7 June 2021 Content Final

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News detail on 7 June 2021

IMPORTANT DAYS International Day for the Fight against Illegal, Unreported and

Unregulated Fishing 2021 – June 5 The United Nations(UN)’s International Day for the Fight against

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing is annually observed

across the globe on 5th June to promote sustainability to ensure the

sustainability of fisheries are being seriously compromised by illegal,

unreported and unregulated fishing activities.

Background: i.The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean of the Food

and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to launch an initiative to declare

an international day for the Fight against IUU Fishing.

ii.The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the

resolution A/RES/72/72 in December 2017 and proclaimed the June

5th of every year as the International Day for the Fight against

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing.

iii.The first International Day for the Fight against IUU Fishing was

observed on 5th June 2018.

Note: In the same resolution, The UNGA also proclaimed the year 2022 as

the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture.

Key points: i.According to the FAO illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing

activities are responsible for the loss of around 11–26 million tonnes of

fish every year, which accounts for an economic value of 10 to 23

million USD.


ii.The FAO conference adopted the Agreement on Port State

Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and

Unregulated Fishing in 2009, which entered into force on 5th June

2016.

About Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): Director-General– QU Dongyu Headquarters– Rome, Italy

World Day Against Speciesism 2021 – 5th June The World Day Against Speciesism is annually observed across the

globe on June 5th to create awareness among people that speciesism

has no place in a civilized society. speciesism is like racism or sexism.

The World Day Against Speciesism is observed by the People for the

Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Farm Animal Rights Movement

(FARM), and other animal rights groups across the globe.

Speciesism: Speciesism refers to the assignment of different

inherent moral status based solely on an individual’s species

membership.

World Environment Day 2021 – 5 June United Nations(UN)’s World Environment Day is annually observed

across the globe on 5th June to promote and encourage the

involvement of the government, businesses, celebrities and citizens to

focus on environmental issues.

Theme – • World Environment Day 2021 is focused on ecosystem restoration and

its theme is “Reimagine. Recreate.Restore.” • Pakistan is the host of 2021 World Environment Day, they host the

day with the theme “Ecosystem restoration”.


Note: Every year the events of World Environment Day are hosted by

different host countries.

Background: i.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution

A/RES/2994 (XXVII) on 15th December 1972 and proclaimed the 5th

June of every year as World Environment Day.

ii.The World Environment day was first observed in 1974 to support

the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to create

awareness and generate political momentum on various issues like

depletion of the ozone layer, toxic chemicals, desertification and global

warming.

Why June 5? June 5th coincides with the first day of the first major conference on

environmental issues held in Stockholm, Sweden, which is known as the

Conference on the Human Environment, or the Stockholm Conference.

Note: The UNGA adopted the resolution A/RES/2997 (XXVII) in 1972 which

led to the creation of the United Nations Environment Programme

(UNEP), a specialized agency on environmental issues.

2021 Events in India: i.The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas and the Ministry of

Environment, Forest and Climate Change has jointly organised an event

on World Environment Day.


ii.The theme of the 2021 World Environment Day event is “Promotion

of biofuels for better environment”. iii.The Films Division of India has organised a 2 day online film festival

“Oasis of Hope” on 5th to 6th June 2021 as a part of the celebration

of World Environment Day 2021.

United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030: World Environment Day 2021 marks the formal launch of the United

Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030.

Aim: To prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every

continent and in every ocean

Restoration of the ecosystem: i.The restoration of the ecosystem enables substantial benefits for

the people and also creates jobs in rural areas.

ii.Various countries across the globe have invested in ecosystem

restoration as a part of their efforts to bounce back from COVID-19.

About United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP): Executive Director– Inger Andersen Headquarters– Nairobi, Kenya

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS Cognizant Ranked 185th On “2021 Fortune 500 List”;Walmart Tops In the 67th edition of Fortune Magazine’s annual ranking of America’s

largest companies, Cognizant is ranked at 185th position on the

2021 Fortune 500 list.

• Companies in the Fortune 500 are ranked by total revenues for their

respective fiscal years.


