Daily Current Affairs 8th June, 2021

Daily Current Affairs 8 June 2021 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

Punjab tops performance grading index in school education
Punjab topped the national performance grading index of school education for 2019-20 released by the Education Ministry.

• Punjab, which has improved its showing from 13th position it attained in 2018-19, topped the charts this time among all the states and union territories with a score of 929 out of 1,000, followed by Chandigarh (912) and Tamil Nadu (906).
• The performance grading index ranks the states on a set of 70 parameters relating to learning outcomes and quality, access, infrastructure and facilities, equity and governance processes to catalyse transformational change in the field of school education.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Germany hosts the 8th Global Nitrogen Conference
The 8th International Nitrogen Initiative Conference (INI2020) was held in Berlin, Germany.

• The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were the main focus of the eighth triennial conference of the International Nitrogen Initiative (INI).Assessing and managing nitrogen compounds sustainably were considered as crucial to achieve the 17 UN SDGs targeted for 2030.
• Also for the first time since the inception of INI two decades ago, its conference being hosted by Germany’s Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt–UBA).

UN launched United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration: 2021-2030
On the occasion of World Environment Day 2021, the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration has been officially launched, which will run from 2021 to 2030.

• United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration will be co-led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO).
• It was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in a 2019 resolution.This in turn will contribute to the achievement of all the Sustainable Development Goals.
• A Multi-Partner Trust Fund has also been launched for the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Germany is the first country to provide funding of Euro 14 million towards this fund.
• In order to support the launch of UN Decade, a report has also been released which defines the need of having such a global restoration effort.

FATFs regional body APG retains Pakistan on enhanced follow-up status
The Asia Pacific Group (APG) on Money Laundering, a regional affiliate of FATF, has retained Pakistan on “enhanced follow-up” status for sufficient outstanding requirements, while improving the country’s rating on 21 of the 40 technical recommendations of the global watchdog against money laundering and terror financing.

• Pakistan was put on the grey list by the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in June 2018 and the country has been struggling to come out of it.
• The second Follow-Up Report (FUR) on Mutual Evaluation of Pakistan released by the APG also downgraded the country on one criteria.

THE Asia University Rankings 2021 released
In the latest Times Higher Education Asia university rankings 2021, three Indian universities secured positions in the top 100 list. 

• IISc Bangalore, IIT Ropar and IIT Indore have secured ranks among the top 100 universities in Asia. Like last year, not a single Indian varsity made it to the elite top 10. IISc Bangalore ranked at 37th position. IIT Ropar is placed at 55th rank and IIT Indore at 78th rank among the top 100 universities.
• Tsinghua University, China has gained the first position in the Asia university rankings 2021. The second place is also secured by China’s Peking University. The third and fifth ranks have been secured by Singapore varsities. Whereas, University of Hong Kong is at fourth rank.

BANKING & FINANCE

RBI imposes penalty on BoI, PNB totalling Rs 6 crore
The RBI imposed penalty aggregating to Rs 6 crore on Bank of India and Punjab National Bank for contravention of norms, including one related to ‘Frauds – Classification and Reporting’.

• A penalty of Rs 4 crore has been imposed on Bank of India and Rs 2 crore on Punjab National Bank.

NITI Aayog recommends privatisation of Central Bank, Indian Overseas Bank
NITI Aayog has recommended divesting government stake in Central Bank of India and Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) as part of the privatisation initiative announced in the Union Budget.

• Central Bank and IOB have been recommended for disinvestment, Bank of India may be a potential candidate for sale.
• The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) and Department of Financial Services (DFS) will examine the proposal and discuss legislative changes needed for privatisation of banks.

SBI sanctions ₹3725 crore for Noida International Airport 
Country’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) has sanctioned a loan of ₹3725 crore for the development of Noida International Airport (NIA) which is being developed by Yamuna International Airport (YIAPL) and will be the second airport in National Capital Region (NCR).

• The entire loan of ₹3725 crore has been underwritten by SBI on a door-to-door loan tenor of 20 years.
• The funding is a crucial milestone for the project as it validates the financial viability of the project while also outlining the next steps for the establishment of NIA.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

NMPS, CSIR-NBRI sign MoU to boost production of medicinal plants, herbs
The National Medicinal Plant Board (NMPS) and the National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR-NBRI) have signed an agreement to boost cultivation and production of medicinal plants and herbs in India.

• Through this collaboration, NMPB will support CSIR-NBRI in carrying out the potential medicinal plant species with high commercial value for the Germplasm collection/conservation and establishment of nursery and seed banks/gene banks.

SPORTS

Oman to host inaugural FIH Hockey5s World Cup in 2024
The FIH, field hockey’s world governing body, has announced Oman as the host of the inaugural Hockey5s World Cup.

•  The men’s and women’s tournaments will take place in the capital Muscat in January 2024.

APPOINTMENTS

Maldives’ Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid elected president of 76th session of UN General Assembly
The Maldives’ Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid was elected as the new President of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), winning a three-fourth majority against contender Afghanistan’s former foreign minister Zalmai Rassoul.

