21st June 2016 - Important Current Affairs updates

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International Affairs

• Today (21st June) is World Music Day (Fête de la Musique)
• • This day is celebrated  in an attempt to promote peace and spread goodwill through melodies. 
  • The day is originated in France in 1982 and is now observed in over 120 countries. 
  • Aim of this day : To encourage free and accessible concerts or events for the public.
• The Chinese government has elaborated a plan to reduce meat consumption by citizens by 50%. 
• • The plan, outlined by the Chinese health ministry, recommended that people should consume between 40g and 75g of meat per person each day. 
  • Important Note : Should these guidelines be followed, China's carbon dioxide equivalent emissions from livestock could reduce by 1 billion tonnes by 2030.
• According to a study by UK-based organisation Global Witness, 2015 was the deadliest year for environmental activists, with at least 185 being killed. 
• • This number is reportedly a 60% increase from the previous year's figures. 
  • Brazil had the highest number of killings, with 50. 
  • Philippines was second with 33 killings. 
  • Note :  India is also on the list, with six killings.
• The European Union today agreed to extend sanctions against Russia by another six months, till January 2017, over its 2014 annexation of the Crimean peninsula. 
• • Sanctions were first imposed against Russia in this regard in July 2014 and have continued since. 
  • The action received the unanimous approval of the 28 member states and will now be approved by EU ministers.

MOUs & Agreements

• The Madhya Pradesh government today signed an MoU with Chinese heavy machinery manufacturing firm Sany Group for working on investment proposals worth $1 billion. 
• • Sany Group reportedly expressed interest in investing in the state's energy sector and industrial infrastructure. 
• India and Thailand have signed two agreements in culture and educational sectors to boost bilateral ties. 
• • They are, 
  • • Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India’s Nagaland University and Thailand’s Chiang Mai University
    • Agreement for to extension of the Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP) between both countries for 2016-19
  • Note : These agreements were signed in New Delhi during the three day official state visit of Thailand Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha to Indian.

National Affairs

• 2nd International Yoga Day is being celebrated today with participation of Crores of people in 192 countries.
• • This day was declared by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on December 11, 2014.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his UN Address suggested the date of 21st June to celebrate this day, as it is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and shares special significance in many parts of the world.
  • 2016 Theme : “Connect the Youth”. 
  • Highlights :
  • This year’s observance seeks to highlight the important role healthy living plays in the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which were adopted by all 193 UN member states in 2015.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced one national and another international award for excellent contribution in the field of yoga. 
  • • The awards will be presented on the International Yoga Day on June 21, starting next year. 
  • Nearly 2,000 pregnant women set a new world record by performing yoga in Rajkot, Gujarat, on the occasion of International Yoga Day. 
  • • This breaks the previous record in prenatal yoga that had 940 pregnant women in China participate in the activity. 
  • 8,000 children in Gujarat set a world record by making a human chain.
  • To celebrate the 2nd International Day of Yoga, the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York lit up with the projections of a woman doing yoga.  
  • The first-ever National Yoga Olympiad was held in Delhi from June 18-20. 
  • • Organised by the NCERT, the olympiad saw participation from 321 children from 21 states and union territories. 
• Former Chhattisgarh CM Ajit Jogi, who recently quit Congress, today named his new political party as 'Chhattisgarh Janta Congress'. 
• • Note : He had resigned from Congress after his removal from the Congress Working Committee over his son's alleged involvement in fixing a by-poll​.
• The Environment Ministry has released the draft National Forest Policy, which if enforced, will replace the current 1988 policy. 
• • It seeks to levy a green tax for facilitating ecologically responsible behaviour and has proposed to establish National and State Boards of Forestry. 
  • However, the policy has done away with the existing target of two-thirds forest cover for the hilly areas.
• The Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) today banned the use of Potassium bromate as a food additive following reports that it could cause cancer. 
• • Earlier, FSSAI recommended the ban after a study found the additive in 84% of 38 common brands of bread. 
  • Note : Potassium bromate is banned and labelled "hazardous" for public health in many countries.

Recent Committees in News

• The Mizoram government has constituted a 'District Re-organisation Committee'. 
• • The ten-member committee will examine boundaries of the existing districts and sub-divisions in the state and give suggestions for the creation of new districts. 
  • Note : Three new districts were created in 2008 by the then government, but they were never officially implemented.
  • This committee will be headed by : Chief Secretary Pu Lalmalsawma

Business & Economy

• The Income Tax (I-T) Department has announced that it will block the PAN of wilful tax defaulters in a bid to check their activities. 
• • Further, the LPG subsidies to the defaulters were also proposed to be withdrawn along with blocking the sanction of loans or overdraft facility from public sector banks.
• Odisha government today approved investment worth over ₹1,000 crore in two projects which are likely to generate employment for about 1,000 people. 
• • The proposals include a Steel processing unit and a Logistics park.
• The government on Monday changed the norms for Public Provident Fund (PPF) deposits, allowing the subscribers of the scheme to prematurely close their accounts and withdraw the complete amount after five years. However, the withdrawal will be allowed for expenditure towards higher education or medical treatment. Currently, the lock-in period for complete withdrawal from PPF accounts is 15 years.

People in News

• SoftBank today announced that its President & COO Nikesh Arora has resigned from his post to pursue a different path. 

Awards & Honors

• Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has launched a new digital archive telling the inspiring stories of war heroes, including Six Indians, as part of the UK government’s centenary celebrations to mark World War I.
• • Important Points to Note :
  • As many as 175 men from 11 overseas countries were awarded Britain’s highest award for valour, the Victoria Cross (VC), during the war.
  • These included six soldiers from undivided India who fought in the war as part of the British Indian Army and honoured in a commemorative plaque presented to India back in 2014.
• Apple has topped LinkedIn's 'Top Attractors' list of the most sought-after companies by professionals across the world. 
• • Cloud computing company Salesforce and social media platform Facebook have been ranked second and third respectively. 
  • The list, which was released today, featured a total of 40 companies including Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Uber.
• Online retailer Flipkart has topped LinkedIn's 'Top Attractors' list of the most sought-after companies by professionals across India. 
• • Amazon and Capgemini have been ranked second and third respectively. 
  • The list, released today, featured a total of 25 companies including Google, Adobe, Ola, Snapdeal, Microsoft and Zomato among others.

Science & Technology

• ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) is going to launch ‎PSLVC34‬ rocket carrying 20 satellites including 17 foreign payloads tomorrow.
• Russia today unveiled the world's biggest nuclear-powered icebreaker 'Arktika'.
• • The twin-reactor icebreaker vessel is 586 feet long and can smash through 10 feet thick and 13 feet deep ice.
  • The giant vessel is a part of Russia's $1.9 billion 'Project 22220'.
  • When completed, 'Arktika' will conduct year-round navigation in the Arctic and process nearly 150 tonnes of water.

Sports

• Swedish national football team captain Zlatan Ibrahimović today announced that he will retire from international football after the Euro 2016.
• The International Boxing Federation (IBF) today announced that professional boxers who compete at the Rio Olympics will be stripped off their titles, and non-title-holders​ barred from its ratings.
• • The IBF has criticized the International Boxing Association’s (AIBA) move to allow pro boxers to compete in Rio, saying that there is a safety risk involved in professionals fighting amateurs.

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