• Cognizant’s 2020 revenue of $16.7 billion moved the company up to

its current rank from 194 on the 2020 Fortune 500.

The top three 2021 Fortune 500 companies are,

• 1st – Walmart

• 2nd – Amazon

• 3rd – Apple

About Cognizant: i.Cognizant is an American multinational technology

company that provides IT and consulting expertise in IoT, artificial

intelligence, digital engineering, cloud and other key digital

technologies. ii.Cognizant debuted on the Fortune 500 list in 2011 at

484. The company moved into the top 200 in 2018, and advanced nine

places on this year’s list. Headquarters:Teaneck, New Jersey, United

States Chief Executive Officer(CEO):Brian Humphries

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS RBI Re-Appoints Vishwavir Ahuja As RBL Bank’s MD & CEO For One Year The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approved the re-appointment of

Vishwavir Ahuja as Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Director(CEO) of RBLbank for a period of one year with effect

from June 30, 2021.

• The re-appointment is subject to the approval of shareholders at the

ensuing Annual General Meeting of the Bank.

• RBL Bank Board had sought Vishwavir Ahuja’s re-appointment for a

period of three years. But, the RBI has permitted only one year.


About Vishwavir Ahuja: i.Vishwavir Ahuja has been the MD & CEO of RBL Bank since June 30,

2010.

ii.He also served as the MD & CEO of Bank of America, India from

2001 to 2009.

Note: In April, RBI announced capping the tenure of managing

directors, chief executives and whole-time directors of private banks

at 15 years from the date of appointment.

• The age cap for CEOs who are part of the promoter group or large

shareholder has been set at 12 years.

• The age cap for chairman and independent directors has been set at

75 years.

Amul’s RS Sodhi elected to the board of the International Dairy Federation Dr. R S Sodhi, Managing Director, Gujarat Cooperative Milk

Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF) popularly known as ‘Amul’ was

selected to the Board of International Dairy Federation (IDF).The

decision has been taken in IDF General meeting on June 1,2021 i.e.

World Milk Day.

About International Dairy Federation (IDF) :- i. IDF is an international authority established in 1903 in the

development of science-based standards for dairy sector to provide

high quality dairy products.

ii. IDF has an important role to play in ensuring the right policies,

standards, practices, and regulations are in place to ensure the world’s

dairy products are safe and sustainable.

iii. It has over 1,200 qualified dairy experts in 43 member countries.


iv. IDF members are National Committees generally constituted by

dairy organizations in each country.

v. India is represented by the National Committee (INC) of the IDF.

The Secretary (ADF), Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and

Dairying, Government of India is the President of the INC-IDF and

National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).

Omnivore Appointed Harsh Kumar Bhanwala, former chairman of NABARD, as Senior Advisor Omnivore, an Agritech venture capital

firm, has appointed Harsh Kumar Bhanwala the former chairman of

the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) as

its Senior Advisor.

• He will be offering advice on new investments, and support to develop

the fund’s rural fintech investment strategy.

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

DAC approves – Rs 43000 Crore RFP for Constructing 6 Submarines & Rs 6,000 Crore for Air Defence Guns On 4th June 2021, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approves Request For Proposal (RFP)

for construction of 6 Conventional Submarines under Strategic Partnership (SP) Model at a cost of Rs. 43,000 crores and allocated

Rs. 6,000 crores for modernisation of Indian Army’s Air Defence Guns and Ammunition.

i.Submarine Construction: 6 Conventional Submarines with state-of-art Air Independent Propulsion System will be indigenously developed under Project P75(I) through SP Model.


Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) System – Normally, a diesel-electric engine used in Submarines needs oxygen

supply for combustion of fuel. Whereas, an Air Independent Propulsion

System will reduce the frequency of Oxygen needed in the engine,

making the submarine eligible for deep-sea operations.

What is the Strategic Partnership Model? Under SP Model, Indian companies will collaborate with Foreign

Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) to construct equipment

through Transfer of Technology.

