The United Nations has honoured Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja by inviting her on panel discussion on World Public Service Day, which was on June 23, 2020. She was the honored speaker from India to speak about the strategies that were adopted by the state to combat the pandemic.

Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Harsh Vardhan has launched the ‘eBloodServices’ mobile application of the Indian Red Cross Society (ICRS).

The Union government has decided to bring 1,482 urban cooperative banks and 58 multi-state cooperative banks, under the supervisory powers of the RBI.
The RBI’s powers as they apply to the scheduled banks will also apply to cooperative banks.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) released its first report focusing on the South Asian region on the impacts of COVID-19 on children states that around 240 million children are classified as poor and the current COVID-19 situation will affect an additional 120 million children, a total of 360 million children will be pushed into poverty and food insecurity in the next 6 months.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) celebrates the annual Day of the Seafarer (DoS) on June 25 each year to pay respect to Seafarers and sailors who help the entire world function by conducting sea transport. 2020 marks the 10th anniversary of DoS. The theme of 2020 campaign is Seafarers are Key Workers.

The government decided to provide 2 per cent interest subvention to borrowers under the ‘Shishu’ category of the flagship Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY), for a period of 12 months to eligible borrowers.

Former Indian shooter and coach Pournima Zanane passed away.

The Union Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved setting up of Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF). The approval is to provide a much-needed boost to infrastructure across sectors, which are crucial in the time of the pandemic. To set up AHIDF, the Centre allocated a sum of Rs.15000 crore.

Union Minister of Human Resource Development, Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ launched an initiative ‘YUKTI 2.0(Young India combating COVID with Knowledge, Technology and Innovation) ‘ to help systematically assimilate technologies having commercial potential and information related to incubated startups in our higher education institutions.

Recently, a local council in southern Japan has approved a bill to change the name of an area containing Senkaku Islands from Tonoshiro to Tonoshiro Senkaku. Senkaku Islands are known as the Diaoyus by China and Tiaoyutai by Taiwan. The islands are disputed with China and Taiwan.

The US stated in its recent report that Pakistan continues to be a safe harbor for regionally focused terrorist groups. This was reported in the annual Country Report on Terrorism by the US State Department. The report stated that Pakistan continues to allow terror groups such as Lashkar e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) to operate from its territory and target India.

Himachal Pradesh Panchayati raj department has won the 1st prize under the e-Panchayat Puraskar-2020 for effective implementation of the e-application developed by the central government.

Patanjali has launched ‘Coronil and Swasari’, which it claims is the Ayurvedic cure for treating COVID-19.
The company claims that it has shown 100 percent favorable results during clinical trials on affected patients, at Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar.
The Corona kit will be made available at just ₹545.
The corona kit will have medicines for 30 days.

The Minister of Information & Broadcasting Prakash Javadekarunveiled the booklet and poster of the 51st International Film Festival of India (IFFI), which is scheduled to take place from November 20 to 28, 2020 in Goa.

The International Olympic Day is held on June 23 each year to celebrate sports and health. The Olympic Day 2020 theme is “Move, learn and discover”

BSE figures among the world’s 10 largest exchanges in terms of cumulative market capitalisation of all companies listed on its platform, as per the latest data from the World Federation of Exchanges.

BSE is at the tenth place in the top-10 list, with a market capitalisation of $1.7 trillion.

Flipkart signed a memorandum of understanding with the Karnataka State Mango Department to support mango farmers

Yes Bank Limited, an Indian public bank, has joined hands with Delhi-based fintech startup Affordplan, to launch co-branded healthcare card called ‘Swasth Card’ under Swasth program with the aim to enable families plan and manage their finances for their healthcare needs.

The UNHRC also urged the Myanmar government to lift the internet shutdown in Rakhine state. The council has called upon the Myanmar government to provide media, independent observers and diplomatic corps full access to the country.

A research team at the Indian Institute of Science has developed nanozymes that destroy the cell membrane of bacteria by directly targeting its phospholipids.
Nanozymes are nanomaterials that can disintegrate the cell membranes of a range of diseases causing bacteria.

Navigation is an essential feature in the era of smart devices and IoT (Internet of things), which we use in various personal and commercial applications. Navigation technology enables the nation to manage its territory, protect its borders and manage disaster response. Keeping these requirements in mind, researchers at IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) Bombay led by Rajesh Zele from the Department of Electrical Engineering have created a chip named ‘Dhruva’ that can be mounted in smartphones and navigation devices to find places and routes within the country.

The Minister of State for Shipping (Independent charge) and Chemicals & Fertilisers Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated the country’s largest and first Virtual Healthcare & Hygiene EXPO 2020 on 22nd June 2020. The Expo has been organised by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), and supported by Ministry of AYUSH, GoI.

The Maharashtra government declared 29.53 square kilometre (sq km) area, comprising 10 villages in Dodamarg taluka, Sindhudurg district, as the Tillari Conservation Reserve.

This is the first notified conservation reserve along the Konkan coast and the seventh in the state.

SN Rajeshwari has become the new CMD of the Oriental Insurance Company

Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) Trust has allocated Rs.2000 crore for supply of 50,000 Made-in-India ventilators to government-run COVID-19 hospitals in all States/Union Territories (UT). Further, a sum of Rs. 1000 crore has been allocated for the welfare of migrant labourers.

The Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV FC) has submitted its interim report for the period FY 2020-21 and the Government of India has accepted its recommendations in respect of the Rural Local Bodies (RLBs). The commission has recommended the grant of Rs.60,750 cr for the period FY 2020-21 for RLBs which is the highest ever allocation made by the Finance Commission in any single year.

The state government of Rajasthan has announced the ‘Indira Rasoi Yojana’ (Indira Kitchen Scheme) on 22 June 2020 in an effort to provide nutritious and healthy food to the economically weaker sections of the society. The state government will collaborate with the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO’s) of each district to provide food at concessional rates to the poor twice a day and ensure the scheme is implemented throughout the state.

The world’s first yoga university outside India has been launched in Los Angeles, United States as a part of the 6th International Yoga Day commemorations. The Vivekananda Yoga University (VaYU) will offer programmes that combine scientific principles and modern research approaches to the ancient Indian practice of yoga.

UCO Bank has tied up with SBI Life Insurance Company, the Oriental insurance company, Religare insurance Company, and Star Health and Allied insurance company for selling their products.

Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited, announced a plan to invest about Rs 60,000 crore in Odisha by 2025-26.