Daily Current Affairs 20 June 2021 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.
NATIONAL NEWS
ICCR was appointed as the personnel certification body of the Yoga Certification Board of India
Yoga Certification Board of India has appointed Indian Council for Cultural Relations as the personnel certification body.
- ICCR, along with the Ministry of Ayush, will now start Yoga Certification courses for the professionals across the world.
- Apart from holding Yoga courses, ICCR will now ensure Indian embassies become the centres for Yoga Certification.
Delhi CM Launches ‘Jahan Vote, Wahan Vaccination’ Campaign
With the aim to vaccinate all people above 45 years against COVID-19 in Delhi within the next four weeks, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched ‘Jahan Vote, Wahan Vaccination’ campaign.
- Under this campaign, we will tell people to visit their designated polling stations to get vaccinated. Door-to-door vaccination to be done Kejriwal said.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
India Maintains 43rd Rank On IMD’s World Competitiveness Index 2021
India held the 43rd rank on the Institute for Management Development (IMD)’s annual World Competitiveness Index 2021.
- According to IMD, India has maintained its position for the past three years but this year, it showed significant improvements in government efficiency and this can be a result of relatively stable public finances despite difficulties brought by the pandemic.
- Switzerland led the 64-nation list, followed by Sweden (moved up to the second position from sixth in 2020), Denmark, the Netherlands and Singapore.
- World Competitiveness Rankings List comprises a total of 64 nations. Innovation, digitalization, welfare benefits, and social cohesion were key to economic performance in the 2021 rankings.
BANKING & FINANCE
Google Pay expands cards tokenisation with more banks
Digital payments platform Google Pay has announced further expansion in the footprint of bank partners offering cards tokenisation on the Google Pay app.
- The platform had earlier rolled out tokenisation with Kotak Mahindra Bank, SBI Cards and Axis Bank. It has now added debit cards by SBI, IndusInd Bank and Federal Bank and Credit cards by IndusInd Bank and HSBC India to its slate.
- The feature also works with online merchants. With tokenisation, Google Pay users can use Near-field communication (NFC) capable devices/phones to make contactless payments at over 2.5 million Visa merchant locations. They can scan and pay at more than 1.5 million Bharat QR enabled merchants as well as pay bills and recharges from within their Google Pay app using their credit card.
Centrum Gets RBI’s In-Principle Nod To Take Over PMC Bank
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has given “in-principle” approval to Centrum Financial Services Ltd (CFSL) to set up a small finance bank (SFB), which will take over the beleaguered Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank (PMC Bank).
- Jaspal Bindra-led Centrum Capital, the holding entity for CFSL, and its partner BharatPe, a payments system company, will infuse Rs 1,800 crore into the small finance bank.
- It will get 120 days to commence operations. The amalgamation with PMC Bank is a separate process that would involve a notification of the scheme by the government.
IndusInd Bank Launches A Digital Lending Platform “IndusEasy Credit”
IndusInd Bank announced the launch of ‘IndusEasy Credit’, a comprehensive digital lending platform that enables customers to meet their financial requirements from the comfort of their homes.
- With this, both existing as well as non-IndusInd Bank customer can instantly avail personal loans or credit cards on a single platform in a completely paperless and digital manner.
- A first of its kind proposition, ‘IndusEasyCredit’ offers a fully digital end to end process that leverages the power of India’s public digital infrastructure – ‘Indiastack’ to offer personal loans and credit cards in a paperless, presence less and cashless manner.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
India’s unemployment rate declines to 8.7% as Covid restriction ease
India’s unemployment rate declined to 8.7 per cent in the week ended June 13 from the monthly unemployment rate of 14.7 per cent in May as COVID cases continue to decline.
- The urban unemployment dropped to 9.7% in the week ended June 13 against a monthly unemployment rate of 14.7% in May, according to data available with the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE)
- Data from the Center for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) indicate that the improvement in the unemployment rate over the past weeks is due to the easing of restrictions in various parts of the country.
- Economists, however, said that the recovery is mainly due to easing of restrictions on operations in the informal sector as well as withdrawal of people from the workforce in the absence of decent jobs.