• Thus SP Model will boost Indian government’s ambitious ‘Make in India’ projects in Defence sector.This would be one of the largest

‘Make in India’ projects.

Note – INS Kalvari, was the 1st submarine to be inducted in the

Indian Navy in 1967. It was built by Soviet Union.

Organization for Construction: • Two Indian companies shortlisted as strategic partners, Mazagon

Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and Larsen & Toubro, will have to

respond, in partnership with one of the five OEMs, to the Request for

Proposal (RFP).

• Five OEMs are Rosoboronexport (ROE) of Russia, ThyssenKrupp of

Germany, Naval Group of France, Navantia of Spain and Daewoo

Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering of South Korea.

ii.Modernising Air Defence Guns:


DAC gave approval for modernising Air Defence Guns and Ammunition

of Indian army at a cost of Rs. 6,000 crores under Buy & Make (India) category.

• Till date, Guns & Ammunition used by Indian armed forces are

manufactured by foreign players.

• For the 1st time, Indian companies are planning to manufacture guns.

DAC extended the timeline for urgent Capital Acquisition of Armed

Forces till 31st August, 2021.

Future Enchancement: Further to better equip the Armed Forces to meet the operational

challenges and facilitate faster induction of required arms and

ammunition, the DAC extended the timelines for progressing urgent

Capital Acquisitions under the delegated powers to the Armed Forces

up to August 31, 2021.

About Project P75: Project 75 (I) is part of the Indian Navy’s 30 year Plan for indigenous

submarine construction. This programme had received its approval by

the Cabinet Committee on Security in 1999.

Project 75 India or P75I will be the first under the strategic

partnership model, promulgated in 2017 to boost indigenous defence

manufacturing. The first submarine built under the project is likely to

be delivered by 2030.

Development of six P75 Scorpene-Class Submarines of conventional

diesel-electric propulsion system with AIP System.

AIP technology is being developed by the Defence Research and

Development Organisation (DRDO)


MoSJ&E Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot Virtually Launched SAGE Initiative & Portal to Support Elderly People Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJ&E) Minister, Thaawarchand Gehlot virtually launched Seniorcare Aging Growth Engine (SAGE) initiative & portal to help old aged people.These

benefits to the elderly people will be given by the Startups.

Fund- Rs 25 crores has been given for the FY 2021-22.

Objective – To Provide all the products and services need for the

elderly people at one stop.

Responsible Ministry – Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

(MoSJ&E).

About SAGE Initiative: i.SAGE (Seniorcare Aging Growth Engine) Initiative was launched to

provide products and services to support elderly people across sectors

such as health, housing, care centres, apart from technological access

linked to finances, food and wealth management and legal guidance.

ii.SAGE Portal – This is the one stop access where elderly people can

access all their essential needs.

Need for SAGE Initiative: Since, the share of elders, as a percentage of the total population in

the country, is expected to increase from around 7.5% in 2001 to

almost 12.5% by 2026, and surpass 19.5% by 2050 & it is important to

support the elderly people.

Background:


i.MoSJ&E has designed SAGE programme as per the suggestions of

the Empowered Committee on start-ups for the elderly to solicit the

involvement of youth and their innovative ideas for elderly care.

ii.The SAGE project is shaped on the recommendations of the

empowered expert committee (EEC) report on start-ups for elderly.

Fund for Startups: A committee will be set up to choose the start-up and allocate upto Rs

1 crore to start up for creative elderly care solution.

About Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJ&E): Union Minister – Thaawarchand Gehlot (Constituency – Madhya

Pradesh)

Minister of State – Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar(Constituency – Faridabad,

Haryana); Shri Ramdas Athawale (Constituency – Maharashtra); Shri

Rattan Lal Kataria (Constituency – Ambala, Haryana).

EESL Partnered with ISHRAE for Efficient and Clean Energy Solution in HVAC&R Industry Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL), a joint venture under the

Ministry of Power has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

with the Indian Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning

Engineers (ISHRAE) for a strategic partnership to implement energy-

efficient and clean energy solution in the Heating, Ventilation, Air

Conditioning, and Refrigeration (HVAC&R) industry.

