Daily Current Affairs and GK | 12 June 2021

Topic: Important Days

1. World Day Against Child Labour: 12 June

• World Day Against Child Labour is celebrated every year on 12 June. It was started by the International Labour Organization in 2002.
• This year’s World Day Against Child Labour focuses on action taken for the 2021 International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour.
• It aims to spread awareness about the harmful mental and physical problems faced by children forced into child labour.
• On the occasion of this day, a “Week of Action” is being organized from 10-17 June 2021.
• According to ILO, one in ten children are working as child labour worldwide.

Topic: Agriculture

2. India’s export of organic products rose by 51%.

• India's organic food product exports rose by 51% to USD 1bn in 2020-21.
• The main products which record the growth in export include cake meal, oilseeds, fruit pulps and purees, cereals, millets, spices, tea, dry fruits, etc.
• India exported organic products to 58 countries including the USA, European Union, Canada, Britain, Australia, Switzerland, Israel, and South Korea.
• In terms of volume, exports of organic products rose by 39 percent.
• Currently, only those products that can be exported have received the NPOP certification.
• National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) is responsible for the development of organic agriculture and products.
• Organic farming is a technique of farming that does not involve the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, etc.

Topic: State News/ Maharashtra

3. Maharashtra’s Beed model of crop insurance.

• Beed is a district in drought-prone areas of the Marathwada region in Maharashtra.
• In Beed, farmers suffer crop damage due to repeated heavy rains or failure of rains. So, insurance companies in Beed face a challenge such as high payouts and sustained losses.
• State government also faces a challenge in getting bids for tenders to implement Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY) in the state.
• PMFBY is a central scheme implemented by state agriculture departments as per central guidelines.
• As tenders for implementation did not get bids during the 2020 Kharif season, the state Agriculture department changed the guidelines for Beed district.
• Under the new guidelines, insurance companies provided a cover of 110% of the premium collected.
• If the compensation is more than the cover provided, state government has to pay the bridge amount.
• If the compensation is less than the amount received in premium, the insurance company would take 20% as handling fee and pay the rest to state government.

Topic: Appointments

4. Incoming President of UN General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid named Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer K Nagaraj Naidu chef de cabinet for one year.

• Abdulla Shahid named Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer K Nagaraj Naidu as chef de cabinet for one year.
• Incoming President of UN General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid also named Thilmeeza Hussain as special envoy of the President of UN General Assembly.
• IFS officer K Nagaraj Naidu will lead the UN bureaucracy for a year. He is India’s deputy permanent representative to the UN.
• In January 2021, India’s two-year tenure as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) started.
• In International organizations, chef de cabinet is a senior civil servant or official.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

5.  National Security Guard (NSG) signed a MoU with Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) for cooperation.

• The National Security Guard (NSG) signed an MoU with the Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) to strengthen its core competencies.
• Counter-terrorism operations, counter-IEDs, and anti-hijacking operations are the core competencies of the NSG.
• The main objective of this MoU is to provide assistance to Indian startups engaged in developing technology for security.
• The MoU will help in sharing the expertise of NSG & RRU in the field of security through the ‘Security and Scientific-Technical Research Association’ (SASTRA) and the RISE platform.
• It will also help NSG in achieving the global standards in the field of security, infrastructure, education, and courses.
• NSG has started the “NSG Innovations Award” to recognize technological innovations in the field of security.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

6. India and Kuwait signed an MoU for cooperation on recruitment of domestic workers.

• India and Kuwait have signed an MoU for cooperation on recruiting domestic workers.
• The MoU will bring Indian domestic workers under the ambit of the legal framework of Kuwait and provide them protection under the law.
• The MoU has been signed by Indian Ambassador Sibi George and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kuwait Majdi Ahmad Al-Dhafiri.
• The MoU has proposed to introduce an employment contract for the rights and obligations of the employer and domestic workers.
• A 24-hour assistance mechanism will be also established for domestic workers. A joint committee will be also established for the review and assessment of the implementation of the MoU provisions.
• India and Kuwait are celebrating the 60^th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is on his first bilateral visit to Kuwait.

