1.India and Japan Join Hands For – ‘Lunar Polar Exploration’ mission
News: Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency(JAXA) will be launching a joint lunar mission called the Lunar Polar Exploration(LPE).
Facts:
- Proposed Launch Year: After 2023
- Aim: To send a lunar rover and lander to explore the south pole region of the Moon.
- Objective: To obtain data on the quantity and forms of water resources present in order to determine the feasibility of utilizing such resources for sustainable space exploration activities in the future.
- Under the mission, JAXA would be building the overall landing module and the rover while ISRO would develop the lander system.
2.Government launches ”Aarogyapath” Healthcare Supply Chain Portal
News: Council of Scientific and Industrial Research(CSIR) has launched Arogyapath Portal.
Facts:
- Aarogyapath: It is a national healthcare supply chain portal that aims to provide real-time availability of critical healthcare supplies to manufacturers, suppliers and customers to effectively deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.
3.Odisha’s unique festival Raja Parba begins
News: The Prime Minister has greeted the people of Odisha on the occasion of Raja Parba Festival.
Facts:
- Raja Parba: It is a three-day unique festival in Odisha celebrating the onset of monsoon and the earth’s womanhood.It is believed that during this time the Mother Earth or Bhudevi undergoes menstruation.
Facts: RECOVERY trial is a large randomised controlled trial conducted in the U.K.It aims to test five drugs to identify treatments that may be beneficial for people hospitalised with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
Additional Facts:
- Solidarity Trial: It is an international clinical trial launched by the World Health Organization(WHO) and partners to help find an effective treatment for COVID-19.
5.World Day Against Child Labour
News: The World Day Against Child Labour (WDACL) is being observed on 12 June.
Facts:
- It was started in 2002 by International Labour Organisation(ILO) to raise awareness and prevent child labour.
- Theme: COVID-19: Protect children from child labour now more than ever.
Additional Facts:
- UN Sustainable Development Goal Target 8.7: It calls for an end to child labour in all its forms by 2025.
- COVID-19 and Child Labour Report: It has been released by International Labour Organization and the UNICEF.
- ILO: It was established in 1919 to promote social and economic justice through setting up of international labour standards.It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
6.RBI panel to review ownership of private banks
Facts: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has constituted a five-member Internal Working committee to review ownership guidelines and corporate structure for ‘Indian Private Sector Banks’.It is headed by P K Mohanty.
7.India looks to deploy naval liaisons at Madagascar, Abu Dhabi for information exchange
News: After joining Indian Ocean Commission(IOC) as Observer, India is looking to post Navy Liaison Officers at Regional Maritime Information Fusion Centre(RMIFC) in Madagascar and also at the European maritime surveillance initiative in the Strait of Hormuz(EMASOH) for improved Maritime Domain Awareness.
Facts:
- RMFIC: Itfunctions under the aegis of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) and is based in Madagascar.
- It aims to monitor the maritime activities and promotes information sharing.
- EMASOH: It is composed of Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands and French officers and based at the French naval base in Abu Dhabi.
- The aim is to monitor maritime activity and guarantee freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
Additional Facts:
- IOC: It is an intergovernmental organization created in 1982.It’s members are: Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion Islands (an overseas region of France) and Seychelles.Its secretariat is located in Port Louis, Mauritius.
- Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region(IFC-IOR): It was established in 2018 at Gurugram, Haryana.It aims to advance Maritime Safety and Security in the Indian Ocean Region through information sharing with partner nations and agencies.It is jointly administered by the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard.