• Rajat Sud, Managing Director of EESL and Amitabha Sur, National

President of ISHRAE signed the MoU in August 2020 in the presence

of the officials of EESL and ISHRAE.

Note:


ISHRAE works with an aim to advance the arts and science of HVAC&R

engineering and related services and to promote research in the field

of HVAC&R technology.

Features of partnership: i.Both EESL and ISHRAE will exchange information of common

interest and jointly work in conducting studies like demand aggregation

in the sector.

ii.Through his partnership EESL and ISHRAE will set up task forces to

address the areas that requires joint participation to promote energy-

efficient low carbon technologies in the cooling and heating, and cold

chain sector.

iii.Under this partnership, EESL and ISHRAE will work towards the

implementation of solutions related to energy efficiency, clean energy

and other ancillary services in HVAC&R sector.

iv.Both EESL and ISHRAE will work on the District Energy Systems

which includes the awareness & adoption, training, and capacity-building

programmes for Refrigerator and Air Conditioning (RAC) technicians

engaged in Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM), channel partners

or independent service centres.

About Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL): Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) is a Super Energy Service

Company (ESCO) under the Ministry of Power.

Managing Director– Rajat Kumar Sud Headquarters– Delhi

About Indian Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning

Engineers (ISHRAE): National President– Amitabha Sur Headquarters– New Delhi Founded in 1981


INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS 40% of Global Crops lost to Pests Annually – FAO Report According to the “Scientific review of the impact of climate change on plant pests” report of the Food and Agriculture Organisation

(FAO), globally around 40% of agricultural produce is damaged due to

invasive pests every year.

i.The report was prepared by Maria Lodovica from the University of

Turin in Italy alongside 10 co-authors.

ii.Annually countries spent USD 70 billion to eliminate invasive pests

like Fall Armyworm, Desert Locusts (World’s most destructive

migratory pests)

Note – United Nations declared 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health, which later got extended till 1st July 2021 due to

COVID-19 pandemic.

Key Findings: • Climate Change increases the risk of pest spreading

• 50% of all emerging plant diseases are spread through global trade

and travel

• Countries should invest more in strengthening national plant health

systems and structures

• Implementing plant health standards developed by International Plant

Protection Convention (IPPC) & FAO

Note – In April 2020, the Locust attack destroyed over 33% of the

crops in Rajasthan

About Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO):


FAO was established by the United Nations in October, 1945 to

eliminate hunger and improve nutrition and food security.

Director General– Qu Dongyu Headquarters– Rome, Italy

THE Asia University Ranking 2021:IISc, IIT Ropar, IIT Indore In

Top 100; Tsinghua University Tops In the 2021 Times Higher Education(THE) Asia university rankings ,

IISc Bangalore, IIT Ropar and IIT Indore have secured ranks among

the top 100 universities in Asia.18 Indian universities have made it to

the top 200 Rankings.

The Ranking is based on 13 carefully calibrated performance indicators

that measure an institution’s performance across four areas: teaching,

research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.


Top Indian Institutes in THE Asia University Rankings 2021

India Rank

Institution Location Asia Rank

1 Indian Institute of

Science, Bengaluru

Karnataka 37


Technology,Ropar

Punjab 55


Technology,Indore

Madhya

Pradesh

78

63 Indian universities participated in this year’s rankings, which

includes 14 institutions debuting in the table. With this, India is at

third place overall in terms of university representation behind Japan

(116 universities) and China (91 universities). Overall, 551 universities

appeared in rankings this year from 30 countries in Asia.

THE Asia University Rankings 2021

Asia Rank

Institution Location

1 Tsinghua University China

2 Peking University China

3 National University

of Singapore

Singapore

Apart from these, Institute of Chemical Technology, IIT Gandhinagar,

King George Medical college, IISER Kolkata, Indraprastha Institute of

Information Technology Delhi, IIT Hyderabad, Thapar university,

Savitribai Phule University, Banaras Hindu university, Amrita Vishwa

Vidyapeeth are some of the other Indian universities in the list.


