June 2020 Current Affairs

Vietnam
Explanation:
36th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit was held via video conference on the theme “Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN”. The summit was chaired by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc as Vietnam is ASEAN’s chair in 2020. The focus of the meet was on COVID-19 response, post-pandemic recovery and further cooperation with partners.

Explanation: The Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi had called upon one and all to participate in the ‘My Life, My Yoga’ video blogging contest that is jointly organised by the Ministry of AYUSH (MoA) and the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR), during his Mann Ki Baat address to the nation on 31 May, 2020.

Explanation: The theme of International Yoga Day 2020 is “Yoga for Health-Yoga at Home”.

China has successfully launched the last Satellite of its BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), which is a rival for the Global Positioning System (GPS) of the US, to become a major space power. The satellite was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch center in Sichuan Province.

Ministry of Human Resource Development
Explanation:
Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, The Union Minister of Human Resource Development, launched “YUKTI 2.0” – (Young India combating COVID with Knowledge, Technology and Innovation 2.0), a platform to support the startups incubated in the institutes of higher education over the virtual platform.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the June 2020 update “A Crisis Like No Other, An Uncertain Recovery” of its flagship World Economic Outlook (WEO), has predicted that the Indian economy will have a big 4.5 % contraction in 2020 and it will come down to a historic low. At the same time, the IMF has reported a global growth rate of negative 4.9 % in 2020, which is 1.9 % points lower than the estimate made in April 2020 World Economic Outlook (WEO) forecast. For 2021, growth rate is expected to be 5.4 %.

India’s first nationwide online delivery-based natural gas trading platform, “Indian Gas Exchange (IGX)” has been launched by Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan during an e-ceremony (virtual). It has been launched on the lines of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to provide clean, affordable, sustainable and equitable supply of energy to every citizen. Notably, IGX will work as a wholly owned subsidiary of the India Energy Exchange (IEX), which is India’s energy market platform. Headquarters of IGX located in New Delhi.

According to the 32nd edition of edition of World Competitiveness Index 2020, which ranked performance of 63 economies across the globe, prepared by Switzerland-based International Institute for Management and Development (IMD)’s World Competitiveness Center (WCC), the Indian economy remained at 43rd position this year.

The Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, R K Singh launched the ‘#iCommit’ campaign, on the occasion of World Environment Day.
The initiative aims to bring together all stake holders including Governments, Corporates, several organisations, Think Tanks and Individuals and create a robust and sustainable energy system in the future. The campaign is led by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), under the administration of Ministry of Power.

Union Cabinet approved MoUs signed between India and Bhutan
signed to improve cooperation in the field of climate change and chemical management.
The agreement was signed between the National Environment Commission of Bhutan and Central Pollution Control Board operating under Ministry of Environ

The Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar launched Sahakar Mitra: Scheme on Internship Programme (SIP) to provide paid internship to youth and ensure availability of assured project loans to young cooperators. This scheme is an initiative by the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare.

India
India has joined the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) on June 15, 2020 as a founding member. This multi-stakeholder international partnership will promote responsible and human-centric development and the use of AI.

Explanation:
The Forest Department of Uttarakhand has developed India’s First Lichen Park in Munsyari, Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand as a research centre with over 150 Lichen species – Jurassic Era plant which was inaugurated on 27th June 2020, thedevelopment process of the 1.5 acres park began in 2019.

Ireland
Explanation:
On 28th June 2020, the voting at the special meeting of the Irish Parliament (the Dáil) at the Convention Centre, Dublin, Fianna Fail leader Micheál Martin was elected as the new (Taoiseach) Prime Minister of Ireland and he will take over the office from Leo Varadkar.Micheál Martin, will lead the government for the first two and a half years (until December 2022); the second half of the 5-year team will be led by Leo Varadkar, Indian Origin & Leader of Fine Gael.

The Union Ministry of Labour and Employment in partnership with TCS iON offers free online career skills training through the National Career Service (NCS) project to enhance the corporate etiquette, interpersonal skills, presentation skills and other softs skills of the job-seekers. NCS in partnership with HireMee, online assessment and hiring service provider, offers creation of video profiles for job-seekers.