade to loss and waste management.
CIET-NCERT Announced the National ICT Awards for School Teachers 2018 & 2019
The Central Institute of Educational Technology(CIET), a constituent unit of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has announced the recipients of the National ICT Awards for School Teachers 2018 & 2019.
• The award is annually instituted by the Ministry of Education(MoE), Government of India.
About National ICT Awards for School Teachers:
i.The National ICT Awards for School Teachers annually presented to encourage the teachers to incorporate Information and Communication Technology(ICT) in school education.
ii.The award recognises the teachers who have enhanced student learnings through integrated technology-supported learning in school education.
Odia poet Rajendra Kishore Panda named for Kuvempu Rashtriya Puraskar 2020
A poet and novelist from Odisha, Dr. Rajendra Kishore Panda (77), has been named for the Kuvempu Rashtriya Puraskar for 2020.
• His name was finalised by a three-member committee comprising Kannada poet Dr. H.S. Shivaprakash, Agrahara Krishnamurthy, former secretary of Central Sahitya Academy, and Bengali author Shyamal Bhattacharya. The committee met under the chairmanship of Prof. Hampa Nagarajaiah.
Korean Air selected as ‘2021 Airline of the Year’ by ATW
Korean Air (of South Korea) has been selected as the ‘2021 Airline of the Year’ by Air Transport World (ATW), it is also called the ‘Oscar in the Aviation Industry’. It was awarded the Oscar for managing the situation under COVID-19 effectively.
• The awards ceremony is set to be held on October 5, 2021 at Boston, USA. Started in 1974, the year 2021 is the 47th edition of ATW’s ‘Airline of the Year’ awards.
• Each year, ATW’s global judges team select the best airline by taking into account various factors like financial stability, business operation, customer service, sustainability and safety.
Pushkar Singh Dhami Sworn in as Uttarakhand CM
On July 04, 2021, Pushkar Singh Dhami, 45, sworn in as the 11th Chief Minister (CM) of Uttarakhand along with 11-member cabinet ministers, by replacing Tirath Singh Rawat.
• He is the youngest CM of the state, and before getting elevated to the post,he served as MLA for 2 terms from Khatima, Uttarakhand (never held any ministerial position).
• His oath of office was administered by the state’s governor Baby Rani Maurya in Dehradun.
Key Points:
i.Pushkar Singh Dhami replaced Tirath Singh Rawat, Members of Parliament (Lok Sabha), who was sworn in as the CM on March 10, 2021. Tirath Singh Rawat has resigned after his 4-month tenure on July 04, 2021, as he is unable to get elected as an MLA (which is a mandatory one to hold the post as CM) due to the Election Commission holding by-polls in the state.
iii.Other 11 Ministers: The other 11 ministers viz, Satpal Maharaj, Harak Singh Rawat, Bansidhar Bhagat,
Yashpal Arya, Bishan Singh Chufal, Subodh Uniyal, Arvind Pandey, Ganesh Joshi, Dhan Singh Rawat, Rekha Arya, and Yatishwaranand also sworn in as ministers in the new state cabinet.
China launches ‘FY-3E’ Meteorological Satellite into Space
China National Space Administration (CNSA) launched a new meteorological satellite ‘Fengyun-3E (FY-3E)’ aboard a Long March-4C carrier rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China. Called the ‘dawn satellite’, FY-3E is the world’s 1st meteorological satellite for civil service in a dawn-dusk orbit.
• The satellite is equipped with 11 advanced remote sensing payloads and has a lifespan of 8 years. It can obtain data about temperature, humidity, other parameters and will help in improving China’s weather forecast capabilities.
• FY-3E will constellate with FY-3C and FY-3D satellites in orbit, making China the only country in the world which has succeeded in networking meteorological satellites positioned at 3 different trajectories. The networked satellites will help in better prediction of weather in the dawn, morning and afternoon.
• FY-3E is the 377th flight mission of the Long March Carrier rocket series.