BANKING & FINANCE SEBI Enhanced Overseas Investment Limit for a Mutual Fund to

USD 1 billion Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) enhanced the overseas

investment limit for a mutual fund(MF) house to USD 1 billion from

the existing USD 600 million. The overall MF industry limit for

investing overseas remained unchanged at USD 7 billion.

• This will allow MFs to allocate a far higher share of their corpus in

foreign securities.

• SEBI has also increased the overseas investments limit per MF in

Exchange Traded Fund (ETFs) to a maximum of USD 300 million from

USD 200 million. The overall industry limit was unchanged to USD 1

billion.

Earlier Enhancements: i.In November 2020, SEBI had enhanced the foreign investment limit

per MF house from USD 300 million to USD 600 million, and for ETFs

it was increased from USD 50 million to USD 200 million.

ii.In May 2021, SEBI doubled the overall limit of the investment in

overseas markets by alternative investment funds(AIFs), and Venture

Capital Funds(VCFs) registered under SEBI (VCFs) Regulations, 1996,

from USD 750 million to USD 1,500 million (~Rs 10,000 crore). Click

here to know more

About Mutual Fund(MF): i.MF is a mechanism for pooling the resources by issuing units to the

investors and investing funds in securities in accordance with

objectives as disclosed in the offer document.

ii.Unit Trust of India was the first mutual fund set up in India in 1963.


About Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI): Establishment – On April 12, 1992, in accordance with the SEBI Act,

1992. (Replaced Controller of Capital Issues (CCI)) Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra Chairman – Ajay Tyagi

Highlights of the Second Bi-Monthly Monetary Policy of FY22 The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) 6-members Monetary Policy

Committee (MPC) had met on 2nd, 3rd and 4th June 2021 and released

its second bi-monthly monetary policy statement for FY22 (April 2021

– March 2022).

Policy Rates: The Policy rates were kept unchanged, which are as follows:

• RBI decided to keep the rates unchanged for the 6th consecutive

time.

Category Rate

Policy Rates

Policy Repo Rate 4.00%

Reverse Repo Rate 3.35%

Marginal Standing

Facility (MSF) Rate

4.25%

Bank Rate 4.25%

Reserve Ratios

Cash Reserve Ratio

(CRR)

4.00%

Statutory Liquidity

Ratio (SLR)

18.00

%

HDFC Bank To Become Carbon Neutral By 2031-32


India’s largest private lender, HDFC Bank has planned to become

carbon neutral by 2031-32. Bank is now looking to reduce its

emissions, energy, and water consumption.The bank is working on a

framework of issuing green bonds. HDFC has planned to,

• Decrease absolute emissions and energy consumed from current level

of 315,583 MT CO2 emissions.

• Increase rooftop solar capacity in large offices.

• Convert 50% of the total sourced electricity to renewable energy.

• Create single-use plastic free corporate offices.

• Plant 2.5 million trees.

• Reduce water consumption by 30%.

• Incorporate environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG)

scores in its credit decisions

• Offer loans for green products such as electric vehicles at lower

interest rates.

HSBC to Exit Retail & Small Business Banking Market in the US HSBC has announced that it is withdrawing from the retail and small

business banking market in the United States (US) as a part of its

strategy to refocus on corporate and investment banking in Asia. HSBC

is set to sell 90 out of 140 US branches to Citizens Bank and Cathay

General Bancorp. The bank also plans to make around 20 locations as

international centres dedicated to high net worth individuals.

Central Bank of India Allotted 280 crore Preferential Shares to Govt for Rs 4,800 crore Capital Infusion Central Bank of India’s (CBI) board has allotted over 280,53,76,972

equity shares at the issue price of Rs 17.11 per share to the

government(govt) on preferential basis for Rs 4,800 crore capital

infusion in the bank.


• After this allotment, the govt’s shareholding has increased from

89.78 percent to 93.08 percent.

About Preferential Shares(PS): i.PS are one of the special types of share capital having a fixed rate of

dividend (Dividend – It is a share of profits and retained earnings that

a company pays out to its shareholders).

ii.PS provides the shareholders with the special right to claim

dividends during the company lifetime, and also with the option to claim

repayment of capital, in case of the winding up of the company.

