DAILY GK: 20 , 21 JUNE 2021
1. ECI RELEASED
‘GENERAL ELECTIONS 2019 INDIA – AN ATLAS’
• Chief
Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra along with Election Commissioners Rajiv
Kumar and Anup Chandra Pandey released the “General Elections 2019 India – An
Atlas”, which consists of data and statistical figures of 17th General
Elections held in 2019.
• The
Atlas was published by the Election Commission of India(ECI).
2. INDIA, JAPAN
CONDUCT BILATERAL NAVAL EXERCISE IN INDIAN OCEAN
• An
Indian Navy (IN) and Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) conducted a
joint naval exercise at the Indian Ocean under the motive ‘Free and Open
Indo-Pacific‘ (FOIP).
Other
Exercises between India-Japan:
• i.Dharma
Guardian: It is a Military Exercise.
• ii.Malabar:
It is a trilateral Naval Exercise between India, Japan and the United States
(US)
• iii.Japan–India
Maritime bilateral exercise (JIMEX): It is also a Naval Exercise. In September
2020, IN and JMSDF conducted 4th edition of biennial JIMEX-2020 in the North
Arabian Sea.
3. UNHCR REPORT
• According
to the ‘Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2020 Report’ released by United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) – The number of people fleeing
wars, violence, persecution, and human rights violations increased to nearly
82.4 million people in 2020, an increase of 3 million people compared to 79.5
million recorded at the end of 2019.
• The
report states that more than 1% of the world’s population or 1 in 95 people are
now forcibly displaced.
• This
compares with 1 in 159 in 2010.
4. RBI GRANTED
APPROVAL TO CFSL FOR TAKING OVER PMC BANK
• Reserve
Bank of India (RBI) granted in-principle
approval to Centrum Financial Services Limited (CFSL) to set up a small finance
bank (SFB).
• Through
this SFB, Centrum will take over crisis-hit Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative
Bank (PMC) as a separate process.
• For
the setting up of SFB, there will be capital infusion of Rs 1,800 crore by the
Centrum Capital, holding entity for CFSL, and its partner BharatPe.
5. COVID-19
RELIEF PROGRAM – ‘GHARGHARRATION’
• IDFC
First Bank has launched an Employee-funded relief program named ‘GharGhar
Ration’, for its low-income customers whose livelihoods are affected due to
COVID-19.
• Under
the program, a Customer COVID Care Fund was set from the contribution of the
bank employees’ personal income (Employees contributed one day to one month’s
salary).
• Ration
kits will be supplied under the program to 50,000 COVID-19 affected low-income
customers of IDFC FIRST Bank.
6. EUROPEAN
INVENTOR AWARD 2021
• Indian-American
chemist, Sumita Mitra won the European Patent Office’s (EPO) European Inventor
Award 2021 under the Non-EPO countries category for her innovative dental
filling invention using Nanotechnology.
• The
2021 European Inventor Award ceremony was held digitally.
• She
was the 1st one to have successfully integrated nanotechnology into dental
materials, and has invented stronger, durable & aesthetically pleasing
dental fillings.
7. ANTONIO
GUTERRES RE-ELECTED AS UN SECRETARY GENERAL
• Antonio
Guterres, was re-elected as the Secretary General of United Nations (UN) for a
2nd 5-year term from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2026.
• His
appointment was made by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on the
recommendation of the 15-nation UN Security Council (UNSC) and announced by the
President of the 75th session of the UNGA, VolkanBozkir.
8. MICHAEL
SCHUMACHER OUT OF COMA AFTER 6 YEARS
• Formula
One(F1) Champion Michael Schumacher, a retired German racing driver who has
recorded the most wins – 91, pole positions – 68 and Podium finishes – 155 has
got out of coma after 6 years.
• He
was placed under a medically induced coma after a head injury.
9. INDIAN
SPRINTER PADMA SHRIMILKHA SINGH PASSED AWAY
• Legendary
Indian sprinter Padma Shri Milkha Singh, who is popularly known as ‘Flying
Sikh’ in the athletic field, passed away in Chandigarh.
• He
was born on 20th November 1929 in Govindpura, Pakistan.
10. 26TH
NATIONAL READING DAY – 19TH JUNE 2021
• The
National Reading Day is annually observed across India on 19th June to
encourage reading among the students across India.
• The
day also marks the death anniversary of Puthuvayil Narayana Panicker
(P.N.Panicker), who was known as “Kerala’s Father of Library Movement”.
• 19th
June 2021, marks the celebration of the 26th National Reading Day..
11. JAPAN TO
LAUNCH VACCINE PASSPORT FOR TRAVEL ABROAD
• Japan
stated it will make a vaccine passportavailable from next month for Japanese
travellers, as governments around the world experiment with ways to relaunch
tourism and business trips.
• The
certificate will be paper-based rather than digital and will be issued by local
governments from sometime next month.
• The
European Union is working on a digital vaccine passport for this summer so it
can welcome back badly needed tourists, and some EU countries plan to introduce
certificates at the national level.