6 Technology Innovation Platforms launched by Ministry of Heavy Industries
In June 2021, the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises launched 6-Technology Innovation platforms for exchange of knowledge for research & development of technologies that are manufactured in India with globally competitive standards and other technical researches.
Objective – One platform for all Indian Industries & field experts, allowing them to identify problems faced by various industries and resolve it through crowd sourcing solutions.
i.The platforms were developed by IIT-Madras, Central Manufacturing Technology Institute (CMTI), International Centre for Automotive Technology (iCAT), Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and HMT (Hindustan Machine Tools) in collaboration with IISc, Bangalore.
ii.Indian Start-ups & industries (including original equipment manufacturers, Tier-1 Tier-2 and Tier-3 companies and raw material manufacturers) will be benefited through these platforms.
iii.Over 39,000 experts from various institutes, industries and labs have registered on these platforms.
Max Verstappen wins Austrian Grand Prix 2021
On 4th July 2021, Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (Belgium) won the Austrian Grand Prix 2021, making his 3rd consecutive win and 5th win in 2021. He was quickly followed by Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas and McLaren’s Lando Norris in 2nd & 3rd positions respectively. Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) organized Austrian Grand Prix 2021.
i.Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, who is fighting for his 99th victory, was positioned in 4th place due to a damaged tire.
ii.Max Verstappen’s victory in Austrian Grand Prix also marks the 5th consecutive win for Red Bull Racing with 4 of them won by Verstappen and 1 by Sergio Pérez (Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2021) Max Verstappen
wins in 2021:
• Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
• Monaco Grand Prix
• French Grand Prix
• Styrian Grand Prix
• Austrian Grand Prix
India bags 4 Medals at ISSF Shooting World Cup 2021 held in Osijek, Croatia
India bagged 4 Medals (1 Gold, 1 Silver & 2 Bronze) and finished 10th at the ISSF World Cup 2021 Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun held at Osijek, Croatia from June 22 – July 3, 2021. The Medals table was topped by Russia with 18 Medals followed by Italy & Germany with 10 Medals each.
• This is the final ISSF (International Shooting Sport Federation) world cup held before the Tokyo Olympics 2020, which is set to be held from 23rd July – 8th August, 2021.
• The 2021 ISSF World Cup is the annual edition of the ISSF World Cup in the Olympic shooting events, governed by ISSF.
• More than 600 athletes from 61 countries competed for medals in the Individual, Mixed Team and Team formats.
Medals Tally
|
Rank |
Country |
Medal |
|
10 |
India |
4 (1 G, 1 S, 2 B) |
|
1 |
Russia |
18 |
|
2 |
Italy |
10 |
|
3 |
Germany |
10 |
EekS: New Book Series of WWF & PRHI to Introduce Children to the World of Insects
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Penguin Random House India (PRHI) have launched ‘EekS’, a new series of books to introduce children to the world of insects which includes a range of insects like bees, mosquitoes, ants and cockroaches. The series comprises 4 books authored by Arthy Muthanna Singh and Mamta Nainy.
Aim: To increase the curiosity of the children about the world of insects and their importance towards the ecology and environment.
About the book: The book features various interesting facts about insects along with impressive illustrations. The series consists of 4 books titled:
• Eeks! I Saw a Cockroach!
• Eeks! I Saw a Bee!
• Eeks! I Saw a Mosquito!
• Eeks! I Saw an Ant!
“Operation Khukri” a New Book Authored by Major General Rajpal Punia & Damini Punia
Major General Rajpal Punia and his daughter Damini Punia have co-authored their first book titled “Operation Khukri: The true story behind the Indian Army’s most successful mission as a part of the United Nations” which is set to release on 15th July 2021. The book is published by the Penguin Random House India (PRHI). The book is dedicated to Havildar Krishan Kumar, Sena Medal (posthumous), the only Indian soldier who died in Operation Khukri.