About Central Bank of India(CBI): It is the 1st Indian commercial bank which was wholly owned and

managed by Indians.

Established– 1911 Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra MD & CEO – Matam Venkata Rao Tagline– Central to You Since 1911

Paytm Payments Bank to Issue Physical Visa Debit Cards After successfully providing VISA Virtual Debit Cards to more than

4.5 million customers, Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL) has announced

issuing of physical debit cards by Visa.

• It is now targeting to issue over 1 million physical debit cards by end

of FY21. These physical debit cards will allow customers to use over 5

million Visa acceptance points with features such as international

payments and ‘tap-and-pay transaction.

• Earlier PPBL had integrated the Aadhaar enabled Payment System

(AePS) and it also launched the Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) facility

for its customers to receive the benefits of over 400 government

subsidies directly into their PPBL Savings Account.


ECONOMY & BUSINESS US Became the 2nd Largest Source of FDI to India in 2020-21;Singapore Tops – DPIIT As per the data of the Department for Promotion of Industry and

Internal Trade (DPIIT), the United States(US) became the 2nd largest source of foreign direct investment(FDI) into India during

FY21 by replacing Mauritius.

• Singapore remained the top largest source of FDI into India for the

3rd consecutive fiscal year.

FDI’s growth in FY21: i.In FY21, FDIs into the country grew 19 percent to USD 59.64 billion

amidst measures taken by the government for policy reforms,

investment facilitation and ease of doing business.

ii.The total FDI (including equity, reinvested earnings, and capital) in

FY21 rose by 10 percent to the highest-ever USD 81.72 billion, as

against USD 74.39 billion in FY20.

Country-wise Ranking over FDI inflow in

FY21: Sn

Country FDI inflow

1 Singapore USD 17.41

billion

2 US USD 13.82

billion

3 Mauritius USD 5.64

billion

4 United Arab

Emirates(UAE)

USD 4.2

billion


5 Cayman Island USD 2.79

billion

Sectors wise Ranking:

Sn Sector type FDI inflow

1 computer

software and

hardware

USD 26.14

billion

2 construction –

infrastructure

activities

USD 7.87

billion

3 services sector USD 5

billion

Note – FDI – It is an investment made by a firm or individual in one

country into business interests located in another country.

About Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT): It was established in the year 1995 and was reconstituted in

the year 2000 with the merger of the Department of Industrial

Development. The department was earlier called Department of

Industrial Policy & Promotion and was renamed as DPIIT in January,

2019.

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS CCI Approved Acquisition Of Avana, TFPL And Transworld Feeders FZCO By Unifeeder The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the

acquisition of Avana Logistek Limited, Transworld Feeders Private

Limited and Transworld Feeders FZCO by Unifeeder ISC FZCO.

About Unifeeder:


i.In India, Unifeeder is present through its subsidiaries, Feedertech

Pte. Limited (Feedertech) and Perma Shipping Line Pte. Limited.

ii.Unifeeder is indirectly held by DPW, forming part of DPW Group.

About Transworld Feeders and Avana Global: i.Transworld Feeders and Avana Global are independent feeder and

NVOCC (Non-Vessel Operating Common Carriers) operators.

ii.They offer container feedering services and regional trade solutions

connecting a wide range of ports in the Middle East, Indian

Subcontinent and Far East.

Advantages: • Through Transworld Feeders and Avana Global, Unifeeder now has a

strong presence towards the west of the Indian Subcontinent.

• Through Shreyas Shipping and Avana Logistek, Unifeeder now has the

ability to offer a broader range of Indian based door-to-door

solutions.

Manipal Hospitals Acquires Vikram Hospital for ₹350 Crore Manipal Hospitals, the second largest hospital chain in India, entered

into a definitive agreement with private equity firm Multiples to

acquire 100% stake in Bengaluru-based multi-specialty hospital Vikram Hospital for a consideration of ₹350 crore.

