Current Affairs 20-21 june 2020

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1. International Day of Yoga: 21 June

The International Day of Yoga has been celebrated annually on 21 June since 2015, following its inception in the United Nations General Assembly in 2014.
Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual practice which originated in India. The word ‘yoga’ derived from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolizing the union of body and consciousness.
The theme of International Day of Yoga 2020 is “Yoga for Health – Yoga at Home”.

2. Mukesh Ambani joins club of world’s top 10 richest people

Mukesh Ambani with a recent soar in net worth has jumped into the exclusive club of the world’s top 10 richest people, as per Forbes Real-Time Billionaire list.
The Reliance Industries Chairman and Managing Director with a net worth of USD 64.5 billion is currently ranked 9th on the list of World’s top billionaires. His net worth has increased by almost 12 times from USD 5.3 billion to USD 64.6 billion within just two months.
Ambani’s rise in the billionaires' list comes as the world and India together head for one of its worst recession. Ambani owns 42% of Reliance Industries Ltd and the company recently declared itself net-debt free, following a rapid flow of investments into Reliance’s digital platform- Jio.

3. Former RBI Governor Urjit Patel appointed as Chairman of economic think tank NIPFP

Urjit Patel has been appointed as the Chairman of the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP). It is an economic think tank which is based in New Delhi, India. The appointment of the Urjit Patel has been made for a period of four years. He will be replacing the outgoing chairman Vijay Kelkar.
Urjit Patel has earlier served as the Governor as well as the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). He resigned as the Governor of RBI in December 2018.

Foot Notes:
About NIPFP(National Institute of Public Finance and Policy):
Founded: 1976
Headquarters: New Delhi
4. Ganguly & Chhetri signed as brand ambassadors of JSW Cement

JSW Cement has signed Sourav Ganguly and Sunil Chhetri as its brand ambassadors. The cement brand has also launched a new multi-media marketing campaign “Leader’s Choice” which includes both sports icons. The multi-media marketing campaign “Leader’s Choice” of JSW Cement promotes the ideology of building a solid foundation for a better tomorrow.
Sourav Ganguly is the former Indian cricketer and captain of the Indian Cricket team. He is presently serving as the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Sunil Chhetri is the captain of the Indian national football team and Bengaluru FC.

Foot Notes:
About JSW
Managing Director: Parth Jindal.
Chief executive officer: Niles hNarwekar
About BCCI
Founded: 01 Dec 1928
Headquarters: Mumbai, India
CEO: Rahul Johri

5. People in several parts of India witness annular solar eclipse, with majestic Ring of Fire

The country witnessed a rare celestial event, an annular solar eclipse on 21 June.
The annular ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse, wherein the Sun appears like a ring of fire, is visible in different parts of the country.
The solar eclipse is taking place on the summer solstice, which is the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere.
When the Moon comes between the Sun and Earth, the shadow falls on the surface of the Earth.
The Sun is entirely covered by the Moon for a brief period.

6. China offers Bangladesh tariff exemption for 97% of exports from Dhaka amid tensions with India

In a bid to woo Bangladesh, China has provided a huge trade boost to the country by announcing tariff exemption for 97 per cent of Bangladeshi products effective from July 1.
The decision has come one month after Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a discussion to upgrade their bilateral relations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With this announcement, a total of 8,256 Bangladeshi products will come under the 97 percent of products that would be exempted from tariff.
Currently, 3095 Bangladeshi products enjoy duty-free access to Chinese market under Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA).

Foot Notes:
About China
Capital: Beijing
President: Xi Jinping
Currency: Chinese Yuan
About Bangladesh
Capital: Dhaka
President: Abdul Hamid
Prime Minister: Sheikh Hasina

7. World Bank approves dollar 1.05 billion to Bangladesh for jobs and economic recovery

The World Bank has approved dollar 1.05 billion for three projects in Bangladesh to create quality jobs and accelerate economic recovery in the wake of the Corona pandemic.
These projects will help the economy in bouncing back by creating more and better jobs and promoting direct private investment in specialized economic zones.
The first project worth a dollar 500 million called Private Investment and Digital Entrepreneurship (PRIDE) project will strengthen social and environmental standards in selected economic zones and software technology parks in Bangladesh.
The dollar 295 million Enhancing Digital Government and Economy (EDGE) Project will establish an integrated, cloud-computing digital platform for all government agencies and improve cyber-security.
The dollar 250 million Second Programmatic Jobs Development Policy Credit will create fiscal space to support the government’s response to the COVID-19 crisis.

Foot Notes:
About World Bank
Founded: 1944
Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
CEO: Kristalina Georgieva

8. Atal Innovation Mission partners with CIL to boost its entrepreneurship initiatives

Coal India Limited (CIL) has agreed to partner with Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog to proactively support the flagship mission’s innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives across the country.
A Statement of Intent (SoI) of a strategic partnership between AIM and Coal India Limited was signed and exchanged in a virtual e-summit for the same.
AIM has various innovation programs and entrepreneurial ecosystem building initiatives such as Atal Tinkering Labs ( ATL) at a school level, Atal Incubation Centres at institutional levels, Atal Community Innovation Centres ( ACIC) for Tier-2, Tier3 cities and rural India, Atal New India Challenges at industry level and Applied Research and Innovation for stimulating innovations in the MSME industry.

9. Veteran economist & FC member B.P.R. Vithal passes away at 93

Veteran economist and the member of 10th Finance Commission, B.P.R. Vithal passes away.
He was a former IAS officer of the 1950 batch. He also served as the Secretary, Finance and Planning, government of Andhra Pradesh, from 1972 to 1982.
B.P.R. Vithal also worked at the International Monetary Fund as the fiscal adviser to the governments of Malawi and Sudan.
He also played an instrumental role in the establishment of Centre for Economic and Social Studies, Hyderabad.

10. World Refugee Day is celebrated every year on June 20.

This day is marked to honour the refugees of the world.
Most of us are aware that refugees are forced to leave their house because of issues like war, terror attacks, or other crises.
But, leaving their houses and staying away from their homes is just the beginning of a tough and challenging journey.
Many a time these refugees have to adjust in terrible weather conditions and sometimes also find themselves living in camps until they are shifted to another place.
The theme of World Refugee Day this year is "every action counts."