Topic: Personality in News

7. Noted environmentalist Professor Radha Mohan passed away.

• A renowned environmentalist and economist Professor Radha Mohan died at the age of 78.
• He popularized organic farming techniques in India. He had transformed a piece of wasteland into a forest through organic techniques.
• In 2020, he was awarded the Padma Shri award for his contribution to the agriculture sector.
• He along with his daughter founded ‘Sambhav’, a social organization for teaching organic and natural farming.
• He also served as the State Information Commissioner and also worked as a member of different board and committees.
• He will be remembered for his contribution to sustainable organic farming.

Topic: International News

8. Chinese Parliament passed Anti-foreign Sanctions Law.

• Recently, the Parliament of China has passed the Anti-foreign Sanctions Law. It provides legal cover to Chinese officials and entities against foreign sanctions.
• The US and EU countries have banned several Chinese entities and officials due to human rights violations against Muslim Uyghurs and the imposition of China's national security law in Hong Kong.
• In response to these sanctions, China has also announced counter measures against individuals and entities of certain countries.
• Recently, the United States has imposed a ban on several Chinese companies like Huawei and ZTE.
• Anti-foreign Sanctions Law will provide a legal framework for the protection of Chinese officials and entities and allow Chinese firms to seek compensation over foreign sanctions.
• China:
  • It is a country in East Asia.
  • The National People's Congress (NPC) is the national legislature of China.
  • Renminbi is the currency of China and Beijing is the capital of China.
  • Xi Jinping is the President of China.

Topic: Sports

9. Government launched Injury Management System for athletes.

• Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has launched the Central Athlete Injury Management System (CAIMS) for athletes training for Olympics 2024 and beyond.
• It is a unique initiative of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for streamlining the sports medicine and rehabilitation support offered to the athletes.
• CAIMS will standardize the injury treatment protocol for athletes in India. It will also support athletes who are a part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) development group.
• It will bring revolution in the treatment and management of athlete injuries.
• CAIMS will provide the facility of sports injury management support at the athlete’s nearest geographical location.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: Reports and Indices

10. UNDP report lauds India’s Aspirational Districts Programme.

• The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has lauded India’s Aspirational Districts Programme.
• In a report, the UNDP said that it is a very successful model of local area development and it should be adopted by other countries.
• According to the UNDP report, Aspirational Districts Programme helped in the growth of neglected districts and Left Wing Extremism affected districts.
• The report, “Aspirational Districts Programme: An Appraisal”, has been presented to NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar and CEO Amitabh Kant.
• UNDP’s analysis is based on the five key sectors of the ADP which include health and nutrition; education; agriculture and water resources; basic infrastructure; and skill development and financial inclusion.
• The report lauds best practices adopted under the Aspirational Districts Programme. The report appreciated the delta rankings provided on the programme’s Champions of Change dashboard.
• Aspirational Districts Programme:
  • It was launched in 2018.
  • Its main objective is to raise the living standards of citizens and ensure inclusive growth for all.
  • It identifies the strength of each district, identify areas for immediate improvement, measure progress, and rank districts.

Topic: Reports and Indices

11. India got 67^th rank in Coursera's Global Skills Report 2021.

• India has been ranked at the 67^th position in Coursera's Global Skills Report 2021.
• In Asia, India is ahead of 16 countries. India is ahead of the Philippines and Thailand but behind Singapore and Japan.
• India got 55^th rank in business and 66^th rank in technology and data science.
• Switzerland has topped in Coursera's Global Skills Report 2021, it is followed by Luxemburg and Austria.
• According to Coursera's Global Skills Report 2021, Indians have 52 percent proficiency in machine learning and 54 percent in mathematical skills.
• Currently, India has only 12 percent digitally skilled workers. It will increase nine-fold times by 2025.
• Coursera Global Skills Report defines skill proficiency in three categories- Business, Technology, and Data Science.