Weekly Current Affairs Highlights – 14th to 19th June

On this page, you can read all the major news/Current Affairs of the week.

On a daily basis, we are covering all relevant Current Affairs under our various initiatives. For further reading, you can refer to our following initiatives:

1. 9 PM: Daily Current Affairs Summaries For UPSC 
2. Daily Editorials: Daily Current Affairs Editorials For UPSC 
3. Factly: Daily Current Affairs For Prelims

Click here for Weekly highlights archives

Updates in History

This week the update in history includes the demand for official language status for Tulu, Updates in the National Archives annexe, etc. The important articles in this regard are,

• Official Language Status for “Tulu Language” Demanded
• Preserving National Archives annexes of India
• Issue of shifting National Archives of India’s annexes – Explained, pointwise

Updates in Polity and Governance

There are few updates received in the Polity and governance topics from the newspapers. The important updates are,

• Electoral Funding Lacks Transparency
• Delhi High Court’s order upholds ‘Right to be Forgotten’
• Cabinet approves “Indian Vessels Bill, 2021”
• Govt released Cable Television Networks (Amendment) Rules,2021
• What is an election petition? – All you need to know.
• Settling claims of rival factions in a party symbol dispute

Update on Social Issues

This week health and education took the spotlight. Similarly, there are few articles that highlighted other topics also. The important articles in this regard are,

Articles on Health:

• Issues in Vaccine Procurement Policy
• Achievements of India’s Vaccination Drive
• Role of disruptive technologies in improving the health sector
• PM launches crash-course program to train 1 lakh Covid-19 frontline workers
• Vaccination policy of India – Issues & Suggestions

Articles on Education:

• Supreme court approves “CBSE assessment formula”
• Pandemic-induced brain drain – Should India be worried?

Others:

• “PENCIL Portal” to Report Instances of Child Labour
• Madras High Court guidelines for mainstreaming LGBTIQA+ community
• Marriage Rights of the LGBTQIA+ community
• “ELDERLINE” is providing assistance to thousands of elderly persons
• Ministry of Tribal Affairs launches “Adi Prashikshan Portal”
• Birth and Death Registrations Increased in 2019
• Orphaned children must be a policy priority
• Aspirational District Programme – Achievements and Suggestions – Explained, Pointwise

Report and Indices

There are a few important reports and indices released this week. The important ones are;

• “Small Island Developing States” faced most GDP loss in 2020: UN report
• “SIPRI Yearbook 2021”: China, India, Pakistan expanding “nuclear arsenal”
• “World Giving Index 2021” – 10th Edition Released
• UNESCO Science Report Finds India’s investment in Research Unsatisfactory
• “World Competitiveness Index 2021”: India maintained 43rd position

Updates on International Relations

This week the important updates in International relations include updates in the G7 summit,  NATO Summit, etc. The important articles covered by us include

Updates on G7 Summit:

• Key Outcomes of the G7 Summit
• G7 accommodates Indian stand on the need for “Internet shutdown”
• G7 Summit Presents a Template for Indian Engagement With the West

Other updates:

• NATO Summit 2021 – Countries Agreed to Step Up Defense
• Taiwan reports largest ever Chinese incursion
• Great Power Summit Held Between US and Russian President
• Mistakes in the U.S’s Afghan Policy

Updates in Economy

This week the economic topics in news include articles on RBI’s decisions on regulating the Microfinance Sector, Mandatory Gold hallmarking, etc. The important articles on Economy are,

• What is Kerala’s “SilverLine project”?
• “OFB Corporatisation” Approved by Cabinet
• “Gold hallmarking” Becomes Mandatory
• RBI’s proposal for regulation of the Microfinance sector- Explained, pointwise
• Problems with discoms need radical reforms

Updates in Agriculture

This week there were certain important updates on Agriculture like exports of Jardalu Mangoes and Jalgoan Banana, etc. The important articles that covered these topics are,

• GI certified “Jardalu mangoes” from Bihar exported to the UK
• India starts exporting GI-certified “Jalgaon banana” to Dubai
• Illegal sale of “HT Bt cotton” seeds doubles in a year

Updates in Science and Technology

This week there were few important updates in the field of science and technology such as the EnVision Mission, New Shepherd rocket system, etc. The important articles covered in this regard are,

• “EnVision Mission” to Venus by ESA
• “iDEX-DIO” – Defence Minister Approves Budgetary Support
• Govt. report flags lapses in “filovirus study” among Nagaland bats
• “Jivan Vayu”- Nation’s first power-free CPAP device developed by IIT Ropar
• What is the New Shephard rocket system?
• China successfully launched “Shenzhou-12” manned spaceship
• “Deep Ocean Mission” Approved by Cabinet
• How to Prevent Misuse of Synthetic Biology?
• Cryptocurrency in India – Lessons from other Countries
• Govt launches “Project O2 for India” to increase supply of medical oxygen

Important updates on Environment

This week there were certain important updates on the Environment like the Operation Olivia, report on E-waste, etc. The important articles that covered these topics are,

• “Pyrostria laljii” – A New Species Discovered in Andaman and Nicobar
• “Operation Olivia” to Protect Olive Ridley Turtles
• UN High- Level Dialogue on Desertification, Land degradation and Drought
• Maharashtra’s “Chandrapur” district is a hotbed for human-animal conflict
• SC refuses to stay demolition of settlements in “Aravalli range” in Haryana
• Children and Digital Dumpsites Report Highlights impacts of E-waste
• Issues with NTCA Circular on Shutting Down Tourism in Tiger Reserves
• Energy Efficient homes are key to low Carbon Economy
• Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India
• Summary of State of Environment Report 2021 – Explained, Pointwise

Updates on Security Issues

This week the major update in security issues includes updates in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), New defence declassification policy, etc. The important articles covered in this regard are,

• “Safe Harbour Protection” for Twitter Withdrawn
• Why Indian Military doctrine Should include both Sun Tzu & Kautilya?
• Need of Strengthening Cyber Resilience of Civilian infrastructure
• Defence Minister Approves New Policy for Declassification of War History
• Declassification of War Histories – Challenges of Credibility
• Protecting the right to dissent from UAPA
• Balancing Civil rights and Anti-terror laws
• Rationale behind New Information Technology Rules, 2021
• UAPA or Unlawful Activities Prevention Act – Explained, Pointwise

Miscellaneous articles

• “Bharitalasuchus tapani”- A carnivorous reptile, lived 240 million years ago
• [June Yojana Summary] Pandemic through Gandhian Principles – Explained, pointwise