• Shahid garnered 143 votes while Rassoul received 48 votes out of the 191 votes polled.
• This is the first time the Maldives will be occupying the office of the President of the UNGA.

Sanjeev Sahai to be new chairman of oil regulator PNGRB
Former power secretary Sanjeev Nandan Sahai, who virtually made a last-minute entry into the list of candidates, has been selected as the new chairman of oil regulator PNGRB.

• The post of Chairman, PNGRB, has been lying vacant since December 4, 2020, when Dinesh K Sarraf completed his three-year term.
• The Board, which comprises four members besides the chairman, is almost defunct with just one serving member.

Hitendra Dave appointed as HSBC India CEO
HSBC announced Hitendra Dave will be appointed the chief executive officer (CEO) of HSBC India on receipt of regulatory approval, and has been appointed the interim CEO, effective June 7, 2021.

• Dave succeeds Surendra Rosha, who after three years is moving to Hong Kong as the co-chief executive of HSBC, Asia-Pacific.
• Dave, formerly head of global banking and markets of HSBC India, has almost 30 years work experience in the Indian financial markets, of which the last 20 have been with HSBC. He joined the bank in 2001 in the global markets business.

Virendra Nanavati elected as FINA Bureau member
India’s Virendra Nanavati was elected as a member of International Swimming Federation (FINA) Bureau at the world body’s General Congress held in Doha in Qatar.

• Nanavati, who is currently a vice-president of Indian Olympic Association and executive director of Swimming Federation of India (SFI), is the first Indian to be elected as a Bureau member of the FINA. He was elected for the term of 2021-2025.

Al-Musallam elected International Swimming Federation President
Husain Al-Musallam from Kuwait has been elected President of the International Swimming Federation (FINA). He will replace Julio Maglione.

• Al-Musallam previously served as vice president for Julio Maglione from Uruguay, since 2009. Apart from himself, Sam Ramsamy from South Africa was also elected as the first vice president of this world swimming management organization.

AWARDS

Arunachal Pradesh’s Water Burial bags best film National Award
Water Burial, a film based on Monpa dialect of Arunachal Pradesh, has won the Best Film National Award in environment conservation category at the 67th National Films Awards 2021.

• The film, which is directed by independent filmmaker Shantanu Sen in Monpa dialect, has garnered positive reviews for its uniqueness in portraying the rituals of the tribals of the Northeast and bringing the attention of the mainstream media towards it.

Bengaluru international airport achieves net energy neutral status
The Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru has achieved net energy neutral status in the Financial Year 2020-21 as part of its sustainability goals, Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL), which operates the airport said.

• BIAL added that it saved nearly five lakh units (KWH) from lighting, and has implemented chiller plant optimisation in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), which has resulted in saving over 17 lakh units (KWH).

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

US to hand over three MH-60 ‘Romeo’ multi-role choppers to India
After a wait of more than a decade, the Indian Navy is set to receive its first set of multi-role helicopters as America is set to hand over three MH-60 Romeo helicopters to the force in the United States in July.

• The first batch of Indian pilots has also reached the US for training on the helicopters which would be arriving in India next year in July.
• India and the US had signed over-Rs 16,000 crore deal to buy 24 MH-60 Romeo helicopters from Lockheed Martin in 2020 under fast track procedures on a government deal to hasten the process.

ENVIRONMENT

Assam govt names Raimona reserve forest sixth national park
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on world environment day announced that Raimona reserve forest has been upgraded as the sixth national park of the state. 

• The Raimona National Park, which is within the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), is part of a contiguous forest patch with an area of 422 square kilometres, covering the northern part of the notified Ripu Reserve Forest along the Indo-Bhutan border.
• The other five national parks in the state are Kaziranga, Manas, Nameri, Orang and Dibru-Saikhowa.

OBITUARIES

Assamese litterateur Lakshmi Nandan Bora passes away 
Noted Assamese litterateur and Padma Shri awardee Lakshmi Nandan Bora passed away at a private hospital in Guwahati. He was 91.

• Mr. Bora was the first person to be awarded a doctoral degree in meteorology by the Andhra University. He has authored over 60 books including Patal Bhairavi and Kayakalpa.
• For Patal Bhairavi, Lakshmi Nandan Bora won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1988. In 2008, he published Kayakalpa, which won the Saraswati Samman from KK Birla Foundation.Lakshmi Nandan Bora was honoured by the Government of India in 2015 with Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Oceans Day
World Oceans Day is observed every year on 8 June to create awareness among human beings of the benefits it has enjoyed from the ocean so far.

• The day highlights the need and necessity to protect oceans from further deterioration.
• The theme for World Oceans Day 2021 is ‘The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods’.

UN Russian Language Day 
The United Nations(UN)’s Russian Language Day is annually observed across the globe on 6th June. 

• The Russian Language Day is celebrated on the birth day of Aleksandr Pushkin, a Russian poet who is considered the father of modern Russian language. 

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