• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Saturday, June 19, approved SENSIT Rapid COVID-19 Ag kit, a Covid-19 detection kit. The kit gives the test result in a span of 15 minutes.
• SENSIT Rapid COVID-19 Ag kit’ is a Covid-19 detection kit developed by Ubio Biotechnology Systems Pvt. Ltd under the support of DBT-BIRAC (Department of Biotechnology- Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council), under the aegis of Covid-19 Research Consortium.
• The kit can be used for the qualitative detection of SARS CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Protein with an assay time of 15 minutes. Further, the sample is collected using nasopharyngeal swabs from the suspected individual. It is a chromatographic immunoassay kit and allows the healthcare personnel to visually read the test result.
• The test works on the principle of sandwich immunoassay and utilizes a pair of monoclonal antibodies which when bound to COVID-19 specific antigen, results in the appearance of a coloured line. The kit exhibits sensitivity and specificity of 86% and 100% respectively.

• India celebrates June 19 as the National Reading Day in honour of P N Panicker, the father of the Library and Literacy Movement in Kerala. This year marks the silver jubilee year or the 25th edition of the celebrations.
• The P N Panicker Foundation and P N Panicker Vigyan Vikas Kendra have been observing the national reading day, reading week and reading month since June 19, 1996. The P N Panicker national reading day and digital reading month will be celebrated from June 19 to July 18, 2021. Just like previous years, the mass movement to promote the culture of reading will be celebrated in collaboration with the government of India, the ministry of education, NITI Aayog, the national digital library of India (NDLI), the government of Kerala, P.N. Panicker Foundation, P.N. Panicker Vigyan Vikas Kendra and other stakeholders.

• The Haryana government announced a one-time payment of Rs 5,000 each to small shopkeepers, construction workers, auto-rickshaw drivers and unorganized labourers who have faced financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown.
• BPL families who have lost a family member in the 18-50 age group to COVID-19 will be given an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced at a media briefing here on the occasion of his government completing 600 days in office.
• The chief minister also announced a host of other benefits, including waiver of property tax and reduction in electricity bill in the first quarter of 2021-22.

• LIC Cards Services Ltd (LIC CSL) has launched a contactless prepaid gift card 'Shagun' in collaboration with IDBI Bank on the RuPay platform. The purpose of this card is to expand the gift card market with an intent to promote cashless ways of gifting and present a wide range of end-use choices and in a future foray into the market of e-gift cards, LIC CSL.
• Shagun card, in the initial phase, will be available to LIC and its subsidiaries for official use. The card will be used to facilitate awards and special rewards during official conferences and functions. The Shagun gift card offers customisation in the form of flexible loading of any amount ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 10,000. With this card, the customer can perform multiple transactions within the validity of 3 years. With the wide acceptability of RuPay, the Shagun gift card can be used at millions of merchant outlets and e-commerce websites in India to diversify spending options on the card.

• udChalo, a leading consumer services company for Indian Defence Personnel, announced Ravi Kumar as the new Chief Executive Officer. Varun Jain, the outgoing Chief Executive Officer, will continue in an advisory role to the company.
• Ravi is a graduate from the Army Institute of Technology, Pune and Stanford GSB’s Seed Program.
• It was his vision and entrepreneurial spirit that led him to start udChalo to cater to the travel needs of Indian Defence Personnel.
• He has extensive experience in travel and service management, notably in the areas of innovation, development and research opportunities that benefit udChalo’s Customers.
• He was awarded the 40 under 40 most influential Asians for his contribution in travel by Asia One Magazine and the Young Entrepreneur Award by Army Institute of Technology, Pune.

• Watch manufacturer Timex Group India announced the appointment of former ADIDAS India executive Manoj Juneja as Vice President Sales & Marketing.
• An experienced leader, he brings with him over two decades of deep understanding of the consumer goods segment of the Indian market.
• In the past 22+ years, Manoj spearheaded the sales & e-commerce vertical for ADIDAS India and prior to that worked with LG Electronics.

• H-Energy signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Petrobangla recently to supply re-gasified liquefied natural gas (R-LNG) from India to Bangladesh.
• “The companies will soon finalize a long-term supply agreement to commence the supply of regasified LNG to Bangladesh through a cross border natural gas pipeline”.
• H-Energy has received permission from the Petroleum and Natural gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) to build, own and operate Kanai Chhata-Shrirampur natural gas pipeline connecting it’s LNG terminal in West Bengal to Bangladesh, to enable cross border supply of regasified LNG.

• India’s ministry of state for ports, shipping, and waterways has signed a pact with the ministry of civil aviation to develop seaplane services across the country.
• The ministry of state for ports, shipping, and waterways stated, “MoU for development of seaplanes services under RCS-UDAN scheme signed between the ministry of state for ports, shipping, and waterways and ministry of civil aviation.
• “Seaplane operations will result in enhanced connectivity of remote places and boost religious tourism.”
• Both the ministries will jointly workout operating routes.

• The 2021 Land for Life Award has been won by Familial Forestry of Rajasthan, a unique concept that relates a tree with a family, making it a green “family member.”
• Familial Forestry is headed by climate activist and it's founder of Shyam Sunder Jyani.
• An eight-member international jury declared Familial Forestry from Rajasthan, India, winner of this year’s Land for Life Award because of its innovative land restoration and conservation method that promotes the well-being of communities and improves their relationship with nature.
• The Land for Life Award presentation will take place in August at the 8th Kubuqi International Desert Forum in China, and the winner will be invited to present and highlight his work and accomplishment at the UNCCD’s 15th Session of Conference of the Parties in 2022.

• Legendary Indian sprinter Milkha Singh died on 18^th June due to post-Covid complications. He was being treated at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research.
• The 91-year-old had tested positive for COVID-19 on May 19 but was in home isolation at his Chandigarh residence after revealing that he was asymptomatic. However, a few days later on May 24, the legendary athlete was admitted to the ICU of Mohali's Fortis hospital due to "COVID pneumonia". He was then moved to PGIMER in Chandigarh on June 3.
• His death came five days after his wife Nirmal also died due to post-Covid complications.

Download Daily GK PDF of 19 June 2021