About the Book:
i.The book is the first-hand account of Major General Rajpal Punia, the Commanding Officer (CO) of the 58th Gorkha Rifles, who orchestrated “Operation Khukri”. Secretary-General
ii.The book features the story of the Indian Army’s rescue mission of more than 200 Indian peacekeepers who were sent to Sierra Leone, West Africa in 2000 by the United Nations(UN). The peacekeepers were sent to help the government tackle the Revolutionary United Front(RUF).
iii.The 13th July 2021 marks the 21st Anniversary of “Operation Khukri”.
Atal Innovation Mission concluded 1st fintech Cohort of ‘AIM-iLEAP’
A first fintech cohort of AIM-iLEAP (Innovative leadership for entrepreneurial agility and profitability) was concluded recently which was organized by Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) of NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog in collaboration with Startup Réseau and Visa through a series of thematic virtual demo.
What is AIM-iLEAP an initiative?
It is an initiative for start-ups to provide them access to industry, markets and investors thereby enhancing the innovation ecosystem. It aims to attract participation from 80 – 100 corporates for a series of 12 thematic bootcamps and Virtual Demo Days, over the course of the program.
CBSE introduces Financial Literacy Textbook developed by NPCI
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in collaboration with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has launched the “Financial Literacy Textbook for Class 6” students, to make childrens aware of basic financial concepts. The Book was developed by NPCI and edited by CBSE as per the needs of students. They are also working on similar books for Class 7 & 8.
i.The book includes basic concepts from basic concepts of currency to Banking, Security, and modes of Digital Payments such as UPI, Cards, Wallets.
ii.It also elaborates on the role of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) & importance of Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS)
iii.Financial Literacy was recently introduced by CBSE as an elective subject for Primary school students.
PM Modi Addresses CoWIN Global Conclave 2021
Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually addressed the CoWIN Global Conclave 2021. Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the event. The Global Conclave was jointly organized by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and National Health Authority (NHA).
• Health and Technology experts across the world participated in the event.
• The conclave was attended by India’s Foreign Secretary H V Shringla, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, and CEO of National Health Authority (NHA), Dr RS Sharma.
India’s 2nd Largest Cricket Stadium to come up at Jaipur, Rajasthan
India’s 2nd Largest Cricket Stadium & World’s 3rd Largest Cricket Stadium is set to be constructed in Jaipur (also known as Pink City), Rajasthan. The construction of the stadium will cost an estimated INR 290 crore.
• The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has given a financial grant of INR 100 crore to the Rajasthan Cricket Association for the construction of the Stadium which will have a capacity of 75,000.
• The world’s largest Cricket Stadium is Narendra Modi Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad, Gujarat with a capacity of 1,32,000 and the 2nd largest is Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) situated in Melbourne, Australia.
• While the World’s 3rd largest & India’s 2nd largest cricket stadium is Eden Garden cricket ground situated in Kolkata, West Bengal.
2nd India-Ghana Foreign Office Consultations 2021 held at Accra, Ghana
The 2nd India-Ghana Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) 2021 were held at Accra, Capital of Ghana. Rahul Chhabra, Secretary (Economic Relations) from Indian side and Kwaku Ampratwum Sarpong, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs from the Ghanaian side co-chaired the Meeting.
• During the meeting, the two sides undertook a review of bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest.
• They also took note of the exchange of bilateral visits, holding of Joint Commission Meeting, defence cooperation, pending MoUs and others.
• The 1st FOC between India & Ghana took place at New Delhi in 2019.
J&K’s SDRF launched 24*7 Mental Health Helpline ‘Sukoon’
In order to curb the suicide cases, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) inaugurated the J&K’s 1st 24×7 counselling helpline number ‘Sukoon’ & is accessible at toll-free number 1800-1807159. The name of the program, ‘Sukoon’ literally translates to ‘relief’.
• It has been started to improve the mental well being of the people of J&K amid COVID-19.
• The program has been initiated in coordination with doctors and mental health experts and will be helpful for people who are depressed, anxious or addicted to drugs,
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