• Set up in 2009, Vikram Hospital is a 200-bed tertiary care facility

located in the central business district and is best known for its

clinical expertise in the fields of cardiac and neuro sciences.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY Indian Navy decommissions Oldest Hydrographic Survey Ship – INS Sandhayak in Visakhapatnam


Indian Navy decommissioned its Oldest Hydrographic Survey Vessel, “INS Sandhayak” at Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam. The ship

served the Indian Navy for 40 years, conducting over 200

Hydrographic surveys and as a part of other important missions of

Indian Navy.

i.Decommissioning ceremony was attended by Vice Admiral Ajendra

Bahadur Singh, AVSM.

ii.VSM Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command, was

the Chief Guest for the ceremony.

Key Missions of INS Sandhayak: • Operation Pawan – 1987 – Sri Lankan Civil War

• Operation Rainbow – 2004 – Humanitarian assistance to Tsunami

affected region

What is a Hydrographic Survey? It is a study conducted on the features of offshore oil exploration,

dredging, oil drilling and other related activities that affect maritime navigation.

About Indian Navy: Motto – “Sam no Varunah” or “Be auspicious unto us Oh Varuna” Chief of Naval Staff – Karambir Singh Headquarters – New Delhi

ENVIRONMENT Black Carbon Deposits Speed Up Glaciers & Snow Melt in Himalayan Ranges: World Bank Study The World Bank Study “Glaciers of the Himalayas : Climate Change,

Black Carbon, and Regional Resilience”, informs that the black carbon

deposits generated by human activities from inside and outside South


Asia have accelerated the glaciers and snow melt in the Himalayan

range.

Purpose: To identify the causes of potential changes to the glacier and snow

dynamics in the Himalaya, Karakoram, and Hindu Kush mountain ranges.

By 2050, from 1.5 billion to 1.7 billion people in South Asia are

projected to be vulnerable to water scarcity.

Key Points of the Study: i.The evidence in the study suggests that in addition to the change in

temperatures and precipitation patterns, anthropogenic black

carbon(BC) deposits are accelerating the glacier and snow melt in the

Himalayas, Karakoram, and Hindu Kush mountain ranges.

ii.This also examines the extent of water resources and the impacts of

the loss of glaciation on downstream river basins.

iii.The study presents the scenarios through to 2040, to align with a

reasonable policy-making time horizon.

iv.Addressing the challenges related to the melting glaciers is a

transboundary task beyond the scope of a single country policymaker.

Importance of Himalayan glaciers: i.The glaciers of the Himalayas provide water to around 750 million

people living in this region.

ii.The changes in the glaciers and snow due to climate change and black

carbon, determining the implications of water resources in Indus,

Ganges, and Brahmaputra basins.

Gist About Black Carbon:


Black carbon is a kind of an aerosol. An aerosol is a suspension of fine

solid particles or liquid droplets in the air. Among aerosols (such as

brown carbon, sulphates), Black Carbon (BC) has been recognized as the

second most important anthropogenic agent for climate change and the

primary marker to understand the adverse effects caused by air

pollution.

About World Bank: President– David Malpass Managing Director and Chief Administrative Officer- Shaolin Yang Headquarters– Washington, DC, United States

SPORTS Oman preferred over India to host the first FIH Hockey5s World

Cup 2024 Hockey5s World Cup is a brand-new International Hockey Federation

(FIH) competition set to be host by the country Oman in January 2024

and all matches will be held in its capital Muscat. Oman had won the bid

against India, Pakistan, and Singapore to host the first edition of the

FIH Hockey5s World Cups for men and women.

• Sixteen teams for both men and women (3teams per continent +

Oman as hosts) will take part in the first edition. Continental Hockey5s

qualifiers for the World Cup will be organized in 2022.

Hockey5s – It is a short format of the sport which is designed to

enhance the global reach of Hockey via a game that is fast, skillful, and

adaptable with a set of simplified rules. A maximum of five players

such as 4 field players and one goalkeeper from each team must be

played on a field at any particular time during the match.

7 June 2021 Content Final

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