LTI Awarded Snowflake Global Innovation Partner Of The Year
Larsen & Toubro Infotech (LTI), a global technology consulting and digital solutions company has been recognized as the Global Innovation Partner of the Year by Snowflake, the Data Cloud Company. LTI received this prestigious recognition during Snowflake Virtual Partner Summit.
- The award represents a key milestone for the strategic partnership between LTI and Snowflake and will strengthen collaboration between the companies to empower enterprises with innovative solutions and services.
SPORTS
Ireland’s Kevin O’Brien Announces Retirement From ODIs
Ireland all-rounder Kevin O’Brien, whose century against England in a 2011 World Cup match remains the fastest hundred in the tournament’s history, has quit one-day internationals, Cricket Ireland said.
- O’Brien wrote his name in the record books with a 50-ball century in Bangalore 10 years ago when Ireland beat England by three wickets, chasing down a 328-run victory target with five balls to spare.
- O’Brien smashed 113, clobbering six sixes in his 63-ball blitz, in the defining knock of his ODI career.
- The 37-year-old’s 3619 runs is the third highest from his country and he is Ireland’s leading wicket-taker with 114 scalps in one-day internationals.
Shafali Verma becomes the youngest woman cricketer to score twin half-centuries in Test debut
India’s Shafali Verma became the youngest woman, and the fourth overall, to score twin half-centuries in her debut Test match.
- She reached the milestone against England at Bristol in the ongoing one-off Test.
- The record was previously held by Australia’s Jessica Louise Jonassen, who was 22 when she scored fifties in both innings of her debut Test match. She too achieved the landmark against England.
AWARDS
FTCCI CEO Khyati Naravane was awarded ‘Certificate of Commitment’ by The World Book of Records
Industry body Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FTCCI) CEO Khyati Naravane has been awarded by The World Book of Records, London for commitment towards trade and industry during the Covid times.
- The World Book of Records (WBR) has taken an initiative to motivate and inspire people to be committed to safety.
- The World Book of Records London recognised the work of the federation and awarded its CEO Khyati Naravane with ‘Certificate of Commitment’.
ReNew Power CMD Sumant Sinha Recognised As SDG Pioneers By UNGC
The United Nations Global Compact has announced that it has recognized Mr. Sumant Sinha, Chairman & MD of ReNew Power as one of ten 2021 SDG Pioneers for his work to advance access to clean and affordable energy.It was announced at the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit 2021
- SDG Pioneers are business leaders selected by the UN Global Compact for doing an exceptional job to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the implementation of the UN Global Compact Ten Principles on human rights, environment, labor, and anti-corruption
OBITUARIES
Mufti Faiz-Ul-Waheed, Who First Translated Quran Into Gojri Language, Passes Away
Mufti Faiz-ul-Waheed, a renowned Islamic scholar who was the first to translate the Quran into the Gojri language and helped hundreds of tribal students pursue medical and engineering education across Jammu and Kashmir, died of post-Covid complications at a private hospital.He was 56.
- The scholar had also authored several booklets including ‘Siraj-um-Muneera’, ‘Ahkam-e-Mayyat’ and ‘Namaz Kae Masayil Quran-o-Hadees Ki Roshni Mei’.
- The acclaimed scholar an authority in Fiqh – Islamic Jurisprudence (Sharia Law) – in the city of Jammu was also patron of an Islamic seminary Madrassa Markaz Maarif Ul Quran in Medina Hill, Bhatindi in Jammu.
DPIIT Secretary Guruprasad Mohapatra passed away at 59
Secretary in the Department of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Guruprasad Mohapatra died of Covid-19 related complications at AIIMS. He was 59.
- Prior to taking over as DPIIT secretary in August 2019, Mohapatra served as chairman of the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
- He was a Gujarat cadre 1986 batch IAS officer. He had earlier served as joint secretary in the Department of Commerce.
IMPORTANT DAYS
World Sauntering Day
World Sauntering Day is observed on June 19 every year to remind us to slow down from our hectic lives and smell the proverbial roses as we walk along.
- World Sauntering Day 2021 theme is “The best remedy for a short temper is a long walk”