Important Daily Current Affairs of 29th June 2021

In this article, we will discuss all the important current affairs of 29th June 2021 in detail.

National

1. FM Sitharaman Announces Rs 6,28,993 Crore Relief Package Against COVID-19

Nirmala Sitharaman, the finance minister, proposed eight relief measures costing Rs 6,28,993 crore to aid the recovery of the economy, which has been hit by Covid-19.
As part of a package to boost the pandemic-hit economy, the Centre offered Rs 1.5 lakh crore in additional financing for small and medium businesses, increased funds for the healthcare sector, loans to travel agencies and guides, and remission of visa fees for international tourists.

International

2. Ashgabat is the most expensive city in the world for foreign workers.

According to the Mercer Cost of Living Survey, Turkmenistan’s capital city Ashgabat has become the world’s most costly city for international employees. Hong Kong was in second place, followed by Lebanon’s Beirut and Japan’s Tokyo.
The annual research compares the costs of more than 200 commodities such as accommodation, transportation, food, clothing, home products, and entertainment in 209 cities across five continents. The survey’s base city was New York City, which came in at number 14 on the list, and currency changes were measured against the US dollar.

3. “Sea Breeze Drills” are being conducted by Ukraine and the United States.

In the Black Sea, Ukraine and the US conducted joint naval maneuvers dubbed “Sea Breeze Drills” as a show of Western support for Kiev as it battles Russia.
The drills come only days after the HMS Defender of the Royal Navy traveled close to Russian-annexed Crimea in the Black Sea, prompting Moscow to fire warning rounds at the destroyer.

Banking & Finance

4. Mastercard and Instamojo have teamed up to benefit SMEs and freelance workers.

Instamojo, India’s leading full-stack digital solutions provider for SMEs, has announced a strategic equity investment from Mastercard.
This project aims to empower millions of MSMEs and gig workers by delivering simple solutions that will enable them to quickly digitize, such as putting up online businesses, acquiring digital payment acceptance capabilities, and communicating with clients, even during a pandemic.

5. With ICICI Bank, AMNS India completes a paperless bill discounting transaction.

ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel (AMNS) India, based in Gujarat, announced that it had completed India’s first “paperless bill discounting transaction” in collaboration with ICICI Bank.
AMNS India, its customer, and ICICI Bank conducted an end-to-end electronic transaction that included the digital issue of letter of credit (LC), advisory, and document presentation.

Business & Economy

6. The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has set a goal of installing 60 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2032.

NTPC, India’s largest power company, has set a goal of installing 60 GW (gigawatts) of renewable energy capacity by 2032 as part of a commitment to reduce its net energy intensity by 10%.
Furthermore, by 2025, the coal-burning behemoth has stated that it will form at least two worldwide alliances/groups to facilitate clean energy research and promote energy value chain sustainability.

Appointments

7. A Californian has been appointed to Twitter’s board of directors. As India’s Grievance Officer, Jeremy Kessel

Twitter named Jeremy Kessel of California as the new Grievance Officer for India, as required by the new Information Technology Rules, 2021, just hours after Dharmendra Chatur resigned, according to Bar and Bench.
His appointment, on the other hand, appears to be in violation of current IT rules, which stipulate that the grievance redressal officer must be a resident of India.

8. CBI Special Director Praveen Sinha has been appointed.

Praveen Sinha, a CBI Additional Director, has been named Special Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation, a position previously held by Rakesh Asthana.
Between 2000 and 2021, Sinha, a Gujarat-cadre IPS officer from the 1988 batch, served at the agency as superintendent of police, deputy inspector general, joint director, and additional director.

9. Manesh Mahatme is the new Head of Payments for WhatsApp in India.

Manesh Mahatme, a former Amazon executive, has been named to lead WhatsApp’s newly announced payment service in India.
Mahatme will focus on “improving the payments experience for users, scaling the service offering, and working towards contributing to WhatsApp’s objective of digital and financial inclusion in India” as director of WhatsApp Payments-India.

10. Sweden’s Prime Minister Stefan Lofven resigned one week after losing a vote of no confidence, leaving it to the speaker of parliament to begin the search for a replacement.

Lofven, who is 63 years old, is the first Swedish government leader to face a no-confidence vote. He had been Prime Minister of Sweden since 2014, and following the 2018 elections, he kept his job by pushing his party closer to the centre.

11. Attorney General KK Venugopal’s term extended by one year

The government has extended the tenure of Attorney General K.K. Venugopal by a year.
Mr. Venugopal will continue as the government’s top law officer till June 30, 2022.

Sports

12. The 2021 Styrian Grand Prix is won by Max Verstappen.

By winning the Styrian Grand Prix in Spielberg, Red Bull Racing sensation Max Verstappen increased his lead over Lewis Hamilton in the driver’s championship to 18 points.
Verstappen’s fourth win of the 2021 Formula One season, and his second in a row after winning the French Grand Prix last weekend.

Awards & Honours

13. Mongolia’s Highest Civilian Award is given to RK Sabharwal.

Engineers India Limited (EIL) Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) RK Sabharwal has been awarded Mongolia’s highest civilian accolade, the Order of Polar Star.
His Excellency, Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, presented Sabharwal with the award for his remarkable contribution to the development of Mongolia’s first oil refinery.

14. Emmanuel Carrere, a nonfiction author from France, has won a prestigious Spanish award.

The Spanish Princess of Asturias Literature Award was given to French author Emmanuel Carrere, who is known for his high-brow nonfiction novels.
The prize is one of the foundation’s eight distinguished prizes named after Princess Leonor, the Spanish heir to the throne.

Books & Authors

15. “Fiercely Female: The Dutee Chand Story” is the title of a book. Sundeep Mishra is the author of this article.

Sundeep Mishra’s book, titled “Fiercely Female: The Dutee Chand Story,” was recently published. Westland Books was the publisher of the book.
The book ‘Fiercely Female: The Dutee Chand Story’ details Chand’s path, including a full account of the gender-identity issue that helped her become a household name in Indian sports.

16. The Chief Justice of India has published a book about India’s Changing Legal System.

Former Supreme Court Judge Justice (retd) R V Raveendran’s book “Anomalies in Law and Justice” was issued by Chief Justice of India N V Ramana, detailing in simple terms various flaws in the law that need to be addressed.
The book was an attempt to explain to the average person that the law and legal system are continually growing, and that solving difficulties that have persisted for a long period demands more critical thinking.

17. Valerie Biden Owens, the sister of US President Joe Biden, will write a biography called “Growing Up Biden.”

Valerie Biden Owens, the sister of US Vice President Joe Biden, has signed a book deal with Celadon Books to write a biography called “Growing Up Biden.”
The film ‘Growing Up Biden,’ directed by Owens, will be released on April 12, 2022.

Important Days

18. National Statistics Day: 29th June

On June 29, the late Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis’ birthday, National Statistics Day is observed.
The day is dedicated to the use of statistics in everyday life and raising public understanding about how statistics can assist in policy formulation.

19. Tropics Day: 29th June

Every year on June 29, the International Day of the Tropics commemorates the incredible diversity of the tropics while also highlighting the specific challenges and opportunities that nations in the Tropics face.
According to the ‘State of the Tropics Report 2021,’ the subject for this year’s International Day of the Tropics is The Digital Divide in the Tropics.